[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 127 (Tuesday, September 22, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1771-E1772]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN RECOGNITION OF MR. MARVIN R. SMITH, NATIONAL MINORITY ADVOCATE OF 
                                THE YEAR

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 22, 1998

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to salute Mr. Marvin R. Smith, who today 
will receive the National Minority Advocate of the Year Award.
  Mr. Speaker, almost 16 years ago, President Ronald Reagan designated 
the first full week of October 1983 as Minority Enterprise Development 
(MED) Week. Designated by every President since then, MED Week is an 
annual national celebration in recognition of the contributions made by 
minority businesses to the Nation's economy as well as to acknowledge 
individuals whose efforts have advanced minority business development 
throughout the country.
  Mr. Speaker, MED Week is the largest federal advocacy activity 
sponsored on behalf of minority businesses. It is jointly sponsored by 
the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency 
(MBDA) and the Small Business Administration's (SBA) Office of Minority 
Enterprise Development. Each fall, MED Weeks are held across the 
country. Observances culminate at a National Conference in Washington, 
D.C. The week of September 20-26, 1998, was included in this year's 
presidential proclamation. Each year a theme is chosen by the MED Week 
Committee to reflect current issues or emphasis. This year's theme is 
``Creating a Competitive Advantage in a Changing Business 
environment.''
  Awards are presented by MBDA and SBA to minority-owned businesses and 
other individuals chosen from nominations received in the respective 
regional offices around the country. As nominations are received, they 
are reviewed and evaluated by panels in the regional offices. Award 
winners in the various categories from the five regional offices 
(Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, New York and San Francisco) are presented to 
MBDA headquarters and evaluated by a review panel at that level for 
national recognition.
  Mr. Speaker, I feel honored to mention that Marvin R. Smith, who 
works as Manager of the Supplier Management and Business Affirmative 
Action Office (SM/BAAO) of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory 
(LLNL) (Livermore, CA) and a resident of the 9th District, has also 
been selected to receive the award of ``National Minority Advocate of 
the Year.'' Just days after receiving the ``Regional Minority Advocate 
of the Year Award'' in San Francisco on September 10, 1998.
  Mr. Smith has served in various managerial positions at LLNL for the 
past 20 years. The primary objective of the SM/BAAO is to enhance the 
quality of vendors doing business with LLNL and to simultaneously 
assist the laboratory in achieving its socioeconomic goals. As a part 
of this effort the SM/BAAO strives to identify qualified small, 
disadvantaged and women-owned businesses and to assist in enhancing 
their capabilities so that they become viable competitors with the 
larger integrated concerns currently providing supplies and service to 
the Laboratory, as well as to increase the extent to which they receive 
Laboratory Awards/Contracts, something we commonly know as procurement 
dollars.
  I am proud to say that, during the past three fiscal years (1995, 
1996 and 1997) as a result of Mr. Smith's leadership and efforts LLNL 
has

[[Page E1772]]

provided $180.86 million in direct procurement awards to small 
disadvantaged/minority business enterprises. During that same period of 
time $43.7 million were awarded to 2nd tier disadvantage/minority 
subcontracts.
  Mr. Smith, who is also a longtime civil rights activist, has held a 
host of positions on local, state and national committees, commissions 
and organizations. He has long been involved in leadership positions in 
a myriad of community activities relating, but not limited, to 
entrepreneurship, mentoring, youth awareness, community economic 
development, education, fairness in law enforcement/equity in justice 
and diversity.
  Prior to assuming his position with the laboratory, Mr. Smith was the 
San Francisco Regional Director for the Fair Housing and Equal 
Opportunity Compliance Division of the U.S. Department of Housing and 
Urban Development. Previous to that he was a police officer for the 
Richmond (CA) Police Department.
  Mr. Smith received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science 
from California State university at Hayward; earned a Masters in Public 
Administration Degree from Golden Gate University in San Francisco; was 
a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration at Golden Gate University 
(ABD) and holds several professional certificates in Management and 
Public Administration.
  Mr. Speaker, today, I join with the organizers, sponsors and most of 
my Congressional colleagues in expressing my sincere congratulations to 
Marvin Smith for his commendable efforts and contributions to minority 
businesses.
  Thank you for your commitment and service.

                          ____________________