Ronnette Meyers is President and CEO of JLAN Solutions, a leading provider of management, training, and information technology services to Federal, state, and local government.

After an extensive career as a Federal employee, Ms. Meyers helped found a small, woman-owned government contractor, serving as Senior Vice President for Corporate Services. She was an integral part of the company’s development into an award-winning business with over $34 million in annual revenues.

In 2010, having honed her executive management and leadership skills, Ms. Meyers took the leap and founded her own firm, JLAN Solutions, LLC. JLAN now serves numerous Federal and DC government agencies. Ms. Meyers’ leadership and stellar reputation for integrity and quality service have earned her numerous accolades, including the Washington Business Journal 2020 Minority Business Leader Award, DC Chamber of Commerce 2020 Women in Business Champion of the Year, DC Department of Small and Local Business 2018 Certified Business Enterprise of the Year and acceptance into the highly selective Goldman Sachs 10k Small Business program.

Among her philanthropic activities is service on the board of the Dreaming Out Loud Foundation, Bishop McNamara High School and she supports the Wounded Warriors, Project Giveback, GrantEd, Luke’s Wings, E.L. Haynes Public Charter School, and many other charitable organizations and endeavors. 

Just as she was inspired when growing up on the grounds of the Ramstein United States Air Force Base in Germany, Ronnette Meyers was exposed at an early age to the importance of public service. It is clear that the lessons she learned there have inspired her life and her career trajectory, as she has made it her mission to give back to her country and her community.

Mr. Gomez is Founder and CEO of Factum Global, a boutique international consulting firm dedicated tohelping businesses and associations expand and operate across global markets. As leader of the firm, hisvision is to establish Factum Global as the most trusted international consulting source for organizationsexpanding internationally. Mr. Gomez has significant experience in international strategy andoperations, and association management. He has successfully managed complex operations and helpedbuild profitable businesses across the globe.

Prior to founding Factum Global in 2018, Mr. Gomez served as Director of Global Strategy and MarketDevelopment at the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society, where he leda multi-function department, consisting of international operations, marketing and sales, research andproduct development, and member services. He was also a member of ACS’ Global Steering Committeeand was responsible for growing the association’s global reach. Prior to joining ACS, Mr. Gomez workedas a consultant for G&G Consulting, serving clients focused on strategic planning and organizationaleffectiveness. He also served as District Manager at the Healthcare Services Group Inc., where hedirected a multi-million-dollar operation in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, DC.

Mr. Gomez is a serial presenter and has contributed to numerous conferences and events on topicsranging from business strategy and innovation, to international operations and leadership. In addition,he has instructed courses on global cultural sensitivity, international expansion, and leadership. Mr.Gomez earned a Bachelor of Science in business administration and management from MarshallUniversity, and earned his MBA from the Kogod School of Business at American University. In addition,he earned an executive education certificate on Leading Global Businesses at Harvard University. Anative of Colombia, Mr. Gomez is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, and enjoys traveling, is an avidgolfer and is a soccer enthusiast.

Larry G. Webb has served as District Director of the SBA’s Washington Metropolitan Area District Office (WMADO) since August 16, 2021. He leads a team that provides business development services, training and support to entrepreneurs and partner organizations throughout the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Suburban Maryland. Among the SBA’s 68 district offices, WMADO manages the agency’s largest portfolio of participating firms in the 8(a) Business Development Program.

Webb joined the SBA as Senior Legal Counsel in 2011. In this role with the SBA’s Office of General Counsel, he chaired the Fraud, Waste and Abuse Task Force and implemented public-facing enforcement reporting. Webb was also appointed to the Executive Steering Council, which oversaw the modernization of the agency’s loan management and accounting system. In addition, he served as a labor and employment attorney for the SBA, where he was the designated SBA representative before a variety of administrative bodies, including the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). Among Webb’s responsibilities was training and advising SBA management on employment, labor, performance and disciplinary matters. His most recent position was lead attorney for SBA’s Outreach and Marketing Team, during which he oversaw public-private partnerships, gifts to the SBA, memoranda of understanding, branding, social media and marketing. He also provided advice to the SBA on the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) and delivered government-wide training sessions through the General Services Administration (GSA).

Prior to joining the SBA, Larry G. Webb served as Assistant Director of Law for the City of Cleveland, where he worked primarily as a civil litigator for the City’s self-sustaining business enterprises. During his tenure, he helped the Office of Equal Opportunity streamline and bolster its enforcement procedures, which ultimately led to the City collecting the largest fine ever levied against a prime contractor. Additionally, Webb served as Vice President of the Norman S. Minor Bar Association (NSMBA), founded in 1980 as Cleveland’s first full-fledged African American bar association. His earlier roles include being a criminal defense attorney, an executive director of a nonprofit organization and a business analyst.

Larry G. Webb holds a Juris Doctorate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in history and political science from Culver-Stockton College in Canton, Missouri. He and his husband currently reside in Prince George’s County, Maryland.

Kristi C. Whitfield is the Director of the DC Department of Small and Local Development (DSLBD), a government agency with a mission to support the development, economic growth, and retention of District-based businesses, and to promote economic development throughout the District’s commercial corridors. This work allows the agency to connect District businesses in real-time with local, federal, and global business opportunities; help businesses navigate the government’s contracting and procurement landscape quickly, confidently, and effectively; and propel every entrepreneur with a great idea and a comprehensive plan towards the capital to make it happen.

Born to activist parents, Mrs. Whitfield has never been afraid to have a voice and use her unique voice to advocate for people often overlooked. As a product of a planned community, Mrs. Whitfield has experienced first-hand how, through structure and organization, equity and opportunity can be afforded to all. Mrs. Whitfield regularly states, “Socio-economic status should never determine one’s access to opportunity.”

As a part of a hard-working family and entrepreneurial father, education has always been a pillar of Mrs. Whitfield’s family culture. Upon this strong home foundation, Mrs. Whitfield motivated herself to the heights of academia. Mrs. Whitfield attended Swarthmore College, where she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a concentration in Black Studies, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T.). She received a Master of City Planning degree with a focus in Housing and Community Development. As a result of Mrs. Whitfield’s relentless drive, she has placed no limitations on what she can do or explore. Before being appointed by Mayor Bowser to lead DSLBD, Mrs. Whitfield garnered experience in various sectors, from being Director of the Women’s Institute for Housing and Economic Development to a DC proud business owner of the nationally recognized “Curbside Cupcakes.” Or, as Mrs. Whitfield would say it, “I went from consultant to a baker, to a government director.”

When Mayor Bowser appointed Mrs. Whitfield, she knew that she was appointing a relentless advocate for the District’s small and local business community who would take on the challenge of identifying and implementing new ways to propel all District residents and businesses towards their fair shot to opportunities.

When Mrs. Whitfield is not in the office, she enjoys spending all her time with her husband, Sam, and their two boys.

Vanessa Foster is the Growth and Retention specialist at WBEC Greater DMV, with a passion for women’s growth and success. Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to uplifting women and people in need, including working at the Department of State, where she assisted spouses and families of federal employees overseas, and at the non-profit organization, So Others Might Eat (SOME), which focuses on helping the homeless find housing and medical care.

With a desire to continue helping women and others, Vanessa joined the WBEC Greater DMV network nearly two years ago. Initially, she was part of the certification team, ensuring that women-owned businesses met the gold standard of certification. Currently, as the Growth and Retention specialist, her primary objective is to promote the benefits of WBENC certification and encourage women to join the network, where they can receive support.