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Championing Enterprise Development

The most prominent business leaders of color in the Oregon and Southwest Washington region were in attendance at the Minority Business Opportunity Committtee Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week luncheon and trade show. Held at the Oregon Convention Center, the event honored some of the successful minority business owners in the region.

In the past year, Colors of Influence has had the privilege of profiling the accomplishments of many exemplary business leaders of color who were in attendance at the event.



Faye Burch, principal of F.M. Burch & Associates Inc., received two awards: Professional Service Firm of the Year and the Small Business Administration Small Business Champion Award. Faye, one of the co-founders of the National Association of Minority Contractors of Oregon (NAMCO) is a tireless advocate for small and minority-owned businesses. F.M. Burch & Associates Inc. specializes in public involvement, and community and business development projects. Presenting the Minority Small Business Champion Award to Faye is Janie Millican, president of the Oregon Native American Chamber of Commerce.

Roy Jay, left, president of the African American Chamber of Commerce, presented the Service Contractor of the Year award to Ronaldo Mazyck, owner of Paper Chase Recycling Service Inc. For more than 20 years, Paper Chase has been a leader and advocate for recycling and proud to report that it has recycled more than 25,000 tons of paper over the last 20 years. In 1995, Paper Chase received the Minority Business Supplier of the Year Award by the Northwest Region of the Small Business Administration.



Jaime Lim, left, president of the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce of Oregon, congratulates Maurice Rehming and Alida (Ali) O'Neill of O'Neill Electric Inc., the firm that garnered this year's Construction Contractor of the Year award. President Maurice Rehming, center, has been involved in the electrical field for more than 20 years. O'Neill Electric has grown in sales to $3.2 million in 2006, up from $320,000 in 1999. Projected sales for 2007 is approaching $4 million. Both Maurice and Ali believe in "hands-on" ownership and are involved in every aspect of running the business.


President Ken M. Vigil, P.E. (left) and Paul Agrimis, won the SBA Minority Business Award for Vigil-Agrimis Inc., a leader in environmental restoration design in the Pacific Northwest. Vigil-Agrimis' multidisciplinary teams of design professionals have provided planning, analysis and design for water and natural resources projects on hundreds of waterways and wetlands. Some of their recent projects include restoring a half-mile section of Johnson Creek at Tideman Johnson Park; completing a new culvert and stream restoration project on Wolfe Creek near Tillamook; and designing habitat improvements at the confluence of Stephens Creek with the Willamette River.

Gale Castillo (right), executive director of the Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, presents the Corporate Diversity Firm of the Year award to Blake Devine, Skanska USA Project executive. Blake, a 26-year veteran of the construction industry, led the Skanska "Boost" Team in 2007. Under his guidance, eight Skanska employees tackled a rigorous, long-term program at creating and promoting opportunities for minority, women-owned and emerging small businesses. The Boost program continues to be developed, and the team has already made significant strides in growing opportunities for minority small business owners.

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