Pensacola now has three members on a Florida council dedicated to researching, supporting and building small and minority-owned businesses.
Allison Watson, director of acquisitions and business services at Escambia County Public Schools, was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Florida Small and Minority Business Development Advisory Council, the school district announced last week .
She is joined on the council by two local members of the Florida Small Business Development Center, Gregory Britton, CEO of the SBDC Network, and Jane Dowgwillo, executive director of SBDC strategic initiatives.
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As part of the Florida Advisory Council on Small and Minority Business Development, the trio will work with the body to provide knowledge and expertise to the state regarding small and minority business development. Council members from around the state research the role of small and minority businesses in the state’s economy and make recommendations on how to improve them.
Watson has worked with the School District for the past 25 years and, among other contributions, launched the “Circle of Opportunity” partnership model, where the school system, business community and local community members work together and feed off each other. . success.
“I just want to serve my community. I think that’s a passion of mine,” Watson said. “I want to serve my community and try to contribute in any way I can in the position I’ve been given. So I think those are my personal aspirations, to try to make a positive contribution to the whole community.”
The Circle of Opportunity model involves the school district working with small businesses, minority businesses and nonprofit organizations to provide essential goods and services to support families in the community. Having a solid customer base helps ensure financial stability for businesses, and having reliable services helps students perform at their best in school.
“I just saw it as a chance to serve the community and by serving the community and supporting small businesses we were able to better support our students and their families,” Watson said.
Watson hopes to bring this type of initiative to the council, as well as help build strong communities across the state.
“We’re a huge economic force within our community and developing that and really going into the community and saying, ‘Hey, we want to not only support your businesses, but we want to just be good partners in general. of the community,” Watson said. . “We’re in this community, we all live in this community, we love the area, so how can we as a school district be a better partner and just contribute to give our contribution to the community?”
Greg Britton is the state director for the Florida SBDC Network, based in the Network’s State Office, located at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Britton is responsible for overseeing more than 40 network offices and 280 employees, executing Florida’s SBDC strategy and ensuring the network continues to exceed stakeholder expectations and contribute value to Florida’s bottom line.
Britton has more than 25 years of experience in aviation, medical, oil and gas, and high-tech commercial manufacturing. Most recently, he served as chief operating officer of DEFENSEWERX, a 501(c)(3) organization that connects a national network of individuals, businesses, academia and government with the Department of Defense to enable creative and integrated solutions.
Dowgwillo’s background includes 10 years as the statewide SBDC manager of the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center, which helps small businesses obtain registrations and certifications, prepare bids and find contracting opportunities from agencies that purchase goods and services. Dowgwillo also spent 10 years working at the Australian Department of Defence.
The Florida Small and Minority Business Development Advisory Council currently has 15 members from across Florida and held its most recent meeting on February 16th.
