2018 DOT Civil Rights Virtual Symposium Speaker Bios - Session 5
Session 5 - A Small Business Capacity Building Forum
Tony Arps, Project Director, USDOT Gulf Region Small Business Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC)
Tony Arps is the Project Director for the U.S. DOT Gulf Region Small Business Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC), the, one of 13 regional field offices of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (US DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU).
The SBTRC advocates on behalf of small businesses and provide technical assistance, procurement assistance, access to capital and business training programs to small and disadvantaged businesses. The goal is to assist small business with building capacity so that they can become more competitive when pursing transportation related infrastructure projects containing federal transportation dollars. Mr. Arps has 26 years of business experience, both as an entrepreneur and as a professional providing assistance.
Adriana Clark, Project Director, USDOT Southeast Region Small Business Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC)
Adriana Clark is the Project Director of the Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) Southeast Region Office - U.S. Department of Transportation. She is task with administering programs designed to enhance the competitive landscape of DOT Small Business customers including DBEs, WOSB, SDBs, 8(a), HubZone, SDVOSB and VOSBs, in order to enhance their ability to perform on transportation infrastructure projects.
For the past 18 years, she has utilized her strong business acumen to create value and strengthen capacity for small and minority entrepreneurs to launch, grow and succeed in business. Ms. Clark is well versed in public-sector regulatory requirements applicable to programs (federal, state, local) and designations of special groups (small and disadvantaged), and uses this knowledge to advance others. She regularly present and facilitate notable workshops, trainings and development forums.
Ms. Clark received her Masters Degree in International Business from the Huizenga School of Business at Nova Southeastern University and is currently completing an Ed.D. (Doctorate in Education) in Organizational Leadership at Nova Southeastern University.
Kaye Gantt, Executive Director, USDOT South Atlantic Region Small Business Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC)
Ms. Gantt is a C-Suite executive with thirty years of banking experience; responsible for developing and implementing strategies to advance the utilization of disadvantaged businesses. Ms. Gantt is a passionate professional, with a national network of resources; and the business acumen to effectively procure resources for the benefit of disadvantage business enterprises.
Ms. Gantt serves on the board of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC); and holds credentials from NC State University Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering – Project Management, the National Development Council of Housing Development and Finance Professionals, and the American Contract Compliance Association from Morgan State University. Ms. Gantt is also the 2017 recipient of the NAMC National Harriet Tubman Excellence in Leadership Award.