P age B ö
O ctober 4, 1995 • T he P ortland O bserver
Diversity Called
Economic Imperative
s all work force diversity at
many companies just empty
talk?
Atlanta business leader and Spelman
College President Johnnetta Cole thinks so,
and she fears the nation’s conservative mood
swing may give more companies a shield to
hide behind.
“ It is not a good period in my nation,”
Cole said. “I hear voices with a message that
I thought had been put behind.”
Cole, who is on the board of directors of
Coca-Cola Enterprises and Home Depot,
spoke to about 75 people Sept. 27 as part of
the International Women’s Forum in Atlanta,
Ga.
She said the current political climate, in
which affirmative action programs are being
attacked and, in some areas, dismantled,
doesn’t bode well for businesses. The na­
tion’s growing political conservatism will
make it hard for companies to tap into a work
force and a market that will include more
women and minorities, she said.
She cited statistics that project in 20
years, the U.S. Hispanic population will have
grown by 47 percent, the African-American
population by 22 percent, the Asian popula-
non by 18 percent and the white population
by 13 percent.
I
◄
Videoland Store
Manager Brian Jones
joins his District
Manager Penny
Moncrief at Videoland in
the Walnut Park Petail
Center. Moncrief, the
former manager of the
Walnut Park store, has
been promoted to
oversee the manage­
ment of eight stores
from Beaverton to St.
Helens. She moved to
northeast Portland just
eight months ago.
(Photo by Michael Leighton)
1995 Oregon Entrepreneurship Awards
sell-out crowd of 800 business
public Garden Burger and Garden Dog. Oth­
people saluted the finalists in
er finalists include: Stephen Aanderud of
the second annual Oregon
Thrustmaster; and Keith Peterson and Timo­
Entrepreneurship Awards com thy
pe­ Johnson, founders of Phoenix Gold Inter­
titio n on S eptem ber 14, 1995.
national, Inc.
1995 Oregon Technology E ntrepre­
Sponsored by the Oregon Enterprise
n e u r: M. “ S r e e n i” S r e e n iv a s a n ,
Forum , the statew id e aw ards
Synthetech, Inc., o f Albany. Synthetech
recognize the contribution these risk­
makes peptide building blocks and spe­
taking innovators make to the state's
cialty amino acids for the pharm aceuti­
economy. This year’s winners were
cal industry. O ther finalists recognized:
selected by a panel of seven judges,
Steven Darrow, Clarem ont Technology
following a rigorous application
G roup; and Corey Smith, C reative M ul­
process:
tim edia C orporation.
1995 Oregon Entrepreneur: James
1995 Oregon Service Entrepreneur:
Crabbean Richard Huson, TheCrabbe Huson
Harold and Gary Coe, Speed’s Towing of
Group, Inc. o f Portland. Crabbe Huson man­
Portland. Formed in 1958, Speed’s Towing
age more than $2,5 billion in investments for
deploys hundreds of trucks and drivers
clients nationwide and their assets under
throughout the Northwest today, doing busi­
management have been growing 50 percent
ness from a straightforward perspective-
annually since 1992. Other finalists recog­
”Go out of your way to care about people and
nized: Mark J. Wattles, Hollywood Enter­
be positive.” Other finalists recognized: Ter­
tainment Corporation; and Paul F. Wenner,
ry
Heilman of World Class Management,
Wholesome and Hearty Foods.
and
Patrick Hanlin and Skip Peters o f
1995 Oregon Emerging Company: Paul
Telemark
Inc.
F Wenner, Wholesome and I learty Foods, of
1995
Oregon
Manufacturing Entrepre-
Portland. Wholesome and Hearty Foods, a
A
neur: Debi Coleman, Merix Corporation, of
Forest Grove. Merix, a leading manufacturer
of technologically advanced electronic inter­
connect solutions for use in sophisticated
electronic equipment, is a public company
that was spun out of Tektronic in June of
1994. Other finalists: Rod Harris, The Harris
Soup Company; and Ronald L. Nash,
Northwood Investments Corporation.
Gerry Frank also presented Willamette
University’s Glenn L. Jackson Leadership
Award for 1995 to Ken and Joan Austin,
founders and owners o f A-dec, Inc. in
Newberg. Both were recognized for the ex­
traordinary public and private leadership they
have provided to this state.
Sponsors o f the 1995 Oregon Entre­
preneurship Awards included the O re­
gon Econom ic D evelopm ent D ep art­
ment, U S. National Bank, Key Bank o f
Oregon. Henry T. Swigert, PacifiCorp,
Portland G eneral Electric, The Business
Journal, W illam ette Valley Vineyards,
Endeavor C apital, First Interstate Bank,
Frazier and Co. M arketing, and the Bank
o f N ew port.
Littman And White Gallery Exhibitions
he Littman Gallery will be
exhibiting the work of Lisa
Brinkman. Brinkman makes
paper and felt, and feels that “using
nature’s fibers is important.”
Symbols and metaphors are represented
in her work that come from her dreams and
her everyday life She feels that her “art
process is a ritual that guides (her) through an
unfolding symbolic study.” The paper she
makes comes from the inner bark of plants.
For the oriental paper, the pulp is poured on
a screen and rolled flat. For amate paper,
strips of inner bark are laid out on a grid and
pounded flat.
The Littman Gallery isopen from 12:00-
4:00pm Monday-Friday, and I2:00-7:00pm
Thursday
The White Gallery will be exhibiting
black and white photographs by Bette Lee.
Lee is a photographer who is interested in
An emotional photographic scene at the OPEU strike by photographer Bette Lee,
social and political issues This show will
on display at The White Gallery.
exhibit photographs she took during the
exhibition at the Portland Art Museum.
OPEU strike in May. One of her photographs
and White Galleries will be on first Thurs­
The White (iallery is open from 7:00am-
of the strike was recently published in U S.
day, October 5, from 5:00-7:00pm.
10:00pm Monday - Friday, 8:00am-10:00pm
News and World Report
The Littman and White Galleries are lo­
Saturday, and IO:OOam-5:OOpm Sunday
She is also one of the 10I artists whose
cated on the second floor of the Smith Memo­
The opening reception for the Littman
works were selected for the Oregon Biennial
rial Center at Portland State University.
T
Yet, she said, white men still occupy 60
percent of the nation’s managerial positions
and 97 percent o f senior management posts.
Companies that don’t equip themselves
with a diverse work force will be left behind
in the future, she warned.
“Diversifying a company’s work force is
an economic imperative,” Cole said. “Those
who will become available(in the work force)
in the largest numbers will be the so-called
minorities and women.”
She said the backlash against affirma­
tive action programs was “shorthand” for
certain biases.
“I am absolutely convinced that what
keeps workplaces looking the way they look
is racism, is sexism, is homophobia,” Cole
said.
Still, Cole said she believed a number of
corporations are considering diversity issues.
“The problem is that the number of compa­
nies committed is not large.”
And while many other companies speak
of having a diverse work force, they don’t act,
she added. That, Cole said, is because too
many top managers don’t really believe in
having diverse work forces or feel threat­
ened.
“The proof is in the pudding,” she said.
“Inaction is a statement.”
African-American
Makes History
. IJ
both inside and outside of USDA regard as
velyn M. White made history
being an old line, old boy network that was
on Feb. 20, 1994 when she
always hostile to blacks and other minori­
was appointed director of
ties. of
personnel at the U.S. Department
For her, that meant humanizing her
Agriculture (USDA).
department and educating all minorities to
On that day she became the first Afri­
always take advantage of every opportunity
can American and the first woman to achieve
and compete equally if not better at the
that post. And with that dual distinction,
came the sole responsibility for providing
USDA.
“Reculturizing means changing the cul­
leadership, policy and direction for more
than 110,000 USDA employees.
ture,” she said. “That means moving away
“This is a dream come true,” said the
from the perception of being the last planta­
personnel head who never returned to Kan­
tion for government to being the employer
sas City, Mo., after vacationing with her
of choice for people who want to work, for
sister in Washington, D.C. more than 28
both people we want to recruit and attract
years ago. “ I always had a vision to be
and those who are currently in our environ­
director of personnel for a major cabinet-
ment - and have to realize that USDA is an
level department or agency.”
industry and we’re about more than produc­
White’s career as a publ ic servant spans
tion agriculture.”
more than 27 years and is one that has
And reculturizing takes on greater im­
emphasized human resources management,
portance when one realizes that more than
administration and equal opportunity and
300 job classifications are represented at the
civil rights. An 11-year stint at the U.S.
USDA, an important marketing strategy.
Postal Service was followed by posts at the
Despite becoming a top notch adminis­
U.S. Department o f Energy and the Office
trator (as evidenced by more than half-a-
of Personnel Management before joining
dozen awards), the Missouri native always
USDA management in 1982.
made time for family and friends. As the
Once White broke into the upper ranks
youngest sibling among seven brothers and
o f USDA management in late 1990, it was
three sisters, she inherited a love of family.
only a matter o f time before she climbed
To her, that means always being available
from per post as assistant to the director of
as both a mother and role model for her two
personnel to deputy director of personnel,
daughters, despite their rigorous schedules
and finally, her current history-making ap­
as undergraduate students at Howard Uni­
pointment.
versity and Bowie State University. It also
As the first African American and fe­
means taking time to enjoy the company of
male to head the USDA’s personnel depart­
friends at the theater or a formal affair or
ment, White has to confront many challeng­
spending time for her best friend -herself-
es associated with a department which many
and reading a good book.
E
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C orner M ar I< et
Salutes Minority
Business Week
1460 NE P rescott
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