Defense Alliance hosts Business Resource Seminar for Veterans.

March 20, 2006 -- The Defense Alliance of Minnesota today hosted a Business Resources for Veterans Seminar.  The half-day event was held at the federal building on Fort Snelling, Minnesota, and was attended by 100 people, including: Veteran business owners; retired, reserve and National Guard members who currently own, or are planning to start a business; federal and state government and nonprofit agencies charged with supporting Veteran businesses; Small Business Liaison Officers (SBLOs) from local prime defense contractors and federal agencies; and staff members of various elected state officials. 

The seminar was “headlined” by Congressman Mark Kennedy (R-MN, 6th District), who spoke to the group following the early morning networking breakfast.  “The state needs to support these Veterans who represent the very best of our communities, in terms of work ethic, stability and drive,” said Kennedy.  Following Kennedy’s remarks, Minnesota State Representative Dan Severson (R-14A) gave a summary of the current progress of veteran-related legislation, initiated by Governor Pawlenty, whose omnibus package for Veterans aims to make Minnesota more “Veteran-friendly,”  including for Veteran-owned businesses, and those trying to attract Veterans to their businesses.  “Minnesota doesn’t just owe its Veterans,” said Severson, “It needs its Veterans.”  

Following the remarks by politicians, and the Defense Alliance founder, Paul J. Wagner, three hours of presentations detailed the latest legislation, directives and programs that relate to Veteran-owned businesses, such as the federal goal that all government contracting shall include 3 percent for “service disabled veteran owned businesses.”  Also discussed were strategies and tools for becoming a government contractor as a Veteran-owned business.   Speakers included:  Richard Ramirez, Senior Business Advisor of the Veterans Administration’s Center for Veterans Enterprise in Washington, D.C.; Louis Celli, Jr., who runs the Northeast Veterans Business Resource Center, in Boston; George Johnson, Director of the Minnesota Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC); Ed Daum and Mel Aanerud of Minnesota’s Small Business Administration (SBA); Charles Schaffer of the state’s Small Business Assistance Office; and Tom Koopmeiners from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The Veterans Business Seminar was co-hosted by the Minnesota Federal Executive Board, and sponsored by:  SMI, Inc. of Washington, D.C., Minnesota Wire & Cable Co., General Dynamics-Advanced Information Systems, Honeywell Aerospace, Diversified Cryogenics, Primordial and Comfort for Courage.

The Veterans Seminar was the latest in a series of quarterly events organized by the Defense Alliance, the state’s network for defense and homeland security.  Future activities include a Twin Cities conference on homeland security co-hosted with the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), and a venue to showcase technology and innovations that can bring savings and efficiency – along with effectiveness -  to the defense and homeland security departments.