Urban Financial Services Coalition Awards Gala

April 27, 2005

Hilton Hotel & Towers, NYC

000

The Urban Financial Services Coalition is an organization devoted to nurturing financial opportunities, encouraging its members to achieve high standards of performance and take advantage of opportunities for professional advancement and/or increased business, promoting economic improvement of the community through the financial education counseling, supporting organizations engaged in raising the standards of living within the community, encouraging and informing high school and college students about careers within the financial services industry, providing scholarships and educational programs for high school and college students, assisting its corporate members in recruiting, retaining and developing minority employees, and serving as a value-added resource to its members, corporate members and communities.

Formerly known as the National Association of Urban Bankers, the organization was founded in 1971, and has a membership inclusive of anyone with any type of affiliation with the financial industry, and holds regular meetings at different partner locations through the City.

The event was great. Ms. Anita I. Pierce, the Awards Dinner Chairperson, warmly welcomed everyone and introduced all of the VIP’s. After the welcome, Mr. Andrew Carr, the Coalition’s President, introduced Ms. Shon Gables, the Mistress of Ceremonies for the event to give the opening remarks. Ms. Gables, by the way, did a marvelous job in announcing the honorees.

Following were the scholarship presentations, which were made by the co-chairs of the Scholarship Committee, Jose Santiago & Nikkisha George; Andrew T. Carr, the President of the Urban Financial Services Coalition of New York, and Richard J. Davis, President of UBC Foundations, Inc.

Ms. Terrie Williams, the keynote speaker, spoke about her successes and achievements in the industry, and what she really considers true fulfillment in life to be. Ms. Williams was kind enough to give all attendees of the event a copy of her latest book, Plentiful Harvest, on their way out.

Ms. Gables then came back to the podium, and introduced all of the award recipients—the Financial Services Institution of the Year, which was awarded to New York Life Insurance Company and accepted by Sy Sternberg, Chairman & CEO of New York Life; the Finanical Services Profession of the Year, which was awarded to Rodney Miller, Managing Director of Credit Suisse, First Boston; the Business Executive of the Year, which was awarded to Luke Visconti, Partner and Co-founder of DiversityInc.com; the Lifetime Distinguished Community Service Awards, which was awarded to Dr. Edison O. Jackson, President of Medgar Evers College; the Diversity Champion of the Year Award in Sports, which was awarded to Wendy Lewis, Vice President of Major League Baseball; the Diversity Champion of the Year Award in Financial Sevices, which was awarded to Andrea Mason, Vice President of Citigroup, the UFSC-NY Member of the Year Award, which was awarded to Sharon Bellamy, Litigation Consultant, the UFSCNY Member of the Year Award, which was awarded to Chantel Moses, Financial Analyst of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York; the Hume B. Smith Awards, which were presented by Mr. Andrew T. Carr himself, was awarded to Alice Barnes, Vice President of J.P. Morgan Private Bank, and to Anita Pierce, Portfolio Administrator, of the Bank of New York.

Mr. Carr, himself, gave the closing remarks.

This event also included a delicious dinner, complete with all of the fixings.

This was a great event. We at Liberty News Online Magazine would like to thank Mr. Andrew T. Carr, President of the Urban Financial Services Coalition, for his kind invitation for us to cover the event. Anyone interested in learning more about the Urban Financial Services Coalition may visit its website at http://www.ubcny.org/.

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