It is indeed a pleasure to welcome you to the eighth Annual Awards Gala of the Jamaica Business Resource Center. Our hope is that you will find the evening both inspiring and enjoyable.

Our theme this year is “Rebuilding New York: Inclusion For All” We selected this theme because the construction boom taking place in New York is simultaneously well documented and readily apparent.

As the national pilot for the "One Stop Capital Shop" program and as the Queens/Nassau/Suffolk Minority Business Enterprise Center, our mission is to be a catalyst for community economic empowerment; to provide access to capital and markets for small, minority and women-owned businesses; and to provide accessible, user friendly, centralized, coordinated information and technical assistance to new and existing enterprises.

It is widely held that the small business sector is the engine that drives our nation’s economy. Not only do we subscribe to this notion, we believe that entrepreneurship is critical to the sustaining and internal circulation of dollars within our communities. It is a critical building block in the creation of centers of economic prosperity and expansion

It is to this purpose that we are committed. This year is very special for several reasons.

First, because we have the opportunity to pay tribute to the outstanding leaders of the minority and women business communities who work tirelessly to advance the legislative policy and programmatic issues confronting both the survival and prosperity of our collective constituencies. That is why we are pleased you have joined us to give them our heartfelt appreciation for the wonderful job they do day in and day out. Second, we have achieved a significant milestone in surpassing over $300 million in financial and procurement transactions for our clients; thus making, we believe, a meaningful contribution to the New York regional economy.

Finally, as we engage in tonight’s festivities, let us be mindful of the legacy of those who have fought on the battlefield of equal opportunity for decades past and recommit ourselves to assuring not only that their work was not in vain, but that we build new legacies upon which future generations can prosper.

To our distinguished Honorees and all of our many partners who have provided invaluable support since our inception we thank you so much for all you have done and for be in such wonderful friends. JBRC is now entering a new stage of transformation and growth, and your continued support means so very much to us as we work to achieve new height since the years ahead.

A special thanks to Bloomberg Financial Markets, HSBC BanUSA, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Time Warner Inc., St. John’s University and Washington Mutual for helping to make this evening possible. To the best Board of Directors and staff one could hope for, my deepest appreciation. And to all of you who have joined us this evening, we are very grateful for your support of this, our eighth annual Awards Gala. A New Day is Dawning!