The Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council would like to congratulate and welcome Ruth Williams-Brinkley, RN who was named president of Kaiser Permanente of the Mid-Atlantic States, which serves 770,000 members throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Northern Virginia. Williams-Brinkley joins the Mid-Atlantic region from Kaiser Permanente Northwest, where she served as president since 2017.

As we emerge from this global pandemic, Ms. Williams-Brinkley looks forward to leading this region in the ongoing work to improve health and wellbeing so that our communities and members can thrive.

Voltaire C. Walker is currently Manager, Global Supplier Diversity Programs, Northrop Grumman Mission Systems Sector, headquartered in Linthicum, Maryland.

Walker is a 40 year experienced Supply Chain and Supplier Diversity Manager, serving in various management capacities within the Global Supply Chain organization, including Procurement Section Manager, Socio-Economic Business Programs Manager, Global Supply Chain Supplier Offset Support, Materials Manager, Program Subcontract Manager, Specialty Metals Compliance Manager, and Mentor Protégé Program Manager.

Walker is a former 10-year Board Director member of the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council (formerly MD/DC MSDC)) with over 30 years’ experience in promoting and facilitating small business opportunities within Northrop Grumman Mission Systems at its procurement locations throughout the U.S.

Kate replaces Cheryl Smith who retired in June. Kate’s energy is infectious and is both knowledgeable and innovative regarding supplier diversity. She has a sincere commitment in helping diverse businesses find opportunities in the food and beverage industry.

Retail Business Services, LLC is the services company of Ahold Delhaize USA, which provides services to six East Coast grocery brands, including Food Lion, Giant Food, GIANT/MARTIN'S, Hannaford and Stop & Shop, as well as the country’s largest online grocery retailer, Peapod. As manager, Kate will develop and oversee RBS's vendor diversity program. She will work to engage and develop woman-owned, minority-owned, veteran-owned and LGBTQ+-owned businesses, as well as integrate them into the company's merchandising process.

The EY Entrepreneurs Access Network elevates the ability for Black and Latinx entrepreneurs to obtain additional resources and networks needed to achieve new heights.

Entrepreneurs Access Network is a 12-month educational program and evergreen community, supported by a web of fellow advocating companies and organizations. This immersive journey includes a company assessment to identify the firm’s potential and needs to align it to the emerging, established or on-demand curriculums. It also includes teaming with a personal liaison for guidance throughout the program.

If you are interested in this program, email crmsdc@crmsdc.org by Wednesday, August 19, 2020.

The COVID-19 Pro Bono Collaborative, a growing network of trusted top-tier law firms, corporations and other legal service providers across the country, is providing a highly coordinated, emergency response to help small businesses and nonprofit organizations survive the economic impact of COVID-19. This collaborative will provide remote legal and financial clinics and one-on-one sessions on the COVID-19 stimulus package and similar programs as well as COVID-19 related legal issues.

As we continue to navigate changing dynamics in the wake of COVID-19, CRMSDC is planning more webinars to inform and support our community. Upcoming topics will include:

What products/services have you provided during this pandemic? OR, do you have products/services you’d like us to share? Email covid19@crmsdc.org or call 301.593.5860.