Cargill’s law department honored for diversity leadership

On March 26, Cargill’s law depart­ment was one of two corporate legal departments to capture 2008 Employer of Choice Awards at the Minority Cor­porate Counsel Association’s Midwest Region Diversity Dinner held in Chicago. “This is a company that is diverse, that works to advance diversity in its local community, and that is committed to being a national leader as well,” said MCCA’s Veta Richardson in describing what impressed the evaluation team.

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MCCA called out Cargill for its role in establishing Twin Cities Diver­sity in Practice, a community-wide effort to recruit and retain minority lawyers in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn. As the first corporate law department to join the organization, Cargill helped to recruit additional cor­porate members, which now number 14. Among Diversity in Practice’s innovative recruitment programs are “Flying Squads” of lawyers who visit law schools with high minority enrollments to promote Minnesota as a place for lawyers of color to practice.

Also noted was the law department’s leadership in Cargill’s company-wide employee affinity groups, including the Ebony Council, co-founded by Assistant Vice President and Chief Trademark Counsel Ron Hunter; the His-panic-Latino Council, led by Senior Intellectual Property Lawyer Peter Reyes; the Women’s Council, led by Senior Lawyer Angie Geiman; and the Rainbow Alliance (for lesbian-gay-transgender employees), whose execu­tive sponsor is Vice President and General Counsel Steve Euller.

“For Cargill Law, diversity is a core value,” Euller said. “Our deliberate strategy to operate as one global team requires us to embrace and exploit our diversity to maximize our effectiveness.We work hard at all our locations to attract diverse candidates and nurture their development and advancement.”

CREW CAREERS™ Dallas launches partnership with Irma Rangel School, hosts event in Fair Park

The CREW CAREERS™ program, presented by Commercial Real Estate Women Dallas is partnering with the Irma Rangel School in Southeast Dallas to help educate girls on career opportunities in com­mercial real estate. In its mentoring program with the first-of-its-kind public magnet school for girls in Texas, CREW CAREERS™ is hosting “This Old Building” on May 12 at Fair Park in Dallas. Read more

American Airlines recognizes Texas WBE as preferred supplier

RPCI, Inc. has been named by American Airlines as its preferred supplier in the United States for batteries utilized in the company’s ground support equipment.This includes tugs,tractors,belt loaders and fork­lifts used to support ongoing operations. Read more

Frito-Lay, El Centro and TWC give grant for job training

Frito-Lay has partnered with El Centro College to provide training for 706 new or upgraded jobs using $492,522 from the Skills Development Fund grant from the Texas Workforce Commission.The grant will be used to create or upgrade positions including man­agers, drivers, machine operators and packers. Upon completion of training, workers will receive an average hourly wage of $22.98. Read more

Editor’s Notes

When an organization’s sole purpose of existing is to help women build
successful and entrepreneurial empires then it deserves to be on the
cover of this magazine.The Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance is just
that organization and the leader of the undertaking is executive
director Susan Repka. Since joining the WBEA 10 years ago, Repka has
advocated women business owners in the Houston area to join her
organization so they can take advantage of what certification has to
offer.You can read about its history in the 5-page spread we’ve
dedicated to the WBEA in this issue.

Other big news in this
issue, the Dallas YWCA turns 100 years old this year. For a century,
this organization has lived up to its mission: changing the lives of
the world’s women, by helping them move from poverty to
self-sufficiency.A gala will be held on May 3,2008, to celebrate 100
women over 100 years who’ve made a difference in their own right.

In
other council news,check out the photos from the first ever Women’s
Business Council - Southwest Women’s business WORKS! This new
conference format was a success and definitely a step towards a
revolutionary way to bring big businesses and small businesses together
efficiently. As always, let us know what you’re up to. If you look over
to the right of this page you will see my e-mail address under my name
as well as the e-mail address of our managing editor, Cassandra King.
For those of you who want to advertise (all of you should have raised
your hand) give Lori Layl, one of our sales executives, a buzz and
discover the amazing discounts she’ll give you if you decided to join
the rest of the advertisers who see the benefit of our magazine.

This Month’s Edition

WBEA Executive Director Susan Repka reflects on her 10 years of council success

Both Susan Repka and the Women’s Business Enterprise Alliance are testimony of all that can occur in 10 years.In 10 years,Repka went from serving as the organization’s operations assistant to executive director, and the WBEA —which offers certification, educational opportunities, business development and networking to WBEs — expanded to include over 600 members,serve 94 counties in Texas and open a satellite office.The growth in Repka’s career and the WBEA are the result of great commitment. Read more

APEX Award Dallas presented to Dallas Black Chamber’s Dvorah Evans

Dvorah A. Evans, CMP, director of conventions and tourism with the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce was recently announced as a recipient of the prestigious 2008 APEX Award For Distinguished Service.The APEX award recognizes business professionals for their outstanding service and contribu­tions in their particular fields of endeav­or that not only enhance the travel and tourism industry overall but promote diversity in all aspects of the industry. The award is presented by Black Meetings and Tourism Magazine, and the award ceremony was held in April at the Travel Professionals of Color National Convention in New Orleans.

In her job at the Dallas Black Chamber Evans is responsible for the marketing and promotion of the city of Dallas as a major meeting and leisure destination for minority conventions and tourists. She is also responsible for increasing the business and economic opportunities created by these meetings for the local business community. Evans has been rec­ognized numerous times and was named a Diversity Executive Leadership Scholar (first from the state of Texas) for the American Society of Association Executives and was selected as an Association TRENDS Magazine Young and Aspiring Association Professional.

Valuing relationships takes Guaranty’s Deborah Catley to high places

As a wife, mother, and banker, Deborah Catley knows the success of any goal lies in the value of one thing: relationships. Relationships are the cornerstone of Catley’s 25­year banking career and essential to her current position as executive vice president/ managing director for alter­native delivery channels at Guaranty Bank.

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Her role at the Texas-based financial institution requires her to maintain open communication between bank personnel and customers via telephone, the Internet, online banking, mail and e-mail. Catley’s banking career began when she earned her first position as a manager trainee at Home Federal Savings & Loan in San Diego. From there, she went on to serve as assistant manager for Consumer Lending with CIT Finance, then on to manager trainerin mort-gage/consumer lending for Home Federal Savings & Loan. Her career continued to flourish as she left San Diego to accept a post as manager/ vice president in financial sales for U.S. Bank in Portland, Ore. The native Texan returned to her home state in 2001, when she accepted a position at Guaranty Bank.

Today, she resides in Austin and continues her work with Guaranty. Through every position she held, Catley learned the value of relationships with others, particularly customers. “When you can assist customers with their banking needs and financial decisions, you deepen your relationship with them, and you help to ensure their satisfaction and continued loyalty with your company,” she noted. Similarly, Catley’s practice of developing strong ties with her staff is the main strength behind her managerial style. “When you take care of your employees, they take care of your customers,” she said, adding that she learned that lesson not long after leaving the military.

“When I got out of the Marine Corps, I was used to telling people what to do. But in the private sector, I found that people weren’t listening to me; that approach wasn’t working.” When communicating with employees, Catley advises profes­sionals everywhere to develop rapport with their employees. “If you do nothing else, you have to figure out how to engage others,” she advised. “It’s important to any young manager that they learn that lesson. I’ve found that regardless of the business you work in, the motivation of your employees rests on your own enthusiasm and how well you treat your staff.” It’s also important for professionals to follow their passions.

“Some people are getting up in the morning, and they’re on auto pilot, and they’re not doing the kind of work that makes them happy.” Catley said. “Before you make that professional commit­ment, you really have to understand and care about what you want to do in life — what highlights your talents, what makes you feel good.

If you have that figured out, you’re going to be successful.” Catley also stressed the importance of balancing personal and professional spheres. “In order to be an effective member of any team, you have to be able to balance your home life with your work,” she explained.

Tuck B-School and IBM (Part 1): When the Minority Becomes Majority

Special thanks to Dr. Leonard Greenhalgh (Tuck School of Business) and Michael Robinson (IBM). In Part 1, they discuss economic implications derived from when the minority becomes the majority. Read more

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