The Randolph-Sheppard act provides for the elections of a BEP Vendors Committee to represent all of the program licensees. Blind vendors, or “operators,” of Washington State’s Business Enterprise Program may serve on this committee to participate with the Department of Services for the Blind in:

• Major administrative decisions, policy and program development.
• Receiving and transmitting to the agency grievances at the request of blind vendors.
• Development and administration of a state system for the transfer and promotion of blind vendors.
• Development of training and retraining programs of blind vendors.
• Co-sponsoring, with the agency, meetings and instructional conferences for blind vendors throughout the state.

BEP’s blind vendors elect their peers to serve on the committee for two-year terms.

Vendor Committee Members

• Robert Miller, At-Large, Committee Chairman
• James Janney, NW Region
• Stephanie Hilton, NW Region
• Robert Ott, SW Region, Committee Co-Chair
• Shannon Warnke, SW Region
• Gloria Walling, NW Region

Vendor Committee Meeting Minutes

Download Adobe Reader to view files.

• All State Business Meeting, October 2020 - PDF
• April 2020 - Meeting postponed due to COVID-19
• January 2020 Vendor Committee Meeting
• All-State Business Meeting, October 2019
• September 2019 Vendor Committee Meeting
• June 2019 Vendor Committee Minutes - PDF
• January 2019 Vendor Committee Minutes - PDF
• All-State Business Meeting, October 2018 - PDF
• July 2018 Vendor Committee Minutes - PDF
• April 2018 Vendor Committee Minutes - PDF
• February 2018 Vendor Committee Minutes - PDF

For more information on BEP and the Blind Vendors' Committee, contact Jim Hemmen at 360-725-3844.