Small Business Today Magazine FEB 2015 TAYLOR CONSTRUCTION MANAGMENT | Page 24

City of Houston Awards over
$1 Billion to MWSBE Firms
By Mayor Annise D. Parker

H

ouston continues to lead the nation in economic growth. A significant increase in the number of small companies interested in
becoming certified as Minority, Women, and Small Business Enterprises with the City of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity is an indication that it’s not just big firms that have positioned themselves to reap the benefits of that growth. Since the
beginning of my administration, the pool of certified firms has increased by more than 25 percent annually and there are now
more than 2,500 certified companies that are ready and able to perform the work and supply the needs of our City Departments.
I am proud that the City continues to fuel our economy by providing opportunities to qualified certified firms. Collectively, our
certified firms employ nearly 30,000 employees and report more than $4 billion dollars in annual revenue, playing a crucial role in the
City’s economy. In addition, since I’ve taken office as Mayor, certified firms have been awarded more than $1 billion in prime contracts
and subcontracts. The impact of our diversity program has also affected private initiatives in the City by creating an additional influx of
hundreds of millions of dollars in opportunities for the City’s diverse firms. I believe the City of Houston has one of the best diversity
programs and serves as a national model. We’ve achieved this through transparency, outreach, and capacity building.
From the beginning of my public service career as a City Council Member, I’ve been committed to ensuring that the City of Houston
provides opportunities to local, minority, women, and small businesses. When I became Mayor, I further demonstrated this commitment by establishing the Office of Business Opportunity, a stand-alone City Department charged with educating, connecting, and
growing businesses. Created to assist existing companies and aspiring entrepreneurs, it provides a full arsenal of resources, workshops,
and business development programs.
Because the success of Houston’s businesses is always at the forefront of what the Office of Business Opportunity does, it is important to provide programs and services which are beneficial in assisting them achieve that success. Over the past five years, we
have launched award winning and newsworthy initiatives that support growth and innovation including the Goldman Sachs 10,000
Small Businesses, Hire Houston First,TweetMyJobs Houston!, Build Up Houston, and Liftoff Houston. Undeniably, small businesses play
an integral role in the strength of our nation’s economy and the success of our local, minority, women-owned, and small businesses in
Houston ensures the continual creation of jobs and sustainment of a strong economy. The City is open for business!

Carlecia D. Wright, Director for the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity
Carlecia D. Wright was appointed by Mayor Annise Parker in 2011 to lead the City
of Houston’s Office of Business Opportunity. She was recruited to serve as the
City’s Chief Diversity Officer and charged with guiding the direction and vision for
the City’s supplier diversity and inclusion efforts. Mrs. Wright has been responsible
for shaping the City’s supplier diversity policies to ensure participation of small and
diverse businesses in City procurement. As the Director, she is responsible for ensuring compliance with the applicable equal employment opportunity laws and labor
standards. In addition, she develops, leads, and manages short-term, midterm, and
long-term strategies that impact how the City leverages diversity to create a competitive business environment in the City of Houston. Prior to coming to Houston,
Carlecia worked in New York City government where she led various policy, strategic planning, and communications initiatives for the City of New York’s Departments
of Small Business Services and Housing Preservation and Development. While in
New York, she was recognized as an aspiring and emerging leader for the work she
had done in city government. Carlecia is a Change Agent and Strategic Planner as
well as an avid advocate for economic development policies. She holds a Bachelor’s
Degree from Columbia College of Chicago and a Master’s Degree from New York
University.