* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:22] GOOD AFTERNOON. YOU ALL SHOULD BE SO EXCITED. IT'S SO POWERFUL TO SEE YOU IN THIS ROOM AND TO SEE IT FILLED WITH YOUR FACES, BECAUSE TODAY IS NOT JUST AN ANNOUNCEMENT, IT'S A COMMITMENT. BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN THE RIGHT WAY. SO IF YOU ARE A VETERAN IN THIS ROOM, NO MATTER WHEN AND WHERE YOU'VE SERVED, PLEASE STAND. YEAH, LET'S THANK THEM. YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU MAY BE SEATED. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SACRIFICE, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING TO LEAD THIS CITY LONG AFTER YOUR TIME IN UNIFORM. AND WHILE WE'RE RECOGNIZING LEADERSHIP, IF YOU ARE ONE OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE, OR YOU'RE REPRESENTING THEM TODAY, PLEASE STAND AS WELL. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHOWING UP FOR OUR VETERAN TODAY AND STANDING WITH OUR VETERAN BUSINESS COMMUNITY. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING POLICIES THAT TURN APPRECIATION INTO REAL OPPORTUNITY. HOUSTON IS HOME TO ONE OF THE LARGEST VETERAN POPULATIONS IN THE NATION, AND HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW VETERANS DO NOT STOP LEADING. WHEN THE UNIFORM COMES OFF, THEY REDIRECT THAT LEADERSHIP. THEY BUILD COMPANIES, THEY BUILD TEAMS, THEY BUILD SOLUTIONS. THEY BRING DISCIPLINE. THEY BRING STRUCTURE, THEY BRING ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THEY BRING MISSION. BUT LEADERSHIP ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH WITHOUT VISIBILITY. AND EVEN THE MOST CAPABLE ENTREPRENEUR CAN BE OVERLOOKED INSIDE A LARGE MUNICIPAL SYSTEM. AND THAT IS WHERE THE CITY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS NOT SIMPLY TO THANK VETERANS. OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO BUILD SYSTEMS THAT WORK FOR THEM. TODAY, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY LAUNCHES TWO CERTIFICATIONS THAT DO EXACTLY THAT. THE VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION AND THE SERVICE DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS CERTIFICATION. LET ME BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THIS MEANS. THESE CERTIFICATIONS FORMALLY VERIFY OWNERSHIP AND CONTROL. THEY CONFIRM ELIGIBILITY STANDARDS. THEY PLACE QUALIFIED BUSINESSES INTO THE CITY'S OFFICIAL CERTIFICATION DATABASE. THEY ENSURE THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS AND PRIME CONTRACTORS CAN CLEARLY IDENTIFY VETERAN-OWNED FIRMS. WHEN BUILDING THEIR PROJECT TEAMS, THEY STRENGTHEN ACCOUNTABILITY, THEY STRENGTHEN TRANSPARENCY, AND THEY STRENGTHEN ACCESS. THIS IS NOT SYMBOLIC RECOGNITION. THIS IS STRUCTURAL INCLUSION. THIS IS MEASURABLE OPPORTUNITY. AND LIKE MANY FAMILIES, THIS IS PERSONAL FOR ME. I HAVE VETERANS IN MY OWN FAMILY. I HAVE SEEN THEIR SACRIFICE. I'VE SEEN THE TRANSITION, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN SERVICE END LEADERSHIP DOES NOT FOR MANY VETERANS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP BECOMES THE NEXT MISSION. HOUSTON SHOULD BE THE CITY THAT STANDS BEHIND THAT MISSION. WHILE TODAY MARKS THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH, THE WORK IS ALREADY UNDERWAY. I AM PROUD TO RECOGNIZE OUR VERY FIRST CERTIFIED VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS UNDER THIS DESIGNATION, MISS YOLANDA WRIGHT. WOO. MS. WRIGHT IS THE OWNER OF GAME CHANGER LOGISTICS AND CONSULTING LLC. WE ARE SO EXCITED THAT SHE HAS COME ABOARD. MS. WRIGHT, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE, FOR YOUR RESILIENCE AND YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU REPRESENT EXACTLY WHAT THIS INITIATIVE IS ABOUT, EXPERIENCE, EXCELLENCE, AND FORWARD MOMENTUM. AND THIS, YOU'RE NOT ALONE. ADDITIONAL VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES ARE ACTIVELY MOVING THROUGH THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS. APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN, REVIEWS ARE IN PROCESS, AND THIS PIPELINE IS GROWING. THIS IS NOT A MOMENT. THIS IS A MOVEMENT. WHEN VETERAN OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES GROW. THEY HIRE LOCALLY, THEY SUBCONTRACT LOCALLY, [00:05:01] THEY REINVEST LOCALLY, AND WHEN THEY GROW, HOUSTON GROWS. BEFORE WE CONTINUE, I LIKE TO INVITE MR. TONY BATISTA OF THE HOUSTON REGIONAL VETERANS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. YES, PLEASE STAND. THANK YOU, LENCIA. AND, UH, FORTUNATELY THE MICROPHONE IS ABOUT THE SAME HEIGHT FOR BOTH OF US. SO THAT'S A GREAT THING. GREETINGS TO ALL MY FELLOW VETERANS AND ESPECIALLY TO MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS FROM THE HOUSTON REGIONAL VETERANS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. WE'RE HERE AND FORCE AN INCREDIBLE DAY FOR US VETERANS. IF YOU'LL EITHER PUT YOUR HAND THROUGH YOUR HEART OR IF YOU ARE A VETERAN, YOU EARN THE RIGHT TO PUT YOUR HAND UP TO YOUR FOREHEAD AND SALUTE THAT FLAG, THE MOST INCREDIBLE FLAG IN THE WORLD. SO IF YOU'LL JOIN ME AND REPEAT AFTER ME. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TONY. THIS INITIATIVE WOULD NOT BE, NOT MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT LEADERSHIP AT THE TOP. MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT GOVERNMENT MUST WORK AND THAT SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH MUST BE MEASURABLE, ACCOUNTABLE, AND ACCESSIBLE. AND THESE CERTIFICATIONS REFLECT THAT COMMITMENT. WE'RE ALSO FORTUNATE TO HAVE STRONG SUPPORT FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL, AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE SOMEONE WHO UNDERSTANDS THIS INITIATIVE FROM LIVED EXPERIENCE AS BOTH A POLICYMAKER AND A VETERAN COUNCIL MEMBER, PASTOR WILLIE DAVIS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT ADVOCATE FOR EXPANDING ACCESS AND STRENGTHENING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SMALL BUSINESSES ACROSS HOUSTON. SO COUNCIL MEMBER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR GUESTS. YES, THANK YOU. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, BUT BE, BEFORE I BEGIN WITH MY REMARKS, CAN WE ALL JUST GIVE OUR DIRECTOR LEN HART A BE HAND FOR HER WORK AND HER LABOR? ABSOLUTELY. LET ME, LET ME, LET ME JUST TAKE A MOMENT, UH, AND NOT TAKE TOO MUCH TIME. I'M SO EXCITED. UM, FOR SEVERAL REASONS. NOT ONLY AM I EXCITED ABOUT BEING A COUNCILMAN AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME IN HOUSTON'S HISTORY, BUT I'M EXCITED TO BE A VETERAN, UH, SERVING ON CITY COUNCIL BECAUSE IT'S SO CRITICAL, UH, FOR ME AS A, A SON WHO COME FROM A HOUSEHOLD AND MANY VETERANS, MY GRANDFATHERS, MY UNCLES, AND ALL WHO WERE VETERANS AND MYSELF. AND SECONDLY, IT'S SUCH AN HONOR FOR ME TO SERVE ON COUNCIL UNDER A MAYOR WHO EMBRACES THIS MAYOR. JOHN WHITMEYER HAS TAKEN THE FRONT ROLE IN LEADERSHIP IN ASSURING THAT VETERANS, UH, HAVE A PLACE IN OUR BUSINESS, ALONG WITH THE DIRECTOR. HE APPOINTED DIRECTOR HART. AND SHE'S DOING THIS TO SPREAD THIS OPPORTUNITY ACROSS OUR GREAT CITY. FOR SO LONG, IT'S BEEN MY HEART, AND I'M HOPEFULLY IN THIS TERM THAT I'M IN, THAT THE TRANSITION, UH, TO SUPPORT VETERANS ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR, UH, THAT HE WAS, UH, TO BE HERE. BUT HE ASKED IF I WOULD ALSO SPEAK ON BEHALF, UH, OF HIM AS WELL. AND I, I WANT ALL OF HOUSTON TO REALIZE HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE A LEADERSHIP AT AN ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL WHO UNDERSTANDS THAT AND TO MAKE SURE THAT VETERANS ARE RECOGNIZED AND THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY AS MYSELF, AS A VIETNAM VETERAN, UH, AND I LOOK OUT, I SEE MY GOOD FRIENDS, SEVERAL OF THEM HERE WHO ARE EMBARKING UPON DOING BUSINESS. WE HAVE TO EXPAND THAT. HOUSTON'S A GREAT CITY. IT'S MY CITY. I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THIS TOWN, AND I WANT TO SEE US BE THE CITY THAT ALL OF AMERICA KNOW TO BE. SO I JUST WANT TO APPLAUD OUR DIRECTOR IN SUPPORT, UH, VETERAN VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES, UH, AS A, AS A PARTNERSHIP WITH HER AND EVERYTHING WE DO ECONOMICALLY. I WANT TO STAND WITH OUR DIRECTOR AS SO WITH OUR MAYOR TO ASSURE THAT ALL OUR VETERANS GET THE OPPORTUNITY THAT THEY ALL DESERVE. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER. UM, SUPPORTING VETERANS REQUIRES A COORDINATION BEYOND ONE DEPARTMENT. THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERAN AND MILITARY AFFAIRS HAS BEEN AN ESSENTIAL PARTNER IN ENSURING THAT THIS CERTIFICATION CONNECTS DIRECTLY TO THE VETERAN COMMUNITY. SO I, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING DR. LASHANDA JONES TO THE STAGE. WOO. [00:10:01] GOOD AFTERNOON. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TODAY. WE GONNA DO A QUICK SHOUT OUT DIRECTOR. THAT'S OKAY. WHERE MY ARMY VETERANS AT? WOO. MY NA MY NAVY SAILORS, MY AIRMAN, MY AIR FORCE. ANY COASTIES IN HERE? NO. OH, WE GOT A COAST HERE. ALRIGHT. SPACE FORCE. THE SPACE FORCE AND MY BRANCH, MY BELOVED BRANCH, UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS. WHERE WE AT? WE THERE. ALRIGHT, JUST MAKING SURE YOU GUYS WERE HERE. UH, AS WE KNOW, UH, OFTEN WHEN YOU'RE TRANSITIONING FROM THE MILITARY, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY. SO WHEN I GOT HERE IN 2021, THERE WAS A FEW GOALS THAT I HAD FOR MYSELF. ONCE I BECAME A MEMBER OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF VETERAN MILITARY AFFAIRS, AND IN 2022, I WAS INVITED MYSELF AND MR. JIMBO WAS INVITED TO A ROUND TABLE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING. I THINK IT STARTED LIKE 7 30, 8 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING. YEP. . UM, AND THE FIRST CONVERSATION WAS HAD AT BLACK WALNUT C UH, CAFE. SO WE ALL WERE IN THERE PACKED IN THERE. AND SO WE HEARD THIS LITTLE GUY TALK ABOUT VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES. PRIOR TO THAT, I REALLY DIDN'T THINK ABOUT THAT. I THINK THE ONLY TIME WE THINK ABOUT VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT MILITARY DISCOUNT. RIGHT? RIGHT. SO HE STARTED TO TELL US ABOUT THIS LITTLE PENFED REPORT THAT CAME OUT, AND IT SAID THAT HOUSTON WAS NUMBER, I THINK 12 OR 13 IN TERMS OF VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES. NOW, WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAVING THE LARGEST, THE LARGEST POPULATION OF VETERANS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, WE KNEW THAT WASN'T RIGHT. RIGHT? SO WHEN DAVE AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE HOUSTON VETERAN REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SAID, WE GOTTA MOVE THE NEEDLE FORWARD, ANYBODY KNOWS, UH, DAVE KNOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, HE DOES THAT PILOT TALK AND SAYS, WE GOTTA MOVE THE NEEDLE FORWARD, . AND THEN HE RECITES THIS CHANT, THIS CHANT ONE, FIGHT, ONE MISSION LIKE ONLY ME A PILOT WOULD, SAID IT WAS MY VOW ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF VETERAN MILITARY AFFAIRS TO WORK ALONGSIDE THEM. AND OF COURSE, THEY TOOK THE CHARGE. SO WE NOTICED THROUGHOUT THESE YEARS THAT VETERANS DON'T ALWAYS SELF-IDENTIFY. SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING VETERAN BUSINESS OWNERS TO PUT THAT PLACARD ON THE SIDE OF YOUR VAN, PUT THAT STICKER IN YOUR WINDOW, PUT IT ON YOUR BUSINESS CARDS, AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT YOU ARE A VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS. AFTER YOU HAVEN'T STARTED YOUR BUSINESS, PLEASE CONSIDER DOING SO. AND I LIKE TO SAY, AS I END, I LIKE TO THINK IN SOME SMALL WAY, THIS HELPS TO REDUCE THE RATE OF SUICIDE AMONGST OUR POPULATION. THIS HELPS TO REDUCE PTXD ANXIETY DEPRESSION BECAUSE WHEN A VETERAN IS ABLE TO FEED THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILY, THEIR RESILIENCE GOES BACK UP AND THEY GO BACK, THEY GO BACK TO BEING THAT SOLDIER, THAT AIRMAN, THAT SAILOR, THAT MARINE, THAT COASTIE THAT THEY ONCE WAS. AND THEY HAVE A, A, A SENSE OF PRIDE ABOUT THEMSELVES. SO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF VETERAN MILITARY AFFAIRS, I SALUTE YOU AND DAVE, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE AND TO THE HOUSTON VETERANS REGIONAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND THE CITY OF HOUSTON, OFFICE OF VETERAN AND MILITARY AFFAIRS WILL ALWAYS HAVE YOUR BACK. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU DR. JONES. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO INVITE SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT CHAMPION FOR VETERAN ENTREPRENEURS ACROSS THIS REGION, UM, WHO HAS BEEN VITAL ROLE IN ENSURING THAT WE PUSH THIS CERTIFICATION FORWARD AND TRANSLATE IT INTO MEASURABLE GROWTH. GROWTH. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING THE PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE HOUSTON REGIONAL VETERANS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, DAVE WEAVER. YES. YES. THAT'S GOOD. AWESOME. UH, THIS IS EXCITING. THIS IS EXCITING. UM, UH, FOUR SHORT YEARS AGO, UH, WE HAD STARTED A, UH, A MOVEMENT HERE MAYBE FIVE YEARS AGO, BUT YOU KNOW, REALLY AT FOUR YEARS WE STARTED DISCOVERING A LOT OF THINGS. AND ONE OF ONE OF THOSE THINGS WAS THE CITY OF HOUSTON WAS NOT ACCEPTING THE CERTIFICATIONS FOR, UH, VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES. SO WE DECIDED TO CHANGE THAT. AND HERE WE ARE TODAY, FOUR YEARS LATER. SO THIS IS ABSOLUTELY EXCITING. UH, I WANT TO THANK OUR, UH, THE MAYOR FOR TAKING ON THE, THAT, UH, REALLY MOVE THE BALL NEEDLE AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. THIS IS, THAT IS GSD. UH, IT IS ALSO, I'M TRYING TO BE POLITICALLY HERE. UH, IT IS ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHOUT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF MILITARY AFFAIRS, WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE IT AND HAD THE MEETING. SO THANK YOU LASANDRA. UH, THANK YOU WILLIE, FOR, YOU KNOW, THE SUPPORT IN DC AND IN HERE. YES. YES. UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE BUSINESS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ACTUALLY MAKING IT HAPPEN NOW, EXECUTING THE ACTUAL, UH, MISSION OF THIS, THIS HERE IS CREATING OPPORTUNITIES. THIS IS CREATING OPPORT, UH, AWARENESS OF VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES. UH, ON BEHALF OF, YOU KNOW, UH, FROM SOME, SOME OF OUR STRATEGIC PARTNERS, THE S-B-A-H-C-C-A-P-I, BLUE WAVE, UH, SEVERAL, [00:15:01] JUST TO NAME A FEW THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH, TO, UH, POUR INTO THE RESOURCES FOR VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO BE ABLE TO GROW AND SCALE. BECAUSE LIKE LASANDRA SAYS, WE LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY. WE LIVE HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON OR, UH, IN THE REGION. WE ARE BUILDING AN OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE, UM, HELPING THE CITY AND THE REGION GROW. AND WE INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY FOR OUR FAMILIES AND FOR US TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY. UH, AND I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR VETERANS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED AND THAT, AND BE, AND HAVE OUR, OUR, UH, OUR CITY AND THE BUSINESSES IN HERE CREATING INTENTIONALLY CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES. THERE SAYS, UH, WITH THE SBA, AND THIS IS COME MAYBE A LITTLE BIT, UH, UH, DATA THAT HAS BEEN A LITTLE DATED, BUT THERE'S 65,000 PLUS VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES HERE IN THE HOUSTON REGION. THAT'S A LOT OF BUSINESSES. WHERE ARE THEY? WE WANNA BRING IT TO THE, WE WANNA BRING IT TO WHERE WE CAN START TO MEASURE, COUNT THE ACTUAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESSES TO THE ECONOMY. 'CAUSE WHEN WE CAN ACTUALLY MEASURE IT, WE CAN ACTUALLY DO SO MUCH MORE BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY HAVE DATA. SO THIS IS PART OF THAT BEGINNING OF THIS MOVEMENT, UH, BEING ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THINGS. SO I'M A, I'M EXTREMELY EXCITED. IF YOU CAN'T SEE, I'M ALREADY LIKE, I'M READY TO START REALLY TAKING THIS, UH, TAKING THIS ON. SO I'M, I AM EXTREMELY EXCITED. I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD, UH, OF THE CHAMBER IF YOU WOULD, UH, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND QUICKLY STANDING IF YOU WERE HERE, A BOARD MEMBER OF THE CHAMBER. AND IF YOU ARE, UH, ONE OF THE KEY LEADERS. YEAH. I COULDN'T HAVE, I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THE KEY LEADERSHIP OF OUR, UM, UH, CHAMBER IN GUIDING ME, UH, IN GUIDING OUR VETERAN LEADERS IN, IN GUIDING THIS INITIATIVE. AND WE ARE, ARE JUST BEGINNING. SO IF YOU ARE PART OF THE CHAMBER, THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS MOVEMENT. THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO GET STARTED IN THIS. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM FOR, UH, BEING HERE AND SUPPORTING IT. I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GUYS HAVE DONE SOME AMAZING WORK AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SO MUCH MORE US VETERANS CAN DO FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO MAKE IT NUMBER ONE FOR VETERAN OWNER, ENTREPRENEUR SUPPORT AND MAKE AN ECONOMIC THING AND MAKE SUCCESSFUL AND SUCCESS STORIES COME OUT. SO WE CAN REDUCE THAT TO NOT FOUR TO 5%, BUT 6% OF THE BROKEN MESSAGE, UH, AND MAKE SUCCESSFUL VETERANS OUTTA HERE IN HOUSTON. SO, GOD BLESS HOUSTON, GOD BLESS OUR VETERANS, AND GOD BLESS AMERICA. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DAVE. TOGETHER WE ARE BUILDING NOT JUST CERTIFICATION PROGRAM, BUT A PATHWAY TO MEASURABLE IMPACT FOR VETERANS ACROSS HOUSTON. UM, BEFORE WE OPEN UP, I'D LIKE TO FIRST, UH, THANK MY TEAM, UH, THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY STAFF. IF YOU'RE IN THE ROOM, UM, PASS AND PRESENT, PLEASE STAND. YEAH. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT HAPPEN. THANK YOU GUYS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND HELPING ME TO MOVE THIS FORWARD. UM, I OPPORTUNITY SHOULD NEVER BE ACCIDENTAL. IT SHOULD BE INTENTIONAL AND IT SHOULD BE MEASURABLE. WE HAVE TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO EVERY VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS IN THIS ROOM AND ACROSS THIS CITY. HOUSTON SEES YOU, HOUSTON VALUES YOU AND HOUSTON IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING YOUR NEXT MISSION IS MET WITH REAL OPPORTUNITY. I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN THAT WE'RE SO HERE. HAPPY THAT YOU'RE HERE. WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. UM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION, COULD YOU PLEASE STAND AND STATE YOUR NAME AND WHICH OUTLET YOU'RE WITH IF YOU'RE WITH THE MEDIA? MY DIRECTOR. MY NAME'S ABBY CHURCH. I'M A CITY REPORTER HOUSTON CHRONICLE. I KNOW, UM, THE CITY'S CURRENTLY IN COURT CHALLENGING A LAWSUIT THAT CLAIMS THAT THE, UM, MINORITY BUSINESS CONTRACTING PROGRAM IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. SHOULD THAT, UH, PLAINTIFF END UP WINNING OUT IN THAT CASE IN COURT RULES IN THEIR FAVORS. UH, DO YOU GUYS ANTICIPATE ANY IMPACTS TO THE NEWLY EXPANDED VETERAN PROGRAM? NO. NO IMPACT TO THE VETERAN ON IF THE CHALLENGES FOR THE MBE. SO THE VETERAN ON, UH, CERTIFICATION SHOULD STAND ON ITS OWN. OKAY. THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION. UH, MY NAME'S HELEN CALLIER WITH, UH, PERMITS NOW. SO EXCITED, SO GRATEFUL FOR, FOR DAVID AND THE CHAMBER AND SO FORTH. OF COURSE, THE CITY COUNCIL AND SO FORTH. UH, WHEN I WAS A STATE OF TEXAS COMMISSIONER FOR TDLR, UH, WE WORKED WITH QUITE A FEW VETERANS TO PUT A PROGRAM IN. AND WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THE VETERANS HAD CHALLENGES FROM A-P-T-S-D STANDPOINT TO EVEN FILL OUT THE APPLICATION TO GET THEIR LICENSES, ELECTRICAL OR BARBERS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE TYPE OF SUPPORT ALONG THAT LINES BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S PAPERWORK. WE KNOW IT'S ONLINE, BUT IT'S A CHALLENGE ALONG THIS LINE. SO THIS PROCESS WILL NOT REQUIRE AN APPLICATION. WE ARE HALLELUJAH. VERIFYING THE SBA CERTIFICATION. AND SO THEY JUST NEED TO PROVIDE THAT UPLOADED AND THE CERTIFICATION WILL BE GRANTED. OH, THAT'S, EVERYBODY HAS A SCREEN RIGHT THERE. [00:20:05] YES. GOOD JOB. HOW YOU DOING? UH, MY NAME IS JEFFREY TAYLOR. I'M THE FOUNDER OF, UH, TRIUMPHANT REENTRY RESOURCES, WHICH IS A NONPROFIT THAT SERVICES PEOPLE WHO ARE COMING, BEING RELEASED FROM PRISON WITH REENTRY RESOURCES. AND I'M WONDERING, DOES AS A VETERAN, DOES NONPROFITS FALL UNDER THE SCOPE O ONLY FOR PROFITS? UH, QUALIFY FOR ALL THE CERTIFICATIONS. OKAY. YEAH, IF THAT'LL BE ALL, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING OUT. GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEE ALL YOU VETERAN IN THE CERTIFIED DIRECTORY. YES. ONE MORE. I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS SO SIMPLE, BUT I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO DR. JONES AND I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO THIS GENTLEMAN BECAUSE THEY, THEY, UH, EMBRACED TO THE CHAMBER AND MY VETERAN OWNED BUSINESS SEEING A SMOKERS BARBECUE. UH, SO I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW APPRECIATIVE I I WA THAT I AM AND, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. GOOD. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I'LL, I'LL MAKE A MENTION. UH, THERE IS A BOXES OF, UH, VETERAN BUSINESS DIRECTORIES THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE ON THE TABLE. UH, THAT THIS IS OUR, UH, MOVEMENT TO PUT ALL OF OUR MEMBERS IN THAT DIRECTORY, UH, TO WHERE YOU CAN UTILIZE VETERAN OWNED BUSINESSES ACROSS THE REGION. SO THAT'S ON THE TABLE. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.