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Portland Observer, July 27. 1983, Section II. Page 5
CAREER PORTRAITS
National Business League promotes economic development
by Brenda Braxton
V P News Service
“ The N a tio n a l Business League
(N B L ) is involved in developing N .E .
Portland and promoting black busi
nesses so they can be economically
in d e p e n d e n t,*’ said M s . G lo ria
M c M u rtr y , a P o rtlan d co n tractor
and member o f the N B L.
" A personal goal o f mine is to see
N .E . P o rtla n d d evelop as fast as
other sections o f Portland — like the
dow ntow n area. W hen I ride down
U n ion A v e n u e .. .a ll I see is blight
and cloaked and boarded up build
ings. It's really depressing. I think
it's up to us as black people to change
all that because no one is going to do
it for us,” stated Ms. M cM u rtry.
Ms. M c M u rtry 's future plans in
clude starting a developm ent com
pany to develop buildings in the N .E.
section. “ I'm looking at about five
pieces o f property to turn into com
mercial spaces,” she said.
Ms. M c M u rtry is a self-employed
contractor working in interior design.
“ I studied design at W ayne State
University in Detroit. M y father had
a sm all co n stru ctio n com pany re
modeling residences and I w orked
for him through high school and col
lege. T h a t's w here I got a feel o f
what the construction business was
all about,” she said.
Upon graduating from college Ms.
M c M u rtry found that positions in
interior design were not readily avail
able for women. She then began buy
ing re a d y -to -w e a r fashions fo r a
m ajo r departm ent store in D etro it
and continued in retail for almost ten
years. Next came a marketing posi
tion selling industrial packaging for
M obil Chemical.
She ev en tu a lly started her own
business in interior design contract
ing. Ms. M c M u rtry 's day involves
w orking at the P lan Center doing
paper work on current projects, find
ing potential projects, supervisory
work, and research. “ I keep up with
the trade publications like the Daily
Journal o f Commerce, Construction
D ata and News, the Observer, and
the Skanner. G en eral co n tractin g
people advertise in those publications
and that's where I get some o f my
leads.”
Ms. M cM urtry is presently located
in the S .W . Business Complex. She
shares the space with six other black
entrepreneurs who deal in wholesale
supply or the construction industry.
"D uring the latter part of last year
we pooled our resources for a space
downtown where we could share in
formation, subscribe to various pub
lications, and have the necessary sup
plies for our businesses. H opefully,
other minority businesses will see the
advantages o f working together in a
common space and o f sharing info r
m ation.”
Ms. M c M u rtry explained that the
complex is to “ help new businesses
which w ill even tually expand and
grow out o f the complex situation.. .
we think it's a good concept and are
real proud o f the way it's all worked
o u t."
Last January Ms. M cM u rtry took
a trip to Africa. “ Part o f the reason
for my trip was to research business
opportunities. I'm looking at setting
up an export business to export build
ing materials to West A fr ic a ,” she
said.
M s. M c M u rtr y described the
African people as receptive and the
chance for opportunity as vast. She
felt that the m a jo rity o f the black
American population was unaware
o f the desire o f A fric a n people to
expand and develop their country.
“ The only people who w ill develop
Africa are black people in America.
It takes a lot o f money and time when
you do business internationally but
the opportunities are there.”
T he N a tio n a l Business League
(N B L ) is the p rim ary advocate fo r
black business development. Its fun
damental belief is that m inority en
terprise is vital to the nation and its
economy.
Founded in 1900 by Dr. Booker T.
Washington, it is the nation’s oldest
business organization. Its member
ship ranges fro m high technology
manufacturers to single proprietor
ships.
The NBL's Oregon Chapter officers
are C harles F . C rew s, president;
O .B . H ill, first vice president; and
James Berry, executive secretary.
Gloria M cM urtry talks with visitor during opan house at the
Southwest Business Complex.
(Photo: Richard J. Brown)
OSU Opportunity Program Graduates face challenging future
Three Portland area students, Le-
lia Lom ax, Michael L. Mackey and
Anthony M cKinley, are facing new
challenges with their future. These
students are among 38 graduates
from
Oregon
State University
through the Educational O pportuni
ties Program (E O P ) this past June.
The E O P has assisted 273 students
to graduate from the University
over the past 15 years. The program
is highly successful in assisting non-
traditional and minority students.
Lelia Lomax graduated from
Parkrosc High School in June,
1978. She was admitted to Oregon
State University through the Educa
tional Opportunities Program for
the fall o f 1978. In high school,
Lelia was noted for her leadership
abilities in assisting the faculty in
working out solutions to student
problems. Lelia has always had the
ability to succeed. However, for a
variety o f valid reasons, while in
high school Lelia did not demon
strate her academic potential. Lelia
has matured a great deal in the last
few years; and has now found a pur
pose and direction for her educa
tion. Lelia graduated in June with a
major in Psychology. Lelia still re
sides in Portland and is looking to
pursue her career in the social ser
vices.
Michael L . Mackey graduated
from the school o f Business at Ore
gon State University. His major
area o f concentration within the
School o f Business is marketing
management. M ike was born, raised
and educated in his elementary and
secondary years in the Portland
area, graduating from Benson High
School in M ay , 1978. H e received
his first two years o f undergraduate
study at Linfield College, and then
transferred Fall term, 1980, to
Oregon State where he completed
the work for his B.S. in Business.
W hile attending Linfield he worked
for two years at K SLC radio station
and upon transfer to Oregon State
he worked for over two years at
K B VR radio station, completing his
work there as Assistant Station
Manager. During his last term o f his
undergraduate work he took advan
tage o f a cooperative education op
portunity in the Business O ffice of
K IN K radio station in Portland.
Anthony McKinley graduated
from Washington High in June of
1978. H e was admitted to Oregon
State University through the Educa
tional Opportunities Program for
Fall o f 1978. In high school, he con
centrated more on art and basket
ball instead o f academics. But as
one o f his high school teachers said.
“ I feel Anthony has great potential
and abilities he is just becoming
aware o f and this opportunity may
well be o f great value to his life and
career." How prophetic. Anthony
graduated with a m ajor in sociology
this June. One o f the highlights in
his college career was his internship
experience with the Janis Program
in Portland the summer o f 1982.
The Janis Program is a residential
treatment center. Anthony worked
with 14-18 year old boys from
McLaren. He combined his theoreti
cal background from his academic
studies with his people skills and
had a productive summer. H e was
also on the O SU honor roll for that
term. Anthony still resides in Port
land and is looking to pursue his ca
reer in social services.
The Educational
Opportunity Program
The E O P at Oregon State Univer
sity is designed to provide special as
sistance to those individuals who
have traditionally been denied equal
access to educational opportunities.
The program is comprehensive, o f
fering a wide range o f supportive
services to students In the following
areas: assisting In admissions to
O SU ; deferment o f fees and de
posits; financial aid. academic and
personal
counseling;
academic
support classes and tutoring ser-
vices; employment assistance and
post-graduate planning.
One o f the most important activi
ties o f the E O P is the recruitment of
students. The program tries to iden
tify and encourage students with po
tential to complete a degree pro
gram to enter the University. EO P
counselors travel throughout the
state visiting selected high schools
and community colleges. In fo rm a
tion packets and admissions who are
interested in the program can con
tact the program by writing to: Edu
cational Opportunities Program,
W aldo H a ll 337, Oregon State U n i
versity,
Corvallis,
OR
97331,
(phone: 754-3628).
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Paraplegic finds
paycheck key to
independence
Thinking of construction?
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T'S A GOOD CHOICE. . . if you're prepared. You have a lot of options. You can
I I be a carpenter, an ironworker, painter, teamster, an operating engineer,
electrician, pipefitter, cement finisher, plasterer, millwright. . . and the list of craft
trades goes on.
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H A T'S NOT ALL what is available. You can be a civil or mechanical or
structural engineer. Estimators, buyers, accountants and secretaries are all an
important part of a construction team. Whatever career you choose, getting the
training and education is all important. So you see, the option is up to you.
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Eva J. Drake, a clerical am pi o yea with the U 8 . Department of La
bor's Office of Workers’ Compensation In Chicago, voluntarily took
a cut in aeminga becauae ahe “would rather have a job.“ Drake, a
former nurae'a aaalatant. aaya ahe can sympathize with Injured
workara. and thia prompta her to be a batter employee In the back
ground are Labor Department officials William Van Zanen (left) and
Thomas Frye.
HOFFMAN CONSTRUCTION COMPANY
An Equal Opportunity Employer
Hoffman Columbia Plaza 1300 S W Sixth Avenue, P xtla n d , Oregon
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