Volume 11 | 2022
THE QUARTERLY
The Office of Diversity in Business Practices
Our Mission:
It is the policy of The Office of Diversity in Business Practices (ODPB) to provide all persons an equal and fair opportunity to participate in procurement and contracting opportunities sponsored by the District.
Our ultimate goal is to support sustainable growth and economic opportunities for small, women-owned, and minority businesses. School Board Policy 6.143
From the Director's Desk
Eight Tips for the Next Generation of DE&I Leaders

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) encourage innovation, provide broader perspectives, promote competitive vendor pricing and understanding of customers’ needs and challenges, and increase retention. According to research by McKinsey and Company, diverse companies are more likely than ever to outperform financially.  How diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) matter | McKinsey Listed below are a few of my tips for the next generation of DE&I leaders.

Who's Being Awarded PBCSD Contracts?
The Latest Contract Compliance Data Broken Down by Gender & Ethnicity
Goods & Services Update
Vendor in the Spotlight:

First Time Bid-Awarded Vendor for Mobile Fingerprinting Services

Congratulations to DLW Incorporated (dba Alpha Omega Biometrics Division) on becoming a first-time bid-awarded vendor for Mobile Fingerprinting Services with the School District of Palm Beach County! Mr. Dwight Walton Sr. is the proud owner of three companies: Alpha Omega Biometrics, Alpha Omega Drug Testing, and Alpha Omega Investigative Division.

DLW, Inc. dba Alpha Omega Biometrics, provides the following services:
 
LEVEL ll - LIVE SCAN ELECTRONIC FINGERPRINTING for submissions to the FBI and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to check prospective employees as well as professionals applying for various licensures in occupational professions.
DRUG TESTING offers Lab Testing for 10 panels at a time and up to 12 panels for single instances.
 
Mr. Walton’s companies are local firms that have been located in Palm Beach County for 16 years, and DLW, Inc. is dual-certified as a SBE/MWBE vendor with the School District of Palm Beach County.
 
Alpha Omega Biometrics Division is known for their professionalism, efficiency, and courteous customer service resulting in securing successful contracts and projects with local institutions as well as by word-of-mouth in the local community.
 
Dwight Walton has strived to maintain cost efficiency, allowing him to serve both larger clients and walk-in traffic. Great pricing has allowed DLW, Inc. to serve a diverse workforce in the State of Florida.
 
Alpha Omega Biometrics Division keeps an open-door policy for communications to answer any and all questions related to fingerprinting and drug testing. The quality of customer service has given Alpha Omega Biometrics a very positive reputation in the community.


Periscope S2G is the e-procurement service used by School District of Palm Beach County vendors to receive notifications of business opportunities.
Not registered with Periscope S2G?

Here are the crucial steps to receive bid notifications related to your business.

Attend How to Register with Periscope S2G training.

Choose between two options.

Option 1: In-Person Training
*Bring your own laptop.

Where: Office of Diversity, SDPBC
3300 Summit Blvd. West Palm Beach, 33406

When: Tuesday, June 21, 2022
12:00 - 1:00 PM


Option 2: Virtual Training

Where: via ZOOM

When: Tuesday, July 12, 2022
12:00 - 1:00 PM

For questions about training, contact:
Maricel De Leon
(561) 681-2418
Registered with Periscope S2G

Here are some steps to participate in bid solicitations related to your business.


  1. Check your registered email in Periscope S2G and locate the bid notifications.
  2. View New Solicitations in Periscope S2G using your commodity or NIGP codes.
  3. View Awarded Contracts and search for your business commodity. Then, study some contracts to be familiar with the requirements and Terms of Contract similar to your business.
For questions about Periscope S2G contact:
Yolanda Fields
(561) 687- 7132

Vendor e-Book
A Reference Guide to District Certified Small Business Owners
The Office of Diversity in Business Practices offers a variety of ways to connect, engage, train, and support the District's 500+ certified small businesses. Click on the button below to view the Vendor e-Book and get to know our vendors and what services they provide. Most importantly, connect with them to inquire about their services!
Construction Update
There are 19 ongoing facility renewal projects, three additions & remodels, and two new schools. In the coming months, seven new projects will be awarded for both Architecture and Construction Management. The seven projects will have an estimated total of 37 million dollars. All of these projects will have small business enterprise (SBE) participation requirements, providing millions of dollars of opportunities to certified small businesses. 
 
Trades needed in these projects include:
  • Mechanical
  • Stucco
  • HVAC
  • Toilet Accessories
  • Water Intrusion
  • Plumbing
  • Roofing
  • Flooring
  • Masonry & concrete
  • Doors, Windows, wall and ceiling
  • Finishes & Painting
  • Site Work & Demolition
  • Electrical
  • Site Cleaning

MORE EXCITING NEWS!!!

General Contracting Services for Minor Facilities Repairs and Maintenance awarded to six District-certified Small Business Enterprises:

  1. Asset Builders, LLC dba Messam Construction
  2. Cosugas, LLC
  3. Critical Path Construction, LLC
  4. Italica Construction, LLC
  5. JIJ Construction Corp.
  6. Randolph Construction Group, Inc.
Useful information for the subcontractors

Who has been awarded contracts? Click the button below to find the contact information of the prime vendors.
Useful information for the prime vendors

What type of projects will be needed in the future? Click the button below to determine the project name and the estimated construction budget.
Bridging the Labor Mismatch in US Construction

US construction projects are short-staffed today, and the problem is set to get worse. In October 2021, 402,000 construction positions1 remained unfilled at the end of the month, the second-highest level recorded since data collection began in December 2000. In this environment, wages have already increased significantly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting intense competition for employees, with employers offering higher pay or other nonwage benefits. Read More
Upcoming Events, Training, & Outreach
Recent Trainings and Events
In the News
A Conversation with SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman on Building a Better America for Small Business and Entrepreneurs
 
The Community Advantage Program is innovative and important because it expands the channels through which small businesses can access SBA guaranteed loans. The SBA is now extending the program and making some important changes to improve access and equity, including increasing the maximum loan size permitted by the program up to $350,000 expanding the number of participating nonprofit lenders, and eliminating barriers to access such as the restriction prohibiting individuals with a criminal justice record (unrelated to financial fraud) from borrowing through the program. Read More
From Teacher to Business Owner

A Columbus teacher didn't see enough diversity in teaching materials. Her new business is trying to change that.

Central Ohio resident Christina Spencer left her teaching job to launch a new business aimed at creating culturally diverse and representative classroom materials. Her eventual goal is to sell directly to school districts and retail stores. Read More

House of Representatives approves legislation banning hair discrimination
“For example, routinely, people of African descent are deprived of educational and employment opportunities because they are adorned with natural or protective hairstyles in which hair is tightly coiled or tightly curled, or worn in locs, cornrows, twists, braids, Bantu knots, or Afros,” it states, saying that the Federal Government should acknowledge the systematic harm such discrimination causes. Read More
Diversity Isn’t Enough; Companies Need Anti Racist Leadership
U.S. business leaders promised they would do their part to fight the problem, making workplaces more diverse, equitable and inclusive. But now it’s time to go a step further, says James White and Krista White, father-and-daughter authors of the new book, Anti-Racist Leadership: How to Transform Corporate Culture in a Race-Conscious Worlds. They share their own experiences as Black Americans in the workplace and lessons from James’ time as CEO of Jamba Juice. And they offer advice on how corporate leaders can promote lasting change in their own organizations and society at large. Read More
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