Business
Q-NOTES • FEBRUARY 26 . 2005
'TbodStaff
Quality Hospitality Personnel
Our Experienced Staff Includes...
*Bartenders *WaitstafT *Chefs *Carvers ‘Stewards
‘Hostess ‘Cashiers ‘Captains ‘Event Staff
Ready To Work For Any Occasion...
‘Hotel ‘Resort ‘Private Party ‘Health Care ‘Special Event
‘Sporting Event ‘Fine Dining
Contact GM Keith Sweeney in Charlotte At 704-333-2000
Or Visit Us Online at www.foodstalf.com
GLBT
LIFE: TURNING RISKS INTO REWARDS
GREATER CAROUNA GR0U9 INC.
• Life Insurance
• Disability Income
• Retirement Planning
• Estate Planning
• 412(i) Benefit Plans
BENffiTS RESOURCE GROUPING.
• Health Insurance
• Long Term Care
• Pre-Tax Benefits
• Voluntary Benefits
• Group Life & Disability
• Supplemental Benefits
INVESTMENT ADVISORY SfflVICES
• Comprehensive Finandal Planning
• Investment Portfolio Management
• Investment Consulting Servies
• 401(k)/Pension Plans
• 529(b) Plans
• Seminars
Call for more Information
(704) 372-4491
Greater Carolina Group
9115 Harris Comers Parkway Suite 250
Charlotte, NC 28269
Fax: (704) 372-7576
Dennis Howe and Andrew Walter are representatives of Seojiian Hnandal Services, Inc.
•Securities & Investment Advisory offered through Securian Financial Services, Inc., Membw NASO/SIPC
TR» ii4i-20O3.ssa2 Greater Carolina Group is independendy owned and operated,
ooru: 8/2013 vIsIt US at www.greatercarolinagroup.com
Wachovia, BofA attract
gay employees
Charlotte Business Guild
Meeting Date:
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Program:
Time Management Expert
Mary Elizabeth Murphy
Dilworth Neighborhood Grille
911 East Morehead St. • Eree Parking
Time:
Cash bar social: 5:30 pm • Dinner: 6:30 pm
To Reserve:
Cost $15 members, $20 non-members
Call 704-565-5075 by 12:00 pm
Sunday, March 13, 2005
charlottebusinessguild.eom
from page 1
In addition to a non-discrimination pol
icy that includes sexual orientation, Bank
of America also has a gay and lesbian
employee group with chapters in Albany,
Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Connecticut,
Colorado, Dallas, Florida, Los Angeles,
New Hampshire/Maine, New Jersey, New
York City, Norfolk, Pennsylvania, Phoenix,
Rhode Island, San Francisco and Seattle.
Over at Wodiovio, things look just as
bright.
“At Wachovia, we encourage an envi
ronment that would be comfortable for all
employees,” says Wachovia spokesperson
Jay Biles. “We have instituted procedures
and policies that support all employees,
including gays and lesbians.
“Domestic partnership benefits, health
care, both medical and dental, time away
policies, family care time so you can take
time off to take care of your partner,
bereavement leave if your partner dies and
that even broadens farther to include your
partner’s immediate family.”
The domestic partnership benefits were
introduced in 2001.
According to Biles the opportunity for
WVCHOVIA
people to be treated equally and be suc
cessful exists at Wachovia. “It’s a good
place to work,” he explains. “It’s safe and
accepting.”
In addition to a non-discrimination pol-
. icy instituted in 1998 that includes sexual
orientation, Wachovia, too, has a gay and
lesbian employee group.
“It’s called Wachovia GALEA,” says
Biles, indicating the acronym stands for
Gay And Lesbian Employee Association.
“It’s corporate wide and any employee in
any state in the who works for Wachovia
can join. We have leadership events and
the group’s purpose is to support
Wachovia’s diversity practices. It serves as
a sounding board and an employee
resource for networking groups.”
Chariotte's lesbian and gay fiind
Endowment expects to offer grants
in late '05
by Donald Miller
Carrie Gault is excited about the possibil
ities for the future of Charlotte’s LGBT com
munity. As chairperson for the Charlotte
Lesbian and Gay Fund (CLGF) she was
instrumental in securing a $300,000 grant
from the National Lesbian and Gay
Community Funding Partnership (NLGCFP).
“A group of us started this intiative two
years ago," recalls Gault. “We were really
prompted after OutCharlotte folded. Its
original purpose was to be an endowment
fund for non-profits and the LGBT commu
nity in general.”
As with all matching-fund grants, the
group applying is required to raise funds to
accompany the money provided by NLGCFP.
“The majority of our funding has to
come from corporate and foundations,”
explains Gault.
Already on board with $10,000 is
Knight Ridder — the parent company of
The Charlotte Observer.
Working as an affinity group of the
Foundation for the Carolinas, Gault feels
CLGF now has a lot of clout previously
unrecognized in the gay commumity.
’’The fundraisng will begin in earnest
this summer,” she explains. “At the end of
this year or beginning of next year we’ll
start awarding money.
“Our ultimate goal is to set up a perma
nent endowment fund for the LGBT com
munity to have a stable source of funding.”
The initial goals of the CLGF board is to
increase awareness and understanding of
the LGBT community and to expand
resources and programs available to serve
the unique needs of LGBT people.
Long-range goals include support of
LGBT programs and services focused on
strengthening infrastructure and capacity,
building bridges with social service agencies
to provide out
reach services,
cultivating rela
tionships with the
non-gay commu
nity and building
relationships
between LGBT
and non-LGBT
leadership across
the community.
Grants from
CLGF can be
used to support
most issues of
concern to the
LGBT community,
with the exception
of HIV/AIDS.
“This is not just program related,” says
Gault. “It will also be available for opera
tional exspenses.”
Members of the Charlotte Lesbian and
Gay Fund Board of Directors include:
Linda Breen, Director of Development,
Planned Parenthood Health Systems,
Inc.; Carrie Gault, Owner, Laughing Dog
Studio Architecture; Don Jonas, Senior
Vice President, Foundation For The
Carolinas; Kevin Levine, Levine
Properties; John Libby, Vice President,
Wachovia -Wealth Management; Vi
Alexander Lyles, Lee Institute; Kirsten
Sikkelee, Chief Program Officer, YWCA;
and Tom Warshauer, Economic
Development Manager, City of Charlotte.
Carrie Gault: 'Our ulti
mate goal is to set up
a permanent endow
ment fund for the
LGBT community to
hove a stable source
of funding.'