NMSDC and Minority Businesses Meet in Washington

Education on Economy Planned during Quarterly Meeting

WASHINGTON, April 20 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Executives from the National
Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), the presidents of its 38
regional affiliates, board chairmen and representatives of their certified
minority businesses will gather in the nation's capital this week for the
organization's quarterly meeting. The delegation will hold meetings over three
days beginning on Tuesday, April 21st.

"Asian, Black, Hispanic and Native American business owners, like their
counterparts in corporate America, face many challenges in this economy," said
NMSDC President Harriet R. Michel. "Small business is the engine that drives
the American economy. We will spend some time visiting with our
representatives in Congress to educate them on the value that the nation's
minority-owned businesses bring to corporations, and the key role they can
play in helping to turn the U.S. economy around."

Tuesday's scheduled activities include NMSDC committee meetings and a
legislative session on creating change and addressing inclusion. Speakers will
outline the challenges encountered working with Congress and the
Administration; discuss the potential impact of the Rothe decision; address
the current state of minority business; and get pointers on Capitol Hill.

On Wednesday, the NMSDC will host a luncheon where Rick Wade, chief of staff
for the U.S. Department of Commerce, will make a presentation about the Obama
Administration's commitment to minority business.

On Thursday morning, Congressman Bobby Rush of Illinois, Chairman of the House
Energy and Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer
Protection; Congressman James Clyburn of South Carolina, who is the House
Majority

Whip; and Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California, chairwoman of the
Congressional Black Caucus and a member of the Appropriations Committee, are
invited to meet with the group to discuss the Troubled Assets Relief Program
II (TARP II) legislation and the Economic Stimulus plan, and their
implications for minority businesses.

The day will conclude with attendees making visits to the offices of their
local representatives to share with them the value of the nation's more than
four million minority businesses and the importance of their inclusion in the
federal government's plans for economic recovery.

About NMSDC
Providing a direct link between corporate America and minority-owned
businesses is the primary objective of the National Minority Supplier
Development Council, one of the country's leading business membership
organizations. It was chartered in 1972 to provide increased procurement and
business opportunities for minority businesses of all sizes.

The NMSDC Network includes a national office in New York and 38 Regional
Councils across the country. There are 3,500 corporate members throughout the
network, including America's top publicly-owned, privately-owned and
foreign-owned companies as well as universities, hospitals and other buying
institutions. The Regional Councils certify and match more than 15,000
minority-owned businesses with member corporations that want to purchase their
goods and services.

For more information about NMSDC, call (212) 944-2430 or visit the Web site at
www.nmsdc.org.

SOURCE National Minority Supplier Development Council

Kim Brown, NMSDC, +1-212-944-2430, kim.brown@nmsdc.org