George E. Johnson
Receives AHBAI’s
Industry Pioneer Award
Between the glass partitions set up
in the S.W. comer o f the First Interstate
Bank building, Ralph Nickerson, the
manager ol the Com m unity Lending
Center, goes over the paper work o f a
prospective home owner, hoping to proc-
ess yet another loan for First Interstate
.
T h is
the opportunity o f a lifetim e to taki
first time program through phase o
all the way to the end. I t ’s wha
always wanted to do. Ralph is w
prepared for this opportunity havi
worked for Ben Franklin for 15 ye<
in the mortgage loan business. To qw
Ralph, “ the challenge is even area
pro-
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really the driving
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Ralph said, “ is
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chance to own a Nalph Nickerson Manager Of The Community Lending
piece o f th is ^ e n ^e r
earth.”
Ralph said when he first started in
the business w ith Ben Franklin he got a
taste o f what he is doing now, w ith Ben
Franklin’s revitalization program which
had a sim ilar concept. Basically bring
back old properties to life while mak­
ing housing more affordable and the
than the opportunity” . In explanation,
Ralph says “ one thing people must
understand is the bank does not have
me sitting in this position to give away
its money. What must be understood is
even though we are trying to address
the need o f low and moderate income
applicants, we s till need to be m indful
H a b ita t fo r H u m a n ity
In te rn a tio n a l
Ed W arm o th
Public Relations Consultant
o f what the bank is about .P rofitability."
W hat this boils down to is, there
are s till loan fees, interest rates, clos­
ing costs that have to be paid even now
that the program is in place. We s till
have a greater appetite than we have
qualified applicants to satisfy it. The
bank’s philosophy on this from top to
bottom is we are here fo r the long haul,
which enables us to make a significant
part o f what we do in trying to further
educate and counsel potential appli­
cants. So when they leave Ralph's desk,
hopefully he has imparted to them
enough knowledge to help the poten­
tial home buyer better understand the
mortgage loan process and what the re­
quirements are.
The conception o f the comm unity
lending center came into fru itio n from
upper management level. The process
was sped up by advocacy groups w ork­
ing in conjunction w ith media. The
facts are, Ralph explains, “ the social
and economic environment was just
right and I hope a lot o f first tim e home
buyer’ s are able to cash in on this phe­
nomenon.” We in the com m unity feel
first Interstate Bank was able to cash in
by hiring one o f the finest young men
the c ity o f Portland has produced. As
Ralph and I were leaving the bank,
Chad Debnam, a w ell known market­
ing consultant, had this to say. “ Ralph
was the best candidate for this position
and First Interstate Bank, in offering
this opportunity to low income and
moderate income fam ilies, is letting us
know they are w illin g .” Chad goes on
to explain...’ ’ in Ralph you have an in ­
telligent man w ith a strong home Ioan
background; a w ell known man in our
com m unity who can articulate w ell,
who earns the right to sit at that desk. ’ ’
We concur w ith Chad. The Com m u­
nity Lending Program has the right
pilot; now i f we can just keep Ralph
and his sta ff busy. In time this thing
Ralph calls a phenomenon can take its
place in history.
Prescription For
Fear Of Public
Speaking
The best advice to give someone
who fears public speaking is jo in Social
Service Toastmasters.
Social Service Toastmasters, one »»
o f many Toastmaster clubs is the only
club designed to bring people o f Social
Service together to practice public speak­
ing.
9219 Southwest Line Drive
Cornelius, OR 97113
(503) 628-3227
I f you have a fear o f public speak­
ing why not jo in your peers weekly on
Thursdays at St. Vincent DePaul, 3536
SE 26th, 11:45 A M - 1:00 PM (brown
George E. Johnson, founder o f
Chicago-based Johnson Products, w ill
be honored by the Am erican Health
and Beauty Aids Institute (A H B A I)
with its Industry Pioneer Award. This
award recognizes M r. Johnson’ s sig­
nificant contributions as a trailblazer in
the ethnic haircare industry.
In 1954, Johnson and his w ife Joan
launched Johnson Products w ith a $250
loan. Today, the company is recog­
nized as an innovator in the beauty care
industry. Its personal grooming prod­
ucts are sold in the United States and
selected foreign markets under various
well-known brand names such as Gentle
Treatment, Ultra Sheen, U ltra Star,
Classy Curl Precise. “ A legend in his
own time, George E. Johnson sym bol­
izes Black achievement in American
business and has inspired Black entre­
preneurs to know that against all odds
success is possible,” said Geri Duncan
Jones, executive director o f A H B A I.
Johnson is active both in profes­
sional and civic groups. He was the
founding chairman o f A H B A I, and has
served on the board o f directors o f the
International African Chamber o f
Commerce, the L y ric Opera o f C h i­
cago, the N A A C P Legal Defense Fund,
Operation Push, and many other or­
ganizations.
The award w ill be presented at
A H B A I’ s 9th Annual M id-Year Con­
ference, to be held June 1-4, 1991 in
H ilton Head, S.C. In addition three
days o f educational sessions, the con­
ference is also a place to pay tribute to
industry leaders. Other A H B A I awards
to be presented include: the A H B A I
Founders Awards, the Special Industry
Awards and the Chairmen Awards.
A H B A I is trade organization rep­
resenting the major manufacturers o f
ethnic health and beauty aids products.
For more M id-Year Conference in fo r­
mation, contact A H B A I Headquarters,
401 N. M ichigan Ave., Chicago,IL
60611-4267,312/644-6610.
Comprehensive Housing
Affordability Strategy
Housing is more than shelter or
sim ply a com m odity that is to be bought
and sold fo r pro fit. I t ’ s human meaning
represents much more -home, commu­
n ity, continuity, security, roots, p ri­
vacy, independence, safety, and a sense
o f belonging.
The severe shortage o f decent low
an moderate -income housing boarders
on scandal in a nation as affluent as
ours. It forces people to make, at best,
some miserable choices-to accept an
inadequate, overcrowded dw elling or
to invest too much o f their income fo r
rent, thereby being forced to neglect
other necessities. The housing shortage
is also one o f the root causes o f home­
lessness. And it is clearly discrim ina­
tory; it disproportionately affects m i­
norities, women, children and those
w ith special needs.
This nationwide phenomena has
considerable local impact. There is a
large mismatch between available lo w ­
cost housing an low-income renter
households. The cost o f heating an elec­
tricity have risen considerably. Fam i­
lies seeking assistance remain on long
waiting lists at the Housing A uthority.
Many w ail on our city streets or in
homeownership, a cornerstone o f the
Am erican Dream, has been in decline
every year fo r the last decade.
The National Affordable Housing
A c t was signed into law last November
w ithout fanfare. It was the firs t m ajor
b ill to pass Congress in IS years, a
product o f lobbying by housing and
com m unity development groups. U n­
like the housing initiatives o f the 1970’s,
which focused on the private sector to
provide low-income housing, the new
legislation has given a crucial role in
neighborhood restoration to com m u­
nity and not-for-profit development
groups.
The b ill recognized that these o r­
ganizations are in the best position to
target housing projects that w ill have
the greatest impact on stabilizing our
neighborhoods and communities. It also
had the foresight to so licit com m unity
social service agencies to provide sup­
port services such as job-training, mental
health services, child-care assistance
and prim ary health care.
NEW HOMES
in NE Portland
priced from under $60,000
Come and talk with the builder. Let's
discuss floor plans & other options.
J.A.M. Development
Don Jones, owner
B.B.#58292
You'll Love our quality and service'
Don Jones
Portland
220-1623
Salem
581-2552
S ervice
104 NE Russel St.
Portland, Or 97212
(503) 282 5111
First Interstate Bank’s
C o m m u n it y ^ m t o ^
Meeting the needs of all our
The lending center staff acts
as a referral source for the special
programs available both inside and
Making the dream of home
outside the bank, focusing on
finding the loan that best meets
ownership reality.
the needs o f each borrower. A
special emphasis is placed on
first-time home buyers.
customers.
First Interstate Bank is committed to
helping home buyers across the economic
spectrum achieve their dreams of home-
ownership. For more information about
the Community Lending Center's special
programs, contact:
The staff helps potential home buyers
evaluate their personal finances, counsels
irst Interstate Bank's Community Lend­
them on how to prepare to buy a house,
ing Center is designed to help low- and
moderate income Oregonians buy their
and assists them in planning for home
F
own homes.
Working closely with community
groups. First Interstate identifies home own
erehip needs in urban neighborhoods and
addresses those needs with innovative lend
inAprograms offered through the Com m u­
nity Lending Center.
ownership. And we continue to offer sup­
port and education after the customer's loan
Community Lending Center
S"ìn \E Martin Luther King Ir Blul
IMrtlaiul. Oregon M“ 2I1 • 22^
closes.
In addition, the Community Lending
Center sponsors community seminars on
home ownership.
The loan you want— the
service you deserve.
Speedy
Service
Friendly
Call for Quote!