25th Annual State Agency Recognition Awards

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Introductions presented by Imran Chaudhary, Statewide Advocacy Support Program Manager for the Department of General Services

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Land Acknowledgement presented by Shelly Covert

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Presentation of Colors by Travis Air Force Base Honor Guard

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Welcome to SARA presented by Ana Lasso, Director of the Department of General Services

Departments that achieved 30% or more small business participation and 5% or more disabled veteran business participation were recognized with a Notable Achievement Award.

The winners are:

• Agricultural Labor Relations Board
• Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board
• California Coastal Commission
• California School for the Blind
• California State Library
• California Student Aid Commission
• California Workforce Investment Board
• California Department of Aging
• California Privacy Protection
• Commission on State Mandates
• CSU, Northridge (Voluntary Department)
• Delta Protection Commission
• Department of Cannabis Control
• Department of Finance
• Department of Fish & Wildlife
• Department of General Services
• Department of Insurance
• Department of Motor Vehicles
• Department of Social Services
• Department of Child Support Services
• Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
• Department of Managed Health Care
• Department of Pesticide Regulation
• Department of Veterans Affairs
• Department of Toxic Substances Control
• Franchise Tax Board
• Department of Housing & Community Development
• Office of the Inspector General
• Military Department
• Office of Administrative Law
• Office of Data and Innovation
• Office of Tax Appeals
• Peace Officer Standards & Training
• California Pollution Control Financing Authority
• School for the Deaf – Fremont
• School for the Deaf – Riverside
• California Environmental Protection Agency
• Secretary of State
• San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
• California Board of State & Community Corrections
• California State Controller's Office
• California Department of Health Care Services
• Wildlife Conservation Board

Presented by Loki Del Buono, Training & Development Manager, and Marta Carrera, Certification Manager, Office of Small Business and DVBE Services, Department of General Services.

The departments that made the largest increase in their small business or disabled veteran business enterprise participation percentage from Fiscal Year (FY) 2022-23 to FY 2023-24, while also achieving at least 25% small business or 3% DVBE participation, were recognized with a “Most Improved” award. The award was given to five departments based on the sizes of the departments and broken down by small business participation and DVBE participation.

Most Improved Small Business Participation Winners

Extra Small Agency: under $250,000
California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
Participation rose from 18.01% to 79.23%

Small Agency: $250,000 – $2 million
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Participation rose from 12.59% to 54.7%

Medium Agency: $2 – $20 million
California Privacy Protection Agency
Participation rose from 51.59% to 98.23%

Large Agency: $20 – $50 million
State Controller’s Office
Participation rose from 7.4% to 32.75%

Extra Large Agency: over $50 million
Franchise Tax Board
Participation rose from 22.03% to 47.36%

Presented by Casanya Ursery, Statewide Advocacy Support Manager, and Megan Wisniewski, Compliance Manager with the Office of Small Business and DVBE Services at the Department of General Services.

Most Improved DVBE Participation winners

Extra Small Agency: under $250,000
Office of Administrative Law
Participation rose from 3.08% to 20.04%

Small Agency: $250,000 – $2 million
California Coastal Commission
Participation rose from 2.72% to 16.36%

Medium Agency: $2 – $20 million
Department of Financial Protection and Innovation
Participation rose from 3.9% to 27.76%

Large Agency: $20 – $50 million
Department of Housing and Community Development
Participation rose from 6.96% to 18.56%

Extra Large Agency: over $50 million
Department of the Health Care Services
Participation rose from 5.43% to 17.16%

Presented by Darvin Manuel, Statewide Advocacy Support Manager, and Teresa Macias-Ruiz, Business Outreach Liaison, Office of Small Business and DVBE Services at the Department of General Services.

Presented by the California Department of Veterans Affairs, these two awards are presented to an individual and a business. The individual award goes to a disabled veteran who is a champion of the disabled veteran business enterprise program. The business award goes to a disabled veteran-owned business that works with the state and supports veteran entrepreneurs.

The winners are:

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Business Excellence

DVBE Technology Group

CEO Richard McKinnon

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Individual Excellence

David Johnson

Founder of Vector Environmental Consulting Inc.

Presented by Roberto Herrera, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet).

The Green Awards are given to agencies who have met their Small Business and DVBE goals while proving their commitment to Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP). The Green Awards consider Environmentally Preferable Purchasing data, participation in the Performance and Environmental Standards workgroup, and the number of purchasing officials that have taken EPP training.

The winners are:

Gold Award
California Department of Transportation

Sliver Award
California Energy Commission

Bronze Award
Department of Fish and Wildlife

Presented by Brenden Jiang, Engineering Branch Chief, with the Procurement Division at the Department of General Services.

The Statewide Advocacy Support Section is excited to share its inaugural Advocacy Impact Recognition Award, celebrating outstanding SB/DVBE Advocates and their departments for their commitment to increasing SB and DVBE participation.

This award recognizes teams who:

• Partner with the Advocacy Support Program for guidance.
• Attend Advocacy Support events and training opportunities.
• Use the tools and resources provided by the Advocacy Support Program to achieve impactful results.

The winner is:

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Elizabeth Lesniak

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Presented by Sitara Maroof, Advocacy Support Analyst with the Office of Small Business and DVBE Services at the Department of General Services.

This award recognizes three SB/DVBE advocates throughout the state of California for exemplary work and success through outreach efforts, performance measurements, and notable improvements with bronze, silver and gold awards.

The winners are:

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Gold Award

Ramon Rivera

California Public Employees Retirement System

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Silver Award

Paige Johnson

Department of Social Services

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Bronze Award

Maria Ibarra

California Department of Transportation

Presented by Marcus Delfin, Small Business and DVBE Advocate at the California Military Department.

The Agency of the Year Award honors a state agency or department for their best practices, creativity, and outstanding achievements to advance the state’s small business and DVBE programs. This year's winner demonstrated their commitment and success across the areas of outreach efforts, performance measurements, and notable improvements.

The winner is:

Department of Transportation 

Presented by Anda Draghici, Branch Chief with the Office of Small Business and DVBE Services at the Department of General Services.

The Supplier Diversity Award is given to a California state department, agency, board, commission, office or university that met their small business and disabled veteran business enterprise goals while demonstrating their commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in state procurement and contracting. This includes DEI policy implementation, supplier diversity and other activities.

The winner is:

State Controller's Office

Presented by Sourajit Mustafi with the Supplier Diversity Branch at the Department of General Services.

This award celebrates organizations that recognize and honor the state’s small business and DVBE programs. These organizations, mostly counties, cities, transportation agencies, utilities and other local municipalities are reciprocity partners of the state of California. Their efforts, although outside of state government, also benefit the small business and DVBE communities.

The winner is:

San Diego County Regional Airport Authority

Presented by Demeshia Swanson, Business Outreach Program Manager, Office of Small Business and DVBE Services at the Department of General Services.

This award is in memory of Angel Carrera Jr., Chief of the Certification and Outreach Branch at DGS who passed away in 2019. The award recognizes and celebrates a leader in state procurement who, like Angel, supports small businesses and DVBEs in state procurement and is a tremendous leader.

The winner is:

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Heather Gostovich

Department of Motor Vehicles

Presented by Angela Shell, Chief Procurement Officer for the state of California and Deputy Director of the Procurement Division, DGS.

This award is given to the state department, agency or individual whose best practices, innovation, and advocacy efforts have allowed them to go above and beyond in exceeding the state’s Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise contracting goals.

The winner is:

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Allison Kenngott

Department of General Services

Presented by Justyn Howard, Deputy Secretary for Fiscal Policy and Administration at the Government Operations Agency.

Presented for the 16^th year, this award honors the state agency or department that best demonstrates excellence and innovation in providing contracting opportunities to small businesses and disabled veterans business enterprises. It is a prestigious honor given to the department or agency that models a superior standard to which other state departments can aspire.

The winner is:

Department of Housing and Community Development

Presented by Tara Lynn Gray, Director, Office of the Small Business Advocate, Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development.

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Presented by Angela Shell, Chief Procurement Officer for the State of California and Deputy Director of the Procurement Division at the Department of General Services.