3 Pensacolians join Florida council aimed at helping small and minority businesses

Kamal Morgan, Pensacola News Journal
·3 min read

Pensacola now has three members on a Florida council dedicated to researching, supporting and uplifting small and minority-owned businesses.

Allison Watson, Escambia County Public Schools director of purchasing and business services, was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Florida Advisory Council for Small and Minority Business Development, the school district announced last week.

She is joined on the council by two local members of the Florida Small Business Development Center, Gregory Britton, CEO of the SBDC Network, and Jane Dowgwillo, SBDC executive director of strategic initiatives.

Allison Watson, Escambia County Public Schools director of purchasing and business services, describes the duties of her job on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. Watson was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Florida Advisory Council for Small and Minority Business Development.
Allison Watson, Escambia County Public Schools director of purchasing and business services, describes the duties of her job on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023. Watson was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Florida Advisory Council for Small and Minority Business Development.

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As part of the Florida Advisory Council for Small and Minority Business Development, the trio will work with the body to provide insight and expertise to the state regarding small and minority business development. Council members from across the state research the role of the small and minority businesses in the state's economy and provide recommendations on how to improve them.

Watson has worked with the School District for the last 25 years and, among other contributions, launched the "Circle of Opportunity" partnership model where the school system, the business community and members of the the local community all work together and feed into each others' success.

“I just want to serve my community. I guess that's a passion of mine,” Watson said. “I want to serve my community and try to contribute any way I can in the position that I'm given. So I guess that's my personal aspirations, to try to make a positive contribution throughout the community.”

The Circle of Opportunity model involves the school district working with small businesses, minority businesses and nonprofits to provide crucial goods and services to support families in the community. Having a set customer base helps provide financial stability for businesses, and having reliable services helps students perform at their best at school.

“I just saw it was a chance to serve the community, and by serving the community and supporting small businesses we were able to better support our students and their families,” Watson said.

Watson hopes to bring this type of initiative to the council, as well to help build strong communities across the state.

“We are a great economic force within our community and by developing that and really getting out into the community and saying, ‘Hey, we want to not only support your businesses, but we want to be just generally good community partners,’ Watson said. “We are in this community, we all live in this community, we love the area so how can we as a school district be a better partner and just contribute to make our contribution to the community?”

Allison Watson, Escambia County Public Schools director of purchasing and business services, was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Florida Advisory Council for Small and Minority Business Development. Watson works to develop and support small and minority-owned businesses to build strong communities.
Allison Watson, Escambia County Public Schools director of purchasing and business services, was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Florida Advisory Council for Small and Minority Business Development. Watson works to develop and support small and minority-owned businesses to build strong communities.

Greg Britton is the state director for the Florida SBDC Network, based in the Network State Office, located at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Britton is responsible for overseeing the network’s more than 40 offices and 280 employees, executing the Florida SBDC’s strategy and ensuring the network continues to exceed stakeholder expectations and contribute value to Florida’s bottom line.

Britton holds more than 25 years of experience in aviation, medical, oil and gas and high-tech commercial production manufacturing. Most recently, he served as chief operations officer of DEFENSEWERX, a 501(c)(3) organization that connects a national network of individuals, businesses, academia and government with the Department of Defense to enable creative and integrated solutions.

Dowgwillo's background includes 10 years as the SBDC statewide manager of the Florida Procurement Technical Assistance Center, which helps small businesses obtain registrations and certifications, prepare bids and find contracting opportunities from agencies that buy goods and services. Dowgwillo also spent 10 years working at the Department of Defence of Australia.

The Florida Advisory Council for Small and Minority Business Development currently has 15 members from across Florida and held its most recent meeting Feb. 16.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pensacola SBDC, ECPS staff join small and minority business council