Pilgrim Talks: Eric Mandell, Bob Fair (3/24/10)

Eric Mandell

Eric Mandell is the Chief of the California Department to General Services’ Office of Small and Disabled Veterans Services and Communications and Outreach for the Procurement Division.  He also serves as the Department’s Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Advocate. In these capacities, Eric and his staff work to make certain that small and DVBE businesses get access to their share of state awarded contracts.

Eric has over 30 years in the fields of marketing, communications, advertising, and the media.  He has created award winning marketing efforts and campaigns for California’s Breast Cancer Awareness, Enterprise Zones, Military Base Reuse, and Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank programs, as well as Sacramento WORKS for Sacramento County.

Eric is a graduate of UC Davis.  He has worked in on air and in management positions in radio and television and also owns his own small business, ECM Communications.

Eric is discusses the Stimulus Funds Workshop #2 Webinar that will be held on April 28 from 9am to 12 noon. The Webinar host, Wayne Gross, will walk Orange County companies through the step-by-step process for suppliers to register with the State of California's eProcurement system. He will also show companies how to be certified as a Small Business, and he will show them how to use the eProcurement system to market a companies products and services to the State. To reserve your Webinar seat go to:

https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/578549251

Bob Fair

Co-founders Jim Collins & Bob Fair discuss the role of the www.DVBEblog.com. Both Jim and Bob are certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises with the state of California.

The DVBEblog’s altruistic goals are to provide a mentoring environment with a communication forum/blog that provides an opportunity for many others in the business community to actively participate and or become sponsors in assisting DVBEs in succeeding. We are in the process of becoming a 501c(3) non-profit.

Jim and Bob met through the chat function of an online DVBE webinar sponsored by the California Energy Commission’s Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program, one of several state agencies who truly wish to work with DVBEs.

As an example of those in the business community, whom they met online at the webinar, Mark Wilson, expressed interest in helping the two of them establish the blog, even though he is not a veteran. They met Mark at the PIER Webinar and have been in communication with him many times in the past weeks. Mark is seeking qualified DVBEs whom he can work with on a regular basis.

DVBE Founders –

(1) Jim Collins of JC Write www.jcwrite.com

(2) Bob Fair of FairMed www.fairmed.com

DVBE Advisors –

(1) Mark Wilson

The DVBE Blog is:

· A resource for disabled vets wanting to get started in business and eventually get their DVBE certification so they can work with the state

· An information source for contacts in the State

· An information source for DVBE contracting news (legislative, upcoming contracts we may here about, contracting success stories…)

· A social hub where DVBEs can discuss their problems, concerns, and successes

· A source for training and other help (Once they get the grants they are looking for.)