New York & New Jersey MSDC Explores Sustainability As Key Business Value Proposition At Annual Symposium

NEW YORK, Oct. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The New York and New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council held its annual Sustainability Symposium on Thursday October 9, 2014. This year's symposium examined the critical role of a sustainable supply chain in disaster preparedness, and business resiliency, especially after a big storm such as Hurricane Sandy.

Speakers representing a wide variety of industries, as well as the New York City Mayor's office addressed various aspects of preparedness, and offered ideas on how suppliers can help their clients be more resilient when disasters interrupt the flow of business.

Lou Ferretti, Project Executive, Integrated Supply Chain at IBM provided a detailed look at supply chain risk management, and how to evaluate suppliers to reduce overall risk. Mike Castelli, Casualty Risk Consultant at AIG, gave attendees a fascinating look at his role managing risk at the World Trade Center site during the construction of the Freedom Tower and 911 Memorial. He stressed the importance of not just writing a plan, but testing the plan and updating it regularly, so that when something unexpected happens, such as a blizzard, hurricane or accident everyone on site knows exactly what to do.

Hosted by AIG at their offices in lower Manhattan, the day also included panel discussions on the importance of sustainability reporting metrics; and ways to use new technologies, tools and applications to recover faster, and get back to business with little or no interruption.

I. Javette Hines, Senior Vice President of Supplier Diversity and Sustainability at Citi and board member of the NY & NJ MSDC says, "The Council's leadership in advancing this very important topic is a testament to its commitment to ensure that diverse business owners remain focused on matters which continue to be important to our world."

"I'd like to thank The Council for putting on an incredibly informative and robust Sustainability Symposium," says Quan Dunbar, Partner and Creative Engineer at Bridge Agency, a certified minority business enterprise. "I was pleased to be a part of such an event as there were so many knowledgeable speakers with a wealth of advice, tips and strategies on making positive strides within sustainability both domestically and internationally."

"The Council stands on the four pillars of the National Minority Supplier Development Council's mission to Certify, Develop, Connect and Advocate for minority owned businesses," says Julia Presley, Interim Vice President of Operations at the NY & NJ MSDC. "The Development of MBEs is a major part of that mission and we take it very seriously.  The annual Sustainability Symposium is one of the Council's most significant educational program initiatives, and this year's event marks another success attributable to fulfilling our mission."

About the New York and New Jersey MSDC
The New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. (The Council), established in 1973, is a vital link between major corporations and minority business enterprises (MBEs). Each year, member corporations have reported billions of dollars spent with Council-certified Minority Business Enterprises. Serving the New York and New Jersey region, The Council is one of the 24 regional affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

SOURCE New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.nynjmsdc.org