April 6, 2000 - ATLANTA - When Jackie Thornton first learned about Gov. Roy Barnes’ new Mentor-Protégé Initiative, she immediately recognized the potential it held for her company, Atlanta-based Global Marketing & PR Inc.

The Mentor-Protégé Initiative, the first of its kind in the nation, was created during the last year to match successful large companies in Georgia with promising minority- and women-owned small businesses to foster business opportunities and future growth for protégés and to build long-term business partnerships that result in lasting contributions to Georgia’s economy.

"I knew the Governor’s Mentor-Protégé Initiative could benefit my business, and I was pleased to hear that Manning Selvage & Lee (MS&L) would be my mentor company in this pilot initiative," Thornton said. "As Atlanta’s third-largest public relations firm, MS&L has a lot to offer me and my company in terms of business acumen and leads. With the high failure rate of small businesses, help like this can make a huge difference for my company."

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), fewer than half of all new small businesses are in operation after five years. Moreover, minority- and women-owned companies fail at higher rates than majority-owned companies. Of the small businesses that do survive, many struggle because of a lack of capitalization and/or a lack of contract opportunities.

With these statistics as a backdrop, Gov. Barnes recognized the importance of helping small businesses grow in Georgia. "Our highest hopes are held for this model initiative that encourages successful businesses assisting with the growth and development of emerging minority- and women-owned business enterprises," Gov. Barnes said. The Governor’s Mentor-Protégé Initiative is expected to help Georgia maintain its reputation as a desirable state in which to do business.

Jan Lewin, managing director of Manning Selvage & Lee’s Atlanta office, is a strong proponent of the Governor’s program. "As a former owner of my own small business, I know first-hand how difficult it can be to survive the myriad challenges small companies face every day," Lewin said. "I couldn’t be happier to be able to work with Jackie Thornton and Global Marketing & PR. Bright, energetic entrepreneurs like Jackie are the future of business in Georgia."

Other protégés share Thornton’s enthusiasm for the Mentor-Protégé Initiative. Irene Bledel is president of Environmental Resource process management (ERpm), a company that provides performance-based and process risk management consulting. ERpm is looking forward to developing a relationship with CH2M Hill, one of the top 10 engineering firms in Atlanta. "I am extremely honored and grateful to Gov. Barnes and CH2M Hill for this invaluable opportunity and outreach to Georgia’s minority- and women-owned businesses," Bledel said.

Jacquie Morgan is director of marketing for Integrated Communication Networks (ICN), which provides structured cabling systems integration, installation and maintenance services. BellSouth Corp., one of the nation’s top telecommunications companies, is her mentor firm. "We will utilize this opportunity to broaden our skill sets in order to penetrate new markets," said Morgan.