On Friday, May 11, 2012, The Black Economic Council (BEC), a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission of promoting self-sufficiency of black American communities through economic development, held its seventh annual Urban Economic Conference at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas.
The BEC held informative panel discussions that included game-changing topics like Transforming Your Brand; Success Strategies, Challenges & Public Policy; and Changing the Paradigm. Edward Cates, CEO of Nuance Marketing LLC, presented the Transforming Your Brand discussion to an audience of eager business owners. Panelists for the Success Strategies, Challenges & Public Policy included Dr. Deavra A. Daughtry, president and CEO of Excellent Care Management; Charles McElrath, president of Southern Dallas Development Corporation; Tyrone Gholson, director of the office of minority and women inclusion, Federal Reserve Bank. They each answered questions and shared best practices with the attendees. During the Changing the Paradigm talk, Robert Gnaizda, co-founder of Greenlining Institute, shared his thoughts with participants.
During lunch, the BEC also shared video presentations from Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Obama; and Michael Peevey, president of the California Public Utilities Commission. Also, the BEC presented Barbara Garavaglia, widow of Comerica Bank senior vice president and director of corporate public affairs and Community Reinvestment, James Garavaglia, a posthumous award for his work in the community.
