The Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) will host the AMAC Economic Opportunity & Policy Forum at the Washington Marriott Metro Center from March 13–15, 2024, in Washington, DC. AMAC and BWI welcome aviation industry leaders, government officials, and business representatives to Washington, DC, to exchange ideas, share entrepreneurship best practices, and seek innovation in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives throughout the aviation and aerospace industries.
The forum will kick off with Capitol Hill Day on March 13, 2024. Capitol Hill Day is exclusive to AMAC Members Only. The forum offers insights on airport economic opportunities, outlines AMAC’s federal legislative agenda, includes panel discussions with key Congressional and Administration leadership, and updates on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)/Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) programs.
The agenda for the second day of the event on March 14 contains a full day of sessions and speakers. The agenda includes:
Keynote Address
Eric Morrissette, Acting Under Secretary, U.S. Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Panel Discussion
The panel will acknowledge the challenges facing DEI and supplier diversity, discuss the federal-level efforts to implement President Biden’s Executive Order Further Advancing Racial Equity & Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, address the evolving landscape of diversity and inclusion, plus share how to leverage agency programs and administrative initiatives.
Moderator: Nigel Stephens, Principal, Phoenix Strategies
Panel Members:
- William Cunningham, Chief Counsel, U.S. MBDA
- Diedra Henry-Spires, Senior Advisor, U.S. Small Business Administration
- Ines Hernandez, Counsel for Equity, U.S. Department of Commerce
- Irene Marion, Director, Departmental Office of Civil Rights Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
Congressional Updates
Speaker: Brian Bell, Democratic Staff Director, House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Aviation, U.S. House of Representatives
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Updates
Moderator: Denise Bailey, Vice President, Aviation, Business Diversity & Accessibility Philadelphia International Airport
Speakers:
- John Benison, Assistant Administrator, Office of Civil Rights, FAA
- Laurence Wildgoose, Assistant Administrator, Policy, International Affairs & Environment, FAA
Destination Opportunity: How Airports Sustain Commitment to their Values, Stakeholders & Economic Progress Panel Discussion
Today, more than ever, airports must navigate challenges, leverage opportunities, and work with diverse partners to arrive at the shared destination of economic progress. While airports serve an increasingly diverse traveling public and drive regional and national economic impact through jobs, contract opportunities, and modernizing infrastructure to meet cargo and passenger market demands, the political and legal climate is changing rapidly. Airports have recognized that strategies previously relied upon to drive supplier diversity and broaden economic impact—such as setting disadvantaged, minority, and women-owned business contract participation goals—may soon be curtailed or eliminated.
Moderator:
Amber Meshak, Director, Business, Jobs & Social Responsibility, Los Angeles World Airports
Panel:
- Balram B. Bheodari, Aviation General Manager, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
- Ricky Smith, Chair, AMAC Board of Directors Chair/CEO, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Airport Opportunities Forum & Luncheon
Airport representatives will present upcoming procurement opportunities over the next 12–18 months.
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International (BWI)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ)
Equity in Infrastructure Project (EIP) Signing Ceremony
AMAC, BWI and EIP leadership will sign the EIP Pledge. EIP aims to build generational wealth and reduce the racial wealth gap by improving public infrastructure contracting practices to create more prime, joint venture and equity contracting opportunities for Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs).
Speakers:
- Phil Washington, CEO, Denver International Airport/Co-Founder, EIP
- John Porcari, Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation/Co-Founder, EIP
- Ricky Smith, Chair, AMAC Board of Directors Chair/CEO, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport
Remarks: Eboni Wimbush, President & CEO, AMAC
Airport Information & Business Matchmaking Session
Attendees can engage with airport representatives for information on upcoming procurement opportunities, plus business attendees can participate in a Business Matchmaking session.
- Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
- Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International (BWI)
- Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW)
- Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)
- Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)
- Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ)
For more information and to register, click the image below.
