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November 14, 2023

Gibson among NMSDC's newly elected board members

Leading up to the 2023 NMSDC Annual Conference & Exchange, NMSDC held elections for its 2024 board of directors. For over five decades, NMSDC’s commitment to meeting the procurement needs of America’s leading corporations, universities, hospitals, and government organizations has changed the trajectory of minority suppliers. As a result, minority business is no longer synonymous with small business. This would not have been possible without its board of directors who have provided critical thought leadership and support in making a difference toward minority business enterprises’ economic inclusion and parity.

That’s why NMSDC is excited to welcome and thank this year’s new and returning board members, who will take office on Jan. 1, 2024, and will continue to help drive NMSDC forward as we look to accelerate MBE growth and close the equity gap. Their diverse backgrounds and deep industry knowledge will be vital as we continue our march toward $1 trillion in annual revenue for certified MBEs. The corporate leaders and minority business owners joining the board this year include:

2024 Officers

· Chair
Kala Gibson, executive vice president and head of Business Banking, chief enterprise corporate responsibility officer, Fifth Third Bank

· Vice Chair
Susanna Webber, SVP, chief procurement officer, Merck

· Treasurer
Brian Downer, executive vice president and chief procurement officer, Truist

· Secretary
George Richter, senior vice president, chief procurement officer, Cox Communications, Inc.

Board Members Elected First Term: 2024-2026

· Andy Butler, vice president, New Business P&G, Procter & Gamble

· Kindle Goodson, chief operating and procurement officer, TIAA

· Javette Hines, director, global head of supply chain development, inclusion, and sustainability, Citigroup

· Barbara Kubicki, chief procurement officer, supply chain management, Wells Fargo

· Tarbinlam Lafon, chief procurement officer, enterprise procurement and supplier management, Humana

· Firoz Lalji, founder and CEO, Zones

· Tricia Miller, chief procurement officer, Accenture

· Kennedy Oates, vice president and head of global procurement, Amazon

· Jorge Plasencia, CEO & president, Republica Havas

· Anu Saxena, president, supply management, Hilton

· Pamela Skaufel, vice president procurement, chief procurement officer, ExxonMobil

· Todd Stohlmeyer, vice president, global procurement and transportation, Cargill

· Gerald Youngblood, chief marketing officer, North America, Lenovo

Board Members Elected Second Term: 2024-2026

· Brian Downer, executive vice president and chief procurement officer, Truist

· Steve Freeman, chief procurement officer, Chevron

· Shashi Mandapaty, global chief procurement officer, Johnson & Johnson

· Bonnie Njist, president and CEO, Fidget Branding

· Carlton Oneal, president, LightSpeedEdu

· Regenia R. Sanders, Americas and U.S. central region supply chain leader, EY

· Susanna Webber, SVP, chief procurement officer, Merck

“This year’s NMSDC board of directors is comprised of not only the leading voices in the supplier and business diversity, but in corporate America,” said NMSDC CEO and President Ying McGuire. “I am excited to work with this amazing group of individuals as we continue to transform NMSDC into an organization capable of accelerating economic growth and building generational wealth for the communities we serve.”

The NMSDC board of directors webpage will be updated on Jan. 2, 2024, to reflect the new officers and board.