CA High Speed Rail-CDVA To Sign Strategic Agreement

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California High-Speed Rail Authority and California Department of Veterans Affairs Sign Strategic Agreement at Joint Press Conference

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The California High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority) and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) will hold a joint press conference to announce a Strategic Partnership that will bolster participation of small businesses, especially those owned by disabled veterans, in the high-speed rail project. Following the announcement, CalVet Secretary Peter J. Gravett and Authority CEO Jeff Morales will sign the agreement which is especially important to the Authority Board of Directors where five of the nine members are military veterans.

Remarks will be made by Authority Board Member Tom Umberg, an attorney and U. S. Army reserve colonel, who has done three tours overseas including six months in Afghanistan where he served as chief of the Anti-Corruption unit and Chris Coles, a disabled veteran, small business owner and principal construction engineer. Coles’ company, Anchor Engineering, is a sub-contractor for the high-speed rail project.

Leaders from the disabled veterans business enterprise community have been invited to attend the event.

What: Press Conference and Signing Ceremony for Strategic Partnership Agreement between the California High-Speed Rail Authority and the California Department of Veteran Affairs.

When: Thursday, November 7, 2013, 9:00 a. m.

Who: CalVet Secretary Peter J. Gravett Authority CEO Jeff Morales Authority Board Member Tom Umberg Chris Coles, Disabled Veteran/Small Business Owner

Where: Sacramento City Hall Chamber Press Room 915 I Street Sacramento, California 95814

The Authority is committed to small businesses playing a major role in building the statewide high-speed rail project. The Small Business Program has an aggressive 30 percent goal for small business participation including Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBE), Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (DVBE) and Micro-Businesses (MB).