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In Our 25th Year Issue No. 1960 August 2008 Associate Consultants
Serving the Triad
MISSION TO MALI 2008
A WORKING MAN STILL
WORKING ON HIS DREAMS
Dr. Debra S. Boyd and Dr. Salif Beete, Dean of University of Maii
Debra S. Boyd, Ph.D.
Field Missionary to the Nations - African Studies Consultant
Gao, ancient center of trade and learning situated on the Niger River, was the
phase one site of Dr. Debra Boyd’s 2008 Mission to Mali Republic in West Africa. The
US Embassy in Mali invited me to spend a week in the city of Gao to give lectures to
young people at the “Espace Americain Gorongobou,” an expansive cultural center
opened in the spring of 2007 that houses meeting rooms, library, and a teacher-train
ing center. Gorongobou, a term that means knowledge, light and intelligence, was
used to designate the circle of wise men that formed Emperor Askia Muhammad’s
entourage during the empire era. Several recently formed organizations operate
Continued on Page 33
ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT OE
NATIONAL CONTRACTORS
TRADE ASSOCIATION
Fletcher Gnato Waden
By John Raye
It would not be an exaggeration to say
that Fletcher Gnato Waden, is forceful and
passionate about business ownership. As
he approaches his 81st birthday, Waden
has his eye on one thing and one thing only;
Charlotte, NC - The National Association of Minority
Contractors (NAMC) at their recent four-day conference in
.Charlotte, NC elected new officers and members to its national
board. Association officials closed out the conference declaring
it an overwhelming success with more than 500 attendees rep
resenting construction industry participants (including some of
the nation’s top builders), minority and women-owned firms,
state and local government officials and representatives from
the association’s 27 chapters.
New officers elected were Richard Copeland, President;
Gloria Shealey, Executive Vice President; Esther Francis,
Treasurer; and Hoyt Hsiao, Secretary. ‘This is the first time in
NAMC’s 39 year history that women were elected to executive
leadership positions,” said an association official.
Gloria Shealey is President and CEO of The Daniele
Company, LLC, Chapel Hill, NC and local NAMC chapter chair
of the United Minority Contractors of North Carolina (UMCNC).
Her company is a licensed general contracting and construction
management business. A native of Rocky Mount, she brings 25
years of experience to the business and has current projects
totaling over $60 million, including commercial office, higher
education, and medical
facilities.
Richard Copeland is
President and CEO of
Thor Construction Inc.,
Minneapolis, MN, and is
the largest African-
American construction
company in the nation
specializing in site
development, construc
tion management, con
sulting, design buiid and general contracting. Thor Construction
has exceeded the $200 million mark in revenues this year.
Esther Francis is President and CEO of CBIC Construction &
Development, LP of Houston, TX. The firm handles complex
multi-miilion dollar hospital facilities, prisons, and higher
education facilities, providing general construction, design build,
job order contracting as well as project and construction
Continued on Page 34
Gloria Shealey
the building of a bigger and better business.
Working out of his home office in
Winston-Salem, Waden, whose tall, mus
cular frame, belies his age, is a man of ded
icated authority and serious conviction. He
walks, talks, eats and sleep business devei-
opment 24/7. He is, in other words, a busi
ness-minded person, singie focused on a
specialty business little known to the public
or to the average individual.
He is the founder and owner of two
companies, Waden Supply Company, Inc.,
which deals exclusively with contractors
doing business with federally funded and
federally assisted programs and projects.
“With this company, I bid, buy and sell
industrial and commercial materials and
equipment to companies doing business
with the federal government. I do not sell to
the individuals or to the general public”, said
Waden.
Waden’s major work involves an associ
ation with two well known companies,
Trane, a world leader in the heating and air
conditioning field and Vulcraft, the nation’s
Continued on Page IS
INSIDE
Truliant Federal Credit
Union Conducts
TruOpportunity
Builder Workshop
Series 5
What’s New at
Partnership for Home
Ownership 6
Diabetes Epidemic
in the US 10
We Must Save
Ourselves or Else 19
Next Age Leadership... 29
Get Real
About Your Day
Job
Unsafe to Be Black
and Female
31
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