WASHINGTON, DC — July 16, 2026 — NMSDC (National Minority Supplier Development Council), the nation’s longest-operating organization focused on expanding competitive access to market-based opportunities for U.S. suppliers and delivering valuable ROI for corporate members, is pleased to announce recent executive leadership updates designed to sharpen the nonprofit’s work and messaging, elevating its Network’s 50+ year impact on local, state and national economies.
NMSDC connects qualified and certified minority-owned businesses with national and international corporations, supporting and elevating economic growth and marketplace innovation and participation within the American free-market economy and supply chain.
The recent executive leadership changes began with NMSDC’s new President and CEO, Donald Cravins, Jr., who officially began his tenure in January 2026. Cravins and the new executives will accelerate the growth of NMSDC while continuing a focus on an unwavering 50+ year mission of serving a diverse Network of corporate members and certified suppliers, showcasing NMSDC’s positive impact on American economic prosperity.
“When I joined NMSDC, the first thing I told the organization is that we must evolve with a renewed spirit of collaboration with our members on delivering on our mission, working always with a sense of urgency on behalf of our certified suppliers,” said Cravins. “I know we have a phenomenal team of talented executives assembled who will provide the leadership, expertise and innovative ideas we need to accelerate NMSDC’s growth and amplify and share our impact now and in the years ahead.”
A nationally recognized leader in public service, business development and advocacy, the Honorable Don Cravins, Jr. previously served as the nation’s first Under Secretary of Commerce for Minority Business Development, leading the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. In that role, he oversaw the agency’s historic expansion and elevation into a permanent federal institution supporting more than 9.7 million minority business enterprises.
Cravins served in both the Louisiana House of Representatives and State Senate, where he championed recovery efforts for local business owners after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. He later served as Staff Director and Chief Counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, helping craft and pass the landmark Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, and became Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu. Cravins is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army National Guard, and his honors include induction into the Southern University Law Center Hall of Fame, recognition as a Distinguished Alumnus of LSU and being named Advocate of the Year by the National Bar Association in 2020.
Cravins said he was very intentional in his selection of the new leadership to work alongside him as he implements a reinvigorated vision for NMSDC.
“With a Pulitzer Prize semi-finalist writer in communications; a PhD and author of AI and supply chain books; and a multiple industry award-winning businesswoman at the top of my new executive team, we’re exactly the qualified and excited team the NMSDC Network needs us to be,” Cravins said.
“Each of these amazing people were selected due to how well their experience and passion align with our goals of developing closer connections with and delivering for our stakeholders. Along with our existing leadership teams and staff, each furthers NMSDC’s position as being the Gold Standard in business certification for entrepreneurs,” Cravins said. “These new leaders enable us to provide a more elevated experience for our corporate members, board members, suppliers and valued partners.”
NEW EXECUTIVES
Scott Vowels, PhD named Chief Development Officer of NMSDC.
Scott Vowels brings deep expertise in supply chain and supplier diversity, including more than three decades of experience spanning procurement, economic research, corporate supplier diversity leadership and regional council management. He began his career in manufacturing procurement and sourcing for General Motors and led the Supplier Diversity Business Unit at Apple, where his team elevated the company’s utilization of diverse suppliers to achieve more than $1 billion in verifiable annual spend, earning Apple a seat on the prestigious Billion Dollar Roundtable.
Prior to Apple, Vowels successfully led both the Northern California and the Alabama Minority Supplier Development Councils to national prominence as President and CEO, while simultaneously operating a federal Minority Business Opportunity Center for the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency. Scott holds a PhD in Economics and is the author of supplier diversity books Don’t Be Afraid to Call the Baby Ugly and Hacking Supplier Diversity.
“I’m thrilled to start this new chapter with NMSDC. I was lucky to begin working with supplier diversity many years ago and look forward to advancing new initiatives at NMSDC that will help us drive sustainable growth across our membership and amplify the economic impact of supplier inclusion programs throughout the marketplace,” said Vowels. “I am proud to join this national leadership team at a pivotal moment for our organization and our economy. Through the thoughtful integration of technology and a clear focus on our mission, we have an invaluable opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of American procurement and supply chain ecosystems.”
Phala K. Mire named Chief Operating Officer of NMSDC.
Phala Mire joins NMSDC from WBEC Metro New York & Greater DMV, where she served as President and CEO. She is a proven global operations leader with a track record for driving performance at organizations that serve the needs of entrepreneurs, women and underserved communities. Mire also shares a close prior connection to NMSDC, being a former senior leader of one of NMSDC’s Regional Affiliate offices, where she created effective partnerships to expand the success of the MBEs in her region.
“I am excited to return to NMSDC and work with a truly great national leadership team,” Mire said. “There are many opportunities in front of us as we work to advance our vision for meaningful growth and impact on American corporations and suppliers,” said Mire. “Our corporate members play a vital role in strengthening both the NMSDC Network and the broader global supply chain, and I am excited to contribute to that momentum. Having learned so much as an NMSDC Regional Affiliate and WBEC Regional CEO, this is a great time to use my experience and commitment to drive NMSDC’s mission forward at a challenging economic time. I look forward to helping create greater value for our members, expanding opportunities for our suppliers and advancing sustainable economic growth.”
Drew Schneider is named Vice President, Marketing and Communications for NMSDC.
Drew Schneider brings 30-years of experience in marketing, public relations and digital communications with Fortune 100 and impactful brands such as Apple, AOL, Stars and Stripes, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. He has been widely recognized for his ability to combine engaging storytelling with data-driven marketing strategy and execution and was a semi-finalist for a Pulitzer Prize in Local Journalism in 2018.
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