Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has created an advisory council to help improve the city's minority and women-owned business enterprise program, the mayor's office announced Wednesday.

The 25-member Mayor's Council on Minority and Women-Owned Business Enterprises will be headed by Robert L. Wallace, author and CEO of Bithgroup Technologies. Maria Welch Martinez, CEO of Respira Medical, will serve as vice-chair. Other members include local businesspeople and representatives from the City Council and state legislature.


Get the information you need fast. Sign up for our Breaking News alerts today.

"The issues that small, minority, and women-owned businesses face are increasing in a challenging business environment," Wallace said in a statement.

The business enterprise program sets goals for awarding city contracts to minority- and women-owned businesses. The advisory council plans to submit recommendations to the mayor by Jan. 15.

Lorraine.mirabella@baltsun.com

  • Text BUSINESS to 70701 to get Baltimore Sun Business text alerts