Program: Government Small Business Programs (SBA, GSA, USACE, VA, and FAA)
Date: Monday, August 3
Time: 11:30am-1pm
Location: Fort Worth Petroleum Club, 777 Main Street

RSVP to Angie by 07/29 at noon: amccullough@cmjengr.com (pay at the door or pay on the home page by following either the young member paypal link or the regular member paypal link…please still RSVP to Angie)

Join Fort Worth SAME on Monday, August 3rd for a panel discussion outlining federal small business opportunities with

• Paul Stone, U.S. Small Business Administration, Procurement Center Representative
• Albert Garza, GSA Regional Office of Small Business Utilization
• Jeri Bird, FAA Small Business Development Program Group
• Tongee Fleming, Department of Veterans Affairs, Deputy Director of Contracting, Network Contracting Office 17
• Carolyn Staten, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Deputy, Office of Small Business Programs

These professionals advocate for small, minority, veteran, HUBZone, and women business owners. They promote increased access to procurement opportunities, monitor and implement small business policies and manage a range of programs required by law. These agencies’  small business programs nurture entrepreneurial endeavors, open doors to new business opportunities, and enhance technological capabilities.

We will also have a short report from one or more of the high school students whom SAME sponsored at this summer’s Air Force and Marine Corps Construction Camps, and will recognize this year’s SAME Scholarship recipients.

Albert Garza has over 25 years of experience with government procurement at both the local and federal government levels.  He started with GSA in 1988 as a Presidential Management Intern.  Over the last two and a half decades he has served in a variety of positions with GSA’s Federal Acquisition Service and the City of San Antonio’s Economic Development Department.  In 2007, he became the Director of GSA’s Regional Small Business Utilization Office in Fort Worth.  Mr. Garza has a B.A. and M.A. in Urban Studies from Trinity University.

Jeri Bird currently serves as the Small Business Advocate for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Central Service Area.   Prior to this assignment Ms. Bird served as a Contracting Officer for the FAA where she managed multiple  construction and service contracts across the agency.    Ms. Bird has also held several positions within the Department of Defense and General Services Administration during her 20+ year federal career.   Ms. Bird holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.    She also holds a Certificate in Contract Management and is a graduate of the FAA’s Program for Emerging Leaders.

Carolyn Staten, a 29-year Federal careerist, was honored with the SAME Small Business Advocate of the Year in 2013.  for her innovative approach to making the Fort Worth District Small Business Program one of the top programs in USACE.  Her outreach to small business owners, productive district business forums, and user-friendly website, continue to provide opportunities to gain critical skills to support small businesses in the Fort Worth District.

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