DoD courts
women
contractors

A Hawaii seminar will
focus on local business
opportunities with
the military

---

By Russ Lynch
rlynch@starbulletin.com

Businesses owned by women are being encouraged to look into ways they might get some of the $5 billion spent each year by Hawaii-based agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense.

A seminar scheduled for Thursday at the Pagoda Hotel will give them a chance to hear about the opportunities that exist and to meet representatives of agencies that do the buying.

"The DoD has a program emphasizing the utilization of women-owned businesses, to promote more socially responsible contracting," said Hector Venegas, coordinator of the event for the local chapter of the National Contract Management Association.

The goals are to widen the pool of contractors providing goods and services to the military and other agencies and to reach out to women-owned businesses, showing them how to get on the various vendors' lists and how to qualify for the jobs.

Representatives of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, the Small Business Administration, the General Services Administration and Defense Finance & Accounting Services will be on hand.

After they make their pitches, there will be a chance for buyers and sellers to meet and exchange information. Venegas said there will be no business transactions at the workshop, just an exchange of information.

The fees for the 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. workshop are $40 for members of the Aloha Chapter of the National Contract Management Association and $50 for nonmembers. The fees cover the sessions, materials, lunch and refreshments.

For more information, contact Venegas, at 523-2931 or e-mail hector@pixi.com.