[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 110 (Wednesday, September 15, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1629]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SYSTEMS--NATIONAL 8(a) GRADUATE OF THE YEAR

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                    HON. JUANITA MILLENDER-McDONALD

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                     Wednesday, September 15, 2004

  Ms. MILLENDER-McDONALD. Mr. Speaker, I rise this evening to 
congratulate bd Systems and its President/Chief Executive Officer 
Clarisa F. Howard of Torrance, California on being named the United 
States Small Business Administration's National 8(a) Graduate of the 
Year.
  I am very proud that this prestigious award, which is presented 
annually to companies who have demonstrated excellence in business 
since graduating from the SBA's 8(a) minority business development 
program, was awarded to a business located in the heart of the 37th 
District of California.
  Clarisa Howard built bd Systems from a three-person operation in 
1981, to a thriving company of more than 346 employees today. bd 
Systems has operations in twenty locations, including right here in the 
District of Columbia.
  bd Systems has been recognized for over 20 years as a world-class 
provider of technology solutions, providing proven engineering and IT 
performance, design, analysis, and support. Under Clarisa's leadership, 
the firm has earned a positive reputation as a key subcontractor to 
several large defense contractors, including Boeing, which operates a 
facility in the Long Beach area of my District.
  Mr. Speaker, this week is National Minority Enterprise Development 
Week, and minority business owners from all over the country are 
participating in a weeklong conference being held at the Omni Shoreham 
Hotel here in Washington, DC.
  The theme for this year's conference, which is the largest federally 
sponsored activity held on behalf of minority business enterprises, is 
``Forward to the Future, Minority Business Enterprise: The National 
Priority''.
  The conference is an important conduit in providing critical 
information to both the minority business community, and to corporate 
America at large. As you know, Mr. Speaker, the number of minority 
owned small businesses are growing nationwide and are an emerging 
economic force.
  In closing, I'd like to salute Clarisa Howard and all of the 
employees of bd Systems for their tremendous achievement, and I am sure 
that they will continue to be a success for years to come.

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