New York State Assemblyman Michael Blake to Deliver Keynote at National Association of Minority Contractors' 46th National Conference Hall of Fame Gala

Washington, DC, June 10, 2015 (Newswire.com) - National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) announced today that Michael Blake, New York State Assemblyman of the 79th District, will deliver the keynote address at NAMC’s 46th National Conference Hall of Fame Gala on June 19, 2015 in Las Vegas, NV.  He serves on the Banks, Correction, Election Law, Governmental Operations, Housing, and Veterans' Affairs committees and is Chairman of the Mitchell-Lama subcommittee (Middle Income Housing). Assemblyman Blake is also a member of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic, and Asian Caucus, where he serves as a Co-Chair of the Criminal Justice committee. He is passionate about urban entrepreneurship, Minority and Women-owned businesses, community learning, sustainable communities and empowering young men of color.

"We are honored to have Assemblyman Michael Blake join us as Keynote Speaker for the 46th NAMC National Conference signature event, Hall of Fame Gala Dinner," states Gloria Shealey, President of NAMC National.  “Assemblyman Blake is a dynamic new generation leader to watch that has demonstrated a passion and commitment for economic inclusion.  He brings a fresh energy and perspective that is befitting our conference theme, Empowered to Succeed in a New Economy - Building the Future Today.”

"We are honored to have Assemblyman Michael Blake join us as Keynote Speaker for the 46th NAMC National Conference signature event, Hall of Fame Gala Dinner. Assemblyman Blake is a dynamic new generation leader to watch that has demonstrated a passion and commitment for economic inclusion. He brings a fresh energy and perspective that is befitting our conference theme, Empowered to Succeed in a New Economy - Building the Future Today."

Gloria Shealey, President, NAMC National

During his Inauguration in 2014, Assemblyman Blake expressed a vision of the 3 E's of Economic Development, Education, and Equality for All. He secured a commitment with Workshops in Business Opportunities to train 20 entrepreneurs for 16 weeks in the 79th District, established a partnership with the MTA to create a job training and placement program, as well as a partnership with Operation HOPE/ Project 5117 to improve the credit scores of communities of color in the Bronx. Assemblyman Blake’s second bill is focused on paying small, minority and women owned businesses in 15 days.

In 2006, Blake joined the Obama organization as a participant in the "Yes We Can" political training program, where he successfully co-organized three Michigan state house campaigns in that election cycle and was promoted to become the Director of External Affairs for the Michigan House of Representatives.  The following year, he served as the Iowa Deputy Political Director and Constituency Outreach Director for Iowa caucuses. After the success of Iowa, he went to work in seven additional states concluding as the Michigan Deputy State Director/Political Director for the general election where all seven state campaigns of coordinated focus won.

Following the campaign, Blake was named the Director of National Labor Outreach for the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Committee. Once completing that national assignment, he joined the White House staff as Associate Director of Public Engagement & Deputy Associate Director of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, coordinating African American, Minority Business and county and statewide elected official outreach.  In 2012, Blake left the White House to serve as the National Deputy Director of Operation Vote for President Obama's re-election, the constituency outreach program for the Obama for America campaign. Following that successful tenure, he served as the Senior Advisor for the Office of Public Engagement for President Obama's 2013 Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Blake was honored as one of "The Root 100" in 2012, featured in Jet magazine as one of 15 black politicos behind President Obama's re-election and recognized by MSNBC in 2011 as one of the Top 10 Black Politicians on the rise.

NAMC's 46th National Conference will be held from June 17, 2015 to June 19, 2015 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, NV. 

For more information on NAMC’s 46th National Conference, please visit www.namcnational.org/NAMC2015/ or contact NAMC National Headquarters at (202) 296-1600 or [email protected].