Briefs
Colleagues name Rodda
N.C.'s tax assessor of the year
Forsyth County Tax Assessor Pete Rodda took
home the North Carolina Association of Assessing
Officers" "Outstanding
Assessor or tne rear Awaru
last month.
The honor was presented
during the Association's Fall
Conference (Nov. 16-20) at
the Sheraton Four Seasons in
Greensboro. Several Of
Rodda's colleagues from
Forsyth County Government
were on hand to cheer him
on, including County
Manager Dudley Watts.
Rodda began his career
Kodda
with horsyth County in iy?y, nrst serving as an
assistant tax assessor. He was subsequently
appointed by the Board of Commissioners as
Forsyth County Tax Assessor/Collector in July
1994.
Salem NTLS wins
excellence award
Winston-Salem-based Salem NTLS was among
the recipients of the Leadership Circle Awards
recently presented by NationaLease, one of the
largest full service truck leasing organizations in
North America.
The awards were presented to 35 NationaLease
member, companies that have demonstrated an
exemplary commitment to system involvement and
leadership. The recipients were chosen from
among NationaLease's 175 independently owned
businesses.
Companies are chosen based on their participa
tion in NationaLease programs, fleet growth and
for superior performance as measured by
NationaLease member standards.
"Our Leadership Circle Award winners repre
sent the finest companies in the transportation
industry today," said Gene Scoggins, President of
NationaLease. "As leaders in the industry, they
seize every opportunity to gain the competitive
advantage in their marketplace and exceed cus
tomer expectations by staying engaged, focused
and fully committed."
Credit Union, Visa Inc.
give laptops to academy
State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) recent
ly celebrated its gift of 54 laptop computers for
North Carolina's Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy at a
ribbon cutting ceremony, which marked the offi
cial opening of the school's computer lab. The
Credit Union provided the computers to the
Academy through a partnership with Visa Inc.
Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy, located in
Salemburg, is a quasi-military program available
, for at-risk
youth. The
Academy's
program con
centrates on
prov i d i n g
these young
adults with
the discipline
and life skills
necessary to
be productive
members of
society. The
N o r t h
C a r o 1 i n a
National
Guard spon
sors this vol
untary pro
gram, which
has seen
more than
2,700 gradu
ates since its
inception in
1994.
The lap
tops, which
will be used
to enhance
instruction at
the institu
tion, feature
SECU Photo
Shirley Bell with two Tarheel
ChalleNGe Academy cadets and
General William E. Ingram Jr
Ingram cut the ribbon for the
school's computer lab.
links to financial literacy programs, including
SECU's teen Web site and the National
Endowment for Financial Education's Web site, as
well as Visa's program. "Practical Money Skills
for Life (www.practicalmoneyskills.com).
"SECU, a not-for-profit financial cooperative,
serves members of the North Carolina National
Guard, making this project a natural fit for our
organization," said Shirley Bell, the 2008-2(X)9
SECU Board of Directors Chair. "The Credit
Union also places a major focus on education and
financial literacy and the donation of these laptops
for Tarheel ChalleNGe Academy's computer lab
aligns with this focus."
She added, "With the Academy's mission of
improving life-coping skills and the employment
potential of North Carolina youth, we take great
pride in our partnership with Visa to further
enhance the Tarheel ChalleNGe program and look
forward to a long-standing relationship with the
Academy, its fine instructors and cadets."
Malveaux in
Copenhagen
to provide
a black POV
CHRONIC! I STAFI Kl I'OKl
The president of Bennett College
and a student attending the Greensboro
based school are among a small delega
tion attending the United Nations
Conference on Climate Change in
Copenhagen, Denmark. Dec. 7 - 18. to
promote the interests of African
Americans.
Bennett President Dr. Julianne
Malveaux and Bennett sophomore
Hershelle Naomi Gaffney are part of a
delegation led by
Carolyn L. Green,
managing partner
of Philadelphia -
based EnerGreen
Capital
Management. The
team also
includes Dr.
Robert D. Bui lard
of Clark Atlanta
University: Leslie
G. Fields of the
Sierra Club;
Frank M. Stewart
of the American
Association of
Blacks in Energy;
and Dr. Beverly
Wright of Dillard
University.
A nationally
respected econo
mist, Malveaux
s.i\s when it
comes to African
Dr. Malveaux
Gaffney
Americans, the issues of economics and
the environment are often linked.
"When you look at environmental
issues. you don't always look at African
Americans as being integrally involved,
but they are," she said. "But environ
mental issues are closely intertwined
with issues of economic justice. All
these issues have to do with who makes
a mess, who cleans it up and who pays
for it."
Malveaux said she would also be
keeping an eye on how the interests of
developing nation* are represented.
"We've done a poor job managing
the planet," she added. "The United
States uses more than its share of the
world's resources and developing coun
tries, notably in Africa, use less than
their share. The challenge for the West
is what are we willing to give up."
Gaffney. who is from Elk Grove,
Calif., was selected because she has an
interest in environmental justice issues
and because she "represents Bennett
College as an Ideal Belle," according to
administrators. Gaffney, a business
administration major, was elected par
liamentarian of the Student
Government Association (SGA) during
her "freshwoman" year. She is a mem
ber of the Golf Club and has a 3.58
GPA.
Since becoming president in 2007,
Malveaux has made it part of her mis
sion to make all Bennett Belles citizens
of the global world. The college has
added courses in the study of Russian,
Swahili and Turkish culture and lan
guage. and administrators have adopted
a goal of half of its students studying
abroad by 2012.
File Photo
Stale Reps. Earline Parmon and Larry Womble at an event earlier this year.
? - - ? -i
Justice-seekers rarmon ana
Womble to get honorary degrees
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
State Reps. Earline Parmon and Larry
Womble will receive honorary Doctor ot
Laws degrees tomorrow during Winston
Salem State University's Fall
Commencement.
Chancellor Donald J. Reaves
recommended that the two long
time public servants be so honored
and his recommendation was
unanimously green-lighted by the
school's Board of Trustees.
"The support and the con
stituent services that Rep. Womble
and Rep. Parmon provide for the
citizens of their districts and for all
of Forsyth County are certainly to
be admired," said Reaves. "It is.
however, their level of commitment to the bet
terment of the State of North Carolina and
their unwavering commitment to justice for all
people that gives Winston'Salem State
University so much pride in calling them our
stste representatives, our alumni and our
friends."
Reaves noted that Womble, who will serve
as the keynote speaker for the commencement
Chancellor Heaves
ceremony, and Parmon both have shown
courage in taking stands that are not always
popular. He cited their efforts to have a hill
passed by the General Assembly to increase
research and education of the forced sterili/a
tion that occurred in North Carolina
over a 40-year period and affected
the lives of approximately '7 ,600- cit
izens.. . '? ? .
Both alumni of WSSU, Womble
and Parmon were also leaders in the
passage of the N. C. Racial Justice
Act that allows challenges to the
death penalty by presenting evidence
of racial disparities in the application
of capjtal punishment.
"They understand, appreciate
and support learning at all levels, but
are especially aware of the impor
tance of Historically Black Colleges and
Universities." Reaves said. "Winston-Salem
State University has certainly benefited from
their outstanding leadership and service, as
well as their support of our university."
The ceremony, which is free and open to
the public, will be at 4 p.m. (it the Lawrence
Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
City native is mover and shaker in Louisville
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
Winston-Salem native
Phyllis Sawyer Anderson
recently helped the Louisville
(Ky.) Urban League welcome
U.S. Rep. Bennie G.
Thompson (D-Miss.). The
congressman, who heads the
powerful Homeland Security
Committee,1 was the keynote
speaker at the agency's
Annual Report Luncheon on
Friday, Dec. 4.
Among the prominent spe
cial guests in attendance were
U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D
Ken.), Louisville Mayor Jerry
E. Abramson and Winston
Salem's own Mary Sawyer,
Phyllis Anderson's mother.
Anderson is the former
vice chair of development of
the Louisville Urban League.
She is now the vice president
of marketing for Humana, a
Louisville-based healthcare
provider. Anderson is the
chairperson of the Louisville
Urban League Board of
Directors - the first woman to
lead the board in more than 20
years.
UL Photo
Phyllis Anderson with her mother, Mary Sawyer, U.S. Rep.
Bennie G. Thompson and her husband, Kevin Anderson. *
Anderson praised U.S.
Rep. Thompson for the unique
insights he provided at the
luncheon. Thompson is the
longest continuously serving
black elected official in
Mississippi. He has been an
elected official for nearly 40
years - first serving as mayor
and an alderman in his home
town of Bolton. He was a
member of the Hinds County
Board of Supervisors when he
was elected to the U.S. House
of Representatives in 1993.
"We were very fortunate
and honored to have
Congressman Thompson as
our keynote speaker." said
Anderson, who lives in
Louisville with her husband.
Kevin, and their two children.
"His views on current issues
facing all Americans were
insightful and thought-pro
voking."
PRNewsFoio/Food Lion Inc.
Food Lion officials and local dignitaries cut the
ribbon on Dec. 9 to open the grocery chain's and
South Carolina's first environmentally-friendly
supermarket. The store is located in Northeast
Columbia in the Summit Commons Shopping
Center.
?
Local lawyer helps American Indians win. landmark settlement
fik Photrn
David C. Smith talks about the case at
Wake Forest University last year.
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
tl- __in j i: ?: ?
ine SCI I ICNN UCUILaiKIII ui a iwai
lawyer has led to a multi-billion dollar
settlement of a class action suit that
has dragged on. for more than a
decade.
The American Indian plaintiffs of
the Cobell v. Salazar lawsuit
announced a $3.4 billion settlement
with the federal government on Dec.
8. If the settlement is approved by
Congress, it would be one of the
largest class-action victories against
.* r % ( a. i r o
ine leaerai government in u.o. iiimu
ry
Elouise Cobell, an American Indian
Cohell
activist, was the lead plaintiff in the suit. Ken
Salazar is the head of the United States
Department of the Interior, the main
agency that was the target of the
suit. Cobell filed the suit in 1 996-,
over alleged mismanagement of
trust accounts it holds for American
Indians. In the late 1800s, American
Indians were granted land by the
federal government. According to
the law at the time, American
Indians were incompetent, so the
government became the trustee of
the land - managing it and then giv
ing the revenue generated by the
See Smith on A5