Home Forward Contracting and Equity Assistant Director Focuses on Mentoring

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NORTHWEST NEWS

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Cinna'Mon Williams has worked in government procurement for over 15 years. She is currently the assistant director for Contracting and Equity at Home Forward. She is responsible for oversight of all aspects of the agency's professional services, construction, social service and maintenance related contractual agreements. In addition, she acts as the agency's representative for economic equity and manages the procurement card program. Prior, Williams worked in a variety of Procurement positions at Metro Regional Government for ten years.

She is a long term active member of the Oregon Association of Minority Entrepreneurs (OAME) and the past chair of the OAME Advisory Board, a member of the executive board of the Business Diversity Institute (BDI), a board member of the local chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), actively involved in the American Contract Compliance Association (ACCA), an active participant of the Oregon Public Purchasing Association (OPPA) and past board member of the Columbia Chapter of the National Institute of NIGP.

"It is my goal to coach and mentor young professionals of color interested in government procurement," says Williams.

She believes diversity in the local procurement arena should include the individuals working on the procurement team, as well as the vendors and contractors getting the work. Her vision includes consistent inclusion of people of color and women on Home Forward projects in both direct contracts and on the sub-tier level. She wants to ensure that Home Forward residents have access to meaningful employment and workforce opportunities.

Williams says she looks for a number of factors when awarding contracts to MWESBs, the primary one being that they work to increase their capacity.

"In the end, we want to see the MWESB's that have worked on Home Forward projects move on to larger projects and to reach back and mentor up and coming MWESB businesses," she says.