MBDA - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• Associate Director, Office of Legislative, Education & Intergovernmental Affairs

Curtis Doster, Jr. is from Detroit, Michigan and obtained his juris doctorate from Michigan State University. Shortly thereafter he served as an in-house counsel for Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles' (now Stellantis) labor and employment division, where he helped negotiate the company's national collective bargain agreement with the UAW. During his time on Capitol Hill, Curtis served as former Rep Delgado's (NY19) Senior Policy Advisor/Counsel and Rep Brenda Lawrence's (MI14) Legislative Director and Chief of Staff.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• Acting Chief Operating Officer

Donald Malcolm Smith serves as the Acting Chief Operating Officer at the Minority Business Development Agency. He previously served as a Senior Advisor to the MBDA first-ever Undersecretary. He brings more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, budget management, policy development, and implementing workforce, entrepreneurship, and family stability economic development programs for government and non-profit organizations. Donald has 17 years of federal experience, which includes serving as the Director for Administrative Systems and Financial Services for the Department of Labor's Office of Disability Employment Policy; Director of Strategy and Performance for the National Archives and Records Administration; Director for the Office of Entrepreneurship Education and Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women's Business Ownership (OWBO), both at the US Small Business Administration (SBA). Donald most recently served as OWBO's Acting Assistant Administrator. During his tenure with OWBO, Donald oversaw the largest expansion in SBA's Women's Business Center Network, implemented the highly successful Women's Business Summit, and coordinated the development of SBA's Equity Action Plan. He also represented SBA on the HBCU Interagency Working Group and the White House Gender Policy Council. A proud HBCU graduate, Donald holds a Masters of City and Regional Planning from Morgan State University, where he served as faculty in the School of Architecture and Planning, and a Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice (Pre-Law) from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• Associate Director, Office of Policy Analysis and Development

Efrain Gonzalez, Jr. serves as Associate Director for Data Research and Evaluation (DRE) at the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He advises and oversees the Agency's efforts to address barriers and opportunity gaps faced by minority businesses through the development of evidence-based policy. Efrain previously served as the Associate Director for Office of Business Development at MBDA. He was responsible for creating, developing and implementing program solutions and partnerships to address the challenges faced by minority-owned businesses in the areas of access to capital, access to contracts, access international markets and capacity building. In addition to being one of MBDA's longstanding leaders, he served in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Commerce as Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer for BusinessUSA, a special federal government-wide initiative that used technology to make it easier for small businesses to access federal services. Efrain began his career in economic development at the University of Southern California's Business Expansion Network where he managed the operations of a business development center. As Associate Director at USC, Efrain worked with city governments, community development banks, business leaders and entrepreneurs to increase opportunities for businesses and foster job creation. Throughout his career, Efrain has been a tireless advocate for minority businesses, entrepreneurship and helping U.S. firms compete in the global economy. He has a deep appreciation for the challenges faced by business owners because of his own experience running a small business in East Los Angeles. Efrain is a graduate from the University of Southern California.

Job Titles:

• Advisor
• Member of the Leadership Team
• Principal
• Acting under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development

Mr. Eric Morrissette is the Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, where he leads the Minority Business Development Agency in its service of the nation's nearly 10 million minority business enterprises. After more than 52 years in existence, in 2021 President Biden signed the Minority Business Development Act of 2021 expanding and making permanent MBDA as the United States' newest federal agency. Mr. Morrissette was appointed to lead the agency on January 12, 2024. As Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary, Mr. Morrissette has served as the principal advisor to the Deputy Secretary and part of the Department's leadership team supporting priorities on minority entrepreneurship, place-based economic development, and national security. Prior to serving in this role, Mr. Morrissette was the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs where he worked to successfully pass the Minority Business Development Act of 2021, in addition to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, CHIPS and Science Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. Prior to joining the Department of Commerce, Mr. Morrissette served in various impactful posts in the Federal Government that include serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, managing the U.S. House of Representatives Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy, service in both analysis and operations at the CIA, working in the Office of Board Members for the U.S. Federal Reserve, and operating under U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer as a legislative aide. In all these posts, Mr. Morrissette has worked to drive equity, transparency, and positive change on behalf of the country. Mr. Morrissette holds a Bachelor's in Political Science, Public Policy, and Political Philosophy from Syracuse University and a Masters in Global Public Policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, where he was a Global Public Policy Fellow and Bryce Harlow Fellow. Mr. Morrissette is originally from Brooklyn, New York, and lives in Maryland with his wife, Rexanah P. Wyse Morrissette, Esq., and their brilliant and beautiful infant daughter.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• Deputy Chief of Staff

Roosevelt Holmes currently serves as the Deputy Chief of Staff at the Minority Business Development Agency. Prior to this appointment, he served as Senior Advisor in the White House Office of the National Cyber Director. He came to the Office of the National Cyber Director from the U.S. Department of Commerce where he served as Deputy Director of the Office of the Business Liaison. Prior to his Presidential Appointment to the Department of Commerce, he was the Southern Region Coalitions Director for the Biden-Harris Campaign and also served on the Agency Review Team for the Department of Justice Transition Team. Roosevelt has extensive experience in the development and management of political, legislative, and grassroots campaigns. He worked on Democratic campaigns on multiple levels including President Obama's 2008 campaign and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer's 2012 and 2015 reelection campaigns and served as the Political Director for the 2018 Florida Gubernatorial Campaign. In addition, he worked for the Florida Senate, Office of Congresswoman Kathy Castor, the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Education and the Workforce under Brother Bobby Scott, served in the Government Affairs and Public Policy Department of the United Negro College Fund, and held the roles of Political Director, Interim Executive Director, and Senior Advisor to the Florida Democratic Party.

Job Titles:

• Member of the Leadership Team
• Chief, Office of Legislative, Education & Intergovernmental Affairs

Velicia D. Woods joined the U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) in September 2005. She is a highly skilled communication executive with more than 20 years of experience in communications, marketing, advocacy, relationship management, and customer experience solutions. Ms. Woods currently serves as the Chief of the Office of Legislative, Education, and Intergovernmental Affairs (OLEIA) including Public Affairs and Strategic Alliances. She is responsible for fostering public knowledge of the Agency's programs, services, and accomplishments across all digital platforms, press/media, and events. She also oversees the Agency's public-private partnership portfolios. Ms. Woods began her federal service in MBDA's Chicago Regional Office, bringing to her position a notable record of enhancing customer relationship management and external communications. Hired as a business development specialist, she designed and implemented the first "Global Business-to-Business Exchange" program for minority-owned firms located in the Midwest. Ms. Woods also enhanced the Agency's regional visibility and brand image through improved marketing strategies, technology, and strategic alliance development with elected officials, resource agencies, and procurement representatives. Her last position in the Chicago Regional Office was Acting Chief, leading community relations, stakeholder outreach, and staff alignment with national strategic objectives. Prior to joining MBDA, Ms. Woods was the Director of Communication and Certification for the Chicago Minority Business Development Council, Inc. (CMBDC). As director, she provided leadership in designing and executing marketing communication strategies and oversaw all certification operations with a focus on affiliate engagement, recruitment, and retention. Ms. Woods has a Master of Arts in Communication and a Graduate Certificate in Mediation & Negotiation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She also has a Bachelor of Arts in Human Communication Studies from Howard University. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Ms. Woods currently resides in Washington, DC.

Job Titles:

• Chief of Staff
• Member of the Leadership Team

Wendy D. Anderson joined the Biden-Harris Administration in January 2023 where she served as Senior Advisor to the Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development. She now serves as Interim Chief of Staff for the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA). A first generation Jamaican American, Wendy has over 20 years of experience leading teams, strategic partnerships and collaborations in the government, non-profit, and private sectors. Prior to joining MBDA, Wendy served as Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Val Demings of Florida and Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York, where she counseled both Members on critical legislation, oversaw implementation of all policy objectives, strategies, and operating plans, managed Member's Washington and District staff, and facilitated engagement with Leadership, committee offices and the campaign office. In the private sector, Wendy held several senior public affairs roles in the entertainment and healthcare industries and built a reputation as an "ideas person," an innovative problem solver, and a facilitator who brings people and organizations together. One of her notable achievements include organizing the first White House Summit for Entrepreneurs in Central Florida with local public and private sector leaders. Wendy graduated with honors from Florida A&M University and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.