Registration is open, and sponsorship opportunities are available for the 2nd Annual AMAC Economic Opportunity and Policy Forum from March 21–22, 2022, at the Washington Marriott Metro Center in downtown Washington, DC! The forum provides opportunities for you to connect and exchange economic and policy insights with the ultimate goal of elevating women and minorities throughout the aviation industry.

The schedule features business-focused sessions featuring topics ranging from new approaches to business success to leveraging the legislative process for success to current and future trends. You will also hear from prominent Congressional and Administration leadership and receive updates on the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) programs. Not only will valuable content be available for DBEs/ACDBEs, but the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) community will also be highly-represented.

All details, including registration and sponsorship, are available on the forum website. The health and safety of our participants are of utmost importance; therefore, we will implement COVID-19 health and safety protocols.

AMAC celebrates Black History Month! Join us as we recognize, honor and acknowledge the contributions and achievements of Black American aviation trailblazers. We encourage you to learn about these nine Black American Heroes you may not have known to start this month's celebration.

January is National Mentoring Month. Whether developing employees, supporting young people or preparing college students, mentoring enables people to unleash their full potential by learning from others. Studies show why mentoring matters for an inclusive workspace. AMAC is here to help aviation professionals grow in every phase of their careers. From an internship to the C-Suite, we propel our members to the next level! Learn more about AMAC Builds Careers.

AMAC members, mark your calendars for the next AMAC Thirds Fridays Virtual Membership Meeting on February 18, 2022, at 12:00 pm ET! Last month's virtual membership meeting featured Leonardo San Román, Manager for the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) Procurement Assistance Division, who talked about OSDBU initiatives related to small business development and other disadvantaged groups.

If you missed last month's AMAC Legends & Leapers, watch the conversation between aviation industry legend Steve Johnson, President & CEO, HMSHost, and industry leaper Shawnta Young, Commercial Operations Manager, Midway Partnership/Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), on the AMAC YouTube channel. Mori Russell, Southeast Regional Director, AMAC Board of Directors / Vice Chair, AMAC Emerging Leaders Committee, Business Development Manager, Concessions International and Ricky Smith, Chair, AMAC Board of Directors / CEO, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, moderated the discussion.

Vantage Airport Group recently announced Folasade (Sade) Olanipekun-Lewis as Vice President, Operating & Community Partnerships. In this newly created role, Ms. Olanipekun-Lewis will lead the development and implementation of all community and organizational partnerships supporting Vantage’s airport and infrastructure development projects, including the Vantage-led multi-billion dollar development of Terminal 6 at John F. Kennedy International Airport, slated to break ground in 2022.

Travel restaurateur group, SSP America, promoted long-time senior executive Pat Murray to Deputy Chief Executive Officer. Previously Executive Vice President, the move sees his responsibilities expand to oversee SSP America’s expansion into Central and South America. Murray will serve as President of the Central and South America operation and build a new development and operations team. Congratulations, Pat!

The AMAC Foundation 2022–2023 Scholarship Application is available! The deadline to apply is March 4, 2022. Please spread the word to students, especially women and minorities, who are interested in exploring aviation careers! Incomplete application forms and missing backup documentation may result in your application not being considered for a scholarship award. Questions? Contact [email protected].

The White House is hosting two webinars to help intergovernmental partners and stakeholders better understand how to use the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) Guidebook and provide the latest updates on the BIL implementation. The first webinar is February 2, 2022, from 3:00 pm–4:00 pm ET, and the next is February 4, 2022, from 9:00 am–10:00 am ET.

Join the National Women's Business Council and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center on February 4, 2022, from 1:00 pm–2:30 pm ET, for a critical discussion on shared learnings and innovative approaches to increasing access to traditional and non-dilutive financing.

The U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) is hosting a webinar on February 24, 2022, from 1:00 pm–2:00 pm ET on its newly launched Connections MarketPlace and how OSDBU can assist you as a small business owner.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced $3 million in new funding for state governments to help emerging small businesses across America develop their cybersecurity infrastructure, outlined in the BIL. State governments are eligible to compete for grants that will help deliver cybersecurity assistance to nascent and start-up business owners. Apply by March 3, 2022.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) Internship Program is open to all eligible undergraduate/graduate students attending an accredited college or university. This program provides opportunities to qualified students from underrepresented groups in Aviation, Aeronautics and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).

The U.S. Census Bureau released the 2018 Nonemployer Statistics by Demographics, a data program providing annual estimates of the number and receipts of nonemployer business owners by race, ethnicity, sex and veteran status.

SBA announced a new resource for business owners focused on Government Contracting through Ascent, SBA's free interactive platform packed with resources for women small business owners.