JACKSON, Tenn. (July 9, 2018) – (News Release) Purchasing and procurement, business credit, marketing, and minority certification experts will be among speakers at the West Tennessee Business Showcase and Economic Development Conference (WTBS-EDC) — hosted by the Jackson Madison County African American Chamber of Commerce (JMCAACC) — this Saturday, July 14, 2018 – 8am to 4pm at the DoubleTree Hotel, 1770 Highway 45 Bypass in Jackson. State SBA Director LaTanya Channel will be on hand to introduce keynote speaker Felicia Phillips, a master business strategist also known as The Pink Mogul.
An hour and a half workshop on registering in the federal SAM.GOV procurement database begins at 2 p.m. with Procurement Specialist and Statewide Coordinator Veronica M. Clark of the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at the University of Tennessee in Nashville. Other sessions include Moving Your Business to the Next Level Phase II, Financing and Credit for Small Business Owners, the Benefits of Certification, and Procurement – Marketing Your Business, Managing Contracts and Contacts. There is also a Young Entrepreneurs Business Showcase featuring under 40 business owners April Wilson and Tia Jones of Loving Arms LLC, Derick Fuller of Gentlemen’s Cuts, and Terrell Warlick of I’ll Do It Improvements along with Tina Mercer of Infinite Consulting Group and Byron Golden of Liberty Staffing.
The Procurement panel features Jeremy Gurley of Toyota Bodine Aluminum, Ron Acree of Jackson State Community College, Russell Toone of PTAC Jackson and Karen Wise of Forever Communications.
Registration will be available at the door as well as through pre-registration on Eventbrite or the chamber’s website, jmcaacc.org.
Other conference speakers include chamber members Andre Gist of MIG Steel Fabrication, David Hunt of Hunt and Williams Development LLC, Murinell Huntspon of Nell Huntspon Flower Box, and Juan Self of Self Tucker Architects; Priscilla Sweeney of the U.S. Corps of Engineers, Eric S. Terrell of SBA Memphis, and Richard Van Norman of the state Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise (Go-DBE); Rory Thomas of Southwest Tennessee Community College/TSBDC, Travis Hughes of Pathway Lending, Andrew Long of BancorpSouth, and Tiffany Nance of Operation Hope. The conference schedule is available online at jmcaacc.org/conference.html.
A 2017 conference speaker Dr. Clarence Davis, now senior medical director of WellCare, will reprise his talk on health and wellness for business owners. Advance registration is $65 using promotional code MEMBERS and on site registration is $75 at the door. For advance registration, visit Eventbrite.com or Facebook. Event sponsors are Tennessee Housing Development Agency, Pathway Lending, BancorpSouth and Jammin Jackson 97.7FM. Representatives from TDOT Civil Rights Division will be among exhibitors. Call 731-424-2030 or send an email to fhoward@jmcaacc.org for more information.
Andrew Jackson Ballroom
8:00-9:00am Breakfast
Welcome and Introduction of 2018 Award Winners* – Clarence Boone, President, JMCAACC
Greetings – LaTanya Channel, District Director, U.S. Small Business Administration, Nashville
Keynote Speaker – Felicia Phillips, Business Strategist, Felicia Phillips Unlimited, Atlanta
Exhibit Tables Open – 8am-4pm
9:00-10:15 Moving Your Business to the Next Level (Phase II)
Facilitator: Andrea Bond Johnson, Golden Circle Insurance, Brownsville (to be confirmed)
Speakers: Andre Gist, MIG Steel Fabrication LLC, Lexington
David Hunt, Doc Imaging/Hunt & Williams Development LLC, Jackson
Murinell Huntspon, Nell Huntspon Flower Box, Jackson (opened 1968)
Juan Self, Self + Tucker Architects, Memphis
10:15-10:30 Question & Answer Session
10:35- 11:15 Financing and Credit for Small Business Owners
Facilitator: Rory Thomas, Southwest TN Community College/TSBDC, Memphis
Speakers: Travis Hughes, Pathway Lending; Andrew Long, BancorpSouth, Jackson; Tiffany Nance, Operation Hope/First Tennessee, Jackson
11:15 – 12:00 The Benefits of Certification
Facilitator/Speaker: Eric S. Terrell, U.S. Small Business Administration, Memphis
Speakers: Priscilla Sweeney, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Memphis; Richard Van Norman, Governor’s Office of Diversity Business Enterprise, Nashville
**Working Lunch**
12:00 -12:20 Guest Speaker: Dr. Clarence Davis, Sr. Medical Director, WellCare of Georgia, Inc., Atlanta
12:20 -1:00 Young Entrepreneurs Business Showcase. Facilitator: April Wilson, PhD – Loving Arms LLC
Speakers: Derick Fuller, Gentlemen’s Cuts; Tia Jones, Loving Arms LLC; Tina Mercer, Infinite Consulting Group; Terrell Warlick, I’ll Do It Improvements; Byron Golden, Liberty Staffing Solutions
1:00-1:55 Procurement: Marketing Your Business, Managing Contracts and Contacts
Speakers: Tom Fendley, West Tennessee Healthcare; Jeremy Gurley, Toyota Bodine Aluminum; Ron Acree of Jackson State Community College; Russell Toone, PTAC Jackson; Karen Wise, Forever Communications
1:55-2:00 Break
2:00-3:30 Workshop – Why and How to Register in Federal Database – SAM.GOV
Speaker/Trainer: Veronica Michelle Clark, UT PTAC, Knoxville
3:30-4:00 Closing Remarks and Networking (Andrew Jackson Ballroom) – Exhibit Tables Open
