March 20, 2012

PRESS RELEASE

GEARS Inc. President Invited to participate in SBA Small Business Workshop

Diane Ridley Roberts, MPA, President, Global Evaluation & Applied Research Solutions (GEARS) Inc., has been invited by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Georgia District Office, to participate in a Congressional Small Business Workshop on Monday, March 26, 2012, conducted on behalf of Senator Saxby Chambliss. 
 
Ms. Roberts was selected to serve on a panel of 8(a) firms on the topic of, “Using Federal Procurement to Grow Your Existing Business.” As President and co-owner of GEARS, Ms. Roberts has led the organization in substantial growth and prominence over the 10 years since GEARS was incorporated.  She brings a wealth of knowledge and significant experience to this timely discussion.  “I look forward to sharing my experience and learning from the experience of other small business owners.  I believe that it’s imperative for small businesses to support our community by sharing best practices, lessons learned and opportunities,” says Roberts.

GEARS was admitted into the SBA’s 8(a) business development program in 2004 and continually learned how to navigate the federal procurement landscape, build effective partnerships, and most importantly, provide exceptional services to its clients. Ms. Roberts has a passion for the development of small businesses which led her to create the GEARS Annual Small Business Leadership Development (SBLD) Conference.  GEARS developed and implements this annual one-day training and networking event to provide learning forums and networking opportunities for small business leaders to enhance their capacity for working with the federal government.  The conference includes panel discussions, one-on-one discussions with federal procurement staff and large businesses, and a keynote address given by a nationally recognized business leader. It has become one of the premiere events for small businesses in the southeast.  The GEARS Team will hold the SBLD in Washington, DC in 2013.
 
GEARS, located in Decatur, Georgia, and Lanham, Maryland, is a management consulting firm specializing in program evaluation, technical assistance and organizational management, IT and event planning.  With a staff of 38 full-time and 5 permanent part time employees, GEARS clients include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. 

To learn more about GEARS, please visit us at www.getingears.com.  To learn more about Diane Ridley Roberts, please visit www.empoweringunow.net.

Additional information on this event may be viewed online at http://www.chambliss.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ID=259409a0-cfbe-4bb0-87b4-3b66dd63a63c.