Page 13 - Florida Sentinel 10-6-17

FLORIDA SENTINEL
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2017
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USF To Host Supplier Diversity Day October 6
On Friday, October 6th, the Univer- sity of South Florida will host its Sup- plier Diversity Day.
The university’s newly appointed Assistant Vice President of Supplier Di- versity is inviting members of the com- munity to attend the event.
Approximately 100 Tampa Bay Area businesses owned by women, mi- norities, and veterans are expected to participate. It will take place at the Uni- versity of South Florida Tampa campus at the Marshall Student Center. It will begin at 8 a.m., and concludes at 3 p.m.
It is designed to bring together the business community with key pur- chasers from the USF System. Its goal is to build new relationships, provide better insights into the university’s pro- curement process and offer tips for how to successfully compete for busi- ness opportunities at the university.
The event is part of the USF Sys- tem’s recently expanded efforts to en- hance supplier diversity.
In April, the university hired Ms. Terrie Daniel in the position of As- sistant Vice President of Supplier Di- versity.
Her role is to oversee the Supplier Diversity Program. Ms. Daniel has implemented training programs for university employees to further edu- cate them on best practices for involv- ing minority, women, and veteran-owned businesses in the pro- curement of goods and supplies, con- struction, professional services, and other contracts.
She has also overseen the establish-
MS. TERRIE DANIEL Assistant Vice President of Supplier Diversity, USF
ment of a new website to provide busi- ness owners with an easy-to-use re- source to learn about opportunities with the System, participate in upcom- ing events, and connect directly with the program’s leadership.
The new website is: http://www.usf.edu/business-fi- nance/supplier-diversity/
Event Agenda
8 a.m. --- 9:30 a.m. Vendor check in
and exhibit set up.
9:30 a.m. Welcome from leadership team.
9:45 a.m. Information sessions and panel discussion; the sessions will in- clude Supplier Diversity Program, how to do business with USF, and Meet the decision-makers
11:30 a.m. lunch and networking
12 noon --- 3 p.m. Ribbon-cutting and vendor showcasing.
Written by Sentinel City Editor, Iris B. Holton
Community Meetings Focus On Strategic Action Plan
BY IRIS B. HOLTON Sentinel City Editor
A series of community meetings will take place to discuss the Community Redevelopment Area (CRA) Strategic Action Plan for West Tampa. The area was granted CRA designation by the City of Tampa in 2015.
The first public meeting will take place on Monday, October 23, at 6 p.m., in the Ballroom of the Bryan Glazer Family JCC, 522 N. Howard Avenue, Tampa, 33606.
Joseph Robinson, Chairman of the West Tampa CRA CAC said, “As Chairman, we are asking the West Tampa community to come out and let your voices be heard on what we need in our community for businesses, resi- dents, property owners, and other inter- ested parties, especially along our most distressed areas of Main Street.
“It is only by community participa- tion that we can have a West Tampa Strategic Plan that makes sense and works to turn our community around.”
The CRA redevelopment area is bound by West Columbus Drive, South Kennedy Blvd., Armenia Avenue, and the Hillsborough River. Development initiatives will include public and pri- vate properties located within those boundaries.
The first step in the redevelopment is to create an action plan to guide the
JOE ROBINSON Chairman, West Tampa CRA
use of revenues and development initia- tives. The plan will span five years, with one-year increments, which will identify specific programs and invest- ments within the target area.
The City of Tampa, the West Tampa CRA Advisory Committee and Consult- ant Team Kimley Horn invites the com- munity to visit the city website for more information.
For more information contact Fred Hearns at (813) 545-3183, or fhearns@netzero.net.
Malcolm Kiner, Manager, West Tampa CRA, at (813) 274-7427 or by e- mail at Malcolm.Kiner@Tampagov.net.
Or for more information about the CRA visit the website at: www.tam- pagov.net/economic-and-urban-devel- opment/programs/community-redevel opment-areas/West-Tampa-CRA.
HART Recognizes Million Mile Club Members
The Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART) held a special cere- mony to honor 16 Operators for their stellar safe driving records and induct them into the One Million Mile Club and the Two Million Mile Club.
This brings the member- ship of both clubs to 178 HART Operators for One Mil- lion and 29 Operators for Two Million.
In addition, the presti- gious Three Million Mile Club has two respected members, retired Bus Operator Samuel Baker and retired Bus Oper- ator Thomas Mouling.
HART requires a Three Million Mile Club member to have completed 40 years of driving without a preventable accident.
"Many of our operators are special, but this group represents the best of the best. We are proud to salute them", said HART Chief Op-
The Bus and Van Operators that were presented with the coveted One Million Mile Club awards for 2017 are HART Bus Operators, Pedro Cuevas, Muhammad Darby, Bernard Farrier, David Gaines, Her- bert Jennings, Gordon LeBlanc, Oscar Matute, Felix Oquendo, Daniel Perez; Van Operators, Rosalind Atkins, Lula Harrison, Richard Sherman and Streetcar Motorman, James Michael.
In addition, HART Bus Operators, Carlos Castellanos, Enrique Ramirez and Pedro Rodriguez join the amazing Two Million Mile Club member status.
HART Operators heard an outstanding safety message from Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue Chief Den- nis Jones.
"To most of our cus- tomers, their Operator is the face of HART," said Chief Ad- ministrative Officer, Keny- atta Lee. "To put this achievement into perspective, one million miles is the equiv- alent of driving from Los An- geles to New York City - three hundred and sixty times", she added.
The career paths of each HART Operator are also de- fined by hard work, courage and achievement.
Leading the honorees this year with 27 years of safe driving is Carlos Castel- lanos. HART has always been part of his adult life. Carlos, now age 52, has been an operator for 28 years. He has been accident-free for 27 of them.
erating Officer Ruthie Reyes Burckard.
The One Million Mile Club has been in existence since 1994. To qualify for member- ship in the One Million Mile
Club, a Bus or Van operator must demonstrate an excep- tional dedication to safe vehi- cle operations by completing 14 consecutive years without a preventable accident. To get
into the more exclusive Two Million Mile Club, an opera- tor must accumulate 27 years with the same safety crite- rion.
This elite group of safe