Transcript: Mayor Adams Hosts Reception to Celebrate M/WBE Contract Records

February 8, 2024

Watch the video here at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOw87FWcsPU

Mayor Eric Adams: Thank you. Thank you. First of all, it's good. It's good to see all of you in the room, many of you I have communicated with from time to time on this journey. You know, I'm not new to this, I'm true to this. And we have had conversations, and you have planted your thoughts and your ideas, and it was part of the actual creation of where we are now.

And I recall when first deputy mayor, she was deputy mayor of Strategic Partnerships previously, but now my first deputy mayor, she stated that in order to make our initiative happen and our vision materialize, that we had to get a marquee player to build the team around

And so I went out and found myself the Steph Curry of this game in Michael Garner, and asked him to join the team.

And so we need to really actualize this moment because sometimes when you're going through historical moments, you really don't appreciate them in a real way. And I always talk about the days after my brother Clifford Glover was shot in South Jamaica, Queens. He was a 10‑year‑old young man who was going to his uncle's repair shop and he was shot in the back by an officer named Officer Shea.

And a short period after, we lost a prominent businessman named Arthur Miller. He was choked to death on Nostrand Avenue, and Reverend Herbert Daughtry, who became a spiritual leader for me throughout that time, and when I joined him, we're talking about 1978.

And we were at a meeting, and a group of young people, I was 18 at the time, and we were all in a room with these elders, these giants who have fought for so long. And the young people who were there talked about how those elders needed to get out of the way because they didn't understand how to move the movement forward.

And I went up to the front of the room and rolled up a piece of paper to symbolize a baton and dropped in my knees and I handed it off to them with the respect that they deserved because I knew all of us have to run our mile. None of this marathon that we are experiencing is going to be instant.

And that is where we are right now. You know, Nat Turner ran his mile, and he handed the baton off to Marcus Garvey. Marcus Garvey ran his mile, and he handed the baton off to Rosa Parks. She ran her mile with Dr. King at her side, and they handed it off to Jesse Jackson.

Jesse Jackson ran his mile, and he handed it off to Al Sharpton. Al Sharpton ran his mile, and he handed it off to Barack Obama. Barack Obama ran his mile, and handed it off to VP Harris. VP Harris ran her mile and handed it off to Eric Adams to become the mayor of the City of New York.

So we're now, this is our mile. This is our mile. And those symbolic batons have been handed off all across the country. You know, four of the major cities in America have Black mayors. Think about it: Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Chicago.
Not only that, we have Hakeem Jeffries, who's the first person of color to be the minority leader. He has his baton in his hand. Adrienne Adams, who's the speaker of the City Council, is holding her baton. Andrea Stewart‑Cousins, the majority leader in the Senate, holding her baton. Carl Heastie, the assembly speaker, holding the baton. My brother in Atlanta, the mayor, holding his baton. St. Louis, holding his baton. Little Rock, Arkansas, holding his baton.

All of us have the baton; the question is, are we going to do something with it?

That's the question, and that is why you are in this room right now, because you have your batons. We are handing batons off to you. And part of the baton is to make sure you're going to hand it off to other generations. You're going to mentor small businesses. You're going to assist us in reaching the goals that we are attempting to accomplish.

Because when the race is over, you cannot sit back and state, I wish I would have ran faster or trained better. You've got the baton right now. We have it right now. And we know the games that are played, the complexity of the rules to make sure you'll get frustrated and throw up your hands and say, listen, I'm just not going to participate in this 20‑something billion dollar procurement contract for goods and services.

That's the game, and we have to be prepared for that game. That's why we have Lisa Flores here, who's making sure that it's done right.

And that's why we have Commissioner Kim. What this commissioner has done...

First Korean commissioner to hold this position. What he has done is he has gone on the ground and stated we want to bring you in to what the accomplishments are. And you know, you have to inspect your product. My mom said, if you don't inspect what you expect, it's all suspect.
That's why Mike Garner's putting in place a COMPstat system to see, I don't want to wait until the end of the year and have you tell me you didn't reach your goals and your targets over and over again. We need to inspect this stuff daily and weekly. Are you moving and trending in the right direction?
And then we need to rethink where we are now. I don't know what all of your businesses may be now in particular, but all of us should be thinking about the migrant and asylum seekers crisis as opportunities as well as the crisis. We have to feed 172,000 people...or about 100,000 in our shelter system, migrant and asylum seekers and long‑term New Yorkers.
Those are food contracts. That's what MoCaFi was all about. An MWBE company that we met on the campaign trail and stated that we think we're going to need you. Little did we know that God is going to say there's going to be a crisis, you're going to have to meet them. And First Deputy Mayor Wright reached out to them.
And it's going to cost us money, put investment into local bodegas, coffee shops, stores and supermarkets in our community. Instead of buying from some corporate Texas company, we're going to be buying right here in our community.
And so you may be a CPA right now. This may be a moment to say, let me put that CPA on the back burner right now and get some of these cleaning contracts. We have to clean sheets, towels, rooms. We have to sell Clorox to clean the floors.
We have to make sure that people are getting the educational opportunities. There are billions of dollars that we have to spend on a migrant asylum seeker crisis that was dropped in our lap. So, you may even think about, yes, I'm an attorney, but let me get my side hustle on also… and look at what is needed in this crisis, because you're smart enough to understand how to run a business. This may be an opportunity to say if you have a major contract from the city, you could actually expand your business because other cats are doing it, folks.
Other cats are doing it. You have Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez here. We're getting ready to build out our battery operation for EV vehicles. We need the part of that hustle. We need to be training our young people how to build and fix these EVs.
Senator Parker, are you still chairing energy and technology?
State Senator Kevin Parker: Yes, sir.
Mayor Adams: Chairing energy and technology. He knows the jobs that are coming down the pike. We're getting really to spend billions on environmental issues.
Congestion pricing is coming to the city. Someone has to build all this out. We met with our attorneys the other day. We have billions, hundreds of millions that are coming through legal services in our city that you need to be a part of.
We have to be a part of the economy that is in the City of New York, and that's what this is all about, to give you the accessibility that you deserve. We're meeting our targets. great victories up in Albany, raising the discretionary dollars that we can spend. Thank you, Senator Parker. Those victories are so important that we can raise those discretionary dollars, local hiring of victories that we receive.
There's so much we can do. We need to sound the alarm throughout. As I see my brother, Lloyd Williams here who has been talking about this for so long. This is our opportunity
I cannot tell you how well I'm going to do in my mile, but I'm not going to drop the baton.
When I hand it off, I'm going to hand it off to the next one that to make sure that we can run this race, folks, and all we have to do— and I need you to do this with me so it can resonate— no distractions, stay focused and grind.
No distractions, stay focused and grind.
Audience: No distractions, stay focused and grind. No distractions, stay focused and grind.
Mayor Adams: Because they would distract us.
They would distract us. Special interests would attempt to distract us. Our distractions would come from all over. They would tell us what we can't do. They would tie us up. They would talk about things that's not significant. They would make sure you may finish this, but you're going to have some scars on your back.
But as long as you not be distracted, stay focused...
Audience: And grind. 
Mayor Adams: ...and grind. We could make this happen and we will finish this race. Thank you very much.
Senator Sanders joined us also. Come here, Brother. This brother was bold enough. If you haven't read about it, you need to. He and I took our trip to Africa the first time. It was the first time he came to the continent. It was a very emotional time for us. Cote d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast.
He came back here with a mission to produce a bill, to do a study, to look at reparations for people who were enslaved. He got it done. Really proud of you, man. You said you were going to do and you got it done. This is going to impact all of us, what he did. Thank you very much, Senator Sanders.
Michael Garner, Chief Business Diversity Officer, Mayor’s Office: So, the mayor talked about feeding the asylum seekers. And if you ever go up on Dyckman Avenue you see a whole community working together making sure that jobs are being created.
And so we want to give a citation to Susana Osario who exemplifies what the mayor is opening up with the doors of opportunity. We were able to get her, as Lisa indicated, she's doing $10 million worth of work. She's preparing 85,000 meals a week. 85,000 meals a week.
So, on behalf of the City of New York, under the effective leadership of Mayor Eric Adams, the doors of opportunity, are open for you and firms like you for the first time in history.
Mayor Adams: Now, Sister [inaudible] locally had restaurants, saw the impact of the business, and she said, I got to retrofit. And she retrofitted, had the opportunity, took it, and look at where she is now. We're proud of you, and there's so many success stories like you. Congratulations to you.
Say a few words [laughter].
Carmen Susana Osario: Oh my God, if I would have known this, I would have fixed my hair, a little salon, but you can see that I'm working. And to be realistic, thanks to this administration, I've been certified as MWBE for three years, but me, I didn't have no clue what was an MWBE. When this administration came on board, I remember that I sit down and I say, but how can I get a contract?
And it was like so many run around. And the first time that I met Lisa Flores in Puerto Rico, she told me, I'm going to help you next week when I come back to New York. That was two years ago, right Lisa? And I was a pain in the butt. I was bothering Lisa, calling her office.
But I didn't give up. And I said, Lisa, how can I do it? How can I get a contract? And this administration, it was the one who helped me to navigate how to get a contract, because it was not easy. And it's not easy, but it took the time, more than a month.
And finally, I can say that I'm working, that I got my first contract last year in June, and I just started working with my second contract now in November. Thanks to this administration. God bless this administration.
God bless my mayor, because he's my mayor. And you know, I always say something. He got the right people working for him, because when I met Lisa, right after Lisa, I met Michael Garner, and they made the changes. They make the changes.
And they're not, you know, they're regular people like us. You can call them. them and they're going to be there for you.
Let's not be afraid. This a friendly administration. And as a Latina, I'm cooking Dominican food for everyone and I'm hungry… and I want to bring more jobs. Right now I got seven restaurants around the area working, and I'm looking to have more restaurants working with us. Thank you very much, Mr. Mayor.
Garner: So, [inaudible] and [inaudible], when the Adams Administration came in, there was a lingering problem with the business. We got in, I briefed the mayor, the mayor said, we'll fix it. So, with Commissioner Kim and the law department, we were able to unravel some things and change some policies to make this thing happen.
And the largest contract in the history of the City of New York went to an information technology logistics company called Worldwide Technology, I think, in a neighborhood of $350 million… under this administration.
And so we are happy to present a citation to Worldwide Technology, and one of their board members is going to come and she's going to accept the award and she's going to bless us on this day.
Mayor Adams: It just really goes to show you all the aspects of the services we need. We are a technology administration, everything from using drones to AI, all those things you can think about, and this contract is representative of that. We can get the quality that we're looking for that has often been overlooked and we can also make sure that we fairly diversify how we're spending the dollars.
And so we should be thinking about everything from the sheetrock, the paint, the shoe strings that go on the prisoners in Rikers Island to tie up their shoes, everything. Every place that we sell a product or services or distribution, you should be thinking about it.
And that's why, Mike Garner, you did an amazing job. They were tying this up for so long, playing these games. You all know it. All y'all know the games. And we said, you know what? Fix it. We fixed it, we got it. Thank you very much.
Priscilla Hill‑Ardoin: Speaking of "thank you very much," thank YOU, Mayor Adams, and your administration, very, very much.
I'm in Gracie Mansion, y'all. [Laughter.] 
It is my pleasure to be here, especially since I come representing my dear friend, Worldwide Technology founder and chairman, David Steward, who regrets deeply that he cannot be here. I don't regret it so much... for obvious reasons.
You guys, I come from a very large family, and in big families, you do a lot of celebrating. So, my mother always said that you should celebrate what you value. And that's what's happening here today.
Mayor Adams, thank you for making this MWBE Awards event a celebration. I've known Dave Steward and Worldwide Technology for over 30 years. I met them first about that long ago, a little longer than that, as a customer. I was with AT&T and we were a customer of Worldwide Technology.
Now I serve on Worldwide Technology's Board of Directors, and I have had the unique privilege of having a front‑row seat to this company's amazing unprecedented growth, mission...growth and mission as a minority‑owned business.
As the largest Black‑owned business in North America... I always stand a little taller every time I say that, and a New York City certified minority‑owned business. Worldwide Technology shares Mayor Adams' and the city's commitment to drive innovation, equity and inclusion. We are honored to serve as a trusted technology advisor to several New York City agencies, and our local leadership team is dedicated to partnering with these agencies to solve some of the city's most challenging and most critical technology and business issues.
We have offices at Penn Plaza and Hudson Yards, so we're able to, through that, contribute to the local economy. We have citizens that are here. Our partnerships with community organizations like Impact and other diverse women‑owned businesses across New York City is aligned, Mayor Adams, with your commitment to strengthen a more innovative and resilient supply chain and empower diverse businesses to better compete in the marketplace.
We have a long‑standing relationship with the National [Minority] Supplier [Development] Council. Last year, Worldwide spent $300 million with minority businesses. For more than a decade— more than a decade— we have worked closely with New York based community partners like EmPower, the National Academy Foundation, to provide diverse communities pathways to careers in technology.
Most recently, we made a commitment to the Eagle Academy in the Bronx. 
Yeah! [Applause.]
They're about helping to prepare and even the playing field for the next generation of diverse leaders.
This is an inspiring place to come. It is an inspiring place to be. It is a place that Worldwide Technology is honored to do business in. I can't tell you how exciting it is for Dave Steward and our 200 New York and New Jersey based employees. It is on their behalf in our entire organization that I am honored to receive this very prestigious award. 
Mayor Adams, I thank you for your leadership, for your vision, for your hard work, for your tenacity, for that of your amazing team; and most certainly, for the confidence that you have and the trust you have in Worldwide Technology.
One of the speakers— it was either Mark or Michael— earlier that mentioned an Amen Corner. My biblical training tells me that the Old Testament, the Greek translation for Amen Corner means "so be it."
It was spoken here, and so be it. I congratulate all of the other award winners. And I would be remiss if in the spirit of our founder and chairman of the board I did not leave you with what is his most favorite closing remarks. To God be the glory for the things he has done. Thank you.
Garner: So, she mentioned a keyword called team and results. Steve Hightower, $30 million contract to City in New York. Thank you. But a team, a team is great.
Dawn Pinnock, the commissioner of DCAS, and her chief diversity officer in ACCO, Roman Gofman, thank you for your support and your leadership.
I want to also thank the SCA who has created the blueprint with MWBE. This is a team. We're going to move this program forward like never before. Thank you very much. Continue networking. There's still refreshments, and we'll see you again next year. Same time, same place.
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