CEO Of Largest African-American-Owned Corp. to Chair & Keynote NMBC 40th Anniversary Luncheon

Feb. 28, 2012 - PRLog -- February 28, 2012 (NEW YORK) –  High-tech will share the stage with high-art at the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the National Minority Business Council (www.nmbc.org), February 29th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square, New York City.
   David L. Stewart, founder and CEO of World Wide Technology, Inc, (http://www2.wwt.com/) St. Louis, MO, and recipient of the 2011 NMBC Outstanding Technology Firm Award, is the honorary chair and keynote speaker of this year’s, 32nd Annual Awards Luncheon.  WWT is a leading systems integrator that provides technology and supply chain solutions to the commercial, government and telecom sectors around the world.  Stewart is the 2012 recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award and World Wide Technology (WWT), which he co-founded in 1990, ranked #50 on Fortune Magazine’s 2012 list of the Top 100 Companies to Work For.  
   Compu-Tech, a Manhattan-based IT professional services firm will receive NMBC’s first-ever Veteran-owned Business Award.  The Metropolitan Museum of Art will be receiving NMBC’s Special Achievement Award, the first time it is being presented to a cultural institution, for its initiative to build a more diverse audience by building museum-wide programming that highlights and emphasizes the diversity of its extensive collection.
   “Our 40th Anniversary is a significant milestone for NMBC and so the Board of Directors felt it was especially important that we add to and further diversify the awards that we present to organizations worthy of recognition,” said John F. Robinson, President and CEO of the national organization that is headquartered in New York City.  NMBC is an advocacy group for minority-owned businesses with a special emphasis on people of color, women and Veterans.
   David L. Stewart, founder and CEO of World Wide Technology, Inc, St. Louis, MO, and recipient of the 2011 NMBC Outstanding Technology Firm Award, is the honorary chair and keynote speaker of this year’s, 32nd Annual Awards Luncheon.  Corporate sponsors of the Awards Luncheon include World Wide Technology, Inc., BNY Mellon, Northcorp Grumman, New York Power Authority, The recipient of NMBC’s first award to a Veteran-owned business is Compu-Tech Founder and President Harold “Bud” Thompson, a disabled Veteran who served in the New York Army Reserve National Guard during the Vietnam War. His firm has been placing IT professionals in both short-term and long-term assignments within the financial services sector since 1977.  
   Acknowledging remarks about retraining Gulf War Veterans for civilian life, made by President Obama in this year’s State of the Union address, Thompson said that he was heartened by the President’s message. “When we see a resumé with military service indicated, we give it priority. For those Vets who have experienced any management, as a commissioned or non-commissioned officer, these are skills that every organization needs.  I say to all Vets, ‘sell those sorts of skills. They can be easily adaptable to any corporate culture’.”
   Adapting to multiple cultures, to reach multiple audiences, is the goal of The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Audience Development, according to Donna Williams, the Met’s Chief Audience Development Officer.  “Since the department’s inauguration, in 1998, the mission of this initiative has been to make the museum accessible to everyone,” said Williams. “We are building a diversity of new audiences and we want to maintain a relationship with them by heightening the awareness of our curatorial departments and global collection. We have the world represented here in the museum and everyone can find their roots as well as discover the beauty of other cultures.  We are very excited about having partners, like NMBC, and others representing various communities.”  For this initiative, Williams will be accepting the NMBC Special Achievement Award on behalf of the museum.

Other NMBC 2012 award recipients are:
•   Outstanding Corporate Supplier Diversity Award: BNY Mellon, New York, and Northrop Grumman Corp., Falls Church, VA
•   Outstanding Minority Business: CPS Union Corporation, New City, NY, a minority woman-owned business enterprise (MWBE) that imports and exports various chemicals, and Virtcom Consulting, New York, a strategic and management global diversity consultancy.
•   Dena Coye Outstanding Woman Entrepreneurship Award: Peak Diversity Search, Inc, New York, a recruitment firm specializing in diversity;  The Studio, New York, an animation and film studio, and Spanier Building Maintenance Corp., a full-service janitorial and maintenance company with multiple locations throughout Long Island and New York. The award is named in honor of a long-time and deceased employee of NMBC.
•   Outstanding Technology Firm:  Info People, New York, a provider of IT software and services solutions.
•   Outstanding Educational Institution: Pace University, Lubin School of Business, Interactive & Direct Marketing (IDM) Lab, New York, offering one-on-one counseling, assessment, analysis and development of quality loan packages, and comprehensive business plan and practical financial projections.
•   Charles T. Haffey Community Service Award: Asian Americans for Equality, New York, an advocacy group founded in 1974 to advance the rights of Asian Americans and all those in need through civil rights, immigrant assistance, social services, affordable housing, and economic development  The award is named in honor of a former vice president of Corporate Purchasing at Pfizer, Inc., an early associate and strong supporter of NMBC.
•   Outstanding Global Business Award: China International Exhibition Promotion, Flushing, Queens, a partner in CIEP, Inc. whose mission is to advance the cooperation between China and US in business, international trade, science and technology.
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The National Minority Business Council, Inc. (NMBC), a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation, was founded in December 1972. The primary purpose of the organization is to enhance the success and profitability of the small business community through the provision of high-quality services, programs, advocacy and networking support. The secondary purpose is to act as an information clearinghouse for women (MWBE), minority and veteran-owned business enterprises.