Franklin Lee has been appointed to Governor Martin O'Malley's Maryland Task Force on Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) and Equity Investment Capital. Due to the State’s progressive MBE laws, policies, and strong Administrative support, Maryland has become a leader in promoting MBE contracting opportunities. After more than 30 years of operating its MBE contracting program, the State of Maryland now seeks, through the Task Force, to address another long standing barrier to MBE formation and growth – diminished equity capital and credit access.
Franklin M. Lee is one of the country’s leading authorities on socio-economic policies that promote the mainstream utilization of small, minority, and woman-owned businesses in government contracting. He represents companies, large and small, regarding regulatory compliance with such public policies, and has advised numerous state and local governments and federal agencies on the establishment and legal defense of commercial non-discrimination policies and other public contracting programs. With nearly 25 years of experience in this arena, Mr. Lee also counsels large multi-national corporations in the private sector to promote fairness and diversity in their use of commercial vendors.
The Task Force on Minority Business Enterprise and Equity Investment Capital will examine how to best facilitate the investment of private equity capital into minority business enterprises in Maryland in a manner that allows minority business enterprise owners to retain operational control of the business enterprise and provides adequate protection to equity investors. The Task Force will issue a report containing its recommendations regarding the necessary modifications to the Minority Business Enterprise Program that will authorize and encourage equity investment in minority business enterprises in Maryland. It is also charged with the responsibility to draft legislation to implement those recommendations.