HOUSTON, July 12, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --The National Association of Minority Contractors concluded its 43rd Annual Conference with the naming of the first woman to serve as the association's president and the outgoing president, Francis Onwualu stated in his farewell remarks that "our 43 years as an organization has been dedicated to the future success of those young people just beginning to make their way."
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The four-day conference was held in mid-June at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston. More than 300 NAMC members representing 16 chapters in the U.S., general contractors and elected officials attended the conference.
Gloria Carney Shealey, of Durham, NC, was elected NAMC's first woman president; others elected to the 2012-2013 Executive Committee were Maurice Rahming of Portland, OR, Executive Vice President; Art Queen of Atlanta, GA, as Co-Treasurer; Art Landers of Atlanta, GA, as Co-Treasurer; Kaye Gantt of Durham, NC as Secretary; Bob Brewer of Las Vegas, NV; James Posey of Portland, OR; Darryl Samuels of Houston, TX; and Lisa Colon-Heron of Fort Lauderdale, FL.. United States District Judge of the Southern District of Texas Vanessa D. Gilmore swore in the new Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Additionally, at the closing ceremony NAMC named three new inductees into its Hall of Fame: Rep. Jackson Lee; Houstonian Ousley Lacy, CEO of Lazer Construction; and Joanna Davison, National Services Diversity Manager for Kaiser Permanente.
The 43rd annual NAMC conference had numerous workshops (including "Business Opportunities with the Federal Government," "Chapter Development Strategies," "Green Construction," and others) and notable speakers including LaDoris "Dot" Harris, recently appointed by President Obama as Director of Economic Impact and Diversity at the U.S. Department of Energy; U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, of Houston; and Warren Whitlock, Associate Administrator for Civil Rights, Federal Highway Administration.
Shealey stated, "It is a privilege to serve this legacy organization and be part of the turning point in NAMC history. The commitment is to lead the visionary strategy for innovative paths to pursuing, winning and executing business by leveraging access, collaborating strategically, and advocating policy as a solution to economic inclusion in the construction industry."
NAMC's 2013 annual conference will be in Los Angeles, June 18-21, 2013; for more information about the 2013 conference, contact Patricia Lucas-Smith, National Chair, Conventions & Meetings at 919-669-1208.
About NAMC
NAMC is a non-profit trade association established in 1969 to address the needs and concerns of minority contractors. NAMC provides advocacy, networking and construction opportunities to minority- and women-owned businesses throughout the United States. While membership is open to people of all races and ethnic backgrounds, the organization's mandate, "Building Bridges–Crossing Barriers," focuses on construction industry concerns common to African Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans. NAMC chapters around the country provide advocacy and education to its membership, which consists of a diverse base of firms including, MBE's, DBE's, WBE's, 8(a), HUBZONE, SDB, SDV, and small business construction.
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