GLAAACC CELEBRATES 20 YEARS OF HONORING ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTS [Los Angeles Sentinel (CA)]

April 22, 2013 (LOS ANGELES, CA) - It was a night of a thousand stars as the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) celebrated its 20th Anniversary Economic Awards Dinner. "20 years of Advocating. Educating and Creating Business Opportunities," was the theme for the evening. Hollywood celebrities as well as the heads of major corporations and public agencies came out to commemorate GLAAACC's milestone. Television and film actress Vivica A. Fox ("Independence Day," "Soul Food." "Set it off,") was the Mistress of Ceremonies. Nicole Y. Lamb-Hale, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Manufacturing and Services gave the keynote address and Anne Shen Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Southern California Gas Company spoke on behalf of the evening's dinner chair. One of the more memorable parts of the evening was a video highlighting the 20 year history of the economic awards dinners, from the first dinner in 1993 to last year's dinner with keynote speaker former U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Sous.

"The Economic Awards Dinner is one of GLAAACC's most high profile premiere events." remarked GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale. "We've always had top officials from a variety of industries as a part of the Economic Awards Dinner. GLAAACC's first dinner in 1993 featured Sam lacobellis, Executive Vice President at Rockwell International."

Past honorees include Jessie J. Knight, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for San Diego Gas & Electric, the highest ranking African American official of a public utility company in the United States, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, Clarence Otis Jr., CEO of Darden Restaurants, former U.S. Congresswoman Diane Watson, California State Senator Curren D. Price, and California State Assemblymember Steven C. Bradford. Notable keynote speakers have included NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin, former U.S. Secretaries Hilda Solis, Alexis Herman, Hazel O'Leary and Rodney E. Slater, former California Governor Gray Davis, former Vice President Al Gore, former Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Los Angeles County Board Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and U.S. Small Business Administration Deputy Administrator Marie Johns.

This year's salute to the achievements of corporations and individuals who have contributed to the economic growth and development of the African American business community included 13 award categories. The major categories included Utility Company of the Year (Southern California Gas), Banking & Financial Institution of the Year (Wells Fargo), Commercial Constniction Company of the Year (McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.), Corporation of the

Year (Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.), Government Agency of the Year (California Department of General Services). Public Works Contractor of the year (Barnard Pipeline, Inc.), Engineering Company of the year (Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc.), Developer of the Year

(Westfield Property Group and Millennium Partners) and Commerical Subcontractor of the Year (Bergelectric Corporation).

Holly J. Mitchell, Assembly member for the 54th Assembly Distinct, received GLAAACC's Public Service Award.

Keynote Speaker Nicole Y Lamb-Hale, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Commerce, Manufacnning and Services, spoke about the goals and accomplishments of the President's Export Council (PEC). "Now more than at any time in our history, Americans are selling more U.S. goods and services to the 95 percent of consumers who live outside of our borders. In 2012, U.S. exports hit an all-time record of $2.2 trillion and supported 9.8 million jobs," said Assistant Secretary Lamb-Hale. GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale was recently reappointed by President Obama to his 2nd term as a PEC member.

Southern California Gas Company Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Anne Shen Smith spoke about the utility's long history of supporting minority and women-owned businesses as well as disabled veteran business enterprises. Sempra Energy, SoCalGas' parent company, was a past nominee for GLAAACC's Corporation of the Year award. For more than 140 years SoCalGas has been delivering clean, safe and reliable natural gas. It is the nation's largest natural gas distribution utility, providing safe and reliable energy to 20.9 million consumers through 5.8 million meters in more than 500 communities.

Mistress of Ceremonies Vivica A. Fox thanked her "All of Us" co-stars Duane Martin and Tisha Campbell-Martin who attended the event for their support. She concluded by congratulating GLAAACC on the successful event and their advocacy efforts, "I am truly honored to be a part of such an outstanding ceremony for an organization that is doing so much to advance the cause of African American-owned businesses."

For more information on GLAAACC and to view pictures from the 20th Annual Economic Awards Dinner visit www.glaaacc.org.

Keynote Speaker Nicole Lamb-Hale, Assistant Secretary for Manufacturing and Services for the U.S. Department of Commerce; GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale and Dinner Chair Anne Shen Smith, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Southern California Gas Company

Banking & Financial Institution of the Year: GLAAACC President Angela Gibson; Vincent Craney, Diversity Manager for Southern California Edison; Michelle Smith-Ballard, Director of Community Affairs for Turner Construction Company; Douglas L. Hall, Territory Manager for Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Inc. and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale

Utility Company of the Year: GLAAACC Education Fund & Foundation Vice Chairman Carl A. Baltton of Union Bank; GLAAACC President Angela Gibson; Denita Willoughby, Regional Vice President of External Affairs and Employee Communication for the Southern California Gas Company and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale

Small Business Advocate Award: GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; Vicky Harper-Hall, Sector Manager of Socio-Economic Business Programs & Government Relations, Aerospace Systems Sector for Northrop Grumman Corporation and GLAAACC President Angela Gibson

Engineering Company of the Year: GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; Anthony C. Ferruccio, P.E., Vice President of Program and Construction Management for Jacobs North American Infrastructure Group; Gabriele Mack, Vice President of Business Diversity for Jacobs Corporate; Celeste Alleyne, West Region Citizenship and Community Affairs Director for Microsoft Corporation and GLAAACC President Angela Gibson

GLAAACC Mentor Corporation of the Year: GLAAACC Vice Chairman and BEP Co-Chair Charles J. Franklin II of American Honda Motor, Co., Inc.; GLAAACC Vice President and BEP Chair Aura McCracken of AEG; 2012 BEP Corporate Mentor Walter Rhodes, Vice President of Supply Management for Soudiern California Edison; 2012 BEP Mentee Dana Hali, Owner of CeteraMarketing and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale

Film and Television Actor Duane Martin; GLAAACC President Angela Gibson, GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; Actress and Singer Tisha Campbell-Martin; Mistress of Ceremonies Vivica A. Fox and GLAAACC Education Fund & Foundation Board Member Hal Lowman of UPS

Small Business Advocate Award: GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; Richard D. Hobbs, Director of Supply Management and Supplier Diversity for the Southern California Gas Company and GLAAACC President Angela Gibson

GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale and California State Senator Curren D. Price, Jr., 26th Senate District

Crystal Hale of G&C Equipment Corporation, GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale and Mistress of Ceremonies Vivica A. Fox

Corporation of the Year: GLAAACC Board Treasurer Lem Daniels of Deutsche Bank; GLAAACC President Angela Gibson; Monetta Stephens, Supplier Diversity Manager for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale

Public Service Award: GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; California State Assemblymember Holly J. Mitchell, 47th Assembly District; GLAAACC President Angela Gibson; Mistress of Ceremonies Vivica A. Fox and California State Assemblymember Steven C. Bradford, 62nd Assembly District

Veteran Small Business Advocate Award: GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; Gwendolyn W. Williams, Director of Supply Chain Services for die Los Angeles Department of Water & Power; GLAAACC Education Fund & Foundation Board Parliamentarian Joseph Chow of the Southern California Gas Company and GLAAACC President Angela Gibson

Small Business Advocate Award: GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; Tashai R. Smidi, Director of Small Business Programs, Diversity & Economic Opportunity Department for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority and GLAAACC President Angela Gibson

Developer of the Year Awards: GLAAACC Board Member Clarence A. Daniels, Jr. of CMS Hospitality; GLAAACC President Angela Gibson; Shannon C. Westmore, Vice President of Airport Leasing - LAX for Westfield, LLC; accepting on Millennium Partners' behalf Jerold B. Neuman, Partner with Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP and GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale

Business Evolution Program (BEP): GLAAACC Vice Chairman and BEP Co-Chair Charles J. Franklin II of American Honda Motor, Co., Inc.; GLAAACC Vice President and BEP Chair Aura McCracken of AEG; GLAAACC Chairman Gene Hale; 2013 BEP Mentee Valerie D. Williams of VisionSpot Consulting, LLC and 2013 BEP Corporate Mentors Patrick Blakeney, Agent and Steven W. Barrett, Partner with New York Life Insurance Company