Business Focus
Briefs
Wafts
Rep. Watts still looking at his options
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A month away
from his official retirement as a U.S. representative,
J.C. Watts doesn't have a full-time job lined up, but
the former wishbone quarterback has some options.
He's going to do some paid speeches and has
agreed to let the Washington Speakers Bureau repre
sent him. HeJias offers to serve on corporate boards
and he says he wants to start a consulting firm.
Watts, who just turned 45, also has his autobiog
raphy - "What Color Is a Conservative?" - to pro
mote.
He made the final cut for the president of the'
NCAA, but the job was given to Indiana University
President Myles Brand.
Watts interviewed for a financial job in New
York City, but traffic snarls and the hectic pace of
the city didn't fit.
After more than a decade in a public office.
Watts is in for some life changes. It will be the first
time since 1991, when he was sworn in as an Okla
homa corporation commissioner, that Watts' world
won't revolve around public service.
Since 1995. Watts has been
the only black Republican in
the House, representing Okla
homa's 4th District, which
includes his home in Norman.
Watts recalled being criti
cized when he first came to
Washington for saying that he
didn't want to be a black
leader, just a leader.
Now, he said, other black
politicians have followed suit.
Democratic Reps. Harold Ford
Jr. of Tennessee and Gregory
Meeks of New York have been quoted as saying they
were tired of being identified as black Democrats.
"Ironically, when Harold Ford Jr. said a lot of the
things I had said, it was cool for him to say it,"
Watts said. "There has to be somebody who makes it
cool to be who you are."
Though Watts refused to join the Congressional
Black Caucus, he took on traditionally black causes,
seeking recognition for blacks in the nation's histo
ry, and traveling to Africa to talk democracy and
economic development.
The legislation he worked the most on, aimed at
helping the nation's most impoverished areas with
tax incentives and allowing faith-based groups to
get governmental aid for social services, was only
partially approved.
Senate Republicans may take up the faith-based
issue when they resume.
Watts said he would leave it to "pundits and his
torians" to decide whether he had broken any barri
ers in his four terms.
, "I have shown." he said, "you can be black and
be conservative and not have horns."
Recent events in his life have caused Watts to
make choices about his future in office.
The last few years, he said, have been tough.
T\vo of the biggest influences in his life, his father,
Buddy, and uncle. Wade. died. He was shaken by the
tragedies of April 19. 1995, and Sept. 11, 2001, and
by the tornadoes of 1999.
Las Vegas hotel settles bias suit
for $1.14 million with EEOC
(Special to the NNPA) - The Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has settled a
$1.14 million lawsuit against the Mirage Hotel and
Casino in Las Vegas for discriminatory practices
against black job applicants.
The settlement agreement, filed concurrently
with the EEOC's lawsuit, provides for $840,000 in
compensation for African-American and Hispanic
workers, along with implementation of appropriate
complaint procedures, anti-discrimination training
and record-keeping obligations to be monitored by
the EEOC.
Olophius Perry, director of the EEOC's Los
Angeles district office, which has jurisdiction for
Nevada, told reporters: "in addition to providing a
substantial amount of monetary relief to the victims,
the settlement puts in place extensive mechanisms to
help prevent discrimination in the future. By moni
toring the employer for the next three years, the
commission will be in a position to act quickly
should discrimination or retaliation occur again."
Remarking on the cooperation between the
EEOC and MGM Mirage in resolving the suit. Anna
Y. Park, regional attorney of EEOC's Los Angeles
district office, said: "The commission congratulates
all concerned in reaching this settlement. We believe
that The Mirage and its parent company are com
mitted to a policy of nondiscrimination. During the
next three years, we will work with The Mirage to
ensure that the procedures put in place by this set
tlement agreement will be administered properly."
Chamber's West Area Council
will present breakfast meeting
The Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce West
Area Council will present a holiday breakfast meet
ing Dec. 12 from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. (registration, net
working and coffee at 7:15 a.m.). The event will fea
ture the Southwest Singeifs of Southwest Elementary
School.
The breakfast will be held at Village Inn Golf &
Conference Center in Clemmons (1-40 Exit 184).
The breakfast is free to chamber members, but reser
vations are required by Dec. 9 to 777-3787. exten
sion 1922. Lexington State Bank is sponsoring the
breakfast.
Selling cars has made Amos famous
r~Tv7
, Photo by Courtney Gaillard
Thomas Amos on the lot at Modern Chevrolet.
BY COURTNEY GAILLARD
THE CHRONICLE
You could say that Thomas "Famous" Amos has
been in the car business almost all of his life. From the
time his father owned several gas service stations in
Winston-Salem Amos began learning and loving cars.
Although he started working on cars at the age of 10,
Amos' automotive sales career didn't begin until 1974
at Lou Healy Chevrolet. It turned out to be a good fit,
because Amos is currently a sales consultant with
Modern Chevrolet, where he has been selling pre
owned automobiles since 1986.
"The (Modem Chevrolet) owners are very loyal to
their customers and to their employees," said Amos
about why he has remained in car sales for so long.
A picture of Chevy Impalas made over a 10-year
period hangs in Amos' office and serves as a reminder
not only of his favorite automobile but also of the first
car he ever bought and sold. As a teenager, he would
buy a car. fix it up and then sell it in a few days, just
to do it all over again with another car.
"I'm a fanatic about my cars," laughed Amos, who
said he is adamant about washing his car, sometimes
every day.
Amos, who spent his entire life in Winston-Salem,
graduated from West Forsyth High School and was
Foundation invests in downtown
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
The most significant commit
ment in The Winston-Salem
Foundation's history was
announced Nov. 26. The Founda
tion Committee approved a mini
mum grant of $2 million to sup
port downtown revitalization
efforts and local economic devel
opment programs.
This multiyear pledge will be
pooled with gifts from corpora
tions. individuals and other foun
dations. The $45 million Millen
nium Fund will be invested in
downtown residential improve
ment. infrastructure development
and economic development. The
foundation has been asked to
administer the Millennium Fund.
The Millennium Fund was
established by the Winston-Salem
Alliance, which is currently led
by Andrew J. Schindler, chairman
and CEO of R.J. Reynolds Tobac
co Co. The alliance will appoint a
subcommittee of its members, as
well as representatives from the
foundations, lead donors, the
Downtown Winston-Salem Part
nership and other representatives,
to oversee the administration of
the fund. This Millennium Fund
Oversight Committee will review
and approve all expenditures.
The foundation has positioned
itself to continue its traditional
grant-making to nonprofits in this
community and be able to partici
pate in the Millennium Fund in a
very meaningful way.
"A healthy, thriving down
town is very important to our
community," said Richard Budd,
the foundation's chairman. "And
we believe that a vibrant down
town where people can meet and
interact informally will go a long
way towards improving social
capital. When new businesses
look at Winston-Salem to relo
cate. our downtown is part of the
mix, and it needs to be a place
that has excitement and energy."
The vision is that hundreds of
people will eventually want to
live and work downtown. Down
town will have become alive
because it will be Winston
Salem's intellectual and econom
ic center, bustling with exhilara
tion. *
The Millennium Fund will
make grants in three main areas:
? Downtown residential devel
opment - Two existing projects
are targeted as the highest priori
ty: the historic Nissen Building
conversion (approximately 145
units) and the Goler/Depot Street
Community Development Corp.
for ongoing efforts to create
affordable housing in the CDC
area. This three-block neighbor
hood revitalization plan is
designed to spur additional pri
vate sector housing investment by
providing a critical mass of
downtown residents.
* Infrastructure development -
This includes:
* Downtown property control
to acquire or protect certain prop
erties.
* Loan fund for inducing a
mix of small businesses - retail,
arts, restaurants and entertain
ment - to move or stay down
town.
* Creation of downtown parks
and other public areas to provide
the architectural or other design
of open spaces.
* Support of downtown organ
izations such as regular operating
support to the Downtown Win
ston-Salem Partnership.
* Support of existing down
town events and festivals.
* Downtown capital projects
fund to encourage broader civic
participation in projects undertak
en by educational, entertainment
and arts organizations downtown,
such as a new public library or
Sawtooth building renovations.
* Economic development -
This includes:
* Business park development
to develop additional business
parks in Winston-Salem and
Forsyth County in anticipation of
the growth generated by the
FedEx hub.
* Economic development fund
to continue the recruitment of
new businesses.
A&T hires new administrator
Young
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
GREENSBORO - Lee Young
has been appointed assistant vice
chancellor for enrollment man
agement and director of admis
sions at N.C. Agricultural and
Technical State University. Young
will supervise the offices of
admissions, student financial aid
and the registrar. He will also
chair the Enrollment Manage
ment Committee.
Before this appointment he
served as associate vice president
for enrollment management at
Indiana Slate University in Terre
Haute. Ind.
Young has more than 25 years
of experience in higher educa
tion, five as an instructor and 20
in the enrollment management
nrnfpccinn
at such
institutions
as the Uni
versity of
Arkansas
Fayetteville
and Wichita
State Uni
versity. He
has partici
pated in and
1
I V. U V ill IUU3
national enrollment management
seminars and workshops that
were designed to enhance profes
sional development and strategic
planning for enrollment man
agers.
Young is affiliated with
numerous organizations, includ
ing the Mid-Western Regional
Council for the College Board,
where he chaired the Governance
Review Committee and was a
member of the Program Planning
Committee. He also chaired the
Transfer and Articulation Com
mittee for the American Associa
tion of Collegiate Registrars and
Admissions Officers and served
as a member of the Financial Aid
Committee.
Young received his B.S. and
M.S. degrees from Jackson State
University. He is married to Patty
Young. They have a daughter,
McKenzie.
Tdrner
named
KSU's
interim
president
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Turner
FRANKFORT, Ky. - A
former Kentucky State Uni
versity dean will return to
Frankfort to lead the institu
tion during the next year,
according to KSU Board of
Regents Chairman William
Wilson.
William H. Turner has a
significant amount of experi
ence in academia, and as a
private consultant, Wilson
said. Turner's consulting firm
specializes in multicultural
consultation, research, con
flict resolution and strategic
planning for major interna
tional corporations and foun
dations.
The
Lynch,
K y
native
was
selected
from
four
finalists
who
were
inter
vip wpH
by the board a few weeks ago.
Turner is a 1964 graduate of
Lynch High School and a
1966 graduate of UK's South
east Community College. He
received a B.S. degree in
sociology from the University
of Kentucky in 1968 and a
master's degree from the Uni
versity of Notre Dame in
1971. Turner went on to earn
a Ph.D. from Notre Dame in
sociology and anthropology
in 1974, before being award
ed postdoctoral fellowships at
the University of Pennsylva
nia, George Washington Uni
versity and Duke University.
From 1970 to 1995, Dr.
Turner was engaged in teach
ing, research and administra
tion at Fisk University,
Howard University, the Uni
versity of Kentucky, Ken
tucky State University, Win
ston-Salem State University,
Berea College and Brandeis
University.
He is president of Turner
& Associates Consultants,
whose clients include the
Appalachian Regional Com
mission, The Salvation Army,
the Kellogg Foundation,
Lowe's Company, Sara Lee
Corp., the U.S. Department of
State, and the Kenneth Kaun
da Children of Africa Foun
dation.
Turner is a prolific writer,
having published essays and
articles on subjects ranging
from civil rights issues to the
attitudes of college students.
Of particular interest to him
are the study of African
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