Port's Robb honored for minority enterprise advocacy

Deborah Robb, director of economic inclusion for the Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority, has received the Advocate of the Year award from the South Central Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council (SCOMSDC).

Selected by the SCOMSDC Minority Business Enterprise Input Committee, Advocate of the Year winners are recognized for their voluntary efforts to advance minority businesses and to support and motivate their colleagues and minority business enterprises to participate in the SCOMSDC.

"We selected Deborah as our Advocate of the Year due to her tireless efforts at the Port Authority, where she works diligently to get minority business enterprises significantly involved in all Port projects, as well as non-Port projects, throughout the region," says Jenéa Norris Allen, president of the SCOMSDC.

In addition to her work at the Port, Robb chairs the SCOMSDC Cincinnati Local Advisory Committee and serves on the Certification Committee.

She also co-chaired the 2008 Construction Summit, led the Corporation Minority Business Enterprise Forum, and served on the SCOMSDC Gala Committee.

"I am honored to have been selected as the first recipient of SCOMSDC's Advocate of Year award," says Robb.  "I feel privileged to have been given this recognition, and I will continue to collaborate with the SCOMSDC to foster and grow minority business enterprises (MBEs) in Greater Cincinnati."

Founded in 1999, SCOMSDC assists in developing mutually beneficial relationships between its over 140 corporate members and 400 certified MBEs from offices in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Dayton.

This is the first year the council has given the award.

Writer: Kevin LeMaster
Source: Anne Schmidlin, Vehr Communications
Photography provided by Vehr Communications