NABWIC

Joanne S. Brooks, Vice President and Counsel the Surety and Fidelity Association of America

Admitted to the bar in Maryland.  Graduated from American University with a BS in Urban Affairs and Administration of Justice in 1982 and the University of Maryland School of Law in 1985.  Employed by Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland, which became Zurich Insurance Company, from 1985-2010, initially as a Claims Attorney in the Salvage Division to Senior Vice President and Chief Underwriting Officer of Zurich Surety.  Joined Hanover Insurance Company as Chief Risk Officer in 2010.  Joined The Surety and Fidelity Association of American in 2013.  Also admitted in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.  Joanne has co-authored several publications for the American Bar Association and has given numerous presentations for AGC, DBIA, AMAC, COMTO, US DOT, ACCA and many other trade associations and panels.

Joanne S. Brooks, Esq.

Vice President & Counsel

The Surety and Fidelity Association of America

1101 Connecticut Avenue, Suite 800

Washington, DC 20036

202-778-3639 (office)  Email:  [email protected]

Lolalisa D. King is one of the first one hundred African-American women in the entire United States licensed to practice architecture. She serves as President of a green consulting and sustainability corporation providing full-service holistic deliverables with projects in Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Louisiana and Texas. She recently received reciprocity in Colorado and Massachusetts with a newly formed Denver address. She has served on various boards including the AIA, YWCA, Assisted Living, Christian Message through Art and more. She served as Board Chair of the Orlando Technical Community College downtown campus. Her dynamic negotiation skills have proven successful throughout the different environments and venues. At the one-time largest architectural-engineering firm in the southeast United States, approximately 1600 employees, she made her mark by establishing a benchmark for dealing with clients and contractors. She used her technical expertise and business savvy to negotiate the best deals and conduct the most productive meetings. She had a gift for calming the most irate contractor or the most difficult client. Some of the buildings for which she was a major contributor include Emerald Point Water Park, Sears Customer Service Center, Airport Business Park, the Greensboro Municipal Building Conference Room, the third floor addition to FourSeasons Town Center, the Molecular Biology and Glaxo Research Laboratories at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,plus numerous aviation, office, educational, commercial, industrial, medical and manufacturing facilities throughout the state of North Carolina.

www.architectforlife.com or [email protected]

Peter K. Semler – Chief Executive Editor and founder 

Prior to launching Capitol Intelligence, Peter was the Washington, DC Bureau Chief for Mergermarket (Dealreporter/Debtwire) of the Financial Times and personally headed political/economic coverage of the US House of Representatives and Senate.

Before moving back to his native Washington, Peter launched Mergermarket’s foreign coverage starting in Italy and later opened the news services bureaus in Italy, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Russia/CIS, Middle East and North Africa and was instrumental to start-up’s 2006 sale to the Financial Times for USD 200m.

Peter worked as an investigative journalist and business reporter for the Sunday Times of London and launched Bloomberg Business News in Italy in the early 1990s. Peter started his career as a police reporter for the City News of Bureau of Chicago.

PK Semler

Chief Executive Editor and Owner

Capitol Intelligence Group, INC -Turning Swords into Equity®

3924 18th Street NE

Washington, DC20018

Tel. 202-549-3399

LifeLung, Inc. is a multi-certified woman-owned small business headquartered in Southern California. Since 2005, we have been providing permanent employment as a nationwide staffing/recruiting firm based in Southern California.  Our nationwide opportunities attract many talented candidates who are seeking jobs across the country.

Ms. Palazuelos is a member of the National Association of Small Disadvantage Businesses (NASDB) an organization founded by the Late Henry T. Wilfong.  His wife, Wyllene Watson-Wilfong is the current President.  NASDB, is a Trade Association, consisting of over 300 minority and women-owned businesses, Service Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses, and HUBZone businesses, located throughout the United States.  We do this primarily by educating minorities and women as to what they're entitled to under the law, and how to best achieve it. In addition, we help educate the Governmental agencies, and the major prime contractors who serve them, as to their responsibilities under the Constitution and the laws enacted by the United States Congress.

In 1992, Henry (Hank) Wilfong was given the charge by the chair of the NASA Minority Business Resources Advisory Committee (NMBRAC). Daniel S. Goldin, to, "create the best small disadvantaged business (SDB) program in the government." Today, NASA's SDB program is among the best anywhere. In a 1995 interview with MBE Magazine, President Bill Clinton cited NASA's SDB Program as "exemplary."

Contact information:  Call or email Annette Palazuelos at 877-LIFELUNG/(626) 614-9581 or [email protected]

Wyllene Watson Wilfong's email: [email protected]

Katherine is the queen of transformation, she didn’t let 10 years of incarceration, racism, sexism or fear, hold her back. She is the original (CBK) “Come Back Kid”.

Katherine started her journey of reestablishing her life in 2000 in Norfolk, VA while working for The Virginia Pilot, she was offered a position to move to Washington, DC where she managed a multimillion dollar construction project being built for President Bush. She’s married to Mr. Eric Smith, and together they have a 3 year old daughter named Livia. Katherine later moved back to Virginia where she continued to work in construction overseeing major projects for VDOT. Katherine quit her job and started investing in real estate which she began rehabbing houses. Katherine soon realized her true passion for construction was so strong. In 2006 she started her own construction company. She is the owner of two established businesses; Heritage Construction a leading general contracting firm certified under the SBA as a WBE, DBE and SWAM; and the other a not-for-profit called Do It Girl, Inc. that help at risks girls and under privilege women. To gain job skills such a clerical and construction hand on job training and placement, life skills, teaches abstinence and entrepreneurial and business skills to women. Katherine has appeared on local radio stations and she was currently featured in the December 2014 issue of Black Enterprise Magazine. Katherine is a certified Passion Facilitator, Faith Coach and Speaker helping individual to find their true passion which is your purpose that ultimately leads you to your destiny.

Contact information:  [email protected]

James M. Breaker, Jr LTC, Retired U.S. Army.  I have deep roots in Jacksonville's northside community.  I’m a devoted family man, married for 32 years, the father of five sons and 2 grandchildren.  The Breakers are long time active members of St. Pius the V Catholic Church where I serve as an Extra Ordinary Minister of the Eucharist.  I attended Jacksonville area schools and is a proud graduate of William M. Raines Class of 1971.  I earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Marketing/Management from the University of North Florida.  After graduating from college, I was commissioned as an Officer in the United States Army.  I served honorably in "Operation Enduring Freedom" and retired at the rank of LTC after 26 years of service to our country.  

I declined several promising job offers because I feel that I’m needed more in my community. As a Real Estate Developer, I have continued to work in the community by revitalizing commercial and residential property for the beautification and economic development of our community.  I am already heavily involved in community and business development plans for District 8 (The District of Soul).  I have been a businessman in District 8 for over 25 years and a Real Estate Developer for more than 10 years.  I have successfully developed real estate in Sweet Water/West Jacksonville, East Jacksonville, New Town as well as the District of Soul.  I’m an avid lifetime supporter of business development in the northwest quadrant and active Board Member for the Jacksonville Black Chamber of Commerce, First Coast Chapter of the National Business League, District of Soul and Jacksonville Youth Works.  I am also a member of the SCLC, Knights of Peter Claver, Knights of Columbus, American Legion Post and the VFW.

Contact info: [email protected]  www.jamesbreaker.com

William Bishop, AIA is vice president of Akel, Logan and Shafer, Architects and

Planners, a 50-plus year old Jacksonville architectural firm. He is a graduate of

Lawrence Technological University with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture

and of University of Detroit Mercy with Master of Architecture and MBA

degrees. He has been active in Jacksonville and Florida both professionally

and in the civic arena for over 25 years.

Bill is a two-term Jacksonville City Council Member and served as Council President in 2012/13.

He served as chair of the Rules Committee in 2011/12 and led the city's redistricting process

required by the 2010 census in the least contentions manner in 20 years. Bill was also actively

involved in the effort to bring the USS Charles Adams to Jacksonville as a naval ship museum.

Akel Logan Shafer PA

704 Rosselle Street

Jacksonville, Florida 32204

Tel:  904.356.2654

Rekha S. Jadala is the president and owner of SRR International which provides

·         IT and GIS solutions for Industries like Construction, Health Care, Aviation, Engineering

·         Provide Engineering & Construction Staff Augmentation Services

·         Construction Inspection and Material Testing Services.

Ms. Jadala holds degree in Alternative Medicine and Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications.Ms. Jadala has a broad background in engineering, construction, environmental, health care and forensic systems, integrating data for applications, planning, operations and decision support. Because of her combined professional background in industry, science, engineering and technology, Ms. Jadala can translate between providers, scientists, operations managers, decision makers, and information-systems staff to define common goals clearly and implement specific solutions.

Contact info:

www.nabwic.org

Email: [email protected]   |  Website: www.srrintl.com

We have a special program instore for today.  Through archived interviews we will review the Vision and Mission of NABWIC then we will discuss ways companies can work with the federal government, some things to look out for in a contract and how to stay in business in these economic times.

NABWIC Talks with Founder, Ann McNeill, of the National Association of Black Women in Construction (NABWIC) as she introduce NABWIC's Vision and Mission Statement.

Gloria Shealey, CEO of the Danielle Company in North Carolina and the President of the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC).

Attorney Lisa Colon Heron with Smith, Currie & Hancock, LLP as she discuss construction contracts and the benefits to retaining and attorney for small and minority businesses.

Please contact us at www.nabwic.org

Follow us at www.blogtalkradio.com/nabwic, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIN

Cherron Covington Newby (CC), owner of CC’s Consulting & Training.  CC moved to Florida from Georgia in June of 1998.  Born and raised in Washington, D.C., I was suppose to be a statistic; I’ve been a single mother, unemployed and homeless. In 1994 I started a construction final cleaning business.  I hired the homeless, veterans and ex-offenders; providing transportation and a meal to my employees.  In 2003 I employed as many as 45 individuals to work on three Better Jacksonville Projects.  Today I am an authorized OSHA trainer and consultant in environmental health, safety and services; I began training in 2008.  Mother of three daughters, two of whom are veterans and the youngest one is in college.  I have three grandsons and one granddaughter. 

                                                           

Prior to starting my business, I worked as an Administrative Assistant for a former Congressman, worked at the Pentagon and for the Department of Defense.  In 2012, I ran for State Senate, speaking to campaign crowds and organizations at various candidate forums.  My platform was for the grass root working individuals, homeless families, veterans and children aging out of foster care.  I also volunteer and provide fundraising for various organizations that help families. 

To contact me, please email me at [email protected] or go to my website at www.hoajax.wix.com/cctrainconsult