Proponent Testimony - Senate Bill 105 (Jenice Contreras, Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development)

Summary

Jenice Contreras, Executive Director of the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development, gives proponent testimony on Senate Bill 105 to the House Economic and Workforce Development Committee. The testimony describes the organization as the only stand alone Latino SBDC in the state of Ohio. It states that in Cleveland one business owner would need to be certified by the City, the County, the Regional Transit Authority, the Sewer District, and for regional or statewide opportunities by DAS. It states that Senate Bill 105 would streamline the process with one statewide recognized and accepted MBE/WBE/VBE certification, and it recommends that DAS improve its efficiencies, outreach, and customer service.

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Full text

Buenos Dias.
Chairman Edwards, Vice-Chair Powell, Ranking Member Upchurch, and members of the House
Economic and Workforce Development Committee, I am Jenice Contreras, Executive Director
for the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Center for Economic Development, thank you for allowing me
to provide proponent testimony on Senate Bill 105.
As the only stand alone Latino SBDC in the state of Ohio, our organization provides culturally
competent and linguistically appropriate technical assistance and business support to
entrepreneurs. Ensuring MBE/WBC certifications is one of the many areas we assist business
owners with and yet an area that often entrepreneurs shy away from due to the complexity, labor
intensive and multiple bodies one must obtain certifications from. Just in Cleveland, one
business owner would need to be certified by the City, the County, the Regional Transit
Authority, the Sewer District, and if interested in regional or statewide opportunities, there would
be a fifth certification from DAS. While each certification process may vary slightly, most
documents required are duplicative, not to mention annual certifications renewal process. How
many times does a small business owner need to provide evidence that they are Black or Latino
or Female or Veteran owned business?
Senate Bill 105 would streamline the process for business owners by having one statewide
recognized and accepted MBE/WBE/VBE certification. In addition to reducing the number of
times and red tape that business owners would need to go through this process, it will also
encourage greater participation of the state certification program which ultimately would lead to
granting MBE/WBE/VBE’s greater contracts and opportunity. This bill is a long time coming.
For decades the small business community has urged the multiple certifying bodies to streamline
this process. While there have been many attempts, none have been successful.
With the passing of this bill, I also recommend for DAS to improve its efficiencies, outreach, and
customer service to facilitate the certification process for business owners. COVID 19 has
amplified the need for government serving entities to improve antiquated and bureaucratic
processes to make services and opportunities difficult to access. We will still have a lot of work
to do but Senate Bill 105 is a start in the right direction.
Again, thank you for allowing me to provide testimony on SB 105.
Jenice Contreras
Executive Director, NEOHCED


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