For more than 35 years, the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) has led the National Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) program to convene business leaders, honor outstanding minority business enterprises (MBEs) and advocates, promote business opportunities, and report industry trends.

For more than fifty years, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency has played a pivotal role in nurturing the expansion and global competitiveness of the nation’s minority business enterprises. MBDA has been a trailblazer in honoring the achievements and economic contributions made by these businesses, which now number more than 10 million.

“The National MED Week Awards are a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of business leaders and trailblazers that are driving progress and inspiring future generations,” said Eric Morrissette, MBDA Acting Under Secretary.

Since its establishment in 1983, MED Week has celebrated the outstanding accomplishments of entrepreneurs from various backgrounds.

Here are the events we’d love to see you at during the Arkansas MBDA Business Center’s MED Week 2024.

Mr. A.J. Brown is the Deputy and Director of Business Operations for the 19th Contracting Squadron, Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. He leads, directs, and oversees the award of contracts and the administration of an acquisition program valued at over $220 million supporting the base. He also serves as the Small Business Professional for Little Rock Air Force Base where he advocates for and ensures the consideration of small businesses in each base acquisition.

Mr. Brown is a native of Blytheville, Arkansas and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He entered the Air Force as a second lieutenant through the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps at the University of Arkansas and went on to serve in various acquisition assignments that included Research and Development Contracting, the F-16 and B-1 Systems Program Offices; Contracts Instructor; and as a three-time squadron commander.

After 20 years of active duty Air Force service, Mr. Brown retired and was selected as the Deputy Chief of the Contracting Division at the Little Rock district office of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Among his duties, he served as the contracting officer for many national interest civil works projects such as the Department of Homeland Security’s Border Security program, local public interest projects such as the Pulaski County Big Dam Bridge, and several military construction projects around the world including multiple construction projects at Little Rock Air Force Base.