Mission
The mission of the
Diverse Business Partners program is to promote efficiency and profitability for Major League Baseball and its Clubs while extending Baseball's ability to contribute to the economic growth, strength and well-being of diverse communities.
Background
MLB has been at the forefront of professional sports in recognizing the importance of diversity, both on and off the field. In 1998, Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig, authorized the creation of the DBP program, an economically driven business initiative established to cultivate new and existing partnerships with minority- and women-owned businesses, by increasing opportunities for minorities and women to participate in the procurement activities of MLB.
In October 2001, MLB announced an aggressive new public phase of the program, expanding its outreach efforts in order to raise additional awareness for the program and show interested vendors how they can participate.
Since the formation and initial implementation stages of the DBP program in 1998, MLB has incurred expenditures in the hundreds of millions with minority- and women-owned businesses, making DBP an industry-leading program. In addition, the DBP program has complemented supplier diversity initiatives implemented by sports authorities for the construction of professional ballparks.
Five critical factors have contributed to this success:
• Proactive Leadership
• Commitment to Sound Business Practices
• Priority on Partnerships
• Structure and Process that Yield Long-Term Success
• Accountability
DBP Highlights
The DBP program is the premier supplier diversity program in sports.
In 2004 and 2005, MLB was honored as one of the 50 top corporations in the nation for multicultural businesses by DiversityBusiness.com, the largest member organization of diversity businesses in the United States, as well as the nation's largest multicultural online portal for diversity businesses and large organizational buyers.
MLB has spent hundreds of millions of dollars with minority- and women-owned businesses through the DBP program.
DBP has created opportunities for thousands of minority- and women-owned businesses.
DBP Staff
Wendy Lewis, Senior Vice President, Diversity and Strategic Alliances, is responsible for overseeing the program for MLB.
Clayton Judge is the Director, Supplier Diversity for DBP.
Brenda Crawley is the Sr. Administrative Assistant.
If you would like to contact the DBP program, please write or call:
Major League Baseball
Attn: Diverse Business Partners
245 Park Avenue, 29th Floor
New York, NY 10167
Telephone: (212) 931-7554
Facsimile: (212) 949-8636
E-mail:
dbp@mlb.com
Community
