STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION

2020 Disparity Study

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235 Peachtree Street, NE Suite 400Atlanta, GA 30303

Phone: (404) 584-9777Fax: (404) 584-9730

ABOUT GRIFFIN & STRONG, P.C.

Firm Specializes in disparity research, contract compliance, program development, training & supplier diversity consulting:

The most qualified team in the industry:

• 4 Juris Doctors

• 2 PhD Economists

• PhD Statistician

• PhD Candidate in Anthropology

• all with expertise in disparity research.

No study conducted by Griffin & Strong, P.C. has ever been challenged or overturned in court.

PROJECT TEAMProject Team Roles and Responsibilities

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LOCAL PARTNERS

Bridget Wall-Lennon, Principal Consultant, BLWall Consulting• Role: to conduct policy review, custom census surveys, anecdotal interviews,

organizational outreach, conducting public hearings, informational meetings.

• Specializes in public policy, business, economic development and management.

• Provides DBE Certification & Support Services for the State of North Carolina Office of Civil Rights.

• Responsible for establishing and managing the NC HUB Office

• Served as vice president and legislative chairperson of the NC MWBE Coordinators network.

• Project Manager for the State of NC on its last Disparity Study

• Certified Contract Compliance Administrator

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LOCAL PARTNERS

Gerry McCants, President & CEO, McCants Communications Group• Role: to conduct anecdotal interviews/outreach to local trade, social civic

organizations/Local outreach to business community.

• Specializes in outreach services and advises clients on marketing, community relations and business development.

• Produced minority business resource publications (Black Pages) and trade shows (Black Expo Tour).

• State Economic Development Chair for the state of North Carolina NAACP

• Chairman of the Greensboro Community Development Fund (CDFI)

• Serves on the Greensboro, N.C. M/WBE Committee

• Consults with the Greensboro Chamber of Commerce to establish a Minority Business Accelerator program.

LOCAL PARTNERS

Debra Ragin Jessup, J.D. The Forrest Firm• Role: to provide a legal review of North Carolina law.

• Has a background in providing legal investigations for business clients concerning employment issues, specializing in internal grievances relating to sexual harassment, racial discrimination and gender discrimination.

• Previously Director of Diversity Initiatives & Lecturer of Legal Studies at Wake Forest University.

• Adjunct Professor of Business, Government and Society and Business Law at University of South Florida-Sarasota-Manatee

• Licensed to Practice Law in the State of North Carolina.

• The Forrest Firm has Seven (7) statewide offices.

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STUDY TEAM

Michele Clark-Jenkins

Sr. Director of Consulting.

Role: Project Manager

10 years of Disparity Study Project Management.

20 Disparity Studies, 4 goal- settings for Georgia DOT, 3 goal-settings for Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Inter’l Airport.

Expertise in post-study guidance.

B.A. in Anthropology, Princeton University; J.D. NY Law School; Certification in Negotiations from Harvard University; PMP Certified Project Manager; and Certified Contract Compliance Administrator.

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STUDY TEAM

Dr. J. Vincent Eagan

Principal Investigator

Role: Principal Investigator

Foremost national expert is disparity research

120 disparity studies.

Successful expert witness in 6 cases Including the controlling case in North Carolina.

Member of Bloomberg Business WeekAcademic Advisory Panel on law for 12 years

J.D. from Harvard University; and Ph.D. in Economics from Georgia State University

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STUDY TEAM

Dr. B. Rom Haghighi

Chief Statistician

Role: Data Analysis

30 years data management and analysis of large databases, including Center for Disease Control and other government agencies.

15 Disparity Studies

Former Director of Research for the state of Texas Controller’s office for 7 years.

Conducted largest disparity study on record for the State of Texas (including 149 state agencies, 9 health science centers and 52 state universities).

PhD in Statistics from Sam Houston State University; MA in Public Administration from Midwestern State University

STUDY TEAM

Dr. Gregory Price

Sr. Economist

Role: Econometric Oversight and Private Sector Analysis

Skilled Econometrician and Applied Theorist, Experienced in Economic Forensics.

20 Disparity Studies

25 years of economic analysis of discrimination and disparity of employment, private sector contracting, lending and public contracting.

Former president National Economics Association.

PhD. in Economics from the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin.

STUDY TEAM

Sterling Johnson

Director of Public Policy

Role: Deputy Project Manager, Community Engagement and Policy Development

Deputy Project Manager for 13 Disparity Studies.

Project Manager for 6 Public Policy engagements including the Living Cities Cohort on Procurement for Inclusive Economic Opportunity; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; the City of Charlotte; Louisville Water Company; and the City of Chattanooga.

Expertise in economic development and public policy.

Undergraduate degree in Sociology from Furman University; and M.P.A. from Georgia State University.

Certified Contract Compliance Administrator.

STUDY TEAM

Imani Strong-Tucker

Anecdotal Research Analyst

Role: Anecdotal Analyst

Over 20 Disparity Studies as Anecdotal Analyst and Deputy Project Manager.

Skilled in anecdotal analysis, planning, reporting, writing project narratives, and social media outreach.

B.A. Mount Holyoke College; MSc. Social Anthropology, University of Oxford, England; Ph.D. candidate in Anthropology, London School of Economics.

STUDY TEAM

David Maher, GSPC Legal Division, Partner

Role: Legal Analyst

14 Disparity Studies

Litigation specialist with over 20 Years of experience in corporate defense, litigation support, civil appeals and general counsel.

Georgia Top Rated Lawyer in Appellate Law and in Labor and Employment Law.

Served as Federal Law Clerk in 11th

Circuit Court of Appeals responsible for research and drafting opinions in areas of employment, civil rights, and immigration.

B.S.W from University of Wisconsin; JD from Florida State University.

STUDY TEAM

Susan Johnson

Director of Project Administration

Role: Project Administration

More than 30 Disparity Studies as Contractor Administrator or Deputy Project Manager.

Former Director of Human Resources for Concessions International

Contract Compliance Administrator for the City of Atlanta Office of Contract Compliance

B.A. Political Science, Spelman College; M.S Urban Government and Administration and an M.A. in Human Resource Management, Georgia State University

STUDY TEAM

Omar Baig

Data Analyst

Role: Data Collection and Cleaning

Talented data professional who has performed data analysis on GSPC engagements for Invest Atlanta; the City of Greensboro, NC; Cuyahoga County, Ohio; and the City of Chattanooga, TN. Responsible for data collection, cleaning and analysis.

Skilled in technical systems, data platforms and process improvement.

Holds a Bachelors degree in Computer Science from the University of Georgia.

STUDY TEAM

Rodney K. Strong, Esq

Chairman and CEO

Role: Project Executive

Recognized as national expert in Disparity Research, Supplier Diversity, and Remedial Program Development and Implementation.

Former Director of Contract Compliance for the City of Atlanta, GAs

Project Manager for the first major municipal post-Croson disparity study

Principal architect of the City of Atlanta’s EBO Program, which became the national model for post-Croson MBE programs

Testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship

METHODOLOGY AND APPROACH

Process for Study Execution

WHY DO WE DO DISPARITY STUDIES?

Disparity Studies Form the Factual Basis for Remedial Contracting Programs

City of Richmond v. J.A. Croson Co., 488 U.S. 469 (1989)

Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena.

515 U.S. 200 (1995)

H.B. Rowe v. Tippett,

615 F.3d 233 (4th Cir. 2010)

Strict Scrutiny for race-based programs (Intermediate for gender-based programs)

Must have a factual basis in evidence

Methodology dictated by Case Law

Must have narrowly-tailored remedy (to avoid over- or under-inclusion)

POLICY REVIEW

Policy is one of foundations of data assessment.

Detailed policy review

Three Considerations: Do policies, as

written, present a barrier to M/WBE and HUB firms?

Are the policies understood by staff?

Is there a discrepancy in policy as written and policy as implemented?

What policies can be modified to promote inclusion?

STUDY PROCESS

Legal Analysis Policy ReviewCollect and Clean

DataRelevant Market

Analysis

Utilization and Threshold Analysis

Availability Analysis Disparity AnalysisPrivate Sector

Analysis

Anecdotal Evidence Collection and

Analysis

Final Report with Recommendations

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE

Informational Meetings

Anecdotal Interviews

Survey of Business Owners

Public Hearings

Focus Groups

Organizational Meetings

Email/Social Media Comments

FINDINGS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Findings

• Summary of findings

Recommendations

• Recommendations based on detailed policy review, anecdotal evidence and institutional knowledge.

• Best Practices and Innovative Approaches for:

• Race/Gender Neutral or;

• Race/Gender Conscious Remedies.

• Recommendations informed by unique findings of your study to be prescriptive to your needs.

•Participate if contacted (by random selection) for:• Anecdotal Interviews

• Survey of Business Owners

• Focus Groups

•Attend a Public Hearing and provide input (Fall 2019)

•Email your comments to NCStudy@gspclaw.com

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

HOW TO STAY INVOLVED

Find us on Facebook

Tweet Us & Follow the Conversation @GriffinStrong on Twitter (#StateofNCStudy)

Check out NorthCarolinaDisparityStudy.com for information and public hearing dates

PROJECT ARC

Winter, 2018-9.

Kick off/Data Assessment

Legal/Policy Review.

Data Collection

Spring, 2019

Informational and Organizational Meetings

Preparation of Databases.

Anecdotal data collection.

Summer, 2019

Survey of Business Owners

Statistical Disparity Analysis.

Anecdotal Evidence

Fall, 2019/Winter 2020

Private Sector Analysis

Study Findings/Recommendations

Draft Study Report

Final Study Report and Presentation

FIND US ON THE WEB AT WWW.GSPCLAW.COM

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@GriffinStrong