AABCA joins Mayor Cara Spencer in restoring M/WBE programs in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS (September 8, 2025) — Makal Ali, president and co-founder of the Advancing American Business & Contractors Association (AABCA), commends Mayor Cara Spencer for signing Executive Order 91 on Sept. 5, 2025, restarting the city’s Minority- and Women-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) certification and contracting program after weeks of negotiation and advocacy.

The decision followed AABCA, MOKAN and other St. Louis civic, civil rights and social justice groups raising strong opposition to the abrupt suspension of the city’s M/WBE certification and compliance initiatives in early August. That pause led to sustained talks between AABCA and Mayor Spencer’s administration.

“Mayor Spencer’s Executive Order 91 is an important step toward restoring equity in public works projects,” Ali said. “AABCA is proud to have raised our voices and provided sustained advocacy on behalf of Black, minority, and women-owned businesses across St. Louis. This restoration was not accidental—it came because our community and our advocacy would not let it go quietly.”



“You only get what you fight for. Together we stood tall and, not only demanded our voices be heard, but that we also have a seat at the table,” Ali said.

Executive Order 91 reopens the city’s certification process for minority- and women-owned business enterprises, allowing qualified firms to again compete for public contracts. It also changes how participation goals are set by requiring agencies to establish project-specific benchmarks based on data from the 2024 Disparity Study. In addition, the order directs the St. Louis Development Corporation and other departments to implement the study’s recommendations and to work with the Board of Aldermen to draft legislation updating city contracting rules.

Watch the mayoral press conference announcing the retoration of St. Louis' M/WBE Program with Mayor Cara Spencer and city leaders incuding AABCA President Makal Ali. Video starts at 14:00.

To ensure accountability, AABCA will update its Watchlist, available at www.aabcastl.org/watchlist, which monitors public works contracting, job opportunities and African American participation across city, county and state levels.

AABCA invites M/WBEs, entrepreneurs, professional service providers, vendors, and community and faith-based organizations to join its membership and work together to advance equitable contracting and hiring practices.     

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About AABCA:

The Advancing American Business & Contractors Association, founded in 2001, is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering small business enterprises through advocacy, education and training to assist economic and job growth throughout the greater St. Louis area. For more information visit our website: www.aabcastl.org