/
Print
Services
Residents
Business
Visitors
Government
City of Knoxville
Blogs
City Blog
Mayor Kincannon Meets with D...
Mayor Kincannon Meets with Diversity Business Advisory Committee
This week, Mayor Indya Kincannon attended the Diversity Business Advisory Committee’s first meeting of the year and thanked members for providing feedback on how the City can best support and recruit businesses owned by women, minorities and service-disabled veterans — known as DBEs.
“As an employer and a purchaser, the City is intentional about how we spend taxpayers’ money,” Mayor Kincannon said.
Interim CFO Boyce Evans acknowledged that advisory committee members have asked pertinent questions and led the Purchasing Department to pursue new approaches, like creating Twitter and Facebook accounts to reach out to potential vendors.
And Purchasing staff have adapted processes based on feedback received from vendors.
For example: In 2019, several DBE mowing contractors reported that the mowing contract was too large for them to handle and prevented them from bidding on the work. So the contract has been divided into zones and, thus, could be awarded to multiple contractors.
Vendors must be
registered
with the City in order to respond to solicitations.
Apropos for the first meeting of the year, Pamela Cotham, Assistant Purchasing Agent in the Small Business and Diversity Outreach Office, presented an overview of the City’s DBE initiatives and activities.
In addition to hosting the annual Business Breakfast (the 12th annual breakfast is June 10 at the Jacob Building), the Purchasing team hosts a Diversity Business Expo (March 5, 2020, at Overcoming Believers Church ), manages the nominations and ceremony for the
Diversity Business Awards
, sends a quarterly newsletter and maintains a
directory
of diversity businesses.
For additional information about the Diversity Business Advisory Committee, its members and its meeting schedule, visit
their page
on our website. And learn more about our Small Business and Diversity Outreach Office and how to qualify as a DBE on
this page
.
Posted by
ptravis
On 09 January, 2020 at 3:45 PM
Recent Posts
Exhibit Explores 'Black & White' Knoxville History
Saturday Extra Duty: City Crews Pick Up 542 Bags of Litter Across Knoxville
Students Enlighten Empower Knox During Youth Forum
Local Business Owner Horace Andrews: ‘You Have to be Ready to Compete’
City Crews Work Saturdays to Tackle Litter Eyesores: Expensive Solution, But 'Gratifying'
TPO Report: Significantly Fewer Traffic Crashes on Cumberland Avenue Since Streetscape Improvements
$4.9 M Investment: Rollout of KPD Cameras Nearing Completion
Former Black-owned Motel Will Get New Life as Supportive Housing
Update: I-275 Business Park Access Improvements Project Making Major Progress
Both Jackson Avenue Ramps Now Open; Compare 'Before' and 'After' Photos
Archives
February 2021 (8)
January 2021 (2)
December 2020 (6)
November 2020 (5)
October 2020 (3)
September 2020 (3)
August 2020 (4)
July 2020 (4)
June 2020 (2)
May 2020 (7)
April 2020 (2)
Group Blogs
City Blog
KAT Blog
KPD News & Alerts
Magnolia Avenue Streetscapes Project
More...
Post Categories
City Events
City Services
Cumberland Ave.
Downtown
Government
KAT
Mayor Kincannon
Meetings
Neighborhoods
Outdoor & Recreation
Public Safety
Redevelopment
Road Work
South Waterfront
Sustainability
Content Alert Subscription
Blog Feeds
Podcast Feeds
Subscribe to Email Alerts