Episode Description

This episode explores the vast amount of resources available to minority-owned businesses through airports and their local municipalities. Alan Jones, Director of Administration and DBE Liasion Officer with the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority, and Pamela Cotham, Assistant Purchasing Agent and Small Business & Diversity Outreach Manager for the City of Knoxville, share their passion for fostering relationships and opportunities for companies that qualify as a Disadvantage Business Enterprises (DBE). Through their wealth of experience, learn how to qualify as a DBE, become eligible for consideration for projects, and tap into a multitude of beneficial programs.

Guest in this Episode

Mentioned in this Episode

• Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)


• Alan Jones’ DBE Presentation to the MKAA Board of Commissioners


• History of the Department of Transportation DBE Program


• East Tennessee Purchasing Association


• Diversity Business Alliance, which is made up of the following eight agencies: 
  
  
  
  • City of Knoxville
  
  
  • Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority
  
  
  • Knox County
  
  
  • University of Tennessee
  
  
  • Knoxville’s Community Development Corp.
  
  
  • Blount County 
  
  
  • Public Building Authority
  
  
  • Knoxville Utilities Board 
  
  
  
  


• TDOT’s DBE Certification Process 


• More than 800 vendors are certified through TDOT’s process


• 4th Annual (Virtual) Diversity Business Expo: March 4, 2021


• Tennessee Veterans Business Association 

Music in this Episode

• Birdy by KV https://soundcloud.com/kvmusicprod


• Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0


• Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/dSCbsObNJo0

The post How TYS & Local Municipalities are ‘Leveling the Playing Field’ for Minority-Owned Businesses appeared first on From the Runway Up.