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Upstate News

More than 300 expected to attend MWBE Summit March 11 at Upstate Medical

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — SUNY Upstate Medical University and SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) will co-sponsor a summit March 11 that will offer an opportunity for Central New York’s public colleges to learn more about the services provided by minority- and women-owned business enterprises (MWBEs). More than 300 participants are expected to attend the summit.

At the same time, business owners can become educated about the state processes that lead to certification as a minority- or women-owned business.

The two SUNY campuses are collaborating with SUNY Central Administration and the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce to host the SUNY Central Region MWBE Summit on the Upstate campus. The event will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Institute for Human Performance building, 505 Irving Ave.

The summit will begin with a welcome from Upstate President David Smith and ESF President Cornelius B. Murphy, Jr., and a video greeting from SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher. In addition to networking and business opportunities, there will be presentations by Vicente Alfonso, university-wide M/WBE specialist; Thomas Hippchen, director of university-wide procurement; and Nancy Fischer, deputy director of the Small Business Division of the Empire State Development Corp.

Representatives from eight regional SUNY campuses and some 40 vendors are expected to attend.

The state Division of Minority and Women-Owned Business Development focuses on promoting equality of economic opportunities for MWBEs and to eliminate barriers to their participation in state contracts. SUNY’s policy is to take action to ensure that New York state’s certified minority and women-owned businesses have an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to provide the university with commodities and services at competitive prices.

Those wishing to obtain further information can go to www.esf.edu/mwbetradefair.