Centerlines - September 2008 - (Page 69) REVENUE ARENA A TALE OF TWO DIVERSIFIED CITIES B Y N IC OL E N E L S ON Atlanta, Dallas DBE programs thrive under executives sharing top AMAC leadership role I “Atlanta provided the genesis for the DBE program as it exists now.” — Nedra Farrar-Luten, the airport’s director of human resources and organizational development and past chair of the Airport Minority Advisory Council n the mid-1970s, a mere 1 percent of minority-owned businesses were involved in the construction of what today is the world’s busiest airport. Mayor Maynard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of Atlanta, serving his second term in office at this time, found this disproportionate ratio unacceptable and promptly ordered a hiatus on building what became Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) in May 1975. Rather than allow weeds to grow in an empty lot, the City of Atlanta leadership agreed with the mayor’s assessment. Construction resumed in July 1979 with substantial minority participation, and the rest is history as far as disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs) are concerned. Atlanta: A DBE Pioneer “Atlanta provided the genesis for the DBE program as it exists now,” said Nedra Farrar-Luten, the airport’s director of human resources and organizational development and past chair of the Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC). “The airport was built with significant DBE participation, and because of that, we have assumed a leadership role in the utilization of minority- and femaleowned businesses in airport contracting opportunities, be it in construction or concessions or services.” While the federal government dictates that at least 10 percent of all contracts be awarded to DBEs, Atlanta sets its goals on a project-by-project basis. In construction alone, the airport has seen a marked change from 1 percent minority participation in 1975 to today’s tracking of 38 percent minority- and female-owned business enterprise participation in its ongoing capital improvement program. Concessions participation is also well above federal requirements at 40 percent. “In the concessions arena, there have been significant increases in the number of DBEs who are receiving contracts with airports,” Farrar-Luten said. “What I am seeing now are more women involved on the concessions side, and, interestingly enough, there have been a number of women involved on the construction www.aci-na.org | CENTERLINES 69 http://www.aci-na.org
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