WASHINGTON ? Perry Mehta, President of FutureNet Group of Detroit, was named the Region V Minority Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration. He and the other nine regional winners will be honored during National Minority Enterprise Development Week conference Aug. 25-27 in Washington.

During the mentor-prot�g� conference, small business owners can connect with mentors ? virtually and face-to-face ? and learn about government contracting, financial, technical and management assistance, as well as joint-venture opportunities.

MED Week is a collaboration with the Minority Business Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the SBA. The theme for this year?s MED Week event is ?Strategies for Growth and Competitiveness in the Global Economy.? The conference will focus on helping minority small businesses expand their operations and establish a presence in the global marketplace through exporting.

Another event highlight will be the recognition of the National Minority Small Business Person of the Year. The national winner will be chosen from 10 regional winners representing Massachusetts, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Michigan, Texas, Nebraska, Utah, California and Washington. Regional award winners have businesses that offer services ranging from environmental technology solutions to recruiting medical professionals who work for the military and other public institutions.

?This year?s MED Week event offers an opportunity to celebrate the positive impact minority small business owners have on their communities across the country as well as an opportunity for small businesses to learn critical tips for taking their business global,? said SBA Administrator Karen G. Mills.

In addition to announcing the national minority small business award winner, SBA will present the SBA Administrator?s Leadership award to Jeanette Brown of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. The 8(a) Graduate Firm of the Year award will be presented to Edward O. Watts, president of Watts Architecture & Engineering, P.C., of Buffalo, N.Y.

The day-long conference will also include workshops on ?Succeeding in a Tough Construction Market? and ?SBA Surety Bond.? Small businesses interested in participating in the matchmaking events can register at SBA.MyBusinessMatches.Com

For more information on other

MED Week workshops, or to register for the conference, MedWeek.Gov

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