As a multi-million dollar company led by CEO Kristina Bouweiri, Reston Limousine wholly supports the efforts of a delegation of women business owners who will be appearing at the Virginia General Assembly today in support of Senate Bill 651, which would create a set-aside for women and minority business owners in contracts issued by state agencies.
Women from the Richmond Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners plan to attend a meeting a Sub-Committee #2 (FOIA/Procurement) of the House General Laws Committee, which is tentatively scheduled to meet in House Room C, First Floor of the General Assembly Building, at 4 p.m. or whenever the regular House session ends today. SB 651 has already passed the Senate.
The NAWBO women are citing a July 2011 from the national research firm, MGT of American , that shows of $9 billion in goods and serves purchased by the State of Virginia in a four-year time span, only 3% went to women and minority-owned firms.
Despite the existence of more than 206,000 women-owned businesses in the commonwealth, “Virginia government is one of the worst in the nation for using women and minority owned firms for good and services,” says Karen Cole, Public Policy Board Member for NAWBO-Richmond. “Other states such as Tennessee and Mississippi have a 15 percent utilization rate.” Cole is CEO of Assura Inc. in Henrico County.
For more information about the legislation, visit http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?121+sum+SB651.