An intensive two-day training for USDOT grant recipients, Unified Certification Program (UCP) administrators and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE)/Airport Concessions Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (ACDBE) Program leaders who oversee certification, compliance and small business program implementation. The training explores how UCPs and key representatives of airports, transit and highway authorities coordinate certification, goal-setting and program oversight under current USDOT regulations, including the Interim Final Rule (IFR), with a focus on compliance, consistency and emerging best practices.
Target Audience: UCP Administrators & Staff, Procurement, Legal, Project Management, Internal Audit, Financial Representatives & DBELOs/ACDBELOs
DBE/ACDBE & UCP Administrators Trainings are NOT included in the conference registration fee. You can add to your registration or only participate in the training.
Day 1 | Wednesday, June 10 | 7:30 am–5:30 pm
DBEs/ACDBEs & SBEs: Now and In the Future
Recent regulatory changes to the DBE and ACDBE programs have reshaped how certifications are administered and how programs are implemented across airports and agencies. This session examines the evolving role of UCPs, their interactions with certifying and non-certifying stakeholders, and their influence on DBE and ACDBE goal-setting.
Participants will gain insight into today’s regulatory landscape, effective practices for the reevaluation process, interstate certifications and new applications, along with a deep dive into content and financial evaluations, including personal narratives and personal net worth statements. The session also explores how historical data, annual reports, emerging regulatory shifts and future grant and lease projections inform program strategy and long-term implementation.
Day 2 | Thursday, June 11 | 7:30 am–5:30 pm
Leveling the Playing Field, Reducing Barriers & Developing Businesses
Since 1999, the DBE/ACDBE regulations, which focus on small businesses, have set three objectives: leveling the playing field, reducing barriers to competition and developing businesses to compete outside the DBE/ACDBE program. This session focuses on a practical, forward-looking approach to strengthening the DBE and ACDBE Small Business Element required under 49 CFR §26.39 and 49 CFR §23.26 by examining procurement, administrative, financial and development activities that are currently in place, permissible under the regulations, and necessary to maintain a robust, competitive and fair environment for all businesses.
Denise Bailey
Bailey White Solutions
Ms. Bailey’s experience spans over 35 years, starting as a construction inspector at the Philadelphia International Airport during her cooperative education assignments at Drexel University. She focuses on funding, efficiency, and compliance in the transportation and governmental sectors. It includes expertise in procurement, grants and project management and oversight, civil rights, accessibility, agreement negotiation, contract compliance, training, and construction management.
After graduating with a BS in Commerce and Engineering from Drexel University, Ms. Bailey worked for five years in the construction management division of a regional engineering firm, followed by 30 years leading the government consulting department of a minority-owned Philadelphia firm and two years as the Vice President of Diversity and Accessibility at the Philadelphia International Airport.
In 2024, Ms. Bailey joined her former colleague at Bailey White Solutions, LLC. She currently serves on the board of the Airport Minority Advisory Council. She has previously served as the Philadelphia Chapter President of the Women’s Transportation Seminar and Chair of the Finance and Investment Committee of the Fairmont Park Conservancy.
