About Us

Who we are:

Go-DBE is the State of Tennessee’s certification agency for small and underutilized for-profit business enterprises. We are the central point of contact to assist these businesses to compete successfully in State procurement and contracting activities. 

Mission:

To coordinate the State’s efforts to facilitate greater participation by small and underutilized businesses in the State’s procurement and contracting opportunities. 

Vision:

To be the best program in the nation for expanding meaningful economic opportunities to business enterprises owned by Tennessee small businesses, including minority, women, persons with disabilities, and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses.

History:

Go-DBE was established by executive order in 2004 and became part of the Tennessee Code in 2010 by the enactment of Public Chapter 0485.  Go-DBE’s formal certification of businesses has grown through statutory enactments in 2010 and 2017 to include the full range of small and underutilized businesses that we serve today. 

Contact

Name & E-mail

Phone

Program Director

Kim Henry

615-741-2562

Team Lead, Professional Services

Richard Van Norman

615-253-4654

Business Liaison, Capital Projects, Stream, UT

Gwen Sanders

615-741-6145

Business Liaison, CPO, Higher Education
(MTSU, TSU, UofM)

Edric Hammond

615-741-4657

Business Liaison, CPO, Higher Education (TBR)

Kimberly Fox

615-253-3835

Business Liaison, CPO, Higher Education (TTU, Austin Peay, ETSU)

Karina Garcia-Perdue

615-253-5660