BBA News April 09

April 2009

In This Issue…5 Cover Story: BBA/Greenlinging Meet Finanical Leaders 7 SBA and Economic Recovery9 L.A. Black Business Expo & Trade Show10 Port Upgrade Means Jobs24 Making Your Business More Effi cient41 Travel to Brazil

Black Business NewsSPECIAL COMMEMORATIVE LIMITED EDITION

Now On Sale!A commemorative limited-edition magazine, unlike any other special tribute

issued to recognize the election of Barack H. Obama as the 44th President of the

United States of America, has been published by the Black Business Association.

Hurry! Buy Your Copy Today - Quantities are limited!

To order your copy, call the BBA office at

(323) 291-9334 or email to: [email protected]

Pres. Obama Has His... You Get Yours!

President’s MessageEarl “Skip” Cooper, IIPresident/Chief Executive Offi cer

The First 100 Days -- Authentic Brilliance

3 April 2009 Black Business News www.bbala.org

2009 EventsJune

•Annual Awards DinnerTBD

•Trade Mission to Washington, DCSeptember

•Black Busines Day Conference & Luncheon

October•Utilities Procurement

Exchange Summit & Awards Luncheon

• Call for information •

323-291-9334

Our present economic indicators of labor and trade show the number

of Californians collecting state unem-ployment benefi ts has climbed another 93,000 people reaching 6.14 million - more than double the level in the prior year. The shipment of goods by the United Parcel Service (UPS) reported its’ fi rst quarter revenue for 2009 was down 13.7 percent at $10.9 billion.

These indicators make it apparent how it has been a long time since we have depended so much on an incom-ing U.S. President to make an imme-diate and long-term impact on our well being. The Black Business Associa-tion (BBA) supports the President as a premiere small business advocate for product and service trade at every level of economics from the national defense contacting to retail sales. Accordingly, the BBA members are extremely pre-pared to meet prospective supply de-mand challenges, and see the fi rst 100 days of President Obama’s administra-tion as steering us in the right direc-tion.

President Obama’s performance is brilliant, demonstrating a high integrity of leadership that is seemingly conta-gious to his economic managers who are becoming more strong, ethical and empathetic to making a positive change on how to engage small business en-terprise. Renewable and alternative energy production of any kind resides as the most signifi cant business of our future, where President Barack Obama recently created a stimulus bill, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that contains about $50 billion in tax credits, loan guarantees and other incentives designed to help renew-

able producers as the economy turns around.

Promulgated by the brilliance of President Obama is how our State of California recently sold $6.85 billion in bonds, including $5.2 billion in Recov-ery Act-backed bonds, where 5,000+ projects will be restarted within the state. The BBA’s trade mission and advocacy in Sacramento will help small businesses benefi t from these projects that cover the gamut of highway trans-portation, school construction, environ-mental, park projects, stem cell related projects, various housing programs, support clean air (engine retrofi ts and clean port projects), wastewater treat-ments projects, improvements to drink-ing water infrastructure, children’s hospitals, public safety, library grant projects, and additional needs for High Speed Rail. (See www.dof.ca.gov for listing)

We applaud the state for reactivat-ing their responsibilities through the Obama Administration’s brilliance as we go through the most hampered re-cessionary period since the early eight-ies of the last century. BBA members accept this period as a mere economic impediment, planning to emerge from these diffi cult times more effi cient as fi nely-honed enterprises. Black suppli-ers are retooling as better global trade partners emphasizing green technolo-gies, taking on the role as integral re-sources to meet the foreseeable eco-nomic surge of business expansion.

As in some important manner I helped in shaping the black power economic movement, and going forward I pledge to promote the green power economic movement. In view of that, BBA mem-

bers extend their wholehearted support to all renewable energy and other green innovation projects to compete on the local and international stage with an equal footing. There is no excuse as we have longed awaited this massive change in public and private contract-ing awards and bid opportunities.

The BBA does not want to see a re-peat of the black divide or digital divide eras, only to enter an era of the green divide. Therefore, make the www.bba-la.org one your favorite sites for review-ing green contracting and bid opportu-nities. Also, we look forward to hearing about your plans and knowing more about what you think the BBA should do better to engage small business en-terprises in the greening of America. You can reach me at [email protected].

To greater inclusion.

Black Business AssociationP.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043

323-291-9334 Fax: [email protected] www.bbala.orgPUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Earl “Skip” Cooper, IIPRODUCTION MANAGER

Narishima OseiCONTRIBUTING WRITERS

T. Fins ▪ R. Gnaizda ▪ C. Collins PHOTOGRAPHY

Ian Foxx ▪ Sabir • N. Osei • N. VernonLAYOUT/TYPESETTING

Lion Communications

Copyright © 2008 by Black Business Association.All Rights Reserved.

BBA BOARD OF DIRECTORSTed Davis, Chairman

IsComp Systems, Inc.Nathan Freeman, Vice Chairman

Figueroa Media Group, Inc.Eugene Jones, Secretary NVA Financial Group, Inc.Kevin M. Caliup, Treasurer

AIA/E-World StrategyNarishimah Osei, Parliamentarian

Osei & AssociatesGwen Moore, Director GEM Communications

Candida Mobely-Wright, Director Voices, Inc.

Angela Walton, Director Melador Technologies, Inc.

Angela Reddock, Esq., Legal CounselSTAFF

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II, President/CEOKesha Vontreese, AdministratorCOMMITTEE COORDINATOR

Starlett Quarles, urban X marketing

CORPORATE PARTNERSAEG Worldwide

AT&TAmerican Honda Motor Company

Bank of AmericaThe Boeing Company

California LotteryCitibank

Coca-Cola EnterprisesComerica Bank

Department of Water & PowerFannie Mae IBM

Kaiser Permanente LAEDCLos Angeles World Airports

Northrop Grumman CorporationRaytheon Company

S.C.R.P.C.Sempra Energy

Southern California EdisonSwinerton Builders

Toyota Motor Sales, Inc.Turner Construction Company

Union Bank of CaliforniaUSBank Verizon

Walt Disney CompanyWashington Mutual

WellPointWells Fargo Bank

Lyceum Management Services, Ex Offi cioHollis Smith, Ex Offi cio

Paulette Williams, Ex Offi cio AFFILIATES

African American Unity CaucusAssociation of Black Women Entrepreneurs

Black Women’s NetworkCalifornia Black Chamber of Commerce

The Greenlining InstituteMinority Business Enterprise Legal Defense &

Education FundNational Black Business Council

The National Association of African American Chambers of Commerce

The National Black Chamber of CommercePan African Film & Arts Festival

Recycling Black Dollars

Over 35 years of serviceFounded 1970


In This Issue…3 President’s Message

Activist’s stance required for businesses to achieve needed change.

5 Cover Story: BBA/Greenlining Meet Financial Leaders

Face-to-Face in DC6 Economic Recovery Websites7 SBA Has Economic Recovery Tools Ready

9 2009 L.A. Black Expo & Trade Show 10 L.A. Port Upgrade Means More Jobs12 US Government Alters Stance on Cuba22 Africa Focus

•Competitiveness in Africa.•Women’s Leadership Training.

24 Make Your Business More Effi cient35 SBA News

$15 billion plan

41 TravelOff to Brazil’s Boa Morte Festival

43 Calendar Columns

18 - Financial Management Atty. Caprice Collins34 - Wendy’s World Wendy Gladney

Cover photo - The White House

BBA ANNUAL AWARDS DINNER JUNE 2009

Economic Recovery:

BBA & Greenlining Meet With Administration Leaders in Washington, DC

In mid-March, the Black Business As-sociation and a number of other Afri-

can American leaders joined the Green-lining Institute in individual personal meetings with a wide-range of Obama Administration leaders. The group met with Secretary of the Treasury Timo-thy Geithner, Federal Reserve Chair-man Ben Bernanke, and with FDIC Chair Sheila Bair. Meetings were also held with Congressional leaders such as Barbara Lee, the Chair of the Con-gressional Black Caucus, and Barney Frank, the Chair of the House Financial Services Committee.

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II, President/CEO, Black Business Association con-veyed both the expectations and the disappointments of America’s forty-three million African Americans. He in-dicated that the African American busi-

ness community was being ignored by key government offi cials and that the banking industry is offering little or any credit to African American-owned busi-nesses.

Also conveyed was the concern that except for a few high profi le African American appointees in the Obama Administration, African Americans were grossly underrepresented among America’s policy makers and on the boards of directors of the hundreds of fi nancial institutions that were directly benefi ting from TARP funds.

Lastly, strong expressions of our con-cern that African Americans who had been discriminated against through subprime loan offerings would be left out in regard to future opportunities to build wealth through homeownership.

The group offered seven major rec-


ommendations.First, we urged a Presidential

Executive Order, consistent with the President’s call for greater transparency, requiring all federal agencies to report to the President and Congress on contract awards by race, ethnicity and gender. Af-rican American-owned businesses receive less than 1% (0.8%) of the federal government’s $650 billion dollars a year in contracts. Instead of less than 1% of the pie, we should be awarded at least 5% of the contract pie, if not more. 5% of contract awards would mean an additional $25 billion dollars a year in federal contracts to African American-owned businesses.

Second, we urged a Presidential Executive Order to require all busi-nesses that receive large (insert a base amount here) federal con-tracts to set goals for contracting with minority-owned businesses and, as a condition of receiving a federal contract, provide data by race, ethnicity and gender. We

believe that with rare exceptions, large federal contractors have either no pro-grams for African American-owned businesses or award African Americans less than 1% of their outside contracts.

Third, because diversity at all fed-eral agencies, particularly at the senior management level, is inadequate, it is time for President Obama to issue an Executive Order on employment di-versity. It could state that every gov-ernment agency and every large (size range) federal contractor should strive to achieve the commendable diversity of the President’s cabinet. That is, forty percent or more of the members of board of directors of large corpora-tions, especially those receiving TARP funds, should be minorities. Today, with a few exceptions, most corpora-

see Washington, DC page 8

(l-r) Earl “Skip” Cooper, II, President/CEO, Black Business Association at Greenlining Institute meeting with Ben Bernanke, Chairman, Federal Reserve Board

A Few Websites Providing Information and Services for Businesses and Individuals

The websites shown here have been established to provide Americans

with information on the American Re-covery & Reinvestment Act of 2009or are ongoing programs that provide assistance and services.

Generalwww.sba.govThe U.S. Small Business Administra-tion offers a variety of business loan support programs.

www.GovLoans.govA gateway to government loan infor-mation.

www.GovBenefi ts.govInformation on Federal benefi ts af-fected by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

www.hud.gov/recoveryHousing and Urban Development Re-covery programs including the Neigh-borhood Stabilization Program.

www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10519.htmlOne-Time Economic Recovery Pay-ment explanatory e-booklet.

www.grantsinfocenter.comThe Economic Recovery Grants Cen-

ter reports and provides information on grant funding appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; Pub. L. 111-5).

http://economicrecoverydigest.comA one-stop shop for up to date infor-mation on public policy dealing with the economic recovery.

www.eere.energy.gov/wipThe American Recovery and Re-investment Act (ARRA), passed in February, included $3.2 billion for the Energy Effi ciency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, which will help fund city and county efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and conserve energy.

www.grants.govEnergy Effi ciency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) application forms and instructions are available at this site.

Californiawww.recovery.ca.govThe State of California’s website

www.dot.ca.gov/RecoveryThe Caltrans website.


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SBA to Boost Small Businesses thru Recovery Act ToolsBy Alberto G. Alvarado, District Director, Los Angeles Offi ce

President Obama and the newly confi rmed Administrator for the

U.S. Small Business Administration, Karen Gordon Mills, are taking actions to make a big dent in the small busi-ness credit crunch.

The Administration and the SBA through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act are expediting fi -nancial relief to alleviate the current economic crisis for entrepreneurs and lenders. The SBA, on its part, is offer-ing new incentives to small business borrowers and lenders through the Re-covery Act and Department of Treasury actions that will help encourage borrow-ing and lending to all small businesses, including start-ups

The SBA is well aware that part of the solution to reviving our economy is jump-starting job creation, encouraging lending, promoting investment in small businesses and utilizing tax incentives.

For small businesses, the Recovery Act temporarily eliminates SBA guaran-teed 7(a) and 504 loan fees and offers tax credits. For lenders, it temporarily eliminates 504 loan fees. The fee elim-inations are retroactive to February 17, the day the Recovery Act was signed.

SBA is developing a mechanism for re-funding fees paid on loans since then.

The Recovery Act also supports guarantees of up to 90 percent on most types of 7(a) loans to qualifi ed small businesses. The temporary loan fee eliminations and 90 percent guarantee provisions will apply to approximately $8.7 billion in 7(a) loans and $3.6 billion in 504 loans. SBA estimates this will cover lending in both programs through calendar year 2009.

In addition, the Treasury Department will purchase existing and new SBA-backed loans made by banks, freeing up more capital so these banks can re-start SBA-backed lending to local small businesses. Treasury will also commit

up to $15 billion in TARP funds to help unfreeze the small business lending market, which will particularly benefi t community banks, credit unions and other small lenders.

SBA staff is working hard to imple-ment the rest of the Recovery Act’s pro-grams for small businesses. There are

a lot of moving parts, but our aim is put these programs in place as quickly and effectively as we can so they have the broadest and most rapid effect possible on small business credit markets.

The Recovery Act provides SBA with $730 million in total funding. This in-cludes $375 million to cover the costs of temporarily eliminating loan fees and raising guarantee limits on some loans; extra funding for SBA-backed Micro-lenders; and $255 million for a new loan program to help viable small busi-nesses with immediate economic hard-ship make payments on existing loans.

The new stabilization loan program called America’s Recovery Capital, or ARC for short, is a temporary program, which will offer deferred-payment loans of up to $35,000 to viable small busi-nesses that need help making pay-ments on an existing, qualifying loan for up to six months. These loans will be 100 percent guaranteed by SBA. Re-payment would not have to begin until

12 months after the loan is fully dis-bursed, giving small businesses time to re-focus their business plans in order to succeed in the long run.

Another element of the Recovery Act that is in place is SBA’s Microloan program. These non-profi t, communi-

Alberto G. Alvarado, DirectorLos Angeles SBA District Offi ce

see Recovery Act Tools page 8

President Barack Obama confers with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernan-ke following their meeting at the White House, April 10, 2009. White House Photo/Pete Souza

tions have no more than one African American on their board and generally no African Americans among their key policy makers.

Fourth, the Small Business Admin-istration (SBA) should be radically re-vamped and should be funded at up to $30 billion dollars a year. The reforms that should be made include setting goals for lending by race and ethnicity and providing a wide range of technical assistance and capacity building to en-able small minority-owned businesses to effectively compete in a highly com-petitive global economy.

Fifth, up to $100 billion dollars of TARP money and economic stimulus funds should be allocated specifi cally to small businesses with a special focus on our nation’s 5 million minor-ity-owned businesses. This focus is essential since virtually all African American-owned businesses (98%) are small businesses and small busi-nesses create 60%-80% of all new jobs in America. In fact, some of the federal government’s $4.4 billion dollars in job training funds training for jobs that no

BBA & Greenlining in Washington, DC

longer exist. The funds might be better spent on training minority unemployed for entrepreneurial efforts such as the creation of new minority-owned busi-nesses in the inner-city.

Sixth, we urged that a code of corpo-rate responsibility, including philanthro-py to underserved communities and management and supplier diversity, should be a requirement for all benefi -ciaries of federal funding including giant fi nancial institutions such as Citigroup, BofA, and Goldman Sachs.

Lastly, we urged that the govern-ment develop creative pro-active ap-proaches to closing the minority ho-meownership gap. For example, low/moderate income families should be provided with the same types of tax credits and deductions as are avail-able to the affl uent. (Presently the vast majority of low/moderate income Afri-can Americans receive little or no tax benefi ts from homeownership while very affl uent families receive as much as $30,000 dollars a year in tax breaks from homeownership.) We also urged renter to homeownership proposals for foreclosed properties. This would cre-ate incentives for renters in foreclosed

from Washington, DC page 5

properties who make timely and afford-able payments to eventually own their home.

Electing Barack Obama as President has been an historic fi rst step but we have a long way to go before the Af-rican American business community or the African American community as a whole participates fully in the Ameri-can Dream. We believe it would be a mistake for us to leave the heavy lifting just to the President. We must all as-sist by pressing for change. We can do so by visiting and communicating with our Congressional leaders, including the key members of the Congressional Black Caucus such as Barbara Lee, Maxine Waters and Diane Watson. We can also do so by communicating with our state leaders such as Speaker Kar-en Bass, and Assemblymembers Mike Davis and Curren Price.

As we forcefully informed the regu-lators and the Congressional leaders during our mid-March meetings in D.C., the African American community will prosper if, for the fi rst time in American history, we are given the same oppor-tunities that have been offered to mis-managed and greedy fi nancial institu-tions. (This includes a second chance, zero percent interest rates and essen-tially free equity capital.).

ty-based lenders make loans of up to $35,000 to small businesses and start-ups. Because this program is already operating, you can go to a Microlender today and apply for a loan. The Recov-ery Act funds $50 million in new loans by these Microlenders, plus $24 million to help pay for the technical assistance and training they provide to loan appli-cants.

The Recovery Act also authorizes SBA to use its 504 program to refi -nance existing loans for fi xed assets as part of a business expansion project; to use its guarantee authority to estab-lish a secondary market for bank loans made under the 504 loan program; and to make loans to broker-dealers who

Recovery Act Toolsfrom page 7

see Recovery Act Tools page 10

Members of the Greenlining Institute mission to Washington, DC meeting with Ben Bernanke, Chairman, Federal Reserve Board



Black Expo: a Platform for Economic RecoveryThe economic downturn will not stop

the Black Business Expo (BBX) from showcasing African American businesses, according to BBX Presi-dent Harold Hambrick.

This year’s event – the 20th Anniver-sary - is slated to be California’s larg-est indoor Black family reunion and will be held Friday thru Sunday, May 1, 2 and 3 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Sponsored by OneUnited Bank, Farmers, the City of Los Angeles and more, this networking extravaganza will enable new and aspiring business owners to obtain pointers from estab-lished corporations and vendors who have been with the Expo since it start-ed, said Hambrick. At the same time, African American consumers, whose L.A. County annual spending power is more than four billion dollars, will have the opportunity to talk to owners about their products and services.

Media representatives and celebri-ties, including Wendy Raquel Rob-inson, Bill Duke and more, will be on hand to meet and shake hands with the residents of Southern California.

Events include the Tom Bradley Busi-ness Institute; Tastin’ Black Culture Food Court; West Coast Black Music Festival; Black Writers on Tour, the Fit-

ness; Health and Sports Pavilion; Af-roKids World; Black College Row; Gos-peLive and Art Zone.

Activities are open to the public and include:

Friday, May 1st - Opening ceremony and ribbon cutting, with L.A. City offi -cials; Tom Bradley Business Institute, featuring workshops and seminars, in-cluding a presentation by Jerome Love, author and President of the Texas Black Expo, Inc.; Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs Youth Summit, exposing invited high students to the business development processSaturday, May 2nd - The Tom Bradley Business Institute, featuring lectures and panel discussions; West Coast Black Music Festival. KJLH’s 9th An-nual Women’s Health Forum, hosted by Jacquie Stephens, will run simulta-neously. Sunday, May 3rd - Hair show and bar-bering competition and the West Coast GospeLive concert. “Also on Sunday,

we are hopeful that church leaders throughout Southern California will join us in commemorating “Black Business Sabbath,” by promoting Black busi-nesses and introducing or re-introduc-ing business owners in their congrega-tions,” said Hambrick.

Founded in 1989 as a way of intro-ducing Black businesses to consum-ers, share information on entrepre-neurism and business development and build long-term relationships, BBX has exposed thousands of small busi-nesses and corporations to nearly a million attendees. Additionally, through the power of the internet, Hambrick founded Black Expos of America (BXA) as a way to raise the profi le of Black businesses around the country and educate the public about the power of harnessing their dollars for community empowerment.

“In this era of price consciousness, BBX felt it necessary to hold down costs, therefore, our ticket prices have not increased,” said Hambrick. “Tick-ets are still only $5 for persons 12 and older. Kids under 12 are free.”

The exhibit area will be open Friday and Sunday, noon to 6, and Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. For vendor booth regis-tration, call 323-290-4743 or visit www.blackbusinessexpo.com.

BBXCommemorates 20th Anniversary


Three L.A. Port Projects Will Create Jobs, Boost Economy

In the midst of this diffi cult economy, there is a trio of good news to report

from one of our region’s largest eco-nomic engines – the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Three im-portant projects were in the news last week and promise to create thousands of jobs in the future.

Port traffi c is down around the world as consumers purchase fewer goods, but the global downturn has hit our ports especially hard. As the “loading dock” for the United States, container traffi c is down more than 20 percent compared to 2008. The impact is being felt throughout the supply chain from port operators to local warehouses to the transportation industry that moves goods to destinations throughout the nation. These job loses accentuate the importance of these three projects to our economy and our families.

The Middle Harbor project at the Port of Long Beach is a 10 year, $750 million project

that will signifi cantly expand port ca-pacity. It will create 1,000 im-m e d i a t e jobs once the shov-els go into the ground and will ultimately create up to 10,000 good-paying permanent jobs. This state-of-the-art “green-growth” project will follow strict environmen-tal building standards and utilize new clean technology such as electrical power in place of fossil fuels. It will also take trucks off our roads through a new on-dock rail facility that will quickly and effi ciently move goods from the port to regional distribution centers.

Up the road at the Port of Los Ange-les, the Plains All American Pier 400 project is closer to construction. The $360 million terminal expansion will en-able faster and cleaner off-loading of crude oil vital to our economy. It’s the fi rst new facility of its kind at the port in nearly 30 years. The project will in-clude major safety and environmental improvements and its construction will

generate 4,800 full-time, one-year jobs. That’s an immediate stimulus with long-term benefi ts.

Finally, the Disney Wonder cruise ship will call the Port of Los Angeles home in less than two years. The move from Florida will generate 2,600 jobs,

contribute $7 million dollars in state and local taxes and bring an estimated 250,000 visitors to Southern Califor-nia. This is a huge benefi t to our local economy that will be felt throughout the region.

This good news should just be the beginning for our local ports. There are additional projects in the pipeline that are critical to Southern California main-taining its edge as a major port in the Pacifi c Rim.

The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are among our greatest opportu-nities to create jobs and accelerate the recovery of our economy. Let’s keep the good news coming and moving at a rapid pace.

Gary L. Toebben President & CEO

Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce

buy SBA-backed loans from lenders and pool them for sale to investors on the secondary loan market.

Also under the Recovery Act, small businesses that need surety bonds to compete for construction and service contracts can qualify for SBA-backed surety bonds of up to $5 million, more than double the previous $2 million maximum.

The bill helps SBA-licensed Small Business Investment Companies by raising the level of SBA funding they can receive to make venture capital in-vestments in small businesses. It also raises the percentage of their invest-ments that must be made in smaller businesses from 20 percent to 25 per-

The Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, L.A. Mayor Antonio Vil-

laraigosa, leading research universities and many business organizations have launched CleanTech Los Angeles, a col-laborative effort to establish Los Ange-les as a global hub of clean technology. To be part of the new Los Angeles, visit the website at http://cleantechlosan-geles.org or contact Alexander Pugh, 213.580.7558 or [email protected].

LA CleanTech Launched

Recovery Act Toolsfrom page 8

cent.Finally, I want to emphasize that all of

SBA’s existing programs are open for business – we are backing loans, and providing technical assistance, train-ing, and contract help to entrepreneurs every day.

In short, SBA is working overtime to get the fi nal provisions in place and open the fl ow of credit to small business entrepreneurs, whose proven ability to create new jobs and commerce is sec-ond to none, and in whose hands the next phase of our economic recovery rests.

The SBA Los Angeles District Office is ranked “No.1” in the country in lending and oversees SBA programs to over 12 million people in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties. The office manages a total loan portfolio that finances more than

3,700 businesses and nearly $1 billion yearly and generates annual contract pro-curements of $589 million. Visit www.sba.gov for more information and to access all of the services available to you.


AT&T Inc. Named 2009 Outstanding Corporation

AT&T Inc. is the recipient of the 2009 Freeman Philanthropic Services

Award for Outstanding Corporation presented by the Association of Fund-raising Professionals (AFP).

The award honors a corporation that demonstrates outstanding commitment through fi nancial support and through encouragement and motivation of oth-ers to take leadership roles toward phi-lanthropy and community involvement. A&T received the honor on March 31, 2009, in New Orleans at the Awards for Philanthropy Banquet during AFP’s International Conference on Fundrais-ing.

Since 2000, AT&T has given more than $800 million to organizations that work to enhance education, support community vitality and meet the criti-cal needs of underserved and diverse communities. Just a few of the causes it supports include The Mayo Clinic; the Mexican-American Opportunity Foun-dation; the Martin Luther King Collec-tion of Historic Papers; American Vet-erans Life Memorial Fund; the Detroit Youth Foundation and the Pentagon Memorial Fund.

“The work of the Association of Fundraising Professionals enhances the achievements and establishes the standards of the philanthropic commu-nity throughout our country,” said Laura Sanford, president of the AT&T Foun-dation. “We are truly honored to be recognized by an organization whose membership sustains the all-important nonprofi t sector, especially during this economic climate. Working with our local communities, we are committed to continuing to invest in the communi-ties where we live and work to support underserved populations and promote programs that create economic oppor-tunity.”

One of AT&T’s most signifi cant initia-tives is AT&T Aspire, launched in 2008 with $100 million to help strengthen student success and workforce readi-ness. The program, one of the largest corporate commitments ever to address

these is-sues, pro-vides grants to: help students stay in school and prepare for the workforce; a companywide job shadowing program in conjunction with Junior Achievement; funding for 100 community dropout prevention sum-mits through America’s Promise and support of major research examining school dropout rates and solutions.

AT&T is also helping senior citizens who wish to reenter the workforce. Its partnership with OASIS, a national non-profi t that works to help mature adults develop new work skills, supports hun-dreds of classes in 70 locations across the U.S. In addition, OASIS is providing mobile phone training with AT&T volun-teers serving as one-on-one mentors.

“The sheer volume of AT&T’s giving is inspiring enough, but the company’s strategic approach to philanthropy is what truly makes it stand out above oth-ers,” said Gail Freeman, president and CEO of Freeman Philanthropic Servic-es. “Its willingness to invest signifi cant amounts of resources to not just alle-viate, but solve critical problems sets the model for other companies. We’re proud to join AFP in honoring AT&T as the outstanding philanthropic corpora-tion for 2009.”

Employee engagement is also a criti-cal goal for AT&T. Nearly 325,000 em-ployees and retirees serve as AT&T Pioneers, donating more 10 million volunteer hours in 2007. Employees contributed over $32 million to chari-table organizations nationwide in 2007 alone, and the company has support-ed United Way organizations through more than $83 million in contributions since 2000.

“Despite the economy, corporate phi-lanthropy is alive and well, and AT&T is one of the great leaders that is dedi-cated to giving back to individuals and communities everywhere,” said Pau-lette V. Maehara, CFRE, CAE, presi-dent and CEO of AFP. “AT&T’s work is

having a real and measurable impact on countless communities, and it is setting the philanthropic standard for businesses in the United States and worldwide.” * * *

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) represents over 30,000 members in 200 chapters throughout the world, working to ad-vance philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certifi cation programs. The association fosters de-velopment and growth of fundraising professionals and promotes high ethi-cal standards in the fundraising profes-sion. For more information, go to www.afpnet.org.* * *

Freeman Philanthropic Services, LLC (FPS) with offi ces in New York City and Boston, is a full-service retained ex-ecutive recruitment fi rm specializing in recruitment for not-for-profi t institutions and organizations. FPS has a distin-guished history of successful partner-ships with a variety of clients including hospitals, academic medical centers, universities, cultural organizations, ad-vocacy and social service agencies, and relief aid organizations. For more information about FPS, please visit its website at www.glfreeman.com.

Our Economic Recovery Plan

(OERP)Do

Business with

BBAAdvertisers& MemberBusinesses

U.S. Government to Allow Travel and Money Transfers to CubaBy JENNIFER LOVEN - AP White House Correspondent


President Barack Obama directed his administration Monday to allow

unlimited travel and money transfers by Cuban Americans to family in Cuba, and to take other steps to ease U.S. restrictions on the island, a senior ad-ministration official told The Associated Press.

The formal announcement was be-ing made at the White House Monday afternoon, during presidential spokes-man Robert Gibbs’ daily briefing with reporters. The official spoke on condi-tion of anonymity so as not to upstage the president’s announcement.

With the changes, Obama aims to create new space for the Cuban peo-ple in their quest for political freedom and a democratic government, in part by making them less dependent on the Castro regime, the official said.

Other steps taken Monday include al-lowing gift parcels to be sent to Cuba, and issuing licenses to increase com-munications among and to the Cuban people. About 1.5 million Americans have relatives in Cuba.

Obama had promised to take these steps as a presidential can-didate. It has been known for over a week that he would announce them in advance of his attended this weekend of a Summit of the Americas in Trinidad and Tobago.

“There are no better ambas-sadors for freedom than Cuban Americans,” Obama said in a campaign speech last May in Mi-ami, the heart of the U.S. Cuban-American community. “It’s time to let Cuban Americans see their mothers and fathers, their sisters and brothers. It’s time to let Cuban American money make their fami-lies less dependent upon the Cas-tro regime.”

Sending money to senior gov-ernment officials and Communist

Party members remains prohibited. Restrictions imposed by the Bush ad-ministration had limited Cuban travel by Americans to just two weeks every three years. Visits also were confined to immediate family members.

Other steps taken Monday include expanding the things allowed in gift parcels being sent to Cuba, such as clothes, personal hygiene items, seeds, fishing gear and other personal neces-sities. The administration also will be-gin issuing licenses to allow companies to provide cell and television services to people on the island, and to allow family members to pay for relatives on Cuba to get those services, the official said.

Also in that Miami speech nearly a year ago, Obama promised to depart from what he said had been the path of previous politicians on Cuba policy _ “they come down to Miami, they talk

tough, they go back to Washington, and nothing changes in Cuba.”

“Never, in my lifetime, have the peo-ple of Cuba known freedom. Never, in the lives of two generations of Cubans, have the people of Cuba known de-mocracy,” he said then. “This is the ter-rible and tragic status quo that we have known for half a century _ of elections that are anything but free or fair; of dissidents locked away in dark prison cells for the crime of speaking the truth. I won’t stand for this injustice, you won’t stand for this injustice, and together we will stand up for freedom in Cuba.”

He also promised to engage in direct diplomacy with Cuba, “without precon-ditions” but with “careful preparation” and “a clear agenda.”

Some lawmakers, backed by busi-ness and farm groups seeing new op-portunities in Cuba, are advocating wider revisions in the trade and travel bans imposed after Fidel Castro took power in Havana in 1959.

But Obama is keeping the decades-old U.S. trade embargo against Cuba in place, arguing that that policy pro-vides leverage to pressure the regime to free all political prisoners as one step toward normalized relations with the U.S.

President Barack Obama greets people at the Port of Spain airport before departing for Washington, D.C. on April 19, 2009. White House Photo/Pete Souza


African First Ladies Health Summit

First-ever and largest gathering of African First Ladies in the United

States convened by US Doctors for Africa & African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering.

Over six years ago, 22 First Ladies and their representatives from across the African continent came together for unity. Recognizing their unique position as First Ladies, leaders and philanthropists, these women committed to building alliances and directing resources towards their populations’ most dire needs, in particular HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and education. Through this alliance, the non-governmental organization African Synergy Against AIDS and Suffering was founded in 2002. Since then, African First Ladies from across the continent have been honored for their work under its mandate, and many have continued to increase their involvement in local, regional and international

initiatives fi ghting for improved health and development in their own countries and beyond.

Key African Synergy initiatives include:•Founding of 55 PMTCT sites, fully equipped with antiretroviral drugs, HIV counseling, and rapid testing diagnostics throughout Guinea, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Mali and Cameroon.•Development of a youth education program focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, for children ages 7-15 years old.•Founding support programs for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC), providing them education, health, social and psychological assistance, for example the Junior Farmer Field and Learning School to develop agricultural and life skills among OVC.

Expected First Lady attendees include current members of African

Synergy and other active First Ladies from across Africa: Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, Central African Republic, Comoros, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Mali, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda and more.

US Doctors for Africa (USDFA) is a non-profi t organization that unites the African and American medical communities in a shared fi ght against HIV/AIDS and other diseases. In light of their shared visions, the First Ladies of African Synergy and USDFA have come together to form an international partnership focused on women’s health and development in Africa. This partnership will be launched through this fi rst African First Ladies Health Summit, to take place in Los Angeles, California, April 20-21, 2009.

For an opportunity to be a part of this historic event please visit http://

see Health Summit page 14


Caltrans District 7 Procurement Fair

Caltrans District 7 is planning a Spring Procurement Fair for Thurs-

day, April 30, 2009. The event will be located in the quad area of the Caltrans District Offi ce at 100 S. Main Street in Los Angeles. All vendors are welcomed and encouraged to come and sell your commodities to our District buyers. A sample listing of supplies and com-modities to be purchased includes, but is not limited to:

Offi ce Supplies Computer accessories

Janitorial Supplies Printer Supplies • Ink Cartridges

Electrical Testing Equipment Safety Gear

Copiers • Fax machines Consulting Services

Paper Goods Be prepared to bring copies of your

brochures, business cards and cata-logues to the fair. This is an opportu-nity for you as a small business to sell directly to Caltrans. “Small Business is Smart Business.” Caltrans under-stands that small business is the en-gine the keeps California’s economy moving. It is our business to Keep Cali-fornia Moving.

For information contact: Thomas L. Knox, Jr., Small Business Administra-tor, Division of External Affairs, Caltrans District 7 at 213.897.0597.

This Task Force is targeted at raising the living standards of middle-class,

working families in America. It is com-prised of top-level administration policy makers, will hold regular meetings, and conduct outreach sessions with repre-sentatives of labor, business, and the advocacy communities. Vice Presi-dent Joe Biden, Task Force Chair, has opened www.AStrongMiddleClass.gov to receive your questions of and suggestions for theTask Force.

White House Task Force on Middle Class Working Families

w w w. i m m i g r a n t m a g a z i n e . c o m /AfricanFirstLadiesHealthSummit.htm or contact Charles Anchang at 310-382-4567 or [email protected].

First Ladies Summitfrom page 14 Support the

BBA


The 2009 Housing Finance Insti-tute™ (HFI) is providing you with

more opportunities for learning than in past years. The HFI team has updated existing courses and developed new ones to ensure you are kept informed of the latest market and policy changes.

Don’t miss out on these educational opportunities–register today at www.efanniemae.com (Training & Educa-tion/Housing Finance Institute). Get started by selecting the region you are interested in visiting. Or, if you are

unsure of the course or courses you would like to attend, simply select the course title that interests you to read a brief course description. Also review course fees.2009 HFI Session Locations

Pasadena, CA: Old Pasadena • Courtyard by Marriott • March 24 - 26Boston, MA: Metro Meeting Cen-• ters • May 19 - 21Chicago, IL: University of Chicago • – Gleacher Center • July 21 - 23

California Black Chamber of Commerce/Chamber Foundation2009 Annual Events and Activities Calendar

June 19thJuneteenth Community Educational FundraiserSheraton Grand Hotel, Sacramento, CA A program dedicated to our young adults to celebrate the history of the African American contribution to the United States and California.

August 19th-21stRon Brown Business Economic Summit & Youth Scholarship Awards Wyndham Hotel, San Jose, CA This is our main event and major fundraiser for the Chamber & Chamber Foundation. The Summit addresses supplier diversity issues, corporate matching efforts, state and federal contracting & procurement opportunities. Our Youth Entrepreneur Summit & Scholarship Awards will climax the Ron Brown Memorial event topped off with exceptional world renowned entertainment.

35th Annual Black Business Association Awards Dinner • June, 2009

Quote of Note...“There is increasing acknowledgement that our national security and global security will not be garnered by force alone. In fact, it cannot be secured without investing in people through

education, health care and poverty reduction.”

Rep. Donald M. PayneU.S. Congressman


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Financial Management:

Tough Times Could Be Tougherby Attorney Caprice L. Collins

Dark clouds are all

around us. The stock market is down. Real es-

tate values are down. Layoffs are up. But, it could be even worse!

With tough economic times, people often look to hold others accountable for their diffi culties. Which is why law-suits tend to rise as the economy sinks. In fact, a 2008 survey of corporate law departments shows increased expec-tations for litigation. So, what can you do to protect yourself?

First, consider placing your business or rental property in a limited liability entity. Let’s say you own a corner mar-ket. If you own it directly, then someone who is injured on the premises could collect against all your assets, includ-ing assets not involved in the business. This could include things like your home and the money you’ve set aside for your children’s education. Let’s say your business has assets of $500,000, you have a home worth $500,000, and you have brokerage accounts with $500,000. The entire $1.5 million could be in jeopardy.

However, if your business were owned by a corporation or a Limited Liability Company (LLC), for example, the injured person could only collect against the $500,000 of assets in the entity, regardless of the amount of the damages awarded to the injured party. Your home and brokerage accounts would be safe.

Second, consider liability insurance. If someone sues you, that is your fi rst line of defense. There is separate li-ability coverage for your home and your auto. In addition, you may need a separate policy for a rental property or any business-related liability, like mal-practice insurance for a doctor. In addi-tion to these separate liability policies, consider an “umbrella” policy which

provides coverage on top of the under-lying coverage. If you had a premises liability policy for your corner market, that policy would protect you up to the policy limit, let’s say $300,000. This would pay fi rst. Then your umbrella coverage would add its limit, let’s say $1 million, on top of that. So, you would be protected for the fi rst $1.3 million of court award against you. However, that would still leave some exposure to li-

ability above the $1.3 million, if you did not have a limited liability entity.

Third, leave assets to your children in a manner which protects them. A trust can protect your children and the assets you leave them from your children’s creditors, their future ex-spouses, tax-es, and even their own misjudgment. A qualifi ed estate planning attorney can help structure a plan that limits liability for you and your family.

Attorney Caprice L. Collins is a member of the BBA, a Harvard Law School graduate, a mem-ber of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys and has been engaged in the practice of law for the last 29 years. For more informa-tion or to attend an upcoming seminar, call (310) 677-9787 ext. 5 or visit the fi rm website at www.collinslawgroup.com.

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Caprice L. Collins is a top rated Harvard Law School trained attorney, fellow alumni with President Barack Obama and a noted speaker on Living Trusts and Estate Planning. Ms. Collins’ law practice is devoted exclusively to estate/business planning and Trust Administration. She is the only South Bay member of the American Academy of Estate Planning Attorneys, a distinguished organization of attorneys recognized by Money Magazine and Suze Orman as a first choice for Estate Planning legal services. Her seminars are said to be “entertaining and easy-to-understand.”

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International:

World Bank to Provide $500m to Boost Trade, Competitiveness in Africa

The World Bank has indicated that it is prepared to approve an addition-

al US$360 million over the next three years for a total of US$500 million in support of Africa’s North-South Corri-dor (NSC) program.

The World Bank’s Vice President for Africa Ms. Obiageli Ezekwesili told a conference in Lusaka, Zambia attend-ed by several African heads of state that the Bank has already approved US$140 million in support of the core investment requirements of the Corri-dor, and is prepared to commit the ad-ditional funding over the coming three years.

The remaining US$500 million will be for non-core projects that are comple-mentary to the NSC.

Core Corridor projects already being funded by the World Bank include the Tanzania Integrated Transport P r o j e c t , and the Z a m b i a R o a d s R e h a -bi l i tat ion and Main-t e n a n c e P r o j e c t . E x i s t i n g c o m p l e -m e n t a r y p r o j e c t s i n c l u d e the Beira Ra i lway, and the R o a d s a n d C o a s t a l Shipping P ro jec t s in Mozam-bique, and

the Malawi Infrastructure Sector Invest-ment Project. Planned complementary projects include a multi-modal trans-port project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Meeting Monday in Lusaka, African leaders lauded donors for pledging up to US$1 billion for the NSC program, which is aimed at reducing the cost of doing business in 23 countries. The World Bank said it is committed to the NSC because of its vital role in inclu-sively developing Africa.

“The Program is creating a new paradigm for economic development in the region – one that deepens col-laboration among regional economic communities, takes a holistic approach to trade facilitation and transport infra-structure, and builds new relationships with development partners and the pri-

vate sector,” said Ms. Ezekwesili.She applauded the member eco-

nomic blocs of the NSC - the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Devel-opment Community (SADC) - for their concerted effort in making the region more competitive in the wake of a glob-al economic crisis.

“At a time when the global economic crisis severely threatens Africa’s recent economic achievements, the Program highlights the central importance of fo-cusing on regional solutions. More than ever, regional integration is an essential strategy for redressing the impacts of the current crisis, unlocking economies of scale, and sharpening competitive-ness in Africa,” she said.

She, however, reaffi rmed that un-leashing economic growth through the

Women’s Leadership Training Program Announced

Moremi Initiative for Women’s Leadership in Africa is pleased

to announce its call for applications for the 2009/2010 Moremi Leadership Empowerment and Development (MI-LEAD) Fellows Program.

The MILEAD Fellows Program is a one-year leadership development program designed to identify, develop


see World Bank page 26

see Leadership training on page 23

North South Corridorcomprises the Dar es Salaam Corridor linking the port of Dar es Salaam with the Copperbelt; and North-South Corridor linking the Copperbelt to the southern ports in South Africa. Together with its adjacent spurs, the corridor services eight countries - Tanzania, DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa.

www.silverfi shvideos.tv/NSC

and promote emerging young African Women leaders to attain and succeed in leadership in their community. The one-year program targets dynamic young women interested in develop-ing transformational leadership skills that help them tackle issues affecting women in their communities. Applica-tions are welcome from young women living in Africa and the Diaspora.

“A FEW NOTES ON AFRICA”

$7.5 Million Grant to Sister Cities International

Sister Cities Intern ational announced the launch of a major program to support urban communities in Africa. With funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, totaling $7.5 million, cities across the United States will work with their sister city counterparts throughout Africa to address development issues over the next three years. The foundation grant represents the largest grant ever received by Sister Cities Intern ational. Information about the new program can be found at www.sister-cities.org.

Rwanda Signs TreatyRwanda recently signed on to the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC). The IPPC is an international treaty to secure

action to prevent the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products, and to promote appropriate measures for their control. It is governed by the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) which adopts International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). www.ippc.int.

Libya and Algeria Prepare for Upturn in Oil Needs

Libya will invest US$10 billion to US$12 billion in its oil industry this year, exceeding its total investment from last year. Also, Libya purchased Canada’s Verenex Energy Inc, blocking China National Petroleum Corp’s deal to acquire the company. While, Sonatrach, the Algerian energy group, has increased its domestic and international investment programme by 41% in anticipation of a recovery in demand for oil and gas.

South Africa to Offer an


MILEAD fellowship awards will be made to as many as 25 young women between the ages of 19 and 25, with exceptional qualities who have exhibit-ed leadership potential in their commu-nity, organization, and/or profession.

To be eligible for the one-year pro-gram, an applicant must be African, liv-ing on the continent or in the Diaspora; agree to participate in all required ac-tivities related to MILEAD including a three-week residential Summer Institute in August; and, commit to a community

leadership s e r v i c e project and internship. S p e c i f i c r e q u i r e -ments of the pro-gram and r e l a t e d dates are outlined in the appli-cation.

Leadership Trainingfrom page 22

Electric Car Optimal Energy, which manufactures the electric-powered Joule, indicates that a pilot fl eet will be on the road by 2010. The company is capitalising on South Africa’s technological prowess, its track record of building

premium cars for the export market, and the immense progress in battery technology. After the pilot fl eet is launched, the company plans to begin mass production in 2012.

SEE YOU ON THE CONTINENT.

Applications are welcome from young women living in Africa and the Diaspora. We invite you to nominate emerging young African Women lead-ers with the potential to help transform their community.

Application package is available at: www.moremiinitiative.org. The dead-line for completed MILEAD Fellows ap-plications to be submitted for review is April 30, 2009.

Interested applicants should submit the following materials by the applica-tion deadline:1.Completed MILEAD Application Form2. Resumé/Curriculum Vitae (C.V.)3. Two letters of recommendation from professional or academic contacts

For more applications or information, please contact:

MILEAD Program CoordinatorP.O. Box CT 5604, Accra, GhanaEmail: [email protected]: +233 21 770 736 Ghana) +1 404 502 1006 (USA)www.moremiinitiative.org.


Business Management:

Ten Tips for Making Your Business More Effi cientfrom Cisco Solutions www.cisco.com/go/smb

To keep pace in an increasingly com-petitive world, your business needs

to run as effi ciently as possible. “Soon-er or later, any company not operating effi ciently will be out of business,” says Laurie McCabe, vice president of small and medium business insights and so-lutions for research fi rm AMI-Partners. Effi ciency is even more important for small and medium-sized businesses, McCabe adds, because their resourc-es are limited compared to large global companies.

Here are 10 tips for using network technology to help your business work more effi ciently, cut costs, improve cus-tomer satisfaction, and stay ahead of the competition.

1. Give employees secure, consis-tent access to information. You have an advantage over larger competitors because you can react quickly to busi-ness changes. But you can quickly lose this edge if your company network is frequently down, sluggish, or unse-cured. A secure, reliable network based on intelligent routers and switches lets your employees access the information and tools they need to keep ahead of competitors.

2. Deliver anytime, anywhere access to employees on the go. To stay pro-ductive on the move, your employees need to be able to reach the people and information they need—anywhere, anytime. With tools like virtual private networks (VPNs), your employees can work outside the offi ce and still enjoy safe access to the business network.

3. Create effective business pro-cesses with partners. Some large companies make effi cient, secure busi-ness processes a prerequisite for doing business with them. To meet the busi-ness needs of your partners, you need a secure, reliable network.

4. Make it easy to work together. Smooth collaboration between employ-ees, partners, suppliers, and custom-ers is a sure-fi re way to boost effi ciency while also reducing costs. An intelligent network lets your business take advan-tage of interactive calendaring, video-conferencing, unifi ed communications, and other technologies for easy col-laboration.

5. Enable employees to take their phone systems wherever they go. Missed calls create project delays, wasted opportunities, and lost reve-nues. With a networked voice and data solution, your employees can have one phone number that rings simultane-

ously on multiple devices, so custom-ers reach the right person the fi rst time. Your staff can access all their commu-nications from anywhere, checking for e-mail, voicemail, and faxes from just one inbox.

6. Streamline customer communica-tions. Delivering fast, knowledgeable service is the best way to keep cus-tomers satisfi ed. Linking your network phone system to a customer relation-ship management (CRM) solution is a great way to enhance customer com-munications. When a customer calls, a pop-up window with their records appears on an employee’s IP phone screen, computer screen, or both.

7. Reduce unproductive travel time. All too often, time spent on the road is time lost. A networked phone solution that offers video calls and Web confer-encing can help reduce the time and expense of traveling to offsite meet-

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World Bank

NSC program requires policy admin-istrative reforms supported by political will. She cited administrative reforms required to pull down national barriers in trade such as reducing cross-border clearing procedures, which lead to de-lays for both road and rail freight. She bemoaned the operational barriers be-

tween national rail networks.“The Southern railway system is

physically integrated, yet locomotives from one country are not allowed to travel on another country’s network – we estimate the resulting delays in shipments cost as much as US$120 million a year,” Ms. Ezekwesili told the conference She, therefore, stressed the

need to revisit contractual relationships and access rights linking the railways along the Corridor to make them more benefi cial to trade in the region.

Earlier the African Union Commis-sion Deputy Chairperson Mr. Erastus Mwencha told the conference that de-lays are not only at the border posts but at sea-ports as well where it takes an average of 23 days for a ship to off-load. One stop border crossings, such as the Chirundu post between Zambia

from page 26

and Zimbabwe, have been commend-ed as an effi cient way of reducing de-lays across borders.

The Africa Vice President applauded the four Heads of State who attended the conference, saying their leadership is key to the region’s development. The host of the conference, Zambian President Rupiah Banda, was joined by President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya who is the chairperson of COMESA, South African President Kgalema Montlanthe

chairperson of SADC, and Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni who represented the EAC. Several other donors also attend-ed the conference, including the Euro-pean Union, DFID, USAID, and Japan

For more information about the World Bank in Sub-Saharan Africa, please visit: www.worldbank.org/afr.

Ms. Obiageli “Oby” Ezekwesili, Vice President for the Africa Region, World

Bank at conference in Ghana

Support the BBA


Equal Housing Lender. © 2008 Countrywide Bank, FSB. Member FDIC. Trade/service marks are the property of Countrywide Financial Corporation, Countrywide Bank, FSB, or their respective affiliates and/or subsidiaries.

If you’re a Countrywide mortgage customer having a difficult time making your house payments, call one of our specially trained Home Retention Specialists. Countrywide wants to help you to keep your home. The sooner we can talk, the sooner we can try to help.

Call Countrywide Mortgage Help: 1-888-200-5872 Reference number: 222

If you’re having trouble making your house payment, you’re not alone.

Call us. We may be able to help.

5 AM – 9 PM PT, Monday – Thursday5 AM – 7 PM PT, Friday

Inc. 500|5000 Awards - Make the 2009 List

The Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest growing privately held companies

has been published by Inc. magazine

www.inc.com

since 1982. In 2007, the list expand-ed to the Inc. 500|5000, giving read-ers a deeper, richer understanding of the entrepreneurial landscape and capturing a broader spectrum of suc-cess.

For companies who make the list, Inc. will share their story with the world. The top 5,000 will be profi led on Inc.com, while the top 500 will be covered in the September 2009 issue of Inc. magazine.

The Inc. 500|5000 also recognizes the top 100 companies in every met-ropolitan area and industry area, as

well as categories such as Women Owned and Minority Owned business. All honorees are invited to our annual Inc. 500|5000 conference and celebra-tion.

You could be a winner!! But you can’t win if you don’t apply. Apply for the 2009 Inc. 500|5000 by April 15th at www.inc.com.


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Queen Aminah’s Clothing also offers Community Outreach Services:•Fashion Shows for Churches, Organizations and Civic Associations•Black History Presentations for Schools, Churches, Corporations and Government Agencies•Rites of Passage Programs for At-Risk Teen Girls, Teen Mothers, and Adult Women

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3rd Annual Leimert ParkVillage Book Festival www.leimertparkbookfair.com

Saturday, June 6th • 10 am – 6 pmLeimert Park Village Theatre Parking Lot

(43rd Street & Degnan Blvd.)

Writers, storytellers, spoken word performers, poets, publishers, artists,

illustrators, booksellers & literary vendors

Special Highlights:•Four Presentation Stages

•Meet the Authors•Children’s Village & Reading Corner

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Youdeserve every opportunity to succeed.

You are proud. You are committed. You are a leader. You are an ethnically diverse business owner, and you deserve a bankthat can help you fulfill your dreams. Union Bank of California’s Business Diversity Lending program recognizes this andoffers a variety of smart financing options and flexible, less restrictive lending requirements.Whether you need short-termfinancing to help run your day-to-day operations, or long-term financing for new equipment or building improvements,your dream of running a successful business is well within your reach.

This is not a commitment to lend. Financing subject to credit and any applicable collateral approval.Other restrictions may apply. Eligible borrowers must meet all criteria for the BusinessDiversity Lending program. Financing available to businesses located in California, Oregon orWashington.Terms and conditions subject to change.

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To see if you qualify, stop by your local branch,call 1-888-818-6060, or visit unionbank.com/diversebizloans

Crenshaw Branch: Karen Smith, Branch Manager, 3501W. Jefferson Boulevard, (323) 737-3483Ladera Heights Branch: Renee Givhan, Branch Manager, 6719 LaTijera Boulevard, (310) 342-1779

Meeting Management:

Wendy’s Worldby Wendy Gladney

The month of April has a lot to of-fer the business professional that

wants to promote what he or she is do-ing via giving back to the community. No matter what your background, ex-perience, or interest, there’s something for you…check out the following topics for the month of April.

•Workplace Confl ict Awareness Month


•Autism Awareness Month•World Habitat Awareness Month•Alcohol Awareness Month•Resurrection Day!•EasterSo no matter what you like or what

touches your heart there’s something you can get involved with to make a dif-ference. If you don’t know where to start, you can always “google” to learn information about any of the above.

April is also very important to me because we will be celebrating the 2nd Annual PLUS Awards benefi tting our charity, “Forgiving For Living, Inc.” www.forgivingforliving.com that helps women and girls overcoming issues of abuse and abandonment. The event will be held at the Beverly Hills Hotel on April 25, 2009! Come join us as Vanessa Bell Calloway is our Emcee, Saxophonist Mark “Panther” Felton will be our entertainment, Danny Bakewell, Jr., is our Event Chair and we’ll be hon-oring community advocates such as Bunny Wilson, Ms. Shabazz, Tony Waf-ford, Lois Buckman, Dorothy Randle & Jasmyne Cannick!

To keep up with what’s happening with Wendy and PSP check out our blog www.personalservicesplus.blog-spot.com.

PSP’s Calendar of Events…•Joseph Business School Seminar – April 18, 2009•The PLUS Awards – April 25, 2009•CLBCF Conference – May 13 – 16, 2009•NBBC/Break the Cycle Reception – June 11, 2009•Joseph Business School Summit – June 24 – 26, 2009

Give your all in all that you do.Then the PLUS won’t just be more,

it will be the difference!

Sincerely,

Wendy Wendy, a BBA member, is the founder and presi-dent of Personal Services Plus, Inc., an Event Management Company. Visit www.personalser-vicesplus.com . You can also hear Wendy on Dominique DiPrima’s “KJLH Radio Front Page” Friday Mornings @ 5:00am.

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The PLUS Awards is an annual fundraiser that benefits Forgiving For Living, Inc. - a nonprofit

organization designed to give solutions to issues of hate, anger, bitterness and the inability to

forgive. FFL Inc.'s objective is to help promote and restore mental wellness and provide mentorship

to individuals who have dealt with issues of abuse, abandonment, and low self-esteem while aiding

in the restoration of one's self-confidence and direction in life on the path to forgiveness.

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President Barack Obama and his economic team unveiled a $15

billion plan to assist small businesses that will temporarily eliminate lending fee and boost bank liquidity to unfreeze credit markets.

During a meeting with lawmakers and business leaders, the president re-iterated his commitment to small busi-ness, calling the sector the heart of the American economy. America’s small businesses have generated about 70% of net new jobs annually over the past decade, says the Obama administra-tion.

The small business plan aims to j u m p -s t a r t c r e d i t m a r -kets for s m a l l b u s i -

nesses by purchasing up to $15 billion in securities, temporarily raise guar-antees to up to 90% in the SBA’s 7(a) loan program, and temporarily elimi-nate SBA loan fees to reduce the cost of capital.

“By increasing the SBA loan guaran-tee to 90% and temporarily eliminating fees on 7(a) and 504 loans, President Obama’s plan will reduce the risk lend-ers face when they make new loans while making those loans more afford-able to small business owners,” Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), chair of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “By getting cap-ital fl owing again to small businesses, we will help get the country out of the economic crisis.”

The administration also said that the 21 largest banks receiving government money must report monthly on how much money they are lending to small businesses. All other banks getting government assistance must report quarterly on small business loans. And those banks that aren’t taking govern-ment funds were told to make more

of an effort to increase small business lending.

The Internal Revenue Service will now also allows businesses with gross receipts of up to $15 million to “carry back” their losses for up to fi ve years – up from two years, effectively allowing them a rebate on taxes paid in previous years. The Joint Committee on Taxa-tion estimates that this measure will in-crease liquidity for small businesses by $4.7 billion by September 30, 2009.

To get the ball rolling, by the end of

Government:

$15 Billion Small Business Plan


see $15 Billion on page 36

Alberto G. Alvarado, DirectorLos Angeles SBA District Offi ce

March, the Treasury Department will begin making direct purchases of secu-rities backed by SBA loans to get the credit market moving again, the White House said, and it will stand ready to purchase new securities to ensure that community banks and credit unions feel confi dent in extending new loans to local businesses.

These purchases, combined with higher loan guarantees and reduced fees, will help provide lenders with the confi dence that they need to extend credit, knowing they both have a back-stop against their risk and a source of liquidity.

“The government’s promise today to purchase up to $15 billion worth of SBA loans is a jolt in the arm for com-munity banks. I would expect hundreds and hundreds, probably into the low thousands, of community banks to jump back in the SBA [loan] business and spur development on Main Street,” said

Cam Fine, president and chief ex-ecutive of the Independent Community Bankers of America. “One of the rea-sons many minority banks are strug-gling is that the local bank, the bank on the corner, is unable to extend credit because their balance sheets are clogged up because they can’t get loans off of their books into the second-ary market. This initiative will unclog that market and get credit fl owing down Main Street.”

As the fl ow of credit has dried up during this recession, many small busi-ness owners who acted prudently and responsibility have been affected by the reckless behavior of others in that they’ve had loan applications denied and lines of credits reduced or can-celed. As a result, SBA guaranteed loans, which are usually about $20 bil-lion a year, will likely be below $10 bil-lion this year.

In addition to eight small business and community bankers, the elected offi cials in attendance were Landrieu; Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R. Maine),

ranking member of the Senate Small Business Committee; New York Rep. Nydia Velazquez, chair of the House Small Business Committee; and Mis-souri Rep. Sam Graves, ranking mem-ber of the House Small Business Com-mittee.

Although his company is larger than the average minority business, Albert Fuller, chairman and CEO of Integrated Packaging Corp. (No. 30 on the BE In-dustrial/Service 100 list), says his com-pany has been severely affected by the credit crunch. For the past two years, in fact, it has had to fund most of its capital projects using its own fi nancing and in-ternal cash sources. Integrated is in the process of expanding both of its plants, for which it is putting in about $10 mil-lion of capital. Fuller, who attended to-day’s White House conference, thinks the initiatives announced will remind bankers that lending is a high priority for the Obama administration and that it is watching.

“We’re outside of the SBA realm, but we are applying for loans from some of the larger banks that have received TARP money. This occasion and oth-ers like it will be very helpful in making those conversations more fruitful,” said Fuller.

Sterling Crockett, chairman and CEO of Sterling Construction Services Inc., in Baltimore, is one of the few lucky small business owners who hasn’t been hurt by the frozen credit market. Crockett, now in the last two years of the SBA’s 8(a) program, has previously used SBA loans and plans to in the future. He was particularly interested in the provision that eliminates capital gains taxes on private investment in small businesses. “That is very encouraging and helpful because we’re exploring all options; nothing’s off the table,” said Crockett, who also attended the White House event. He’s heartened by today’s news because it will help him expand both the company’s capacity and its reach, en-abling him to be fully prepared for any American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of and other contracting opportuni-ties that he hopes will soon come his way.

Joyce Jones contributed to this article.

$15 Billion

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from $15 Billion on page 35

Our Economic Recovery Plan

Do Business with

BBAMember

Businesses & Advertisers



Watch & Support the Africa Channel!Time Warner • Channel 176

Don’t have the Africa Channel in your area? Call Time Warner at: 1-888-892-2253 and ask that the Africa Channel be broadcast to ALL regions of Califor-nia.

For information on the Africa Channel visit www.theafricachannel.com or send an e-mail inquiry to [email protected].

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We share with you the beauty of Tanzania; its rich natural resources, warm, friendly people, and a wealth of cultural experiences; offer the opportunity to gain an appreciation of the fl ora and fauna of these beautiful lands, which will evoke the need to protect and enhance these experiences for today and future generations.

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Ex-Im Bank AnnualConference

75th Anniversary Annual Conference “Export Finance: A Key to

Economic Recovery”April 16-17, 2009

Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC

Ex-Im Bank’s Africa team’s feature panel

“Africa: Opportunities in the Big 5” will explore commercial opportunities in sub-Saharan Africa with a special

focus on Angola, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa.

Representatives from each coun-try’s mission in the United States will discuss projects in their homelands,

focusing on prospective U.S. sourcing and Ex-Im Bank fi nancing assistance.

For information: w w w. e x i m . g o v / n e w s / a n n u a l -conf/2009/index.cfm

International Edition

Black Business News

Four issues a yearWinter • Spring • Summer • Fall

Call for advertising ratesand information.

Call to be added to theInternational Edition

mailing list.

323-291-9334or

e-mail: [email protected]

The Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations (AS-

CAC) and several other organizations are leading tours to Brazil in August 2009. The focus of the tours is the an-nual Boa Morte celebration that takes place in Bahia, Brazil.

In Bahia, Africa abounds! Salvador is the “most” African of all of the Brazil-ian cities. 90% of the population of over two million people has African ancestry. The local cuisine, musical traditions, dance forms and Bahia’s vibrant visual arts are all testaments to this permeat-ing African infl uence.

Cachoeira Bahia Festivals Festa de Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte Festival falls on the Friday closest to 15 August and lasts three days. Orga-nized by the Irmandade da Boa Morte (Sisterhood of the Good Death)—a se-cret, religious society of African-Brazil-ian women—the festival is celebrated by the descendants of African slaves, who praise their liberation with dance and prayer and a mix of themes from Candomblé and Catholicism. It is per-haps the most important festival in the African Heritage calendar in Bahia and is a living tribute of African culture and

Travel:

Festival of the Boa Morte 2009


Diaspora to the New World. The festi-val is part of the history of mass impor-tation of blacks from the African coast to the cane-growing Reconcavo region of Bahia.

The former slaves have demonstrat-ed enormous adroitness in worshipping in the religion of those in power without letting go of their ancestral beliefs, as well as in the ways they defend the in-

terests of their followers and represent them socially and politically.

Search on “Boa Morte” for more in-formation.

To take part in this tour and experi-

ence the past and the present, honor and better understand our heritage in one exciting tour package. Contact the ASCAC tour service provider: CON-SOLIDATED TOURS ORGANIZATION, INC., 1675 Virginia Avenue, Suite 200, Atlanta, Georgia 30337-2845 USA, Tel: 404-767-2727 or via e-mail: [email protected].

Reservations must be completed by June 9, 2009.

April…3rdThe Greenlining Institute’s 16th Annual Economic SummitThe annual event will be held at the Center at Cathedral Plaza, 555 West Temple Street-Downtown Los Angeles. Confi rmed speakers include: Richard Davis, CEO, US Bank and Randall Stephenson, CEO, AT&T. The Green-lining Big Brain Award will be presented to Earl “Skip” Cooper, President/CEO, Black Business Association. Register Now at www.greenlining.org/summit.25thAfrican Goodwill Recognition Awards & Induction CeremonyThe awards ceremony to be held at the Veteran Auditorium Complex in Culver City showcases the challenges and accomplishments of men and women whose commitment in great mea-sure has given hope to the poor in Africa, the Caribbean and in American inner cities. The event emphasis is on bringing communities and businesses together to continue the commit-ment in helping people in need.

The African Family Induction Ceremony ini-tiates eminent African Americans into African families in different African countries. The cere-mony serves as a conduit through which the ar-tifi cial barriers that exist between Africans and their relatives in the Diaspora may be erased and lays a foundation for the formation of a new African family that is inclusive of our cousins outside the geographical boundaries of current African continent.

For information on awardees and inductees as well as ticket information visit the website at www.africanfocus.org or call 310-676-7300.May…7th2nd Annual Spring Green FairMetropolitan Water District hosts this free fair at 700 N. Alameda, downtown from 9 am to 3 pm. Benefi t from a day of meeting Green vendors and attending workshops on susainability top-ics. Contact the Business Outreach Offi ce for information: 213)-217-6719, www.mwdh2o.com and www.bewaterwise.com.


14thInternational Trade OutlookGet up-to-date insight into the international trade outlook for 2009. International trade continues to provide more than 281,000 jobs in the region. During 2008, goods valued at more than $357 billion moved through the Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex and LAX/Ontario airports. Register at www.LAEDC.org/tradeoutlook. Early Bird prices until May 1st. 8:00-10:00 am at Keesal, Young and Logan - 14th Floor, 400 Oceangate - Union Bank Building, Long Beach, CA 90801-1730..17th-20th14th Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference & Expo“Shifting Gears: New Markets, New Opportu-nities” will be held in Detroit, Michigan at the Detriot Marriott in Renaissance Center. The power confernce for entrepreneurs and pro-fessionals looking to fi nd new markets and new opportunities in these volatile economic times. Hundreds of deal makers are expected to attend—from aspiring business owners to top-tier professionals—all looking to build net-works and seek growth opportunities. Expect innovative sessions, high-powered speakers, and an early peek into the products, trends, and services you’ll need to know about to stay competitive. Find information and registration at www.blackenterprise.com/events/entrepre-neurs-conference.25thAFRICA DAYWorldwide celebration of African heritage. Check your local organizations for scheduled events.28thBBA’s Annual Awards DinnerCall 323-291-9334 for detailed information.June…27th-July 1st2009 Annual Conference - Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education FundThe conference will take place at the Hyatt Mc-Cormick Place, Chicago, Illinois. Get informa-tion or register at www.rainbowpush.org or call 773-373-3366.29th-30thG8 Corporate Africa Infrastructure Investment Conference The conference will take place at the Royal Gar-den Hotel, Kensington in London. Get informa-

tion at www.corporate-africa.com/nepad2008.July…22nd-25th13th Annual International African American Hotel Ownership / Multi-Cultural Tourism Summit & Trade ShowThe 4-day summit will take place at the Doral Golf Resort & Spa. Topics include means of becoming a hotel owner or investor and partici-pating in the tourism industry. Register at www.nabhood.com or call 323-291-9334 for detailed information.August…9th-16thBahia, Brazil - Festival of the Boa Morte 2009Experience the culture of Afro-Brazil on this exciting tour. See details on page 49 For infor-mation send an e-mail query to [email protected].

27thLeon H. Sullivan Summit Awards Celebration - Africa RisingThe gala awards dinner will be held at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. For information visit www.the-sullivansummit.org.September…3rd-7thBlackEnterprise/Pepsi Golf & Tennis Challenge 2009JW Marriott Grande Lakes, Orlando, FL. Go to www.blackenterprise.com/begt.

For a complete listings of events around Southern California visit

SAVETHEDATECENTRAL.com

Send your event notice to:

Calendarat [email protected].

Calendar

Name: Title: Company: Address:

City: State: Zip Code: Telephone: Fax: E-mail: URL: Type of Business: Year Established: W/MBE Certified by:

NAICS Codes: Briefly describe your products and/or services

New membership Renewal Membership

Select Type of Membership

Regular Member-$200 annual dues 51% African-American owned, Voting membership

Corporate Member-$2,500 annual dues Major corporation, Non-voting membership

Associate Member-$100 annual dues Non-business owner, Non-voting membership

Student Member-$25 annual dues Full-time registered student, Non-voting membership

Amount enclosed $

Payment type: credit card Visa MasterCard

Card #:

Signature Exp. Date / Fax Payment to: 323-291-9234

Payment type: check/money order—make payable to: Black Business Association Mail to: P.O. Box 43159, Los Angeles, CA 90043 USA

For information Call: 323-291-9334 Email: [email protected]

Website: www.bbala.org

MEMBERSHIPAPPLICATION

Please complete then submit this form with your payment. Please type or print.


Open Supplier Certi fi cati on

ProcessThe Verizon Communications Corporation is seeking to identify a greater share of African American-owned and operated businesses to match to potential operating contracts. The data base that Verizon procurement management personnel are instructed to review is the California Public Utilities Commission Clearinghouse.

BBA members wanting to expand market opportunities with a telecommunication company should consider completing a supplier certifi cation application. To obtain an application go to the Internet web address www.cpuc.gov and visit the supplier diversity page for an online application.

The BBA encourages all members to participate in this process that works to create greater opportunities for all African-American owned and operated fi rms. Last year the California Verizon Company reported an annual spend with African American owned suppliers in excess of $40 million.

VVERACITY REALTY, INC.

“Dedicated to Truthfulness”

Let us see what we can do for you in both Commercial & Residential fi nance!

Jonathan Thompson, Commercial Broker Phone: 800-455-2142 Cell: 323-309-2885

Rhonda Thompson, Residential Loan Offi cer Phone 800-455-2142 Cell: 323-387-9439

CA Dept. of Real Estate, Real Estate Broker: 01781216*APR: Includes appraisal, title insurance, escrow, points & other loan cost is 6.487%

ings and training sessions. Instead of spending time traveling, you can use the time to get work done with technology.

8. Employ a managed ser-vice provider. Is managing a network the best use of your employees’ time? In some situations, it is advan-tageous to hire a managed service provider for network administration. Working with a managed service provider can free your IT staff to focus on other IT tasks and use their time more effectively. 9. Improve employee sat-isfaction. Aging phone sys-tems and slow networks can frustrate your employees

and an-noy your customers. In some cases, an employee might become burned out and decide to move on. To help ensure that employees are productive and satisfi ed, your business needs a secure, reliable, and fast network.

10. Develop a long-term technology plan. The pro-cess of replacing obsolete hardware can interrupt your employees and bring the of-fi ce to a standstill. You can minimize such disruptions by carefully determining short- and long-term busi-ness objectives and working with your network vendor to deploy technology that matches them.

Ten Tipsfrom page 24


Reach Thousands Leaders in Business and Government

Black Business News


Advertising Opportunities 1x 2x 3x 4xFull Page Color w/Feature Story $2,500 $2,250Full Page Color $2,000 $1,800 $1,600 $1,400Full Page B/W $1,500 $1,400 $1,300 $1,200Half Page Color w/Feature Story $1,250 $1,200 $1,150 $1,100Half Page Color $1,000 $ 875 $ 825 $ 775Half Page B/W $ 750 $ 725 $ 700 $ 675Quarter Page Color $ 500 $ 450 $ 400 $ 350Quarter Page B/W $ 350 $ 300 $ 250 $ 200Box Ad Color $ 350 $ 300 $ 250 $ 200Box Ad B/W $ 250 $ 225 $ 200 $ 175Business Card Ad $ 125 $ 100 $ 80 $ 60

RATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE For more information contact: Earl “Skip” Cooper, II at 323-291-9334 E-mail: [email protected]

Ad Type MeasurementsFull Page 7.50”x10”Half Page 7.50”x 5.0”Half Page 3.75”x10”Quarter Page 3.75”x 5.0”Eighth Page 5.0”x 3.0”Box 2.25”x 3.0”

YOUR LINK TO BLACK BUSINESS ENTERPRISE and the AFRICAN GLOBAL ECONOMIC COMMUNITY (GAEC)

The Black Business Association, SBA 2007 Journalist of the Year, is pleased to invite you to be an integral part of our publication. Black Business News - International. The Black Business News is the offi cial voice through which public and private entities advertise business and investment opportunities, gain access to a highly affl uent target market via outreach and advertising opportunities.

•Outreach to Black Businesses in the USA and around the world•Advertorial/Feature Story Advertising•Profi les and Business Listings•Classifi ed Ads and Bid Opportunities

Our readers are BBA members, Black business owners, corporate buyers, prime contractors, community organizations and elected offi cials, who all turn to the Black Business News for business development news and information to take their businesses to the next level of profi tability and success!

Don’t be left out of this door-opening publication.

Reserve Your Ad Space Today!Call 323-291-9334 • E-mail: [email protected]

Special Offer:50% Discount for Regular Financial BBA Members

Fall 2008USD$5.00


ContentsCorporate Giving: EOY charitable

opportunities in health, education, hous-

ing, and more.

Tourism: Investment in Africa’s tour-

ism industry is active, vital and is evident

all across the continent.

Feature Articles: “Strategies For Constructisve Engagement with the African Diaspora”

“Diaspora Engagement: Remittances & Beyond”Investment Pro le: Moyo District

of the Republic of Uganda

Professional DirectoryCharitable Investments

Black Business NewsServing the Global African Economic Community

Rev. Leon R. Perry, III in Ghana with recently orpaned twins

see Corporate Giving page 21

At Comerica Bank, we choose to care about the dreams and visions

of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. We choose to celebrate equality and

diversity among all people, and we’re dedicated to ringing the bells

of freedom. Choose to celebrate the dream with us.

Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.

www.comerica.com

Choose to care.Choose to celebrate.

Choose to dream.

Crenshaw3825 Crenshaw Boulevard

Los Angeles

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El Segundo

800-888-3595

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Documents

BBA News April 09