9th Annual Business to Business Exchange, Madame C. J. Walker Award Honoree - Lynda Ireland, President/CEO, New York & New Jersey
Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.

Lynda Ireland joined the New York & New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc. ("THE COUNCIL") as Executive Director in February 1996. In her first two years, Lynda orchestrated a dynamic turn around for the organization, which is an affiliate of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). Lynda's strong organizational skills and entrepreneurial spirit infused new energy into The Council that generated a significant increase in corporate member activity and supplier involvement. Currently, The Council has over 200 Fortune 500 Corporate members and over 1200 minority business enterprises ("MBEs). The level of partnering between corporate members and Council-certified MBEs has increased under Ms. Ireland's administration because of the enhanced outreach and program expansion. Under her leadership, The Council, a multi-million dollar organization, achieved the highest honor in the NMSDC network – Council of the Year.

Before joining The Council, Ms. Ireland was the business owner of Panache, Inc., and served as the "Affirmative Action Officer" for the Village of Hempstead for their construction activities. The company’s main responsibilities included outreach to minority business for contracting opportunities, identifying MBEs, pre-qualification and serving as a spokesperson for the Incorporated Village of Hempstead. Additionally, her company served as the community liaison to ensure positive press and relationships on all projects. Two of the major projects that fell under her contract were the bus terminal, a $20 million project being developed in the village and a senior care nursing home, a $100 million project. Her firm's impressive clientele included The Incorporated Village of Hempstead, Turner Construction, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Lehrer McGovern Bovis, The National Association of Minority Contractors, and The New York City Housing Authority. Ms. Ireland maintained a successful business for over ten years.

While operating a minority owned business, Panache, Ms. Ireland also served as President of the Association of Minority Enterprises of New York, Inc. (AMENY) for a span of seven years. There, Ms. Ireland conducted outreach seminars, training workshops, and publicity for Turner Construction Company, a major construction organization. Working closely with the Department of Affirmative Action, she impacted on a national level. Ms. Ireland was selected as its first female president. Under her direction, AMENY grew from a local based small organization to over 300 members, with representation from the corporate sector and city, state and federal agencies. Ms. Ireland became acknowledged as one of the foremost authorities on minority business development in the state of New York and received national recognition for her accomplishments.

Her dedication to the task of developing opportunities for MBEs led to her appointment to various government advisory boards. Ms. Ireland was appointed to the N.Y.S Governor's Advisory Board on Small Business in 1987; she was not only the first minority on the board, but the first female, and was re-appointed for five additional terms.

She was a member of the New York City Minority Business Advisory Board, the New York City Small Business Advisory Board, The Entrepreneurial Centers of Hofstra University, the State University of New York at Old Westbury, The City of New York Procurement Policy Board Advisory Council, The York College Advisory Board and many others. She is also a member of the Diversity Committee for ASAE & The Center For Association Leadership.

Ms. Ireland was elected by her peers to represent New York State at the White House Conference on Small Business in 1986, and emerged as a leader of the New York State Minority Concerns Group. She was again elected in 1995. Ms. Ireland has been a guest lecturer at Hofstra University and SUNY, has appeared on numerous television news shows including NBC news, CNBC, Fox-5 and ABC, was honored as one of the top 25 Black women in America, has been interviewed on countless radio talk shows and profiled in newspapers and magazines across the nation.

Her numerous awards include citations from city and state governments, The U.S. Dept. of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency’s Advocacy Award for two years; the BCHACC for exceptional support of the Hispanic community; the U.S. Small Business Administration’s advocacy award, and among a myriad of others, her personal favorite – Morningside Community "Mothers Who Work" for serving as a role model and inspiration for working mothers.