March Minutes | 03.19.2025
WOMEN BUILDER’S COUNCIL
Public Policy Meeting Agenda, Virtual Meeting – Minutes
Committee Meets
Wednesday each month @12:00pm. Next meeting 4/16/2025
Requested by ESD to assist with Certification issues; Pre-meeting scheduled with BTEA 4/23/2025 in advance of meeting with ESD
Successfully advocated for 2 members re-certification (Kleinfeld Electric approved; KCM Contracting – pending appeal w/ ESD oversight
Likely that Article 15A will be extended without changes in NYS Budget (June 2025)
Formed subcommittees as follows:
a. Certification- Felice Farber (STA), Joanna Karageorgiou (Kleinberg), Roxanne (KCM)b. NAICS Code/Size Standard PNW—Roxanne Guerrerio, Chair, Krissy DiNapoli, Gina Pantony
c. Disparity Studies-- Tanya Pope and Deborah Bradley to Co-Chair, Nayada Lugii, Debra Inwald
d. DBE Program Litigation—Felice Farber, Roxanne Guerrerio
Members attended February 14, 2025 Regional Alliance of Small Business Contractors MWBE Legislative Conference in Albany
Tanya Pope, Chris Boccia, Carol K., Roxanne Guerrerio, and Liz Weiss attendees
Suggestion to create a one pager: Who is WBC and What Do We Want
Provided Member Updates on legal/legislative issue of concern to membership
Corporate Transparency Act
Federal Executive Orders on DEI
EO 3/14/25 “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy
Presentation from the State of NY on methodology and outcomes of their Disparity Study
Spoke with Jenny Low from ESD on 4/08/2025 and she is getting us a list of dates they can present the webinar
Restart conversations with NYS EDC to understand how women can better provide the narrative of their experience
The certificate standard and parameters of women business owners, which appear to be different than men
Appealing denials of certifications and the ability to ask for an on-site visit
Why the certification process has changed to a full-certification review even for business that are re-certifying
Perception (bias) of women (not from trades) to become certified – barrier to new firms entering the marketplace. Erring more on approving legitimate firms vs. eliminating fraudulent firms
Propose training of state analysts
