Black Enterprise articles from July 2008

Black Enterprise archives from July 2008

Best companies for diversity.(Web Features)
July 1, 2008... Measuring a company's diversity efforts is about more than a snapshot in time. Maintaining excellence in this area requires addressing one of the most critical challenges: recruiting, retaining, and developing talent in the executive pipeline...

Online extras.(Web Features)
July 1, 2008... 1 Kids and Finance One of the principles of the BE Declaration of Financial Empowerment is that equipping kids with the skills to budget and save helps prepare them for a stronger financial future. Learn more by downloading our Wealth...

Black enterprise podcasts.(RESOURCES)
July 1, 2008... Get personal finance, homeownership, consumer, career, and small business advice each week as BE'S editors assist you with gaining the Keys to a Better Life. * Consumer Intelligence with Consumer Affairs Editor Sheiresa McRae * For...

Our troops deserve our best.(publisher's page)(American troops at war)(Essay)
July 1, 2008... One of the key issues on the minds of Americans as we approach the home stretch of the 2008 presidential election race is when and how we will bring our troops home from theaters of war in Iraq and Afghanistan. These questions have an even more...

The future of diversity: who's in the pipeline.(About This Issue)
July 1, 2008... Jerri DeVard. Virgis Colbert. Ann Fudge. Emerson Fullwood. Donna James. Carl Horton. What do they have in common? You might recognize these names as those among the nation's most accomplished leaders who regularly appear on BLACK ENTERPRISE's...

Financial illiteracy.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... I have been an avid reader of BLACK ENTERPRISE for years. While I was happy to see coverage dedicated to the green movement in the African American business community (April 2008), I was disappointed to bind not one article on April being...

Subliminal messages.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... IT TRULY DISTRESSES ME THAT BLACK ENTERPRISE MAGAZINE, one of the nation's premier African American-owned publications, would run a Ralph Lauren advertisement featuring a white male as one of the first two ads in the April issue. I am an...

Imagery is important.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... THE NEGATIVE IMAGES PORTRAYED ON THE COVER OF Jacqueline Beauchamp's College Football video game disgust me (Techwatch, April 2008). The women are half-naked! BE, please be advised that large financial returns are not enough to elicit praise...

Corrections.(Letters)(Correction notice)
July 1, 2008... The name and title of Dr. Mack Roach III are incorrect in "America's Leading Doctors" (May 2008). Dr. Roach is professor, Department of Radiation and Urology; chairman, Department of Radiation and Oncology, University of California, San...

Psychiatrists are doctors, too.(Letters)(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] It is with trepidation that I ask you: Did you really not find one psychiatrist to add to the list of best black doctors in America? I looked and looked, and I'm sure I must have missed the number of wonderful...

The green gap.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2008... AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WHO WORKS ON ENVIRONMENTAL sustainability issues, it was refreshing to see your April 2008 feature "Growing a Green Business:' Unfortunately, I was disappointed by the lack of information on the huge disparity between...

Adapt or die: Savvy CEOs weather the downturn of the auto industry by adopting new technologies.(Steel Industry's earnings)(Industry overview)
July 1, 2008... AT SET ENTERPRISES INC. (NO. 24 ON THE BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with $205 million in revenues) volume is up, but margins are down. Sid E. Taylor, chairman and CEO of the 19-year-old company that processes steel for auto manufacturers,...

Net connections: media companies make strategic partnerships with online social networks to gain market reach.(BUSINESS NEWS)
July 1, 2008... THE VALUE OF INTERNET-BASED SOCIAL NETWORKS appears to be on the rise as media companies recalculate strategies for delivering products to consumers, Recently, Byron Allen's company' Entertainment Studios Inc., formed a partnership with the...

Lombard leaves Starbucks: coffee company restructuring its entertainment unit in an effort to invigorate sagging sales.(NEWSMAKER)
July 1, 2008... KEN LOMBARD, WHO JOINED STARBUCKS COFFEE CO. IN 2004 to head its entertainment division, stepped down from his position in April, as the company announced it would revise its entertainment strategy. Lombard, 53, who was senior vice president...

Peter Bynoe trades up: sports stadium developer takes his acumen to Loop Capital Markets.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] PETER C.B. BY NOE HAS BEEN NAMED MANAGing director of corporate finance at Chicago-based Loop Capital Markets L.L.C., (No. 2 on the BE INVESTMENT BANKS list with $3.2 billion in senior-managed issues). The company's...

High energy: Gaurdie Banister joins Aera as president and CEO.(Aera Energy L.L.C.)
July 1, 2008... GAURDIE E. BANISTER JR. HAS BEEN APPOINTED PRESIDENT AND CEO OF AERA ENERGY L.L.C. in Bakersfield, California. becoming one of the first African Americans in the nation to run a major energy company. Aera Energy, jointly owned by affiliates of...

Ripple effects: parents' fears keep children away from the water but closer to drowning.
July 1, 2008... ONLY 1% OF THE ATHLETES THAT MAY BE COMPETING IN water sports in the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games next month are African American, according to the USA Swimming Foundation. In an effort to educate more black athletes about water sports and to...

Behind the numbers: when it comes to earnings, look for quality, not just quantity.(companies' profitability)
July 1, 2008... AS WE HEAD INTO EARNINGS SEASON FOR THE SECOND quarter, make sure that you're focusing on what matters most. All too often investors fixate on how much a company is earning, rather than the actual quality of the earnings. Yet with so many...

It takes more than one: Eric Small approaches the midyear market from several angles.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... We've reached the midway point in a rough-and-tumble year. The equity markets have had a bumpy go of it. One day the S&P 500 is tripped up by credit woes, another day it's hamstrung by a spike in oil prices. It'd be great to have a magic wand...

Retail woes: the shoe didn't fit for Gerald Loftin's stock picks.(DSW Inc.'s sales and securities)
July 1, 2008... EACH OF THE THREE STOCKS THAT GERALD LOFTIN picked in May 2007 has since lost investors money. But designer shoe retailer DSW Inc. really tanked. "It certainly has gotten killed," admits Loftin, who runs Renaissance Financial Group in...

Hit the books: four terrific picks to hello you learn more about investing.(Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist; A Random Walk Down Wall Street; One Up on Wall Street; Moneyball)(Book review)
July 1, 2008... IF YOU REALLY WANT TO RAISE YOUR INVESTING INTELLIgence, hit the books. Even reading just 15 minutes a day can make a big difference. Beyond magazines and the business section of your daily newspaper you might be surprised by how many...

Caring for an aging parent: be sure to investigate all your options for financial assistance.
July 1, 2008... Ask a chronically ill parent where he or she wants to live and chances are the response will be, "At home for as long as possible." But is that an affordable option for Morn and Dad as they get older and their healthcare needs change? Maybe......

Where to start.(investment and retiring)
July 1, 2008... QA I am married with four children and have less than $500 in savings, want to get into investments and save for retirement but do not have a clue as to where and how to start. --L. Smith Via the Internet With four kids, it may...

Happy trails: RV franchisor gives road traveling enthusiasts a lift.(Bates International Motor Home Rental Systems Inc.'s services)(Company overview)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] SANDRA WILLIAMS BATE MAKES MONEY WHILE SHE sleeps and helps others do the same. As co-founder, CEO, and president of Bates International Motor Home Rental Systems Inc., a Las Vegas-based recreational vehicle...

Prescription for health: choosing the best healthcare plan for your workforce and your bottom line.
July 1, 2008... BRAD GILES IS AT A DISADVANTAGE. THE 25-YEAR-OLD owner of Giles Holdings International, a real-estate development company in Atlanta, is interviewing candidates for his first hire but finding the right person for the job has been difficult. ...

Doing the right thing: entrepreneurs make social responsibility part of their business.
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] FOR SHARON WARNER AND HER OBSTETRICIAN/GYNECOLOGIST husband, Christopher, it wasn't enough to engage in eco-friendly practices such as recycling and conserving water usage at home. As owners of a thriving medical...

Two taking flight.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... QA My wife and I would like to start a business in an airport. What information is out there that would allow us to pursue our dream? --The Parkers Ashburn, VA The decision to take off into entrepreneurship is always risky, but...

The next wave: CEO hopes to bring more African Americans into IT.(MetricStream's chief executive officer, Shellye Archambeau, information technology)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN SHELLYE ARCHAMBEAU LEFT A JOB EARLY ON IN her career to take a new assignment, her old boss assessed her chances of succeeding in a male-dominated corporate environment. According to him, Archambeau was missing...

Game on! African Americans get a shot at $17.9 billion video game industry.(TECH NEWS)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ECONOMIC WOES CAUSED BY A WEAKENING JOB MARKET, mortgage crisis, and rising fuel prices may have stopped consumers from buying new clothes, cars, homes, and other goods. But it has not stopped them from buying the...

Road trippin': here's how to take your next road trio in style.(Buyers guide)
July 1, 2008... TURN WHERE? GPS AND TRIP PLANNING This may not be the perfect summer for a road trip. But if you're one of the many Americans still willing to brave the traffic, unending choruses of "Are we there yet," and record-breaking gas prices we...

Cool, on a dime.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Q A I am looking for a mobile device that does the usual-plays music, videos, and a little extra--but doesn't cost an arm and a leg. What are my options? Does "cool" have to cost so much? --C. Keith Los Angeles While Apple's...

Branding specialist: a savvy professional looks at how the big picture keeps her products relevant to consumers.(Wonya Lucas)(Interview)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The marketing function has changed in the past decade. Why has it become so important? Today the world is really complex, and there are so many messages and so many different types of media and ways of attracting...

Mentoring support.(Earl Cokley's Mentoring Dilemmas: Developmental Relationships Within Multicultural Organizations )(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... AFTER LEAVING HIS MULTICULTURAL TEAM IN NEW YORK AND RELOcating to Scripps Networks' less diverse headquarters in Knoxville, Tennessee, Earl Cokley made the media and marketing company's goal of increasing diversity within management a top...

International growth.(POWERPLAY)
July 1, 2008... "THE U.S. ECONOMY IS BECOMING AN INCREASINGLY SMALLER PORTION OF the global business environment," says Christopher Catlin, an associate with Booz Allen Hamilton, a strategy and technology management consulting firm based in McLean, Virginia....

National job search.(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... Q A I am 24-year-old female with a bachelor's degree in forensic science and criminal justice and I will be receiving a master's in public affairs in December. What's the best way to go about finding a job in another city or state? The job...

Gladys DeClouet.(senior vice president of Burger King Corp.)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Senior Vice President, North America Company Operations Organization: Burger King Corp. Location: Miami Responsibilities: Overseeing operations and profitability of company-owned...

George Brown.(Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher L.L.P.'s Securities Litigation Partner)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Securities Litigation Partner Organization: Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher L.L.P. Location: Palo Alto, CA Responsibilities: Overseeing securities litigation and accountant liability Former...

Morace Landy.(Atlantic Recording Corp.'s executive vice president)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... New Position: Executive Vice President, Urban Promotion Organization: Atlantic Records Location: New York Responsibilities: Managing radio promotion efforts of chart-topping recording artists Former Position: Senior Vice...

Lisa Bonner.(Dreier L.L.P.'s Partner, Entertainment Department)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Partner, Entertainment Department Organization: Dreier L.L.P. Location: New York Responsibilities: Providing counsel in transactional matters for media and film distribution companies and...

Stephanie Mays-Boyd.(The Pennsylvania Convention Center's vice president)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] New Position: Vice President, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Relations Organization: The Pennsylvania Convention Center Location: Philadelphia Responsibilities: Leading sales and marketing efforts to...

Convention calendar.(POWERPLAY)(Calendar)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Indiana Black Expo Summer Celebration & Black Business Conference July 10-20; Indianapolis; 317-925-2702; www.indianablackexpo.com Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc. 75th Grand Conclave July 13-18; Birmingham, AL;...

The heart of the matter: doctors lead an initiative to improve cardiovascular health for African Americans.(TRENDS)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] As Americans are expressing interest in bettering their health, the African American community remains stagnant on health improvements, says Dr. Christopher J.W.B. Leggett, director of cardiology at Medical...

America's leading doctors: the contributions of psychiatrists can't be overlooked.(SPECIAL REPORT)(List)
July 1, 2008... Consistent with our previous listing, we used the following criteria: * All physicians are leaders in the area of psychiatry. * All were confirmed as being certified (as of March 21, 2008) in accordance with the American Board of...

Diversifying pays off: the Browns use a disciplined investment approach to reach early retirement.(Black Wealth Initiative)(Bruce Brown and Lisa Brown)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Declaration of Financial Empowerment From this day forward, I declare my vigilant and lifelong commitment to financial empowerment and hereby pledge the following: 1 I will use homeownership as a foundation...

Making ends meet: Dana and Julius Williams struggle with finances and eldercare.(Financial Fitness Contest Winner No. 92)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] UNEXPECTED EVENTS ARE PART OF life. And perhaps no one knows this better than Dana and Julius Williams, in 2005--at the age of 46--Dana's mother suffered a stroke. She is now unable to live alone because she cannot...

Roundball & round lots: don't overlook sports and other enticements to help teach your kids about saving and investing.(PERSONAL FINANCE)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ROUGHLY A YEAR AFTER THE HIGHLY publicized incident, Ralph Baker Jr. stands before a small crowd talking about Don Imus and the Rutgers University women's basketball team. But this isn't a discussion about race or...

Basic training: M.B.A. loses some of its luster but remains degree of choice for executives, entrepreneurs.(EXECUTIVE EDUCATION)(master of business administration degree)
July 1, 2008... ON TODAY'S EVER-CHANGING BUSINESS battlefield, executives and entrepreneurs alike must be fully armed. There's one weapon that has always been effective for corporate warriors: the M.B.A. For more than 25 years, minorities especially have...

The 40 best companies for diversity: many companies wave diversity banners. But when crafting their succession plans, are they moving black executives into the starting lineup?(SPECIAL REPORT)(Cover story)(Company overview)
July 1, 2008... WHEN FRANKLIN RAINES WAS APPOINTED chief executive officer of Fannie Mae in 1999, he became the first African American CEO of a major corporation. Called the Jackie Robinson of corporate America, he broke through a color barrier at the highest...

A loving heart: how the effort of one helps many.(EVERYDAY HERO)(Pamela Salaam-Jaha of Salaam Arts & Inspiration)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WITH A DESIRE TO IMPROVE THE TRAJECTORY OF NEW York inner-city youth, Pamela Salaam-Jaha says she is committed to creating viable educational opportunities--even if it means one student at a time. As founder and...

Creating your legacy: how to live a life everyone will remember.(PEAK PERFORMANCE)(Benjamin S. Carson Sr. of Carson Scholars Fund)
July 1, 2008... Despite growing up poor in Detroit's housing projects with lousy grades and a volatile temper, Dr. Benjamin S. Carson Sr. has become one of the world's most recognized medical experts. "I'm proud of my medical accomplishments, but I'm elated...

Letting go.(PEP TALK)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... QA My son is a recent college graduate who needs help getting into the job market. Unfortunately, he has no experience. He didn't intern while in school, and his overall GPA is 2.8. We realize now that he should have worked or done some type...

Family reunion travel deals: reunite--without the hefty price tag.(CONSUMER LIFE)
July 1, 2008... THERE'S NO TIME LIKE SUMMER FOR A FAMILY REUNION. While a large family gathering might bring joy to your heart, the expense of airfare, hotel, food, and souvenirs is enough to give you heart palpitations. However, there are family reunions for...

Five ways to save money on gas: on your way to the pump, don't get taken to the cleaners.(BEST DEALS)
July 1, 2008... It's likely that you're still reeling from rising food costs and mortgage rates. And to add insult to injury, gas prices are on the rise. As of mid-May, the national average price of a gallon of unleaded gasoline was nearly $4. If you cringe...

Kids eat free! Save big on family meals.(PRICELESS RESOURCES)
July 1, 2008... WHOEVER SAID THERE ARE NO FREE LUNCHES HASN'T PAID A VISIT TO THE local Denny's or Pizza Hut recently An increasing number of restaurants across the country are serving up "kids eat free" nights and specials. In light of the rising costs in...

Zombie debt.(ASK YOUR ADVOCATE)(Brief article)
July 1, 2008... I have a charge-off on my credit report from a credit card that I haven't paid in two years. Another company bought the account and they're attempting to collect from me. Do I have to pay this debt? --H. Owens Jacksonville, FL A...

Dine and dash: event architect Juan H. Montier III designs a progressive dinner party that unfolds in three homes.(EXECUTIVE ENTERTAINING)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] AN IMPRESSIVE SOCIAL EVENT STARTS WITH A BIG IDEA for interior and event designer Juan H. Montier III. The task at hand: A soiree that allows his clients in an affluent subdivision of Roswell, Georgia, to network...

A space to call your own: Robin Harmon-Myers designs with harmony in mind.(CONCIERGE SELECT)
July 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATIONS OMITTED] FLORAL AND SPICED SCENTS FILL THE AIR. IN EACH SPACE, one can find unique shapes, colors, and textures in the seats, mirrors, tables, pillows, and other decorative pieces. Anything goes. "I just have to love it,"...

Food and wine countries: the delights of a Mediterranean culinary cruise.(Greece, Turkey, and Italy)
July 1, 2008... Greece Athens As the Air France jet soared southward above the Adriatic Sea, the Dalmatian coast of Croatia--and its hundreds of tiny islands--soon vanished. Or so it seemed. First, the sun's white light overwhelms the senses. Then it...

Backtalk: Musiq Soulchild on music education.(Interview)
July 1, 2008... POISED TO RELEASE HIS YET UNTITLED FIFTH studio album this summer, Musiq Soulchild, 30, blends R&B, soul, funk, rock, blues, jazz, and hip-hop to create a unique style of music. With popular albums such as Aijuswanaseing and Juslisen that...