The Atlanta Business League hosted its 16th Annual Women of Vision breakfast on Tuesday, Feb. 22, and the guests of honor were Atlanta’s 100 Top Black Women of Influence, Women of Influence “Tenured,” and The Women’s Hall of Fame inductees. Thomas W. Dortch Jr., ABL chair and president and CEO of TWD Inc., offered during his presentation of the occasion that the recognition ceremony is essential because professional and entrepreneurial women in Atlanta are not all natives and the connections, networking and support that come from an organization like ABL is invaluable.
Friends, industry cohorts and hospitality executives Valerie Ferguson, Loews Atlanta Hotel’s regional vice president of operations, and Erica Qualls, Atlanta Marriott Marquis’ general manager and ABL board member, were both inducted into the ABL Women’s Hall of Fame.
“Thank you. I am humbled and energized by what I see here today. I have had the great opportunity to travel throughout the United States representing this industry as well as working in different cities. There is no community like the African American community here in Atlanta,” Ferguson said during her acceptance speech. She is the first African American woman to manage a convention hotel.
During Qualls’ address, she offered, “I feel so honored that you have recognized me for doing the work that I love. The ABL is an organization born out of the commitment to self-help, to self-sufficiency, so it is perfectly aligned with one of my passions, developing others. Opportunities are created when businesses expand. Businesses thrive when they have the talents and tools to compete and win in the marketplace. That means the work we do at ABL ensures we continue to thrive, and our families and communities are counting on us.” Qualls brought the audience to tears when she recognized her mother.
At the close of the event, ABL’s president and CEO Leona Barr-Davenport said, “I want to thank the women who take the time to do exceptional jobs in all aspects of their lives. It is because these ladies have made sacrifices and contributions that we are here today and have been here for the last 16 years to organize this ceremony. The Atlanta Business League will continue to make sure that deserving African American women receive the public accolades that they deserve.” –yvette caslin
Click here for the full list of this year’s honorees
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