DALLAS, TX – The New America Alliance (NAA) and The Executive Leadership Council, preeminent organizations of business leaders in the Latino and African-American communities, respectively, will be holding an historic summit in Santa Barbara, California on August 13-15, 2009, to launch a joint national education initiative. The initiative will focus on closing the education achievement gap facing both minority communities and defining the private sector’s role in addressing it. To view the agenda, visit http://naaonline.org/news-and-events/.
“We believe this is the critical long-term issue facing not only our communities, but also the U.S. business sector,” said Carlos Loumiet, NAA’s Chair. “Latino and African-American business leaders are unique in their understanding and knowledge of both communities and the business sector. We can listen and speak to both groups, and hopefully engage and inspire others in this much needed national undertaking.”
“Given the education gap for minority students and how this impacts the numbers of minorities prepared to enter the corporate pipeline, this is an issue of utmost importance to us,” said Carl Brooks, The Executive Leadership Council’s President and CEO. “We can improve the quality and increase the depth of the minority talent pool for years to come. Our communities’ economic contributions to our country will grow exponentially as we address the education issue.”
This invitation-only event will convene more than 100 thought leaders from the business, education, government, and non-profit sectors with a demonstrated interest in this issue to identify areas where business leaders are well positioned to have a significant impact on education. Confirmed summit participants include Gaurdie Banister, President & CEO, Aera Energy LLC; Steve Barr, Founder and Chairman, Green Dot Public Schools; Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView; Linda Darling-Hammond, Chair, Obama Education Transition Team and Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education, Stanford University; Ronald Ferguson, Ph.D., Senior Lecturer in Education and Public Policy, Harvard Graduate School of Education and Harvard Kennedy School; Kris Gutierrez, President, American Educational Research Association; Greg Jones, Chair, California Business Roundtable and Member, California State Board of Education; Moctesuma Esparza, Chief Executive Officer, Maya Cinemas North America, Inc.; Laura Stanford, President, AT&T Foundation; Juan Sepulveda, Director, White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans; and Raul Yzaguirre, Professor of Practice, Arizona State University. To view an entire list of participants, visit http://naaonline.org/news-and-events/.