AMAC chair is walking billboard for council’s networking success

When it comes to testimonials about the Airport Minority Advisory Council, the organization’s chairwoman is a walking billboard for the group — she has her current job as a direct result of the networking she’s done with AMAC.
“My paying job is because of AMAC,” said AMAC’s Chairwoman Nedra Farrar-Luten, who also serves as director of human resources and organizational development at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the nation’s busiest airport. “When I was assistant director of the airport in Raleigh, [N.C.] I attended AMAC conferences and met people, and they passed on my information to others. That is how I ended up at Hartsfield-Jackson, just through networking.”
Among AMAC’s objectives includes reaching out to minority women’s and disadvantaged business enterprises around the country to share with them how they can grow their businesses within the ort/aviation industry.

AMAC is the only national, nonprofit, trade association dedicated to promoting the full participation of disadvantaged business enterprises in airport contracting and the inclusion of minorities and women in employment, Farrar-Luten said.
AMAC has two primary goals: to eliminate the barriers to the participation of minorities and women in the airport industry and to capitalize on the opportunities available in the multibillion dollar aviation industry.

“We link people together,” Farrar-Luten said. “The first priority of the organization is to maintain the federal Airport Improvement Program in which the DBE regulation resides and lobby Congress. We are very active in gathering information for Congress regarding discrimination in airport contracting, because it still exists.”
AMAC directly influences policy with regard to how the Federal Aviation Administration spends its budget. AMAC voiced opinions in recent times directly to help policymakers understand the challenges and opportunities of operating in the airport environment.

“This year has brought a number of challenges in the concession area for airports because certification is done differently in different states. So, a concessionaire who is certified in one state may not qualify for certification in another state,” Farrar-Luten explained.

2008 Airport BusinessDiversity Conference
The 2008 Airport Business Diversity Conference, scheduled May 31 through June 3 in Indianapolis, is sponsored by the AMAC Educational and Scholarship Program, Inc. and the FAA.
The 24th annual event has a conference theme of “Racing Toward Diversity, Opportunity and Growth.”
This year’s keynote speaker for the conference is Chris Gardner, author of “Pursuit of Happyness.” “We try to get people whose life experiences mirror some of our members, so they can see people who went from an idea to success,” Farrar-Luten said.

Additionally, the conference will feature different tracks of sessions including those for government employees and officials, concessionaires and contractors, she said. The FAA will hold several presentations about the regulations and guidelines, and there will be more than 90 exhibitors.
AMAC is in business to create opportunities and to connect minority- and women-owned businesses and DBEs to the right people, Farrar-Luten said. Conference attendees will interact firsthand with a broad range of decision makers in the air transportation industry from airport directors and management staff, senior staff nationwide for FAA and the U.S. Department of Transportation, as well as corporate executives of the airport and air transportation industry’s largest businesses. With 10 or more contracts up for bid monthly at each of the nation’s airports, there are too many missed opportunities,

Farrar-Luten pointed out. practices from airport executives, success-inkling [as to] what it is like to do business
Workshops and break-out sessions ful minority and women business opera-at airports from concessions or construc­provide the most up-to-date information tors, concessionaires and construction tion standpoints,” she said. regarding FAA and USDOT construction firms. Another feature of the conference is and concessions regulations. Other infor-“AMAC is also launching training for “speed dating” in which businesses are mational sessions focus on nationwide a day and a half at this conference to train matched with entities that award contracts. legal updates highlighting the latest court people on certifying DBEs,” Farrar-Luten “This is something that is being copied by opinions on DBE and diversity issues; the said. other organizations now,” she said. “We Congressional update and regional update She said the certification criteria for hook up both entities for 15 minutes and highlight; significant political and legisla-some states don’t really have an impact on you have that time to sell yourself before tive issues affecting air transportation how businesses operate. “There are gov-you go to the next person. It is definitely a diversity issues; and cutting-edge best ernment people making decisions with no way to help people looking for contracts.”

MBN USA asked the following minority business enterprises how AMAC helped them to gain contracts with the aviation industry and what their advice was to other MBEs seeking the same.
Here are their answers.Juanita Britton Principal BZB Public Relations & Marketing Consultants Washington, D.C.
“From the start, I obtained information for a head start for opportunities for airport retail. AMAC sets the stan­dard regarding how to operate a business, go after contracts and build relationships to sus­tain a healthy business. There are no opportunities for minorities outside of AMAC in the airport business.”

Birdel Jackson President B&E Jackson and Associates Atlanta
“My AMAC affiliation has let me know about upcoming work in these market areas. The e-mails about opportuni­ties are an invaluable resource. AMAC is a good resource for a clearinghouse that gives you a list of opportunities out there rather than going to each orga-nization’s Web site.”