Special Secretary of Small, Minority, and Women’s Business Affairs
ABC Baltimore has long focused on making sure every member firm gets a fair chance to participate and grow in Maryland’s booming construction industry. Jimmy H. Rhee, who has held the post of Special Secretary of the Governor’s Office of Small, Minority, and Women’s Business Affairs since June, 2017, is also invested in helping those firms succeed. And he’s building on Governor Hogan’s commitment to ensuring “Maryland is Open for Business.”
To these ends, Secretary Rhee recently connected with members of the small business community on February 21, as part of his office’s Ready, Set, GROW! Procurement Connections Workshop. The business development program, held at Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, attracted nearly 90 small business owners and entrepreneurs, reports The Bay Times and Record Observer. http://www.myeasternshoremd.com/qa/spotlight/ready-set-grow-draws-participants/article_9df4355d-e7e2-5e09-9d07-7668a628bb89.html
“We created this program to share insightful tips for navigating the procurement process and connect vendors with buyers. Our intention is to ensure the process is completely open, accessible, and transparent,” said Rhee.
On Feb. 12, Secretary Rhee and Secretary of General Services Ellington E. Churchill, Jr., participated in meeting with members of ABC Baltimore and of the Maryland Minority Contractors Association to discuss issues impacting the construction industry.
Rhee, who was born in Seoul, South Korea, has a long business leadership history in both the public and private sector. He received his undergraduate in management studies from the University of Maryland, College Park, and both a master in actuarial sciences and a master in business administration from The Johns Hopkins University.
In the private sector, he wore numerous hats, serving as an investment manager, a chief executive officer, and a business partner for various firms. Rhee is also a founding and active member of the Asian Information Technology Business CEO Organizatio and serves on numerous boards of director. In 2012, he received the Korean Presidential Medal from the president of South Korea.
Rhee transitioned to the public sector in 2010, when he served as Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the state of Virginia. He went onto serve in other economic posts in that state. In 2014, he joined Governor Hogan’s transition team. Prior to his appointment as special secretary, Rhee served in numerous economic and business roles, including as Special Secretary of Minority Affairs. He continues to serve as a member of the Commerce Subcabinet, of the Maryland Subcabinet for Public Private Partnerships and of the Procurement Advisory Council, among other roles.