NMSDC Moves 2010 Annual Conference and Business Opportunity Fair from Phoenix to Miami

In direct reaction to the legislation passed in Arizona in April, the NMSDC Board of Directors voted to move the 2010 Conference and Business Opportunity Fair from Phoenix, AZ to Miami Beach, Florida. The conference will maintain the same schedule of October 24 - 27, 2010.

NMSDC took a stand on the Arizona legislation, S.B. 1070, prior to its passing. Harriet Michel, NMSDC President sent a letter to Gov. Jan Brewer urging her not to sign the bill; however, it was signed on April 23, 2010, "creating a unique situation for our organization and the constituents we serve."

TOP NEWS FROM WASHINGTON

President Obama Visits Electric Truck Manufacturer as “Recovery Summer” Continues
This week, as part of an Administration wide tour to see Recovery dollars at work, President Obama traveled to Kansas City, Missouri to visit Smith Electric Vehicles. The all-electric, zero emissions, commercial truck manufacturer’s new factory, built with a $32 million dollar grant from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is constructing trucks that will help companies cut fuel costs and emissions. Speaking to workers at the factory, the President said, “What you’re proving is that if we hold fast to that spirit of entrepreneurship and innovation that’s always defined America, we’re not just going to emerge from this period of turmoil, we’re going to emerge stronger than we were before.” More here .

Recovery Act Helps 82,000 Families Lower Energy Costs
As summer temperatures rise to some of the highest on record, weatherization efforts funded by the Recovery Act are helping households keep their energy bills down and their comfort up. As part of Recovery Summer, trained experts are working to insulate, caulk, weather-strip, and install better windows, furnaces, and water heaters for 82,000 homes. The Recovery Act invested $11 billion to make homes and businesses more efficient, including $5 billion to weatherize hundreds of thousands of low-income homes across the country. More than 240,000 homes have been weatherized since February 2009. More here .

RestoreTheGulf.gov Launched to Increase Public Information on Spill and Restoration
A new federal website was launched this week to provide the American people with clear, accessible information and resources on the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. RestoreTheGulf.gov combines news, data, and updates related to administration-wide efforts to stop the BP oil leak and mitigate its impact on the environment, the economy, and public health. The website is a one-stop information source that brings together information from across the administration and increases public access to the latest reports. More here .

Secretary Donovan Announces $190 Million in Aid to Homeless Assistance Programs
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will provide nearly $190 million in new grants to local homeless assistance programs across the country in a continuing effort to bring an end to homelessness across the Nation. The funding will help support 550 local projects that offer critical  housing and support services to nearly 20,000 homeless individuals and families. “This funding is an important part of the Obama Administration’s new strategy to end homelessness in all its forms,” said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. “We know that these programs are critical in moving people beyond a life on the streets and placing them on a path toward dignity and self sufficiency.” More here .

Department of Transportation Invests $293 Million Towards Livability, Economic Development
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced nearly $300 million in investments that will improve transit and create jobs in dozens of communities nationwide. The grants are part of the Obama Administration’s livability initiative to better coordinate transportation, housing and commercial development investments to serve the people living in those communities. $130 million of the funds will be allocated to six new streetcar and bus rapid transit projects as part of the Federal Transit Administration's Urban Circulator Program. The remaining $163 million will fund 47 additional projects aimed at upgrading bus services and facilities from the FTA's Bus and Bus Livability Program. More here .

Secretary Solis Views Green Innovation at Work
This week, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Hilda Solis traveled to Denver, Colorado to view the work of the Denver Green Jobs Initiative, which provides free green jobs training to the unemployed, underemployed, veterans, women, and minorities. The program’s goal is simple: create a career path to high-growth green industries to help hundred from the local community gain access to new work opportunities. The Department of Labor invested over $3.6 million in the program as part of their Pathways out of Poverty Initiative. More here .

KATHY DAVID WINS ASIAN HERITAGE ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARD

ESCONDIDO, Calif., July 15, 2010-IT TechPros, Inc., a respected IT managed services provider, announced today that its CEO and president, Kathy David, is the winner of the Asian Heritage Award for excellence in entrepreneurship. She received the honor from Asia Media at its seventh annual awards banquet on July 10.

 

Hundreds of nominations were received for 14 award categories and 75 finalists were selected to participate in the public voting process, which garnered more than 45,000 online votes. David didn't expect to win; she was honored to be a finalist and shocked when she heard her name called as the winner.