You Matter To Us!

We want you to know that the New York and New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. is closely monitoring the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in our region and are concerned about the impact this may have on your business.  Like you, we are adjusting our practices to comply with government mandates being imposed, such as limiting travel and reducing in-person gatherings.

As you may know, the PSEG events scheduled for March 25 and May 6 have been postponed.  We have moved the MBE On-Boarding (New Supplier Orientation) to an online format and are working diligently with our corporate partners to confirm planned events scheduled at their facilities.

Please rest assured that during these challenging times, The Council will continue to provide education and programming aimed at strengthening your skills and building your business.  We are collaborating with key partners in developing a suite of online webinars aimed at aligning your business for growth and keeping your business in compliance. Once dates have been confirmed, we will alert you to these as well as any business resources we become aware of.

In the meantime, I urge you to read carefully the guidelines set forth from the Center for Disease Control in order to keep you, your employees and community safe. As we navigate together during this difficult time, remember our mission has not changed and we are committed to assisting you.   Please do not hesitate to reach out to us should you have any questions.

Be safe and stay healthy!

If you need any assistance or information contact our staff via email as we will be working remotely until further notice:

Terrence Clark – President & CEO – Terrence.Clark@nynjmsdc.org

Erica Cornier – Corporate Services and Upstate Relations ecornier@nynjmsdc.org

Dora Reddick – MBE Certification and Subscriptions dreddick@nynjmsdc.org

Maria V. Rosa – Financial Administrator mrosa@nynjmsdc.org

Lizzette Santos – Communications and MBE Re-certifications lsantos@nynjmsdc.org

Jacqueline Smith – HR, Accounts Receivable and Internal Operations jsmith@nynjmsdc.org

Sincerely,

Terrence Clark

As President and CEO of Penda Aiken, Inc., she is responsible for establishing and maintaining the quality of staffing, compliance, monitoring and reporting services delivered to clients.  Known as a problem solver and strategic planner, Aiken serves as Director, Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce; Committee Chair: Workforce Development, Director, Court – Livingston – Schermerhorn Business Improvement District, Director, Brooklyn Neighborhood Improvement Association and Board Chair, Teach to Excel Foundation.  In addition to her work with various community boards, Aiken also conducts numerous philanthropic endeavors.  She holds a BA from the CUNY Baccalaureate Program and an MFA from Columbia University.

Stephanie Pennington is the corporate diversity director for LeChase Construction Services, LLC, a firm that ranks among the nation’s top 100 contractors. In that role, she champions internal diversity and inclusion initiatives and works to foster the company’s relationships with a broad range of small and diverse suppliers.

Pennington has nearly 20 years of experience in government, education and private industry. Starting her career in 2001 as a legislative director and special assistant in the 144^th Assembly District of New York State, she proceeded to hold positions with Bryant & Stratton College (program director for paralegal studies), Erie 1 BOCES (coordinator of policy services) and the Social Security Administration research initiative BOND (Western NY/Northern PA site office director).

Prior to joining LeChase in 2018, Pennington spent six years as diversity compliance manager for a Buffalo construction firm – building relationships with government agencies, minority/woman-owned businesses, subcontractors and architects.

Pennington earned her J.D., with concentrations in finance and community economic development, from the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) School of Law. She also has an M.S. in interdisciplinary social sciences from UB and a B.S. in sociology and political science from Syracuse University.

Active in various regional and industry groups, she is an advisor to the New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council and the Construction Exchange of Buffalo and Western New York’s RISEUP subcommittee. She is also a member of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s Diversity and Inclusion Executive Exchange and the National Association of Women in Construction.