The Star is given to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to supplier diversity, fostering inclusivity, and driving positive change within the University and our community. 

This year’s award goes to Lissa Martinez Huebner, Event and Administrative Manager at the U of M Masonic Cancer Center.

Lissa is one of the lead team members behind the U’s Event Circle, a collaborative network of event professionals across the U’s system campuses. This initiative has been instrumental in fostering connections, sharing best practices, and encouraging collaboration among our talented event organizers on campus.

Lissa was instrumental in creating the first diverse vendor fair at the U in 2022, specifically focused on events-related businesses. After the second diverse vendor fair last year, she teamed up with our supplier diversity staff to scheme about how to make it even bigger and better.

This award is given to a prime contractor in construction who has shown unwavering commitment and support to Targeted Businesses, and who continue to meet or exceed proposed inclusion goals in constructive disciplines. 

The Prime Contractor of the Year award goes to McGough Construction.

In particular, we’d like to highlight McGough’s participation in the Construction Partnering Program (or CPP). The CPP is a construction mentorship program offered by the Association of Women Contractors, in partnership with the City of St. Paul.

Through the CPP, McGough has officially taken on the role of mentor for Moltron Builders, a local Targeted Business. It was this mentorship, along with a connection made by the U’s Capital Project Management team, that led McGough to bring Moltron on to a University of Minnesota’s construction project. 

The Supplier of the Year award recognizes a supplier of goods or services who has shown commitment and support to Targeted Businesses.

The award this year goes to Cuningham Architecture Group.

Cuningham was awarded a design project to renovate Morrill Hall on the U of M Twin Cities campus. They made a long list of commitments to subcontract with various Targeted Businesses, and they not only met those commitments but surpassed them.

Equally noteworthy is the Cuningham team’s diligence in submitting their supplier diversity reports on time. Their proactive approach and accountability reflect their genuine dedication to fostering an inclusive business environment.

The Stellar Award goes to Targeted Businesses to recognize their commitment to building a business that encourages inclusion and embraces diversity.

Three businesses were awarded the Stellar Award this year:

• Minuteman Press Uptown (MP Uptown)
• Amy’s Windows

• Moltron Builders

   

The first Stellar Award goes to Frank Brown, owner of Minuteman Press Uptown, or MP Uptown.

MP Uptown is the largest Black-owned printer in the state of Minnesota, and the only BIPOC union printer in the upper Midwest. 

This past year, the OSD staff had the opportunity to tour Frank’s new location in North Minneapolis. (If you ever have the chance to do this, please don’t miss it. The technology housed in their new headquarters is nothing short of amazing!) You’ll see everything from 19th century printing presses to the latest technology, such as a printer that’s almost as big as this stage.

Frank hires people with records and challenging histories, he believes in second chances for people who made past mistakes and are today committed to contributing to their families and community. Some have worked with MP Uptown for 6 or 7 years, and then moved on to bigger and better jobs as they gained skills through their time at MP Uptown. 

Thank you Frank and MP Uptown, for delivering high quality print solutions while also strengthening our community by giving individuals the second chance they need.

The second Stellar Award for a Targeted Business goes to Amy Hall, the owner of Amy’s Windows.

Amy's Windows is a 100% woman-owned business specializing in providing and installing commercial window treatments across the Midwest. With over 20 years of industry experience, Amy's Windows works hard to empower the women in their workplace through continued growth, educational and networking opportunities.

The OSD office met Amy last year at a networking event organized by the Association of Women Contractors. She promptly joined the U’s Targeted Business Directory and signed up for MBid, the U’s e-procurement portal.

It was because of these proactive steps that Amy learned of an RFP to replace draperies at Bailey Hall on the Twin Cities campus. She responded to this RFP, and she won the contract.

The third Stellar Award for a Targeted Business goes to Babette Bucker, CEO of Moltron Builders.

Moltron was nominated for this award by Steven Crawford, the President of Experience Leadership Coaching and wrote about the nominee: 

“Moltron Construction is a woman-owned and minority-owned business, which brings a unique perspective and commitment to inclusivity in every aspect of their operations. The company's leadership reflects their dedication to diversity, ensuring that their business practices align with the values of equity and opportunity.

Moltron is intentional about hiring and developing a workforce that mirrors the diversity of the communities they serve. By creating an environment that nurtures and supports employees from various backgrounds, Moltron fosters a culture of growth and development, ensuring that all team members have access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

This approach not only strengthens the company's internal culture but also reinforces Moltron’s role as a leader in promoting diversity within the construction industry. Their efforts contribute to the broader goal of creating a more inclusive and equitable business environment, both within their organization and in the communities they impact.”

In 1999, Richard Pfutzenreuter created the Office for Business & Community Economic Development, which is today the Office for Supplier Diversity. 

The Richard Pfutzenreuter III Award of Excellence was created in 2001, to honor Mr. Pfutzenreuter and to recognize university executives who exemplify his unwavering support to diversity and inclusion at the University of Minnesota. 

The Fitz Award this year was awarded to Sharon Banks, our former Director of the Office for Supplier Diversity. 

Sharon worked in supplier diversity for 19 years. Sharon’s leadership and unwavering commitment to advancing supplier diversity have made a profound impact on our organization and community. Her tireless efforts have opened doors for countless businesses and have set a remarkable standard for inclusion and equity.

Remarks from Mike Volna, the U’s Interim Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer, who sent in a few more words to share about Sharon: 

Sharon Banks was the consummate professional. She was easy to work with, focused on results, and NEVER interested in taking credit. When Sharon became the director, I was able to witness Sharon's leadership style. She was the quintessential servant leader. Again, she never wanted to take credit, instead she prioritized the University and her team above personal achievements. 

Sharon's team worked closely with University Finance to make the supplier diversity program effective. She was a great partner throughout her long career, and my team loved working with Sharon. I valued and respected Sharon, because she was always trying to do what was best for the University, and the state of Minnesota. When I found out she had quietly retired, I was not surprised. As previously mentioned, Sharon preferred not to be in the spotlight. Having said that, though, Sharon deserves tremendous credit for the success she achieved at the University, and building a great team in the Office of Supplier Diversity. While I will miss her, the team she built will continue to be a reminder of the great partner she was. 

I wish Sharon all the best in her retirement!

-Mike Volna, the U’s Interim Vice President, CFO, and Treasurer

This year three awards go to University departments who have shown outstanding commitment to supplier diversity.

This can involve either pure numbers that show a significant percent of their available spend on Targeted Businesses, OR the effort they make to discover and request quotes from Targeted Businesses. 

The University Departments who won AIR Awards are: 

• University Services
• Health, Risk, and Safety Management
• Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs

 Out of the University Services' available spend in FY24, a whopping 44.8% went to Targeted Businesses. 

Within University Services, we’d like to especially thank the following departments or offices for their support and partnership. The OSD could not do their work without you:

• Capital Project Management (especially Scott Everson, Emily Roland and Angela Selb-Sack)
• Facilities Management, especially David Hutton and Farrukh Bashir
• U of M Bookstores, especially Maria Ryan
• Contract Admin (especially Missy Ek, Amy Keran, and Ed Kreitzman)
• U Market (especially Mike Clements, Franco Iglesias, and Keiko (KEE-ko)McMaster)

The 2nd departmental award went to Health, Risk and Safety Management. Of their available FY24 spend, 13.2% was spent on Targeted Businesses.

The third department winner recognized, Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, was not just for pure numbers, but for their effort. This department actually also won last year as well. 

This year, they were the only department who contacted the Office for Supplier Diversity not just once, not just twice, but three times to request a search for a diverse supplier.

We’re proud to say that for their window washing contract, they obtained bids from a Targeted Business found in our directory, and that company won the contract.

The staff person behind all this effort is Pam St. Michel, with Facilities and Front Desk at the Humphrey School. Pam, thank you for your work to advance supplier diversity at the University. We are grateful for your efforts and dedication.