Contact: Ann Hatch
214-378-1819;
ahatch@dcccd.edu
For immediate release — Nov. 6, 2013
(DALLAS) — John Lopez, director of business diversity programs for the Dallas County Community College District, has a history of supporting both the Greater Dallas Asian American Chamber of Commerce and area Asian businesses. Because of that support, the GDAACC awarded Lopez its 2013 Business Advocate of the Year honor during the chamber’s recent annual gala in Dallas. Dr. Wright Lassiter Jr., DCCCD’s chancellor, and Darcel Webb, business diversity program manager for the district, accepted the award for Lopez.
DCCCD’s office of business diversity programs serves as an information resource for area business communities to educate them about opportunities for doing business with DCCCD and ways to navigate the purchasing process to avoid obstacles.
“We also educate our business communities about the affordable, customized training and programs that are offered by the district to help improve employee performance so that their organizations can stay one step ahead of the competition — and many of those programs are delivered in Spanish and other languages,” said Lopez. “I am pleased and honored to accept the chamber’s award for our efforts.”
He added, “Our office took the lead in creating the Public Business Diversity Alliance of North Texas, which is a cooperative initiative of more than 30 public entities. That initiative addresses business development and minority- and women-owned business participation in public procurement opportunities. Our office maintains the alliance’s website,
www.pbdant.com, which gives businesses the direct links they need to member entities, resource links and a joint calendar of business community events in North Texas.”
Staff members in DCCCD’s office of business diversity programs also serve on a variety of local and national business boards of directors and committees that encourage business growth and bring recognition to the district’s business efforts, opportunities and educational programs.
As director of DCCCD’s office of business diversity programs, Lopez is responsible for developing, implementing, coordinating and monitoring the district’s minority- and women-owned business enterprise program. He has more than 15 years of supplier diversity experience, previously serving as director for the city of Dallas’ M/WBE program as well as the University of Texas at Arlington’s historically underutilized business (HUB) programs.
The DCCCD business diversity programs support the district’s commitment to developing, maintaining and enhancing participation by M/WBEs in all phases of its procurement processes, including efforts to compete for purchases of equipment, supplies, services and construction projects.
# # #