Small Businesses Reaping Benefits of Interagency Cooperation at the SBA Economic Recovery Opportunity Forum

Krista Tucker working to assist a small business owner with her questions.

Over 350 small business owners recently crowded into the Atlanta Technical College conference center for the Small Business Administration (SBA) Economic Recovery Opportunity Forum to learn more about how they could grow their business by taking full advantage of the federal government's ever increasing interagency cooperation and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The forum was a collaborative effort with the White House and federal agencies to connect small businesses including minority, women and service disabled veteran owned small businesses with federal, state and local government, as well as, private sector contracting opportunities.

Senior governmental officials consisting of the Acting Deputy Regional Director, Region IV HUD, Karen Jackson Sims, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, Adolfo Carrion, Director White House Office of Urban Affairs, Alejandro Castillo, Deputy National Director, Minority Business Development Agency, Shyam Reddy, Region IV, Regional Administrator, General Services Administration and Eugene Cornelius, Deputy Associate Administrator for Field Operations, US Small Business Administration comprised a panel that addressed how small business owners could take full advantage of federal services, programs and funding.

"We want you to learn about business opportunities with HUD and to help connect you to the right HUD partners that you need to connect with before you leave here today," said Sims, the Acting Deputy Regional Director, Region IV HUD.

Acting Deputy Regional Director, Karen Jackson Sims responding to questions from small business owners. Also pictured from left to right are partially shown are Alejandro Castillo, Deputy National Director, Minority Business Development and Shyam Reddy, Regional Administrator, General Services.

Individual tables were set up to provide detailed information to attendees and HUD provided one on one services to assist small business owners in the areas of contracting, Section 3 and other contract opportunities. In addition to the information provided at the forum specific contracting opportunities are available by going to: www.hud.gov/georgia and looking under the Resources section for Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization for specifics.

The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is committed to providing universal access to both small businesses and large businesses. The Agency recognizes that small businesses are of vital importance to job growth and the economic strength of the country. A successful and strong business community is an integral component of the Department's overall mission of job creation, community empowerment and economic revitalization.

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