Procurement & the Pandemic: Helping Cities Do Business With Minority-Owned Businesses

Rodney K. Strong, Chairman of Griffin & Strong, P.C.
Rodney K. Strong is chairman of Griffin & Strong, P.C., a law and public policy consulting firm based in Atlanta, Georgia. He consults on public policy with several state and local governmental entities. And he represents a range of public entity and corporate clients, specializing in public contract, community development and real estate law. Strong also serves as the outside general counsel for the Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority. He is the supplier diversity consultant for the State Farm Arena, home of the Atlanta Hawks, being renovated in Atlanta. He is widely considered one of the foremost national experts in the area of procurement disparity research and supplier diversity program development. His experience in these areas began in 1985, when then-Mayor Andrew Young appointed him as the city’s director of contract compliance, a position he held until 1992.

Nefertiri Sickout, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer
Nefertiri Sickout serves as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer of the City of Philadelphia, where she leads the Mayor’s Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and supports the Office of LGBT Affairs, Office for People with Disabilities, and Office of Economic Opportunity.  Under Nefertiri’s leadership, the Office is advancing a comprehensive strategy, in partnership with city departments, to implement more intentional efforts to produce greater racially equitable impact related to each agency’s workforce, budget, core services or programs, procurement and community engagement.

Nefertiri joined the Mayor’s Office in 2016 and served initially as an Assistant Diversity and Inclusion Officer, and later as a Deputy Diversity and Inclusion Officer, before serving in her current role. Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, Nefertiri worked at Pepper Hamilton LLP, where she practiced commercial litigation. Nefertiri began her career in community-based advocacy around issues that affect the well-being of vulnerable families and children. In addition to her work experience, Nefertiri earned a BA in psychology from Clark Atlanta University, an MA in infant education from George Washington University, followed by a Masters in developmental psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a law degree from Villanova University School of Law.

Michelle A. Hernandez Lane, Chief Procurement Officer/Purchasing Agent, Metropolitan Nashville Davidson County Government
Michelle Hernandez Lane was appointed by Mayor Megan Barry as Metro Nashville’s Chief Procurement Officer/Purchasing Agent in June of 2017. Michelle has responsibility for all of the City’s bidding and contracting activity. In this role, Michelle provides vision, leadership direction and structure to the procurement function so as to drive effective and value-added purchasing planning and sourcing aligned with the priorities of the Metropolitan Government. During her time as the CPO, Michelle has provided leadership to the City’s efforts to conduct overall procurement reform.

Prior to this role, Michelle served as the City’s first Chief Diversity Officer (CDO). In this role, Michelle was charged with implementing the Mayor's agenda to ensure that all parts of Metro Govt. are diverse and inclusive.

Michelle’s career with Metro Govt. began in 2001 as she worked to develop the existing small business program. In 2008, Michelle began her role as Director of the Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance and implemented a program designed to promote the inclusion of minorities and women in the City’s procurements. In 2013, Michelle was appointed by Governor Bill Haslam to the Advisory Council on State Procurement.

Michelle holds a B.A. from Fisk University, an M.S. from Cumberland University. Michelle has been certified as a Professional Public Buyer, is a Certified Compliance Administrator, and Certified Grant Professional. She holds memberships in the American Contract Compliance Association, the National Institute of Government Purchasing, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Michelle has called Nashville home since 1993 and hails from Palm Springs, Ca.