Employee Spotlight: Donald Black

By: Enzo Mungu

The office of Business opportunity (OBOd) prides itself for having a very dynamic workforce. This department employs seasoned public service employees and those who are at the very beginning of their careers. This combination of experience and fresh ideas allows OBO to advance its mission to serve the small business community.

Donald Black, a senior business development coordinator in the Contract Compliance Division, has been with OBO for 14 years. With his experience, Black has a wealth of knowledge which he is always willing to share either by assisting management and his peers or in meetings with contractors and community members. In a recent interview, Donald shared his thoughts about his time at OBO and life outside of the office.

Q: How does what you do impact the small business community?

A: With a great number of small businesses in the construction, supplier, and professional services arena, we work to connect small businesses to larger general contractors to provide services on projects that have minority participation goals. We also work with those without such goals so small businesses are involved in achieving the finished product. Also, we ensure small businesses added to a project are added in good faith, with payments and various contractual obligations upheld, allowing those small businesses to obtain capital for them to grow.

Q: What is your favorite part of working for OBO?

A: There are several: it's seeing the progress made by small businesses, including those who have just gotten their first city contract and have taken advanatange of the various resources OBO has available for small business owners, including coaching; being able to contribute to the growth of the City’s economy by means of ensuring small businesses receive fair treatment when put on contracts through OBO’s compliance program and understanding OBO plays a major role in the City’s contracting process; having to work with a diverse group of individuals both within OBO and the City at large is a delight.

Q: What advice would you give to a small business newly stepping into the arena of doing business with the City?

A: First, I will tell them, your first impression is your last impression. Secure capital to be able to maintain payroll and operation and understand the pace at which reimbursements/payments are made on city projects. Make sure the subcontractor agreement in place clearly defines what service you are to perform, the payment schedule, and all agreed terms. These items are extremely important because they come in handy in the event of any disputes. Also, make sure you are delivering quality service for the project. Poor quality work and the inability to deliver in a timely manner are the things that will make a prime contractor move on to another subcontractor if you are not providing quality service. Also, develop good relationships - ships with other firms. These relationships will take you a long way. Last but not least, do not over-commit to too many projects. make sure you are conscious of your company’s capabilities and what can be accomplished by your firm.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when out of the office?

A: I like to experiment with cooking, defending my title of family barbecue champion (barbecue king)! I visit New Orleans very frequently, and I also like to travel out of the country. I play golf and enjoy bowling, though these haven’t happened for a while now. And I spend a lot of time with family and listening to music. In fact, collecting the entire Miles CD discography is a hobby.

Q: Is there a fun fact you would like to share?

A: I played the tuba in the marching band. I have a great love for cigars as well.