Left to Right: Eboni Wimbush, President & CEO, AMAC; Marci Greenberger, Manager, ACRP for the TRB of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; and Ricky Smith, Chair, AMAC Board of Directors; CEO Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport

Photo by Focused Studios

WASHINGTON, DC (July 5, 2022)—The Airport Minority Advisory Council (AMAC) was awarded nearly $400,000 and selected by the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) of the Transportation Research Board and the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to be the research contractor to provide guidelines and tools of effective practices to help airports increase and maintain meaningful Airport Concession Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (ACDBEs)/Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) participation in their business opportunities (e.g., concessions, construction, goods and services). Unlike prior research focused on identifying challenges and limited solutions, AMAC will develop guidelines and tools for airports to adapt a comprehensive, holistic and evidence-based approach to address leadership, vision and strategy, cultural competence, equity and inclusion, planning and operations, internal and external stakeholder engagement, resources along with benchmarking, assessment and reporting.

“This selection is evidence of AMAC’s expanded role as an industry thought leader on issues impacting women and minorities. I applaud ACRP for recognizing AMAC’s extensive experience and demonstrated capability and look forward to the great work that comes from it,” said Ricky Smith, AMAC Board of Directors Chair & CEO, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport.

As an extension of this opportunity and to position the organization for host of other opportunities to provide advisory services to the industry, AMAC is forming a consulting firm to service airports and industry businesses. The AMAC Consultancy will focus on issues and topics related to women and minority business development and participation; diversity, equity and inclusion, DBE/ACDBE compliance, affirmative action and a host of other important issues.

“Actively pursuing and subsequently winning this substantial award aligns with my focus on reimagining AMAC’s future as an organization and how we can better support our members, partners and the aviation industry,” said Eboni Wimbush, AMAC President & CEO.

To learn more about the Improving Airport Organizational Practices to Enhance ACDBE/DBE Participation Project, visit the TRB website.