Women First is a privately funded, nonpartisan, national grassroots effort that advocates for women-owned small businesses certified in the US Department of Transportation Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program.
A strong supporter and advocate for DBEs, our mission is to promote, protect and leverage the economic, social, and political influence of women DBE certified businesses in the US. Currently, there are few national associations that include DBE contracting as part of their platforms. But until Women First, there has not been a national organization solely dedicated to this purpose or one that specifically addresses women in transportation and construction.
Women First provides education and advocacy for existing and future certified DBE business owners on their rights, the rules, and regulations relating to the DBE program and their implementation in the US Department of Transportation (DOT). We work with key members of Congress, DOT, state government officials, and other key stakeholders to further our goals of ensuring small disadvantaged business enterprises can compete fairly for federally funded transportation-related projects.
History
Since 1987 Women First has:
- Represented women’s small businesses in the highway, transit, and airport industriesand lead the effort to preserve the continuation of the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program during the reauthorization of the 2016 transportation bill, the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21).
- Been responsible for the inclusion of women-owned businesses in the DBE Programof the Surface Transportation and Uniform Relocation Assistance Act of 1987.
- Spearheaded a successful lobbying effort to reauthorize and preserve the one-goal systemrather than separate goals, with women only receiving 5% in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991.
- Led the successful effort to preserve the continuation of the DBE Programduring the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century of 1998.
- During this process, several US Senators offered amendments to remove the Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Program from the Transportation bill. The amendment was defeated, and the program has continued to grow and thrive.
- Facilitated the inclusion of women in federal contracting goals for both civil and military agencies.
- Supported women in their certification efforts.
- Successfully advocated for the prompt payment clause in the DBE rules, requiring contractors to be paid within a certain maximum number of days.
- Successfully advocated Congress to change the personal net worth premium—which had previously limited DBE beneficiaries to those with a net worth of $750,000 or less, excluding the value of their home and business—to $1.3 million.
Joann Payne
President
Joann Payne has spent the past three decades as a strong and effective advocate for women-owned businesses in the transportation and construction industries. As the founder and president of Payne, Shea and Associates, and Women First, Joann is regarded as one of the nation’s foremost legislative strategists and expert at navigating the federal, state and local bureaucracies on behalf of small and disadvantaged businesses.
Joann’s efforts have ensured that specific local governments receive necessary federal funding and successfully accomplish their goals. Additionally, she has secured millions of dollars for small women-owned businesses in the defense industry and small, medium and large highway construction companies.
Additionally, she has successfully promoted the economic interests of over 25,000 women business owners as part of Women First focusing on the following areas: small business, government contracting, affirmative action, transportation, defense, and small business innovative research companies (SBIR).
Joann’s expertise has led her to chairing task forces, testifying before congressional committees, conducting staff briefings and writing various policy memorandums. She also handles media and outreach communications for Women First. Her advocacy effectiveness has earned her the title from colleagues and peers as a “one-woman legislative machine.”
For three decades, Joann has been adept at building bipartisan support starting in the mid- to late-1980s, when she successfully lobbied the Reagan Administration and the Democratic-controlled Congress to gain support for her clients. This lobbying effort resulted in women being added to the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program.
She’s maintained productive relationships with both Republicans and Democrats, making her one of the most effective lobbyists on Capitol Hill for the past 30 years. In 2000, Joann was awarded the National Women’s Business Council “Seat at the Table” Award, given to the most outstanding advocate for women small businesses.
Despite all of her professional success, Joann considers her greatest achievement to be the raising of her three children: Charlie, Frank and Julia.
Joann is a native of Virginia and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia, with a BA in Political Science and History. Prior to her lobbying career, she was an award-winning American Government teacher in Stafford, Virginia.