Small Business Roundtable Brings Stakeholders Together in Jackson, Mississippi
On July 27, 2012, the Southeast Small Business Transportation Resource Center Project Director, Adrianna Clark, led a Small Business Roundtable with Mississippi State Senate Transportation Committee Chairman, Willie Simmons, at the state capitol in Jackson. Lt. Governor Tate Reeves and Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. opened the forum with the goal of establishing a dialogue between all major stakeholders in the transportation process to make small business inclusion a reality.
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| Lt. Governor Tate Reeves offers opening remarks. | Stakeholders discuss small business transportation opportunities during one of the panel sessions. |
Lt. Governor Tate Reeves offers opening remarks as Jackson Mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr., FHWA Assistant Division Administrator Don Davis, and state senate Chairman Willie Simmons look on. Stakeholders discuss small business transportation opportunities during one of the panel sessions.
As a multi-modal forum, panelists included representatives from the Federal Highway Administration, the Jackson Municipal Airport Authority, Mississippi DOT, port and rail agencies. Stakeholders from small businesses, prime contractors, political offices, and trade associations were able to receive the latest information from contracting agencies and discuss ways to work together to provide more small business opportunities. It was also a chance for the group to meet face to face and establish a continued dialogue that will last long after the roundtable ended.
As follow up from this event, OSDBU is working to bring the DOT Bonding Education Program and Short Term Lending Program to Jackson in 2013.