Will Minter

Will Minter is currently Director of the Small Business Program Office for Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which is managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). His primary responsibilities are to develop the strategies and procedures to ensure that small businesses get a chance to share in the $200 million subcontracting opportunities occurring annually at the Laboratory. Minter is a nationally recognized advocate for small businesses. He was directly responsible for creating the Annual Department of Energy Small Business Conference that has grown to an attendance of 1000 over the last two years. He received the Secretary of Energy's Star Performer Award for his efforts. He has also received the Small Business Advocate Award from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development for the last two years for his work with minority businesses. He has been employed at the Oak Ridge facilities for more than 33 years. During that time he has held a wide range of management responsibilities.

Minter is a former vice mayor and city councilman for the city of Oak Ridge and is also well known nationally as a political leader. He is president emeritus of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO), chairman of NBC-LEO National Policy Committee and a former member of the Oak Ridge Board of Education and the National Black Leadership Forum. Minter was recently appointed to the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. Nominated by the Governor, Minter's appointment was confirmed by a joint resolution and voted on by the House and Senate of the Tennessee General Assembly.

Minter has participated and attended the Annual Tennessee Legislative Retreat for over twenty years, starting the Fairfield Glade retreat. He has served on the Higher Education Committee, Youth Committee and the Economic Development Committee.

Will Minter majored in industrial education at the University of Tennessee and Knoxville College. He lives in Oak Ridge.