Facilities and Operations AVP Tanya Pope Appointed to Mayor Adams’ MWBE Advisory Council

Tanya Pope, assistant vice president of University Supplier Diversity, has been selected by New York City Mayor Adams to join the city’s Minority-and-Women-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE) Advisory Council. 

Chaired by NYC’s Chief Business Diversity Officer Michael J. Garner, the council will provide strategic guidance on creating more diverse contracting opportunities to ensure growth for MWBEs. Pope joins an accomplished board of leaders across public, private, and civil rights organizations who have helped advanced opportunities for MWBEs and other social and economic justice initiatives.

The establishment of the council follows the city’s announcement of back-to-back record-breaking years in supporting MBWEs. As part of the city’s OneNYC Goal to award $25 billion in MWBE contracts by fiscal year 2026, the city reached a milestone of $6.4 billion spent on MWBEs in fiscal year 2024 – 31.2 percent of all contracts awarded by the city and the highest percentage in the program’s history.

“I am honored to serve on Mayor Adams’ MWBE Advisory Council and play a role in advancing the growth of MWBEs in New York. Under Mayor Adams’ leadership, the city has made incredible strides in creating equitable contracting opportunities. I look forward to continuing this work with this esteemed group of advisors to help minority- and woman-owned businesses thrive,” said Pope.

At Columbia, Pope helps lead impactful programs to help minority-, woman-, and locally-owned (MWL) businesses secure contracts in the design and construction industry. Through programs such as the CU Grow Vendor Development Program, the University has paid more than $1.3 billion to MWL firms in the past decade. 

In addition, Pope’s team helps lead community-driven programs and oversees reporting related to Columbia’s commitments with the community and State of New York related to the University’s construction.

Outside of Columbia, Pope’s team serves as the market access partner  of the of the Ascend NYC program where she serves as the lead on the Ascend NYC Anchor Council, a group Pope formed that is comprised of five city agencies and 18 private institutions that are committed to providing contracting opportunities to diverse firms. Pope also serves as an Executive Board Member and Vice President of Public Policy of the Women Builders Council, a leading association representing women in construction in New York City with a focus on leadership.

Pope has won numerous awards for her support of MWBEs, including the Minority and Women Entrepreneurship Practitioner of the Year SIG Award by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and has been named a Notable Black Leader by Crain’s New York Business.

For more details on the MWBE Advisory Council and the city’s initiatives, visit www.nyc.gov/assets/mwbe/.