--- title: Citizens Recognized for Spend with Minority-Owned Businesses description: Citizens Recognized for Spend with Minority-Owned Businesses image: https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Mid-states%20awards%20gala.jpg --- [![](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Engauge/engauge-logo.jpg)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge) [![](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Backgrounds/search-mobile.png)](https://www.citizensenergygroup.com/Search) # Citizens Recognized for Spend with Minority-Owned Businesses By Mary Owen and Richard Wise on 1/17/20 1:31 PM ![](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hubfs/Mid-states%20awards%20gala.jpg) At its annual gala awards dinner on November 8, the Mid-States Minority Supplier Development Council (MSDC) recognized Citizens Energy Group for having the highest indirect (second-tier) spend with minority suppliers among its member firms in calendar year 2018.  Citizens’ second-tier spend was over $23 million during that time period. A second-tier firm is one that works under a prime contractor as a sub-contractor to provide certain goods or services related to a project.  “**Mark Jacob** has championed the second-tier supplier diversity effort for Citizens,” said **Mary Owen**, Director of Supply Chain.  “As Vice President of Capital Programs & Engineering/Quality, he is well-positioned to advocate for inclusive teams to be used by our majority-owned prime contractors as they work on Citizens’ capital projects. Mark and his team are behind supplier diversity 100 percent.” “Sometimes, for smaller firms, our project requirements are out of reach, as they might require significant capital equipment.” Owen said. “Other examples might be bonding or insurance requirements. By using a larger company as a prime contractor, they can take on these requirements, yet still extend opportunities for diverse firms to participate as subcontractors.  Through this participation, diverse businesses can grow.” **Richard Wise**, Supplier Diversity Program Administrator, accepted the award for Citizens. Wise’s role includes serving as Board Chairman for the Mid-States MSDC, as well as supplier diversity advocacy within Citizens.  This is the third recognition Citizens has received from the Mid-States MSDC. To learn more, see the [January 2016](https://itrust.citizensenergygroup.com/departments/corporateaffairs/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/departments/corporateaffairs/Engauge%20Archive/2016%20Engauge/Engauge%20-%2001%20January%202016.pdf&action=default) (page 7) and [January 2017](https://itrust.citizensenergygroup.com/departments/corporateaffairs/_layouts/15/WopiFrame.aspx?sourcedoc=/departments/corporateaffairs/Engauge%20Archive/2017%20Engauge/Engauge%20-%2001%20January%202017.pdf&action=default) (page 10) issues of Engauge. ![Mid-states award group (3)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Mid-states%20award%20group%20(3).jpg?width=600&name=Mid-states%20award%20group%20(3).jpg) *Supply Chain and CP&E team members celebrate the recent award from the Mid-States Minority Supplier* *Development Council for indirect (subcontractor) minority spend in 2018. Pictured left to right are* *John Trypus, Matt Thomas, Mary Owen, Mark Jacob, Rebecca Reddick, and Mike Miller.*   ### Current Articles ### Recent Issues - [November 2019 (23)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/11) - [November 2018 (21)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2018/11) - [January 2021 (21)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/01) - [October 2021 (21)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/10) - [February 2020 (20)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/02) - [December 2021 (20)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/12) - [October 2018 (19)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2018/10) - [January 2019 (19)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/01) - [June 2020 (19)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/06) - [August 2019 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/08) - [October 2019 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/10) - [April 2020 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/04) - [September 2022 (18)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/09) - [July 2019 (17)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/07) - [July 2020 (17)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/07) - [June 2021 (17)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/06) - [April 2019 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/04) - [January 2020 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/01) - [October 2020 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/10) - [December 2020 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/12) - [April 2021 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/04) - [July 2021 (16)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/07) - [September 2020 (15)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2020/09) - [March 2021 (15)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/03) - [June 2022 (15)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/06) - [February 2019 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/02) - [May 2019 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2019/05) - [May 2022 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/05) - [July 2022 (14)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/07) - [October 2023 (13)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/10) - [September 2021 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2021/09) - [March 2023 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/03) - [May 2023 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/05) - [June 2023 (12)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/06) - [February 2022 (11)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/02) - [August 2018 (10)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2018/08) - [August 2023 (10)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2023/08) - [March 2022 (9)](https://blog.citizensenergygroup.com/engauge/archive/2022/03) [![PDF Archives](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/2545024/33b9e93c-8f43-4101-9b48-7e78154731f5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/2545024/33b9e93c-8f43-4101-9b48-7e78154731f5) **Engauge** is published by Citizens Energy Group, Corporate Affairs Department, under the direction of Shannon Stahley, Director of Corporate and Public Affairs. 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