Statement by Ying McGuire, CEO and President of the National Minority Supplier Development Council
The National Minority Supplier Development Council is thrilled regarding the news of Don Cravins, Jr.’s nomination to fill the newly established position of the Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development (MBDA) at the Department of Commerce.
We have worked closely with Mr. Cravins in his current role as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of National Urban League where we have created a meaningful partnership. We look forward to the opportunity to work alongside Mr. Cravins on our road to $1 trillion in MBE annual revenue generation (4.3% of US GDP), and in achieving our shared goal of providing new resources and opportunities to minority businesses across the country to close the racial wealth gap for systematically excluded communities of color. We are confident that his appointment will fill a much-needed role at both the Minority Business Development Agency and the Department of Commerce.
His years of experience in serving underserved communities make him an ideal candidate for the position. The establishment of this position comes as a provision of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal that passed last November, which established the MBDA as a permanent agency within the Department of Commerce. The bill also increased the grant-making capacity of the MBDA, and authorized the new Under Secretary to coordinate federal Minority Business Enterprise Certification programs. We applaud Mr. Cravins’ nomination to the position, and urge the senate to confirm him swiftly.
CEO & President NMSDC
