Planning for National Black MBA

CHICAGO, IL — Looking beyond the nation’s current economic uncertainty, more than 5,000 conferees are expected to attend the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) conference in Philadelphia, PA, to grapple with the projected long-term business talent shortage anticipated to reach crisis proportions by 2008. The organization, celebrating its 25th Anniversary Conference under the banner, Changing the Course of Your Future, opens on September 23 and concludes on September 28, 2003, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Corporate leaders, minority business professionals, educators, students, career development experts and recruiters have heeded the urgent call by the country's premier minority business professional organization to ensure the availability of minority talent required to keep the American business engine moving.

“This year’s conference marks a turning point. We recognize the current economic conditions, but we must be forward thinking and ensure that a steady stream of executive talent is available to fill the projected 500,000 new entry and mid-level job openings trend experts predict will be needed every year for the foreseeable future,” said Alvin Brown, businessman and board chairman of the of the Chicago, Illinois-based National Black MBA Association. “Currently,only 250,000 business majors are graduating from college each year to fill those positions,” Brown added.

The All-Star line up of speakers and presenters the NBMBAA has attracted to this year’s anniversary event include: noted entrepreneur and attorney, Willie Gary; Honorable Marc H. Morial, newly appointed President and CEO of the National Urban League and former two-term Mayor of New Orleans; Ted Childs, Vice President of Workforce Diversity for IBM; Rodney O’Neal, President, Delphi Corporation’s Dynamics, Propulsion and Thermal Sector; author, businessman and motivational speaker, Stedman Graham; Ancella Livers and Keith Caver, co-authors of the newly published “Leading in Black and White: Working Across the Racial Divide in Corporate America”; networking guru and author of “Success Runs In Our Race: The Complete Guide To Effective Networking in the African American Community,” George Fraser; Dr. Ella Bell co-author -more-of “Our Separate Ways,” a study of black and white women in corporate America, and New York Times best-selling author, E. Lynn Harris.

The organization will again host the National Student Case Competition sponsored by Daimler Chrysler. This year, 34 teams comprised of outstanding African American MBA students entered the competition and will vie for scholarships. “We’re looking toward tomorrow and nurturing the talent already in the academic pipeline,”said Alvin Brown. “Grooming executive talent takes time, interest on the part of seasoned business executives and the knowledge that career opportunities exist. The National Black MBA Association remains committed to serving as a training ground for students choosing a pathway toward the business world,” Brown stated.

NBMBAA’s annual Career Fair, known as the one of the largest career expositions in the country for African American business professionals, will feature representatives from 300 major corporate partners. The Career Transition Center offers conference participants the opportunity to have their resumes reviewed, critiqued and revised to match the latest standards by industry professionals. “Both of these conference events serve as solid career advancement avenues for business professionals,” Adams stated.

Conference workshops and seminars support the organization’s mandate to prepare its membership for advancement. Intensive training sessions focusing upon business leadership skill development, career management in today’s volatile economy and career changing strategies are among the programming selections offered to attendees. The ever-popular Club MBA will once again be open during the six-day confab for networking, reconnecting with business colleagues and general idea exchange.

More information about the conference and registration can be obtained by visiting the National Black MBA Association Web site at www.nbmbaa.org.

Conceived in 1970 and formally incorporated as a nonprofit organization in 1972, the Chicago, Illinois-based National Black MBA Association is comprised of nearly 6000 blacks holding masters in business administration degrees, business professionals, students and entrepreneurs located in 39 chapters nationwide, and internationally in Great Britain. The Association’s goal is to create intellectual and economic wealth in the black community by tapping African American executive talent, championing African American business professional development and promoting African American career advancement. The 33-year old business organization advocates for the interests of the estimated 95,000 black MBAs on a wide array of issues affecting educational opportunity, employment advancement and executive leadership. •