Blog April 2013

The Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) held a ribbon cutting ceremony today to announce the creation of a new business center to be housed at the State of New Mexico’s Indian Affairs Department (IAD).  The Center received $1,275,00 from the MBDA for five years to work with New Mexico tribes. The Santa Fe Center, in collaboration with the IAD, will assist the Native American Business Community in New Mexico in three basic areas: (1) client services; (2) program promotion and advocacy; and (3) operational and performance management.

Ted Pedro, the Center’s Project Director added that, “These components are designed to identify immediate and long-term client needs and expectations, establish projected growth tracks, implement targeted plans of action for increasing size, scale and capacity, provide strategic referrals, increase exposure and visibility of the MBDA Business Center program, and to maintain the quality of center operations while promoting the achievement of our client’s outcomes.” View event photos below.

The following blog post was written by U.S. Commerce Deputy Secretary Rebecca Blank and Special Assistant to the President and Director of the White House Office of Social Innovation and Civic Participation Jonathan Greenblatt.

Today, we honor the anniversary of the passing of former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown. Secretary Brown was a dedicated public servant whose untimely death during a trade mission to Croatia on April 3, 1996 ended his life far too soon. His vision continues to be important and today’s work at the Department of Commerce builds on his legacy. 

Secretary Brown served his country in Korea as a soldier in the U.S. Army and in the halls of Congress as chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee. He also broke down barriers – becoming the first African American chairman of the Democratic National Committee and the first African American to serve as U.S. Secretary of Commerce. In this latter role, he made perhaps his largest impact.

As part of the Executive Order  signed by President Obama last month directing agencies to use their existing authorities and work with the private sector to better protect our nation’s power, water, and other critical systems, the Commerce Department is preparing a report on ways to incentivize companies and organizations to improve their cybersecurity.  To better understand what stakeholders –  such as companies, trade associations, academics and others – believe would best serve as incentives, the Department has released a series of questions to gather  public comments in a Notice of Inquiry published today.