2020 Revitalizing our Small & Minority Businesses: Part 1

Historically small and minority businesses have been perceived as the “Soul” of our nation’s diverse communities. However, since the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the “Soul” of our community has been severely disrupted and in most instances, totally devastated, especially within communities of Color and rural areas, faced with economic inequality. Unfortunately, many of our small and minority businesses will experience a greater rate of failure and economic challenges, given the lack of government assistance which only amplifies the downfall. Across the nation, millions of small businesses will be at great risk of closing permanently as the crisis continues. Of the nation’s approximately 30 million small businesses, nearly 7.5 million small businesses may be at risk of closing permanently over the coming five months, and 3.5 million are at risk of closure in the next two months.

Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University (AAMU) College of Business and Public Affairs and the Center for Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Economic Development has dedicated its Quarterly Business Development Series to adapting and leading its communities through recovery. We will deploy an array of relevant sessions, including roundtables and town halls, and will assist in leading these businesses to revise and rebound utilizing best practices and collective strategies and resources. More importantly, our strategies will focus on helping our businesses to build capacity, improve their overall performance management systems and strengthen their technology platform. 

This series will focus on “Restoring the Soul of our communities,” and will include legislative officials, key agency/organization representatives, and thought leaders who will provide practical guidance and support to our community through interactive sessions. Our aim is to better understand the needs of our small and minority businesses which have experienced disruption, and determine how we might collectively provide solutions to the myriad of problems which confront their economic and social being.   

Presenters:









Roosevelt M. Conley, Jr., Director of Corporate Growth, Tec-Masters, Inc.
Roosevelt M. Conley, Jr., is currently employed as director for corporate growth for Tec-Masters in Huntsville. He has previously worked as a procurement specialist at Raytheon and as a contract administrator and EEO officer at Wyle Labs. He was the first black loan officer for Redstone Federal Credit Union, where he helped establish offices in Stuttgart, Heidelberg, and Mannheim, Germany, in 1970. He is past chair of the South Region Minority Business Council. His other professional affiliations include the National Contract Management Association, Board of Directors; AAMU Collaborative University Business Industry Consortium, Executive Board; and Diversified Business Group, president. Conley is very active in the community and is involved in civic, educational and political concerns. He loves all sports, particularly golf, and is married to Loretta. They have three children, Ingra, Rochelle, and Xavier Pope. They are faithful members of First Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville., where Conley diligently serves as senior usher on the Senior Usher Board Ministry.









Rep. Laura Hall, Alabama State Legislature
A devoted public servant, Representative Hall began her career by spending more than 40 years in public education, a cause which remains very close to her heart. She has served as the president of the Huntsville Education Association and continues to bring leadership to the District’s public school systems. Hall is also committed to the health of Alabamians, having served on the legislature’s Health committee as well as being appointed chair of the Governor’s Commission on AIDS. She is the vice chair of the Madison County Legislative Delegation and ranking minority member of both the General Fund Finance and Appropriations and Internal Affairs committees. Hall’s other community leadership positions include Board positions for Hope Place, Constitution Village, and the AIDS Action Coalition, as well as membership with the American Association of University Women, Madison County Democratic Women, the Tennessee Valley League of Women Voters, the Huntsville Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta, and the Greater Huntsville Chapter of Links, Inc.









L.D. Ralph, Deputy District Director, Alabama SBA District Office
L.D. Ralph was named deputy district director of the Alabama Small Business Development District Office in September 2017, being responsible for extensive outreach to Alabama’s small business community at large in conjunction with SBA’s resource partners and other organizations. Previously, he served as a lender relations specialist for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Alabama District Office, located in Birmingham from 2005 to 2010. He became the lead LRS in December 2010, and was responsible for marketing SBA’s lending programs as well as conducting training for Alabama’s lending community. Ralph began his career with the SBA in 1998 as a loan officer – a specialist in the review and processing of guaranteed loan applications submitted by Alabama’s lending community and was also the Alabama District Office’s primary 504 loan officer. Ralph began his federal career in 1991 as a field collection officer for the IRS. He was born in Arab, Ala., is a 1987 graduate of the University of Montevallo, and resides in Alabaster, Ala. with his wife Laura and two children.