Kerry Kirkland, Deputy Secretary for Diversity, Inclusion and Small Business Opportunities with the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, will visit Cheyney University of Pennsylvania on July 20 to address students participating in the 2018 National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) during their closing exercises.
The NSTI, held in association with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration, aims to encourage and inspire local high school students with an interest in learning more about careers in transportation-related fields, and places focus on teaching and engaging participants in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines.
“Secretary Kirkland is the ideal person to speak to the NTSI students. He is passionate about young people and a strong advocate for diversity in transportation,” said Cynthia Moultrie, Executive Director of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Supportive Services Center.
Having extensive knowledge in state government compliance and minority business development, Kirkland currently spearheads the Department’s efforts to improve and expand Pennsylvania’s state programs contracting environment for small and diverse businesses.
In addition to serving as Deputy Secretary, Kirkland holds a solid history of senior leadership and management of large scale governmental and private sector operations with more than 38 years of professional experience in developing policies and programs for small and small diverse businesses.
Prior to his 2017 appointment as Deputy Secretary by Governor Tom Wolf, Kirkland has served with the United States Small Business Administration (SBA) as an Associate Deputy Administrator and Regional Administrator for the Mid-Atlantic Region (comprised of Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.). He has also developed and implemented procurement/diverse spend policies and programs for many local governments, school districts, hospitals, and private sector organizations with impactful outcomes.
Highlights of the sixth annual NSTI program included a week-long drone creation and flying course along with a 3D Imaging and Ecology lesson. Selected students also had the opportunity to venture off campus to take trips to BrightFields, Inc. and Fairmount Water Works, where they participated in hands on activities, labs, and tours.
In addition to the NSTI, Cheyney also houses several government-funded programs in accordance with the Department of Transportation, including the DBE, Small Business Enterprise (SBE), and the Diverse Business (DB) Supportive Services Centers, all of which provide technical and professional training to transportation-related construction contractors and consultants throughout the state of Pennsylvania.
About The Diverse Business (DB) Supportive Services Center
The Diverse Business (DB) Supportive Services Center located on the campus of the historic Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, is a joint initiative between Cheyney University and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). The mission of the DB Supportive Services Center (DBSSC) is to serve as a resource for assisting DBs in maximizing their participation on one-hundred percent (100%) state-funded transportation-related construction and professional services contracts.
Posted By: Reginald Culpepper
Tuesday, July 17th 2018 at 4:13PM
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