Wes Stith Recognized as Black History Hero for His Support of Maryland Small Business Community

In celebration of Black History Month, Clark Senior Vice President Wes Stith recently received recognition as a Black History Hero. Wes was among 10 local leaders honored by the Cordish Companies and Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland, in association with the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association (MWMCA), for their positive influence and significant contributions to Marylanders. 

As a senior leader in the company’s trade partner development efforts, Wes works with project teams and business units across the company to identify and expand opportunities for small and diverse businesses on Clark projects. Along with his team, he spearheads identifying, prequalifying, and mentoring local, small, and minority-owned businesses, and providing relevant capacity building resources. 

Wes and his team have been instrumental in exceeding both client and Clark's SDBE15 participation goals on landmark projects that form the region’s skyline, including the National Museum of African American History and Culture, CFG Bank Arena, University of Maryland Capital Region Medical Center, Howard County Circuit Courthouse, and 915 Meeting Street at Pike & Rose.

A hallmark of Wes' career is his willingness to support nonprofit organizations that provide mentorship and resources to individual business owners.

Fostering deep relationships that empower diverse small businesses has allowed Wes to help influence their industry success. During preconstruction for the Nationals Park project in 2006, Wes led a small team that wanted to better understand the challenges these firms faced when performing on large-scale construction projects. Key insights from these conversations led to the formation of Clark’s Strategic Partnership Program (SPP) - an intensive, 10-month executive MBA-style program offered at no cost to small business enterprises. This programming helped the Nationals Park team exceed its small business participation goals and, since then, has expanded to 10 markets. 

A hallmark of Wes' career is his willingness to support nonprofit organizations that provide mentorship and resources to individual business owners including, the Maryland Washington Minority Companies Association (MWMCA), DC Hispanic Contractors Association, Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Minority Contractors, Washington DC Metropolitan Area Chapter. 

Throughout his career, he has led departments and corporate initiatives that have supported thousands of small business owners on their own paths to professional growth and success and created a pathway to economic opportunities that have a positive and lasting impact on our community.