Page 9 - Florida Sentinel 10-2-18

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Birthday
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
WILLAMENA JOHNSON
Momentous birthday wished are extended to our mother, grandmother, and wife, Willamena John- son. May God continue to cover and bless you with His anointing.
We love you dearly, Antonio, April, Shenida, Jermaine, Maressa, Lynelle, Antwan, your grandchildren; and husband, James.
Women Gather At ‘Jeans And Bling’ Conference
Women gathered at Christ the Church for a 3-day “Jeans and Bling” Conference. The event was held last month and entitled, “No Hidden Agenda.” Minister Sylvia Lee was the host pastor. (Photographs by Julia Jackson)
Sisters Shantell Holmes and Michelle Brown opened the service with Praise and Worship.
Minister Carolyn Dawson, Evangelist Gwen Gaddis, the Saturday night speaker; and conference host, Minister Sylvia Lee.
USF System To Host Second Annual Supplier Diversity Day On Oct. 5th
Dozens of Tampa Bay area businesses expected to participate
In a sign of its commit- ment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus envi- ronment, the University of South Florida System will hold its second annual Sup- plier Diversity Day on Friday, Oct. 5th in the Marshall Stu- dent Center.
The event seeks to build on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which in- cluded participation from more than 70 companies and over 300 attendees.
Starting at 8:30 a. m., the all-day program brings to- gether the Tampa Bay re- gion’s business community with key purchasers from the USF System, aiming to strengthen relationships with minority, woman and vet- eran-owned organizations, further educate vendors about the university’s pro- curement process and offer guidance for successfully competing for business op- portunities at USF.
The event reflects USF’s strategic investments over the past 12-18 months to en- hance supplier diversity, a commitment that has re- sulted in a significant in- crease in new and expanded
TERRIE DANIEL Assistant Vice President
partnerships.
In the most recent fiscal
year, the university spent $27.5 million with diverse- owned suppliers, or nearly 8 percent of USF’s total ad- dressable (competitively sourced) purchases, an in- crease from $18.8 million the previous year. USF leader- ship has set a goal of increas- ing the total amount to between 13-20 percent within the next several years.
Since last October’s inau- gural event, USF has devel- oped a strategic plan for supplier diversity, designed to serve as a roadmap for short and long-term growth in this important area. The Office of Supplier Diversity also hired a business analyst to compile and study spend- ing data in order to identify
places for additional im- provement. The new analyst works alongside Assistant Vice President Terrie Daniel, an experienced leader in the field, who was hired in April 2017 to oversee USF’s supplier diversity pro- gram.
Daniel and her team con- tinue to organize training programs for university em- ployees to educate them on best practices in the procure- ment of goods, services, con- struction and other contracts.
“In a short period of time, we have implemented a foun- dation for success, and we’re already seeing new opportu- nities created for our suppli- ers every day,” Daniel said. “Because of the leadership of our Board of Trustees, Pres- ident Judy Genshaft and other key contributors across the USF System who are champions for this initiative, we are making significant progress that will be transfor- mational for our campus cli- mate.”
The day’s activities will conclude, 12:30 p. m. – 3 p. m. with Supplier Diversity awards and vendor showcase
For more information on the event or learn more about supplier diversity, please visit the Office of Supplier Diver- sity’s website.
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