The New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce has made putting its members in a position to earn more contracts a top priority.
It’s one of the reasons it announced this week that Stephanie Lokker, the managing partner of Lockerbie & Co., a strategy and management consulting firm based in Passaic, has been named to the board of directors.
In her role as an NJPCC board member, Lokker will oversee the chamber’s statewide initiatives as the vice president of supplier diversity and certification. In this role, she will be tasked with building and maintaining relationships with national certifying bodies and organizations, helping local members through the certification process and working to develop joint educational events and partnership opportunities.
Lokker will create a series of town halls that will include the chamber’s leadership, local political and community leaders, and corporate chief procurement officers to discuss the current needs of suppliers and how to bring more diversity into their supply chains. She also will oversee the chamber’s educational resources for the diversity program and its statewide outreach implementation.
“By pooling these resources, we are able to develop a stronger relationship between minority business owners and corporations,” she said. “NJPCC is committed to working with the 28 Fortune 1000 companies in New Jersey to find solutions that will make the supply chain more dependable and resilient — the same attributes of the diverse people who make up the great state of New Jersey.”
Lokker will work with NJPCC Executive Director Augusto Penaranda to get Gov. Phil Murphy to elevate LGBT Business Enterprise-certified businesses to a similar observed minority status that grants equal access to government contracts as those certified as a Minority Business Enterprise, Women Business Enterprise, Veteran Owned Business, Disabled-Veteran Owned Business or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.
About the NJPCC
Since 2013, the New Jersey Pride Chamber of Commerce has been the premier LGBTQ+ and allied business organization, committed to facilitating successful business collaborations and increasing the economic staying power of its diverse membership. As an inclusive platform for business visionaries, the chamber aims to be the first stop for LGBTQ+ and allied entrepreneurs seeking to grow and access opportunities.
Lokker, who has worked to overcome the impact of a traumatic brain injury during her life, brings more than 15 years of experience in procurement, change management, organizational behavior and supplier diversity. She is a former Big Three and Big Four consultant. And she opened Lockerbie in 2019, where she manages a team of consultants who specialize in solving complex business problems from strategy through execution for their Fortune 500 and private equity clients.
“As an LGBT+ woman, who also understands what it’s like to run a business with a disability, we need to turn New Jersey into an equal playing field for underserved business communities by increasing their economic viability, networking abilities and creating opportunities for all,” she said.
NJPCC President Stephen Blazejewski welcomed her to the board.
“Stephanie brings a new paradigm of understanding for supplier diversity and procurement,” he said. “She can envision the greater impact of what (environmental, social and governance) and (diversity, equity and inclusion) can mean for the New Jersey business landscape.
“We welcome corporate partners who are ready to make positive changes that will benefit the entire community.”
