The Diversity and Inclusion Committee heard a quarterly update July 28 showing disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) and veteran participation increased to 32% in 2025 from 26% in 2024, even as the agency's overall contracting spend declined, staff said.

Committee members approved the minutes of the February 2025 Diversity and Inclusion Committee meeting before the presentation. There were no public commenters at the start of the meeting.

Marlene Bick, acting chief of diversity and strategic development, presented the second-quarter review and said, “Today, we'll go over the participation steps, highlight the progress of each of our programs, as well as include outreach, and recap our most recent successful contracting with government events.” She told the committee staff also plan a contractor survey to gather feedback.

Bick reported key metrics comparing 2025 to 2024: overall DBE and veteran participation rose to 32% from 26%; DBE participation in construction rose to 26% from 21%; professional-services participation increased to about 50% from 43%; and goods-and-services participation declined to 17.2% from 19.8%. She said professional-services spend was up by about $3.5 million year over year and that roughly $9 million more was paid to DBE and veteran firms in 2025 versus 2024. Bick also reported that spending tracked to women-owned firms rose to about $20.1 million in 2025 from $16.1 million in 2024, and that spending to African American–owned firms was up slightly to about $2.4 million.

Staff characterized agency-wide contracting as lower in total than 2024, which they quantified as down by about $80 million, while DBE-specific spend fell by about $1 million; construction-sector spending was noted as lower year over year. Committee members asked for ongoing monitoring and additional outreach; Bick said staff will continue tracking monthly figures and report more at the next meeting.

The presentation closed with a brief preview of the committee's small-business initiative and upcoming contracting-with-government outreach events and a plan to circulate a contractor survey to collect participant feedback.

The committee meeting record shows the minutes motion was moved and seconded and the chair called for the ayes; the motion passed and the February 2025 minutes were approved.