NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA) has ended its Small, Minority, and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (SMWBE) Program, saying the change is required under new federal regulations.
According to a press release, the decision follows Executive Order 14173 and updated grant requirements from the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration, which prohibit race- or gender-based preferences in federally funded programs.
“The discontinuation of the SMWBE program is a result of this federal directive — not of local choice or discretion,” MNAA said in a statement. “While compliance with EO 14173 requires ending the SMWBE program, MNAA remains committed to fostering opportunities for all small businesses.”…