Minority Enterprise Development Week Celebration Nets Local Winners

Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week is an annual celebration recognizing the contributions made by minority businesses to the nation’s economy. This year earmarks the 24th Annual National MED Week celebration. The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Office of Government Contracting and Business Development and their respective public and private sector partners, hosted Western North Carolina’s MED Week Conference last month in Asheville, North Carolina.

The MED week activities culminated Sept. 21, 2006 at the Renaissance Hotel, hosted by Brenda G. Mills, Coordinator of Minority Business Programs for the City of Asheville and chairperson of Asheville’s’ MED Week Committee board of directors.

Alvin Kimble

Laporsche Johnson

Jean Busch

Local
entrepreneur and minority businessman Alvin Kimble, owner of The Block,
a clothing store in Asheville, was among those who received honors and
recognition. “What it has taken is vision, discipline, and hard work,”
said Kimble. “I want to thank God, my family, my pastor, my business
coach, Elaine Robinson, and others who have supported me to help make
this vision a reality.”


Other winners were Myra Parker Cloer, owner of Cherokee Enterprise,
Inc.; Natalie Smith, owner of Tribal Grounds Coffee House; and Rosario
Villarreal, owner of Business Service Associates. The Youth Essay Award
was presented to LaPorsche Johnson for her presentation on “Embracing
Cultural Diversity in Your Community.”


The overall winner of the “Phyllis J. Sherrill Entrepreneur of the Year
Award” was Jean Busch, owner of Turning Heads Beauty Salon in Cherokee
County.


Marvin Vierra, retired head of the Minority Business Development
Agency, received an award and a standing ovation for his years of
service to the minority communities of Western North Carolina.


MED Week, the largest federally sponsored activity held on behalf of
minority business enterprises (MBEs), provides a forum for:

•    Articulating the Administration’s support of minority business development;

•    Interaction
among corporate America, Federal, state, and local governments,
minority-owned businesses, and other private sector entities to
identify business opportunities and to forge new partnerships in
support of minority business development; and

•    Sharing and acknowledging successes and other business enhancing experiences.