NGLCC expands committees’ geographic reach

Washington, DC, Jan. 31, 2010 – The National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) recently announced the addition of two more committees, one in Los Angeles and another in Dallas, to help with a growing number of LGBT-owned businesses applying for certification through its "Supplier Diversity Initiative."

The new national certification committees join existing committees in Washington, DC and New York City. The development underscores the business advocacy group’s geographic diversity.

“LGBT businesses are all over the country and it has always been a part of our strategy to have a certification in each of the NGLCC’s five regions,” says Jeremy Fegley, supplier diversity manager and certification specialist at the NGLCC. “Launching these two new committees in the first quarter of 2010 will help us do just that.” The NGLCC divides the United States into five regions, including Pacific, Mountain/Southwest, Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, Midwest and Southeast.

Businesses seeking certification should be at least 51 percent LGBT-owned. Certification goes through an existing committee regardless of location. However, the NGLCC believes its regionally diverse committees will help to share the benefits of certification as an “LGBT Business Enterprise” with a broader audience.

The NGLCC also plans to launch two more certification committees in its Midwest and Southeast regions by the end of 2010. The group’s website, nglcc.org, offers certification information and other resources for LGBT business owners.