Community Business Development Partners

The Community Business Development Partners department (CBDP) is responsible for designing, implementing, monitoring and enforcing Milwaukee County's Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program, in compliance with County Ordinances and Federal Regulations.  CBDP submits routine reports to the County Board, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) on the participation of DBEs in relation to County and Federal spend; establishes participation goals, where appropriate, on a contract-by-contract basis; certifies small businesses as DBEs and/or registers them as SBEs; monitors contracts for compliance with project specifications and applicable legislation, and enforces necessary remediation; actively promotes greater utilization of small businesses in total County spend; participates in small business development and technical assistance initiatives; administers a revolving loan account to provide short-term assistance to qualifying DBEs actively working on County contracts; and engages in numerous small business seminars on effective business operations and contracting practices, all of which assist in increasing the overall economic viability of small and disadvantaged businesses throughout Milwaukee County, and the region. 

Specific responsibilities include:

• contract compliance monitoring;
• certifying qualified small businesses as bona fide disadvantaged business enterprises (DBEs);
• ensuring that procurement of contractors and suppliers by the County complies with government requirements;
• administering revolving loan accounts to provide short-term assistance to qualifying firms;
• developing various Community Business Development Partners (CBDP) seminars on effective business operations.

Mission Statement:

The mission of the Community Business Development Partners department (CBDP) is to increase the overall economic viability of small and disadvantaged businesses throughout Milwaukee County, and the region.

In order to accomplish this mission, CBDP staff is dedicated to:

• establishing participation goals, where appropriate, to assist Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) firms in contracting with Milwaukee County as a prime, or sub, contractor, consultant or vendor;

• certifying firms qualified to participate in the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program; 
• monitoring, and enforcing, compliance of contracts with project specifications and County Ordinances; and
• promoting business opportunities and capacity building measures to small businesses.

Director

CBDP Team

Ruby Brooks  (414) 278-4613

Lamont Robinson (414) 278-4749

Mark Phillips (414) 278-5104

Joyce Winfrey (414) 278-5248

Community Business Development Partners

Milwaukee County - City Campus

2711 W Wells St, Rm 830

Milwaukee, WI 53208

(414) 278-4747 Office

(414) 223-1958 Fax

CBDP@milwcnty.com