Photo I Courtesy of the Supplier Diversity Office
Bill McAvoy, executive director of the Supplier Diversity Office
1 hour ago
Mass. Supplier Diversity Office appoints new executive director
Photo I Courtesy of Executive Office of Administration and Finance
Bonnie Borch-Rote, incoming executive director of the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office
As long-term Executive Director of the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office Bill McAvoy is set to retire, the agency has named Bonnie Borch-Rote as its new leader.
Though new to her leadership role, Borch-Rote is a veteran SDO employee. Having worked within the agency for 13 years, she most recently served as the SDO’s director for performance and project management, according to a joint Tuesday press release from the SDO and the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
“Our administration is proud to announce Bonnie’s appointment,” Gov. Maura Healey said in the release. “She has demonstrated her commitment to small and diverse businesses, and she knows that our economy is stronger when we lower barriers to participation. She is exactly who we want leading this important agency.”
In addition to her full-time positions, Borch-Rote has worked as the agency’s general counsel and in the SDO’s certification and outreach units.
The SDO provides diversity certifications to the state’s minority, women, veteran, service-disabled veteran, disability, and LGBT-owned businesses, allowing them access to the state’s bidding process and opens up revenue streams from companies receiving government funding which must reserve a portion of its spending for SDO-certified businesses.
In July, McAvoy announced he would retire in 2024 following a nine-year tenure in the executive role. Under his leadership, the number of certified diverse businesses more than doubled from 2,794 in fiscal 2015 to 5,669 in fiscal 2023 while expenditures from SDO programs grew by 124% in the same timeframe from $959 million to $2.15 billion.
McAvoy has been a staunch advocate for the SDO removing its citizenship requirement to qualify for diversity certifications, a modification to allow immigrant business owners with legal status to qualify for certificates. The agency is looking to remove the requirement.
“I’m honored and humbled at this opportunity,” Borch-Rote said in the release. “Massachusetts has one of the most innovative supplier diversity programs in the country, and I’m excited to continue what Bill McAvoy and the Healey-Driscoll Administration have done to connect marginalized businesses with state contracting.”
Mica Kanner-Mascolo is a staff writer at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the healthcare and diversity, equity, and inclusion industries.
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