BIRMINGHAM -- With minority businesses contributing less than one percent of GDP for the Birmingham metropolitan area, U.S. Representative Artur Davis (D) is scheduled to address this issue during a panel discussion titled “Bridging the Gap: Working Together to Build Minority Wealth,” Tuesday, September 6th as part of the 2005 Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week).

The event will highlight the systemic challenges associated with building minority businesses and wealth development in the Birmingham region and discuss potential remedies for those challenges.  Scheduled participants for the panel include BE&K president Mike Goodrich and BellSouth of Alabama President Tom Hamby.  Also participating are Carol Clarke, director of economic development for the City of Birmingham, Bob Dickerson, executive director of the Birmingham Business Resource Center, and Gaynelle Jackson of Advanced Planning Services.

While growing minority business is central to this event, Congressman Davis will also address developing individual wealth as a part of this discussion and how each feeds into the growing economic development and prosperity for the region.

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), which is a part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the national sponsor of MED Week. MBDA is the only Federal agency created specifically to foster the establishment and growth of minority-owned businesses in America.

Since 1983, the federal government has proclaimed a National MED Week observance to recognize the outstanding achievements of minority business enterprises and to honor those corporations and financial institutions that support minority business development. Annual regional conferences and activities are organized by the MBDA in collaboration with the U.S. Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Government Contracting and Business Development.

“Bridging the Gap” will take place at the Energen Plaza, 605 Richard Arrington Boulevard, North from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  Entrepreneurs and business leaders from throughout the metropolitan area and the state of Alabama are invited to attend.  For more information on this event, contact the Birmingham office at 205-254-1960.