Black and Hispanic MBA Associations
Host
the 10th Annual William D. Bradford
Awards Banquet
 |
|
Dr. Howard Frank,
dean of the Smith School, with Dr.
William Bradford, banquet founder
and honoree |
Approximately 100 students, faculty,
administrators, alumni, and honored
guests attended the 10th Annual William
D. Bradford Awards Banquet. The Black
MBA Association (BMBAA) and Hispanic MBA
Association (HMBAA) hosted the banquet,
held on April 11, 2003, at the Greenbelt
Marriott (Greenbelt, Md). The event
promotes networking among Smith
students, corporate sponsors, and
distinguished alumni. This year's theme
centered on the impact of diversity on
corporate leadership.
The banquet honored Dr. William
Bradford, who was a professor of finance
at the Smith School from 1980-94. During
his time at Smith he also served as
acting dean and associate dean for
academic affairs. Bradford left the
Smith School in 1994 to become dean of
the University of Washington School of
Business. Currently, Bradford is an
endowed professor of business and
economic development, and professor of
finance and business economics at the
University of Washington. During his
remarks at the banquet, Bradford
highlighted the need for a forum to
facilitate networking and advancement
among minority professionals.
The
keynote speaker, Fernando Murias
(pictured, right), highlighted the
significance of diversity in corporate
America, the strides taken, and the road
ahead. Murias is managing director of
the Greater Washington Area Practice of
PricewaterhouseCoopers, and he serves as
the U.S. National Practice Leader for
Business Compliance Services (BCS).
The BMBAA and HMBAA presented awards
for Entrepreneurial Excellence and
Community Leadership to Adrian G.
Washington and Albertina Ponce,
respectively. Washington founded The
Neighborhood Development Company, LLC,
which specializes in urban infill
residential projects. Ponce is a
communications manager at Fannie Mae,
responsible for leading corporate social
responsibility initiatives.
"Our distinguished guests challenged
each of us to ensure that our
professional and social achievements
contribute towards collectively
improving the impact of diversity on
corporate leadership," said BMBAA
President-elect Wadiya Penn.
This year's banquet was sponsored by
KPMG, LLP; Bank One; Citigroup; PepsiCo;
and Fannie Mae.
