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Save the Date for the 2008 Prosperity Partnership Fall Luncheon!
The Prosperity Partnership’s centerpiece event serves as an opportunity for close to 1,000 business, government, labor, education and community leaders from throughout the Puget Sound to gather in celebration of the past year’s achievements and to learn about plans for the year ahead.
This year, the Prosperity Partnership Fall Luncheon will pay tribute to State Representative Helen Sommers, honoring her years of service to our region and the state. During her 36 years representing the 36th district in the state legislature, Rep. Sommers has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to her community, providing particularly crucial leadership in the area of higher education. The Prosperity Partnership is honored to pay tribute to Rep. Sommers, and will seek to continue her important work in the years ahead.
The 2008 Prosperity Partnership Fall Luncheon will take place on Thursday, November 6th, at the Westin Hotel in downtown Seattle from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. Registration coming soon at www.prosperitypartnership.org.
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Bob Drewel Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award
Governor Chris Gregoire has honored Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Director Bob Drewel with a Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the 2008 Economic Development and Workforce Best Practices awards.
“Throughout his career, Bob has tirelessly and effectively advocated for family-wage industries and family-wage jobs in our state. And he’s done it on both sides of the mountains,” Gregoire said. “This award pays tribute to Bob’s leadership in promoting regional solutions to challenges facing the Northwest.”
"This award really reflects the caliber of the economic development work going on throughout the region and state," said Bob Drewel, "most especially the work of the Prosperity Partnership. I'm very proud of what we've accomplished."
View the press release online at the Governor's Website.
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Prosperity Partnership to Host a Breakout Session at the Filipino Chamber Pacific Northwest Business Conference
The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) will host the 8th National Empowerment Conference on September 26 – 28, 2008, at the Seattle Westin Hotel. The 8th National Empowerment Conference is expected to attract up to 1,000 Filipino community and business leaders, opinion shapers and prominent government officials from throughout the nation. This three-day event will focus on the development of key strategies to address the political, social, health, educational, and economic concerns affecting the Filipino American community.
The Prosperity Partnership will host a breakout session at the Empowerment Conference on Friday, September 26 from 3:00 to 4:15 pm entitled “The Minority-Owned Business Ecosystem: Improving Communication and Coordination.” At the session, representatives from four sectors of the minority-owned business ecosystem – business, government agencies, business resource providers and minority-owned businesses themselves – will participate in a moderated discussion about the ways that each of these stakeholders interact. Attendees will hear perspectives from each sector on topics such as MBO certification, supplier diversity programs and access to credit and contracting opportunities. By the end of the session, each sector will have a better understanding of how they can contribute to better coordination and communication within the minority-owned business ecosystem.
For more information, visit partneringworks.org
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African American Partners for Prosperity to Launch Project 60
This Friday, September 12, African American Partners for Prosperity (AAPP) and the William Factory Business Incubator will host an event to launch Project 60. Project 60 is designed to focus on measuring and reporting actual MBO and small business contracting results within the public-private sector. This effort will also feature a strong advocacy and collaborative component, designed to allow members of the MBO ecosystem to work more effectively with program managers and other decision makers. This important pilot program will span 18 months from inception. Results will be gathered from participating small businesses and MBO firms as well as input from the public-private sector agencies cooperating and collaborating in this effort.
AAPP has been a long-time collaborator in the Prosperity Partnership’s efforts in minority entrepreneurship. The Prosperity Partnership’s Minority Economic Development Working Group concluded that problems with access to contracting and capital for MBO’s stem from inefficiencies in the minority-owned business ecosystem — the system of interactions between MBOs, the large cluster businesses with whom they contract and the business resource providers (education and training organizations, funders, networking and advocacy groups and others) that prepare MBOs for business and connect them to opportunities. Project 60 will help identify ways to create effective connections between the three corners of the MBO ecosystem – large cluster businesses, business resource providers, and minority-owned businesses themselves – which will provide minority business owners with an opportunity to build the support network necessary to address their particular business challenges.
For more information see www.aapp-wa.org.
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