louisville urban league press release

8/16/2019 Louisville Urban League Press Release

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MEDIA ADVISORY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT:May 31, 2016 Christi Lanier-Robinson

(502) 609-9141

Louisville Urban League names former Commerce Secretary Jim Host as

Senior Workforce Advisor to push for expansion & inclusion construction in

pipeline for minority contractors

(Louisville, Kentucky--) The Louisville Urban League (LUL) has named Jim Host, SeniorAdvisor for Workforce at the Louisville Urban League. In this capacity, Host, who is the formerSecretary of Commerce for the Commonwealth of Kentucky and founder of HostCommunications, will work to establish a pipeline of minority and women owned firms preparedto participate in the contracting opportunities opening as a result of the numerous construction projects taking place throughout the area. Host will be paid $1 per year and will work toreplicate and expand the model put in place during the construction of the KFC Yum! Center.The Yum! Project met and exceeded its minority and women owned participation goals.

“We want the construction taking place throughout the city and within our reach to achieve the

same level of success we saw with the Yum! Center,” said Host who, as chairman of theLouisville Arena Authority in 2005 successfully lobbied local and state business leaders for theCenter’s construction. “We know that there are many well qualified and experienced minorityowned businesses that will provide a quality product and service to their customers. Making surethese organizations are prepared to actively participate in these developments benefits the entirecommunity.”

Sadiqa Reynolds, President & CEO of the Louisville Urban League, believes that partnering withHost increases the likelihood that minority and women owned participation goals will be put in place for these projects, but also that they will be met.

“My team and I are thrilled that Jim Host has agreed to work with us to help move our cityforward. Jim is a well respected business man, not only in the Commonwealth but across thecountry. He has a proven ability and commitment to ensuring minority owned businesses haveopportunities and access in order to successfully compete,” said Reynolds. “I am confident that Jim’s investment of time and effort will lead to big things happening.”

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Reynolds says the success achieved began in 2005 and was a result of the efforts of the JusticeResource Center under the leadership of the late Reverend Lewis Coleman and the LouisvilleUrban League, under then President, Ben Richmond.

“The leadership that then Secretary Host provided during the construction of the Yum! Center paved the way for business owners to successfully compete with other, and in many cases, largerfirms,” said Reynolds. “Because of his efforts, having vendors that reflected the diversity of thecommunity was a top priority and is still the standard for economic equality within our city.”

Host adds, “that working with the state as well as Workforce Development will be crucial to thesuccess of this effort.

In addition to Host’s focus, Reynolds says that a team comprised of local business leaders, led byCarla Dearing, CEO of IMC, will be working to enhance the workforce development businessmodel currently in place at the League. The goal of this team will be to ensure a well prepared

and diverse workforce is available and prepared to assist during the construction and other stagesof development. Collectively, both efforts could make a difference for thousands of minoritieswithin the community. A full list of committee members is attached.

“Achieving true economic equality requires a comprehensive and intentional approach,” saidReynolds. “Fr om having minority business owners actively engaged and bidding on theopportunities to having a diverse workforce working onsite, there has to be a plan andcommitment to addressing each stage. Today’s announcement puts us one step closer toachieving this goal yielding the results we all want to see and know are possible.”

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Louisville Urban League

Workforce Review Team

Carla Dearing, CEO, IMC

Walter Koczot , Trust Professional, The Glenview Trust CompanyTed Nixon, CEO, D.D. WilliamsonTed Smith, Chief Innovation Officer, Louisville Metro GovernmentWalter Koczot , Trust Professional, The Glenview Trust Company Diane Brown, Consultant — Retail Services Operations, Humana

louisville urban league press release

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