Business Focus Briefs Jenkins promoted at Marriott Norman K. Jenkins, vice president of owner and franchise services for Marriott International Inc., has been named senior vice president of North American lodging development for the company. In his new role, Jenkins will Jenkins lead all development efforts relat ed to minority ownership. He will oversee Marriott's recently enhanced Diversity Ownership Initiative, which has been designed to build on Marriott's outstanding track record of attracting top-tier minority own ers and franchisees. Marriott is committed to doubling the num ber of properties owned by minorities over the next five years. Before joining Marriott, Jenkins began his profes sional career at McDonald's Corp.. where he held man agement positions in finance and operations. In 1992, Jenkins joined Marriott's internal audit group, where he was a senior manager responsible for several company businesses, including Marriott Hotels, Resorts & Suites. In addition, he managed all corporate engagements and special investigations. Jenkins also previously served as vice president, global operations, and CFO of Marriott's Ramada Inter national division. He holds a B.B.A. in accounting from Howard Uni versity, an M B. A. from George Washington University and is a certified public accountant. <5 Business networking event NFB (Networking for the Best), a business after hour refen-al organization, will host a networking holi day social Wednesday. Dec. 8. "An Evening to Connect" will open at 5:30 p.m. in the exclusive Piedmont Club, located in downtown Winston-Salem at 200 W. Second Street, 19th floor. "An Evening to Connect" will be very well attended by both professional leaders in the com munity as well as representatives of community busi nesses. ^ This same event took place in August 2004 and had more than 75 participants. "An Evening to Connect" will be the opportunity for all the area's businesses to interact with each other as well engage with the Triad's professional and most prominent leaders. Businesses will have the chance to meet and speak with leaders such as: Nigel Alston, GMAC community and public relations, and motivational speaker; Edgar Broyhill of the Edgar Group; Larry Womble. member of the N.C. House of Representatives; and Maria Sanchez Boudy. Latin Connection and 2002 Small Business recipient. These are just a few of the leaders who will be there. Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served. For more information call (336) 403-9754. Admission charge is $5. Clark named Wake fund head Mary Dawne Clark of Statesville has been named the new director or annual support ana the College Fund in University Advancement at Wake Forest Uni versity. Clark joined Wake Forest in 1999 as a major gifts officer for the university's current capital cam paign. In 2002, she was named director of development for Wake Forest's Calloway School of Busi ness and Accountancy. Before joining Wake Forest, Clark worked in banking for 17 Clark years. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in psychology from Wake Forest in 1983. Clark, a Statesville native and resident, is the daughter of Marybelle Bell of Statesville and John Clark of Statesville. She graduated from Statesville High School in 1979. A&F settles for $40 million LOS ANGELES - Civil rights attorneys reached a settlement of a class-action lawsuit. Gonzalez v. Aber crombie & Fitch, requiring the retail clothing giant to pay $40 million to Latino. African-American, Asian American and women applicants and employees who charged the compapy with discrimination. The settle ii it. I ii, appiuvtu iaai uy u.j. District Court Judge Susan 111 ston. also requires the company to institute a range of policies and programs to promote diversity among its work force and to pre vent discrimination based on race or gender. The lawsuit was originally filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco in June 2003 by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). the NAACP Legal Defense and Education al Fund (LDF). the Asian Pacific American Legal Cen ter (APALC) and the law firm of Lieff. Cabraser, Heimann. & Bernstein, LLP. on behalf of nine young adults of color, including students and graduates of the University of California and Stanford who were refused sales jobs or terminated based on their race or ethnicity. Attorney Bill Lann Lee of Lieff. Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein explained the breadth of the consent decree, which covers recruitment, hiring, job assignment, pro motion and training of employees. "This comprehensive package of reforms will ensure that minority and women employees feel welcome. The company should get credit for agreeing to changes that will transform how Abercrombie does business." said Lee. who is a former assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice. Native Pinkney hired at Carolina sl'l CI VI 111 III! ( HRONICI I CHAPEL HII.L - Dr. Dwayne L. Pinkney has joined the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as assistant vice chancellor for finance and administration. Nov. 1 7 was his first day on the job. Pinkney has. since March 2002, served as associate vice president for finance for the University of North Carolina system. In that role, he established, analyzed, reviewed and approved budget policy for the sys tem and executed its $2.5 billion cap ital program. In his new post, Pinkney will lead a variety of community-related efforts, representing the university in work groups created by the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Com merce and the Greater Triangle Regional Council. He succeeds Bob Knight, who left this summer to return to Case Western Reserve Uni versity. Pinkney said he relishes the chance to be back in a campus envi ronment. l couia not nave dreamed of a better development." Pinkney said, than "coming back to make a professional contribution in the place that prepared me so well for a var ied and enriching career in government and politics." Pinkney will also lead research man agement analyses, review financial state ments and audits of external foundations and auxiliaries, prepare the annual financial report and direct assorted special projects. Pinkney also will advance efforts Pinkney begun during Knight's tenure to develop affordable and reasonably priced housing in the local com munity, including the smart com mute Mortgage Ini tiative collabora tion with Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange, Durham and Wake counties. "I am particular ly enthusiastic about Carolina's commit ment to and leader ship in engaging the Cha^l Hill commu nity in efforts to pro vide affordable housing in Chapel Hill and the sur rounding areas," Pinkney said. Before joining the system office, Pinkney was senior fiscal analyst for the N.C. General Assembly's fiscal research division in Raleigh. He also has worked as deputy secretary for administration in thtf N.C. Depart ment of the Secretary of State: terri tory manager for Parke-Davis in Raleigh; and as a program analyst for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C. He is an instructor in the adult degree pro gram at N.C. Wesleyan College and has served previously as an instructor and lecturer in the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government. A native of Winston-Salem, Pinkney earned a' bachelor's degree in English and journalism from N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro in 1985 and a master's degree in public administration from the University of Pittsburgh in 1987. He earned a Ph.D. in political science, with a focus on public policy and adminis tration. from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001. File Photo Oprah Winfrey with Will Smith on an episode of her popular television talk show. Oprah Winfrey the first black on philanthropy list SPECIAL TO I hi: chronicle Talk show queen Oprah Win frey debuts at No. 40 on Busi nessWeek's annual ranking of America's top givers. making her the first African-American ever to make the list. Winfrey gave $151 million in gifts and pledges to various charities, according to the magazine. Much of Winfrey's givings has gone to causes that support children and education. Winfrey has made many lists over the years. Forbes magazine has named her one of the world's most powerful women and one of the richest. The magazine esti ? Vv ? Bill Gates mated Winfrey's worth at $1.1 billion, making her the world's first African-American billion aire. Another notable newcomer to this vear's Business Week list is Veronica Atkins, the widow of Dr. Robert C. Atkins, who pledged her entire $500 million fortune to end the "di-obesity" - diabetes and obesity - epidemic made famous by her late husband. The death of War ren Buffett's wife, Susie, catapults Ameri ca's second richest man to No. 3 on BusinessWeek's third annual ranking of the top 50 U.S. philan thropists. up from No. 26 last year (for the purposes of the BusinessWeek rankings, married couples are generally treated as a single entity). Much of Susie Buffett's estate was put into a foundation that she and her hus band shared. Other donors on Business Week's list include: Gordon and Betty Moore (No. 2), George Soros (No. 4), Michael and Susan Dell (No. 7), Michael Bloomberg (No. 13) and David Geffen (No. 31). Topping the list again were Bill and Melinda Gates, the world's largest international donors, who made history this year by giving their estimated $3 billion Microsoft Corp. dividend to their foundation. It's one of the largest donations in history by a See List on A9 Xerox exec to speak at A&Tfall graduation SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE GREENSBORO - Emerson U. Fullwood, a corporate vice president of Xerox Corp.. Stam ford, Conn., and president of the Xerox Channels r Group, will deliv er the address at N . C . Agricul- | tural and Technical | State Uni- I versity's Annual Fullwood Fall Commencement. The ceremony will be held Saturday, Dec. 1 1 , at Greensboro Coliseum. The lineup will begin at 8 a.m. and the processional at 8:30 a.m. More than 60() students will receive degrees. Serving in his current position since September 2003, Fullwood joined Xerox in 1972 as an account representative. He has held a variety of marketing and sales management positions in the supplies and copier business es. He also served as president of Xerox's Worldwide Customer Services Group, president of Xerox's Regional Operations (Latin America) and executive chief staff officer of Xerox Devel oping Markets Operations. Fullwood has a B.A. degree in economics from N.C. State University and an M.B.A. in mar keting from Columbia University. He serves on numerous boards of directors, including SPX Corp., United Way of Greater Rochester Area Community Foundation, Rochester Boy Scouts of America Oteriana Council, Rochester Health Commission, Threshold and Xerox Foundation. He is a member of the N.C. A&T Uni versity College of Engineering Industry Advisory Group. Making History Michael C. Blake is sworn in after becoming the first African American mayor of the city of Cocoa , Fla., since the city incorpo rated in 1895. Blake , 44, who won a landslide victory, ran a grassroots campaign that crossed racial boundaries and focused on a balanced budget, keeping an in-house fire department and creating more jobs in the city. The eighth-grade schoolteacher and former City Council member was sworn into office by City Clerk Joan Clark as former Mayor Judy Parrish looked on before a standing-room-only crowd. Amtrak makes traveling easier for HBCU students SI't CI \\ TO THE CHRONICLE WASHINGTON - In part nership with The United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Amtrak has established for the r: . . l _ iirM ume me "Amtrak Travel Scholars Program," rewarding academ ic achievement and introducing passen ger rail to college students at 20 of the nation's histori cally black colleges and universities (HBCUs), includ ing jonnson l. Smith University in Charlotte. "The Travel Scholars pro gram introduces Amtrak to students and builds loyal cus tomers for the future. The pro gram also underscores how Lomax convenient Amtrak is to many colleges and universities." said Barbara Richardson, Amtrak's vice president of marketing and sales. Students at 20 colleges and univer sities are eligible for (he program. The schools were chosen on the basis of (heir proximity to an Amtrdk station. At each school, five students will be awarded travel stipends through the financial aid depart ment based on financial need and academic achievement. Applications are available on the UNCF Web site at www.uncf.org and at the financial aid offices Sec Amfrok on A9