MJ Synergy Group, LLC. A Lesson in Preparing for Success the Right Way

Transcription

1 Hampton Roads District DBE Brief Disadvantaged Business Enterprise APRIL 2016 Important VDOT DBE and SWaM Resources Certifications and Permits business/bu-certificationsandpermits.asp Virginia Small Business Enterprise Program Application business/resources/civil_rights/vsbep-swam-application.pdf Prequalification Process Webpage (DBE) business/const/prequal.asp VDOT Process for Securing Professional Services business/locdes/consultant-service-guide.asp CONTENTS VDOT Leadership: Quintin Elliott PAGE 3 MJ Synergy Group, LLC A Lesson in Preparing for Success the Right Way MJ Synergy Group, LLC was recently awarded DBE Consultant of the Year on December 10, 2015 at the DBE Training Symposium held in Williamsburg, VA. According to Angela Buckner, CEO this came as an unexpected, but pleasant surprise. The award recognizes an outstanding DBE consultant who has developed a positive reputation in the industry for professionalism, integrity in work standards and performance, exhibits a commitment to business development and upholds the spirit and principles of the DBE program. Ms. Buckner is a graduate of Howard Angela Buckner, CEO of MJ Synergy COMTO Honoree, Deputy Secretary Grindly Johnson PAGE 4 University s School of Architecture and as a new graduate, was the first female construction engineer hired by E. I. Du- Pont s construction division. Over the past 16 years, Ms. Buckner has worked hard to develop a successful boutique business that is trusted in a field with few women operating a project management business. According to Angela, it would not have been possible without a team of people willing to mentor her and give her a chance. Angela Buckner s journey to entrepreneurship has taken her through several positions where she developed expertise in Project Management. As Chief of Research Support at Howard University, she managed the design and new construction as well as ensured buildings were operational and maintained. She also was instrumental in evaluating facility needs for grant submissions, helping preparers to appropriately define an operating budget and determine building resources required to support research projects. It was while she worked in this position in 1999 that she decided to start MJ Synergy. When Angela moved to Bowie State, as Director of Facilities Management, she didn t give up her part time business. She managed Continued on page 2 Micro Business: A New Certification Category PAGE 6

2 projects under her business name, but pulled back a bit as the responsibilities at Bowie grew. During this period, she was called back to Hampton Roads to help care for her ailing parents. After much soul searching and a desire to keep her parents in the area where they could maintain their quality of life, she decided to move home. In 2008, Angela felt the time had come to formally launch her business. The major income for her firm was generated through her relationship with Bowie State. MJ Synergy Group was contracted to provide support for the development of feasibility studies and facilities project plans. The team began to grow and, to supplement her income, she taught part time. Getting contracts in the Hampton Roads area took several years. While continuing to cultivate business, Angela took on a full time position with Norfolk Public Schools as a Project Manager responsible for constructing new school buildings. One of her first projects was Blair Middle School. Her team maintained work on MJ Synergy projects during the time she worked for the school system. Angela then moved on to Norfolk State University in 2006 for a short time. In 2008, she left to grow her company after securing a contract with City of Chesapeake Public Works. Again, the skills she learned at Bowie State, Norfolk State and Norfolk Public Schools helped her get the job. She won the bid by aligning her skillsets in facilities management to the requirements for construction management. MJ Synergy successfully maintained the contract for three years, staffing it with three inspectors and one administrative person. MJ Synergy employed a successful growth strategy by leveraging the success in Chesapeake to gain an architectural design contract with a federal government agency in Washington, DC. In 2009, she had enough work at the agency to open an office in What I find rewarding is the process of pulling the pieces of a project together to deliver a finished product. the Beltway region. This satellite office has achieved a reputation for excellence, earning MJ Synergy a place on the clients preferred vendor list. The work in DC has now expanded to international markets. In addition, Angela chose to secure more work in the Hampton Roads area. MJ Synergy partnered with the Department of Public Works for the City of Virginia Beach, providing support for its traffic management system. Angela s expertise in multi-disciplinary work, and her ability to integrate several components seamlessly into a project, has made her a valuable partner and helped her establish public works projects as a niche market for MJ Synergy. The company continues to expand and currently is working on the ERC project, providing inspection and project management responsibilities. In the last five 2 MJ Synergy...Continued from page 1 years her company has grown to employ VDOT-certified construction inspectors, project managers, CAT operators, civil engineers and a business development professional - nine people in all. Angela has shifted her duties to take on more administrative responsibilities such as handling human resources, contract management, communications and financial management. She still finds time to get out in the field to maintain a close eye on performance, as well as to help with business development. When asked about her future plans for the company, she doesn t hesitate. I want to build on the DBE certification and become a recognized subject matter expert in roadwork project management. In addition, I want to continue development of work in the intelligence community. She is also seeking additional certifications to shore up eligibility for more types of work. When asked what she loves about her work, Angela states, What I find rewarding is the process of pulling the pieces of a project together to deliver a finished product. What she is less fond of is the human resource aspect of management, specifically terminating an employee. It is so hard to do that to someone with whom you have an established relationship, she lamented. In terms of advice, Angela encourages entrepreneurs to Believe in yourself, be prepared by getting the right credentials and be patient. Keep working at it.

3 VDOT Leadership: Quintin D. Elliott Quintin D. Elliott a dynamic and driven leader, currently serves as the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) Chief Deputy Commissioner. Quintin has had a long career in transportation, having worked previously as the District Administrator of Fredericksburg and Culpeper Districts, respectively. Deputy Commissioner Elliott was appointed in this position by Governor Terry McAuliffe in January of His commitment to nondiscrimination in VDOT programs and activities is strong and has born significant results. He is committed to Virginia s DBE s firms having a strong competitive position in the transportation industry. Under his leadership, the Civil Rights Division which monitors and evaluates the Disadvantage Business Enterprise program, Equal Employment Opportunity and labor compliance, On-the-Job training and DBE commitments, awards and payments has a direct charge from him with several initiatives to help these small businesses grow and win contracts. In January 2015, there were 1,600 DBE certified firms. In June 2015 that number was 1,718 and in September of the same year that number increased to 1,766 representing an upward trend. Deputy Commissioner Elliott, a strong supporter of the DBE Transportation Symposium asked District leaders to attend and present project opportunities in each of their perspective districts at the matchmaking sessions. The matchmaking sessions gave DBE firms the chance to meet the District Administrators and Construction engineers and to learn about local opportunities. The symposium also provided trends and best practices in the transportation industry and along with those vital partnerships opportunities that he has stressed to the small business owners since he has been the Deputy Commissioner. Because of his leadership efforts, this was the first time that VDOT internal partners were in greater numbers of support at the symposium. Deputy Commissioner wanted that same support from VDOT at the VDOT Chief Deputy Commissioner, Quintin Elliott 3 DBE Symposium as he had seen at other VDOT/industry sponsored event. As always, the symposium was a huge success. Approximately 250 people attended the DBE training symposium with more than 100 organizations represented, including prime contractors, consultants, DBE firms and government agencies. The two-day training event and awards program, held in Williamsburg, provided educational workshops, recognize outstanding DBEs and provided network opportunities between DBE and prime contractors and consultants. The concerns of the Civil Rights Divisions and its stakeholder s issues are indeed a focal point of Mr. Elliott s administration. Under his leadership fair and equitable distribution of DBE/SWaM subcontracting expenditures continue to be monitored. In Fiscal year 2013 total DBE participation was 11.53% and in 2015 it decreased to 9.2% of total dollars on federal projects expended with DBEs. In response, Deputy Commissioner Elliott mandated a review of project advertisements which has led to the selection of more projects for the Small Business Enterprise Program and is giving DBEs an opportunity to bid as a Prime Contractor. The VDOT Small Business Enterprise Program (VSBEP) is designed to ensure Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) and Small, Women and Minority-owned (SWaM) businesses have maximum opportunity to participate on federally-assisted projects. The VSBEP is designed to: Increase the number of competitively awarded contracts to small businesses Maximize contract opportunities Minimize contract bundling Promote the use of small businesses in VDOT contract and subcontract opportunities. DBE and SWaM businesses approved to participate in the program, through VDOT, will be a Continued on page 5

4 COMTO Honors Virginia s Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Grindly Johnson On March 16, 2016, the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials (COMTO) held its 5th Annual Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation Awards in Washington, DC, in observance of Women s History Month. Fourteen outstanding women, representing multi-modes within the transportation industry, were recognized and saluted for their contributions to the industry. Grindly Johnson, Virginia s Deputy Secretary of Transportation was among the honorees. COMTO is very excited about this year s class of honorees. They are extraordinary women with amazing accomplishments who reflect the diversity in modes of transportation in this country. I look forward to celebrating each of them in March, said Mioshi Moses, COM- TO President and CEO. COMTO inaugurated its Celebrating Women Who Move the Nation awards in According to Ms. Moses, This year s list of recipients brings the total number of honorees to 62. As in years past, these leaders represent a broad cross section of the industry. COMTO registered nearly 500 attendees, representing all sectors of the transportation industry, including government and private firms. Many of the Deputy Secretary s friends and colleagues attended to demonstrate their willingness to honor a wonderful woman and public servant who has been unwavering in her support of small businesses in transportation and other fields over the last 20 years. Recently named Woman of the Year by the Central Virginia Chapter of the Women s Transportation Seminar, Johnson is Chair of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials subcommittee on Civil Rights. She was appointed as Virginia s Deputy Secretary of Transportation by Governor Terry McAuliffe in She previously served as Chief of Administration for the Virginia Department of Transportation the third largest transportation agency in the nation where she Deputy Secretary Johnson directed the divisions of Communications, Civil Rights, Human Resources and Training, Administrative Services and Safety and Performance Management. Prior to that, Johnson served as the agency s Chief of Equal Business and Employee Opportunity, as well as in a number of private sector positions as an accountant, financial analyst and community relations consultant. Grindly Johnson spearheaded the development of 4 the commonwealth s first Business Opportunity and Workforce Development Center (BOWD) one of only 15 in the nation to provide Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms the tools needed to compete for federal contracts. Most recently, Johnson was directed by Governor Terry McAuliffe to lead an effort to help offset the cost of tunnel tolls for those users who are most financially stressed. Her first action was to create a Toll Relief Steering Committee composed of VDOT IT and process experts and community and business leaders from Portsmouth and Norfolk. They ve been tasked with developing eligibility criteria for the toll relief process. She is known by friends and colleagues as a tireless advocate for Virginia s small businesses, who personally advocated and monitored the DBE and SWaM (Small, Woman and Minority Owned Business) goals on the Elizabeth River Tunnel Project. Her positive attitude is legendary. During the past VDOT DBE Transportation Symposium, 10 SWaM businesses patiently wait in line to get advice from her. This past summer, Deputy Secretary Johnson wowed 900 children, their teachers and parents as she delivered the keynote speech during the graduation for From One Hand to Another summer camps. When three 10-yearolds were questioned about why she was one of their favorite speakers, they felt she told them the truth and made them feel they were going to succeed, no matter what! Johnson holds a Bachelor s of Continued on page 5

5 SAVE THE DATE DISCOVER Your Path to Success Hampton Roads Transportation Career Expo HAMPTON ROADS CONVENTION CENTER NOV. 2, :00am to 1:00pm Elliott...Continued from page 3 member of a limited group of firms eligible to participate in selected federally-assisted contract opportunities set-aside for VSBEP valued at one (1) million dollars or less. Deputy Commissioner Elliott asked internal divisions to look at initiatives to support the DBEs, and Small Woman and Minority Businesses (SWaMs). Divisions have accepted that charge and are working with the Civil Rights Division for ladders of opportunities to support this effort. Mr. Elliott has focused his attention on spurring creativity, promoting economic justice and development as well as encouraging procurement participation by small businesses. He has actively engaged with the small business community stimulating interest in the resources available through VDOT and the Business Opportunity Workforce Development Center to ensure their success by creating opportunities in all professional service areas. Deputy Commissioner Elliott is a true champion for the DBE community and continues to raise the bar to provide a level playing field. HAMPTON ROADS DISTRICT Want to Know More About the ERT Project? Project information is available at For questions or comments, contact us at info@driveert.com. 5 Johnson...Continued from page 4 Science Degree in Accounting from Norfolk State University and has received many community awards and recognitions, including the Community Star for Girls Inc., the fellow for Sorenson Institute of Political Leadership, and the fellow for American Swiss Young Leaders.

6 Why Micro Business Certification: Effective October 1, 2014, all state purchases under $10,000 shall be set aside for microbusinesses when the price quoted is fair and reasonable. If your firm is not certified as a Micro Business by the bid or proposal due date, you cannot participate in these procurement opportunities Micro Business Qualification: 1. You must be a certified Small 2. Your firm with all its affiliates has no more than twenty-five (25) employees Business under the SWaM Program. 3. Your firm with all its affiliates has no more than $3 million in average annual revenue over the most recent three-year period Micro Business: A New Certification Category How to Apply for Micro Business Certification - There are two methods: 1. As part of your application for SWaM certification or recertification: When filling out the required Owner Title Sheet, check yes to indicate that you also want to apply for Micro Business status. 2. Complete the online Micro Business application form that includes uploading one PDF file that contains all required supporting documents (see below for sample application): Required supporting documents: 1. Federal Form 941 (Employer s Quarterly Federal Tax Return): the first page from the most recent four quarters if your company has employees 2. Federal Tax Return: the first page showing the annual gross revenue from 2013, 2012, and 2011, or Schedule C from Personal Tax Return 3. For new businesses or businesses that have no employees, please submit a signed statement of explanation You will need to scan and upload the required supporting documents into one PDF file The file size must be less than 4 MB or your submission will not be accepted by the system. Please gather all required documents prior to applying online. If you stay online in the system too long, the system will time you out and disconnect you from the server Here is the link to the online form: vendor/vendor-certification/mba Statement of Non-Discrimination VDOT ensures nondiscrimination and equal employment in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of For more information or special assistance for persons with disabilities or limited English proficiency, contact VDOT s Civil Rights Division at or TTY/TDD 711. Who do you call? If you have questions about the Elizabeth River Tunnels Project, please give us a call. Here are your main contacts: Queen Crittendon VDOT Hampton Roads District Civil Rights Doran Bosso Elizabeth River Crossings DBE Programs Vincent Powell SKW Constructors DBE Program Paula Miller VDOT Communications Leila Rice ERC Communications Louisa Strayhorn Community Outreach