FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JULY 23, 2012 NEWS RELEASE U.S.

BLACK CHAMBER (USBC) TO HOLD MINORITY BUSINESS LEADERS BRIEFING WITH SENIOR OBAMA ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS AT THE WHITE HOUSE Day-long event will take place during the Annual USBC School of Chamber Management Conference, July 24-27 Washington, D.C. The U.S. Black Chamber (USBC) and Senior White House and Obama Administration officials will participate in a day-long Business Leaders Briefing: Celebrating our Business Leaders A Day with the Top 100 African American Business Owners in America, on Friday, July 27, 2012, from 7:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m., at The White House (Eisenhower Executive Office Building). The Briefing will feature top African American business owners, who will participate in a discussion on how the Administration is impacting key issues of concern within the business community, and how businesses can partner with the Obama Administration in the future. The invitation only event is part of the USBCs Annual School of Chamber Management Conference that is taking place July 24 27, at the Georgetown University Hotel and Conference Center (3800 Reservoir Road) in Washington, D.C. The Conference is sponsored by Wells Fargo, United Airlines, Dell, Inc., Clarity for Consumers, Inc., IBM, Pricewaterhouse Cooper, Bloomberg Government, OutreachSpeed, NACA, National 8(a) Association, National Grid, Merrill Lynch, FDIC and the U. S Department of the Interior (DOI). Our Chambers face a wide range of challenges, including the need for more jobs and economic development programs, access to capital, minority contracting opportunities, and small business development, says USBC President, Ron Busby, Sr. This event provides our members with a unique opportunity to discuss these issues and receive high-level briefings from our governments top officials. The goal is to help the USBC enhance relationships with their members, local businesses, as well as their communities through partnerships with the Administration, he said.

The USBC Partners Expo and Luncheon will follow the Briefing (1:00 4:00 p.m.), and will feature a discussion on Chamber access to capital, contracting, entrepreneurial training and business solutions. The day will culminate with an After 5 Awards Reception (7:00 10:30 p.m.), honoring D.C. Congresswoman, Eleanor Holmes Norton, and an awards presentation for USBC members and partners who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and achievement. George Fraser, Chairman and CEO of FraserNet, and one of the foremost authorities on networking and building effective relationships, will serve as the Master of Ceremonies. The USBC promotes the growth, efficiency, and influence of minority chambers of commerce through education, training and the sharing of industry best practices. The goal of the USBC School is to help minority chamber executives and professionals build the skills needed to successfully manage and grow a chamber, facilitate small business growth, and promote economic development. Additionally, the USBC School of Chamber Management serves as a source of information on small and minority business development, and industry trends. The four-day event will feature a host of dynamic speakers, including CNN Contributor, Roland Martin and John Bryant, Founder, Chairman and CEO, Operation Hope. Through plenary sessions and workshops, participants will share successful approaches and strategies on empowering chambers to enhance management practices and strengthen national connections, while making a difference in the communities they serve. This years School will examine all of the critical issues faced by minority chamber professionals, from board governance and membership development to generating revenue. The conference format will consist of Group Projects as well as workshop sessions including: Strategic Planning that Moves Organizations Forward (presented by Octavia Caldwell, Organizational Consultant); Evaluate Your Reach.Growing Your Chambers Capacity (presented by Sean Rugless, President, African American Chamber of Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky); 7 Fatal Flaws of Non-Profit Boards and How To Fix Them (presented by M. Gasby Brown, CEO & Executive Consultant, The Gasby Group, Inc); How to Engage Large Sized Black Owned Businesses in Your Community (presented by Ken Harris, President, The Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce); Engaging Young Professionals in Your Community (presented by Bill Diggs, President, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce and Natalie Cofield, President, Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce); Access to Capital (moderated by Kerwin V. Brown, Treasurer, with panelists: Tim Ranney, CEO, Clarity for Consumers; Jerry Flavin, Assistant Administrator, SBA, Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; and Marvin Clark, Vice President, Sr. Relationship Manager, Business Banking, Wells Fargo). Other offerings include: Government Contracting (moderated by Aubry L. Stone, Chairman, with panelists: Mark Oliver, Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU), Department of the Interior (DOI); Leslie Crawford, Deputy Director, Office of Minority & Women Inclusion, (FDIC); and Lamont Norwood, Team Leader for Procurement, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Small Business Programs); Numbers Dont Lie: How Sound Financial Management Fuels Your Strategic Goals (presented by Bridgett Gagn, Managing Partner, CPA, MBA Gagn, Parker CPAs, PLLC); Traits of a 21st Century Leader (presented by Sylvia Henderson, President, Springboard Training); Maximizing Your 2

Communication Strategy (presented by Michele Thornton, Senior Director, Multi-Cultural Ad Sales, CNN; George Curry, Media Coach; Cloves Campbell, Jr., Chairman, National Newspaper Publishers Association; and Julia Dudley-Najieb, Owner, Ann Marie Production); The Legalities of Protecting Your Chamber; Advance Your Chambers Advocacy Agenda (moderated by Charles ONeal, Advocacy Chair, U.S. Black Chamber, Inc., with panelists: Anita Estell, Shareholder, Polsinelli Shughart and Ann Sullivan, President, Madison Services Group).

About the United States Black Chamber, Inc. (USBC)________________________________ The United States Black Chamber, Inc. provides committed, visionary leadership and advocacy in the realization of economic empowerment. Through the creation of resources and initiatives, it supports African American Chambers of Commerce and business organizations in their work of developing and growing Black enterprises. The USBC has 107 Chambers and affiliated Business Associations in 20 states, supporting 240,000 small businesses through its Five Pillars of Service: Advocacy, Access to Capital, Contracting, Entrepreneur Training, and Chamber Development. It is an economic force, with key strategic partners, and represents a powerful constituency. There are 1.9 million privately held Black-owned businesses across every industry sector in the United States, employing over 921,000 persons, and generating $137.5 billion in annual revenue. Of the 1.9 million Black-owned businesses, nearly 912,000 are owned by African-American women.
In addition, the USBC School of Chamber Management is the only program of its kind that

convenes the best of its chamber leadership, corporate partners and policy makers from across the country for an annual conference. To learn more about the USBC, its advocacy agenda, and national network of Black chambers, visit www.usblackchamber.org.

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