Earl Stafford Delivers Keynote at Prince Georgeâ€™s County Small Business Initiativeâ€™s 4th Anniversary

For Immediate Release:

February 23, 2009

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Patricia Thornton, Director of Marketing

Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation

301-583-4614, 240-533-5084 – mobile

Earl Stafford Delivers Keynote at Prince George’s County Small Business Initiative’s 4^th Anniversary

Largo, MD – The Prince George’s County Executive Jack B. Johnson, joins the Economic Development Corporation to host the Small Business Initiative’s Fourth Annual Awards Breakfast on Friday, February 27, 2009, at the prestigious Camelot by Martin’s, 13901 Central Avenue, Upper Marlboro, MD. This year’s theme is “Small Businesses, Big Dreams – Making Your Vision a Reality.” The keynote speaker, Mr. Earl W. Stafford, CEO of The Wentworth Group LLC., and founder of the Stafford Foundation, embodies the essence of the theme. His foundation sponsored the Peoples Inaugural Project that brought together the underserved and marginalized, to witness and participate in the inauguration of President Barack H. Obama, and believes that by investing in the hopes, dreams, abilities and the potential of those less privileged, our communities and our nation will benefit.

The Small Business Initiative (SBI) will honor outstanding Prince George's County firms that have benefited from their services. The SBI program has helped businesses to build their capacity to be competitive in the Washington DC marketplace, and to gain access to more than $100 million in capital and contract opportunities. The statistics regarding the program’s accomplishments are impressive. This event will also celebrate major accomplishments, highlight new county initiatives, and introduce new public/private partnerships.

“Helping businesses understand the importance of expanding their horizon will make it possible for them to achieve their optimal level of performance,” said Charlotte Ducksworth, SBI Director. This anniversary marks the beginning of the fifth year that Ms. Ducksworth has let the Initiative. “The SBI staff has done an exceptional job of fulfilling their mission to increase access to contracts and expand the capacity of county businesses,” said Kwasi Holman, President/CEO of EDC. Join County Officials as we celebrate both the accomplishments of local businesses and SBI staff at their fourth anniversary. To find out more about SBI, visit the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corp.’s website at www.pgcedc.com

The event fee is $60. All attendees must pre-register. For more information, or to register online, visit www.pgcedc.com, or call 301 583-4650. No payments will be accepted at the door.

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