National Black MBA Association® Detroit Chapter
History
Founding Five Members
William Brooks, Barbara J. Mahone, Frank Seibert, Carl Stoutermire, John Thomas
The National Black MBA Association® Detroit Chapter was incorporated on June 10, 1976
to promote and sustain the participation of minority people in business as follows:
To establish and maintain an effective information and communications
network which would serve the membership and business community.
To provide continuing business education as a means of
improving and maintaining the skills of the minority middle manager.
To encourage scholarly research in those areas of
business which affect the African-American community.
To promote formal education for minorities in the business schools by
providing scholarships and information on scholarship availability.
To advise and assist graduate business schools in developing curricula
consistent with the needs of African American graduate business students.
The Detroit Chapter is currently one of the 10 largest chapters within the
National Black MBA Association®. Our legacy as a chapter expands to several chapters
as our membership has been an instrumental part of the strategic development of the
organization. The first annual conference for the organization was held in Detroit where
the keynote speaker was Jesse Jackson. Our diverse membership demographics include a
variety of industries including banking, health care, education, retail, automotive and a
host of other career fields. The Detroit Chapter has several members who are C-level
executives in the automotive, healthcare, and manufacturing industries. The Detroit Chapter
is also proud to be the home of 3 past National Presidents, 1 National VP Operations and
nearly 20 past members of the National Board of Directors. 1991-1992 Chapter
President and current lifetime member of the Detroit Chapter, BRUCE THOMPSON,
Officer and Vice President of Internal Audit, Alcoa, is currently serving on the
National Board of Directors as BOARD CHAIRMAN. NBMBAA® Detroit is
a 501(c)3 registered Not-For-Profit with the IRS and the State of Michigan.
Membership is open to all individuals in the field of business.
VISION
To Become the Most Productive African American Organization in the Detroit Area
by Providing Programs and Services Which Will Transcend the African-American
Community at all Social-Economical levels.
MISSION
To Provide Professional and Personal Development Activities Which are
Supported by Financial and In-Kind Contributions from Profit and Non-Profit Organizations
in the Furtherance of the Intellectual, Social and Financial Growth and Development of our Members.
National Black MBA Association® Detroit Chapter
Timeline to Incorporation
May 20, 1975 Barbara J. Mahone contacted the National Black MBA Associ-ation and inquired about becom-ing a member and establishing a Detroit Chapter.
May 31, 1975 Leroy M. Fykes, Chairman of the Board, National Black MBA Association responded to Barbara J. Mahone’s initial letter with a membership application and information on how to establish a chapter.
July 18, 1975 Barbara J. Mahone, submits a request to the National Black MBA Association to create a chapter in Detroit.
February/March 1976 National Black MBA Associa-tion newsletter. Special mention of Barbara J. Mahone and her organizing efforts in Detroit.
October 16, 1975 A meeting is held to recruit new members.
December 31, 1975 Detroit Chapter
Financial Statement
1976 Membership Roster
January 8, 1976 Articles of Incorporation
were filed with the State of Michigan.
June 10, 1976 Articles of Incorporation
were approved by the State of Michigan.
The National Black MBA Association® (NBMBAA®) Detroit Chapter held it’s first Scholarship
and Awards Dinner on May 30, 1981 at the Detroit Plaza Hotel. It has become the premier fundraising
event for the chapter. The scholarship and awards “dinner”, formally called “banquet”, was enacted to
support minority professionals pursuing degrees in business. Volkswagen of America Inc.
(now Volkswagen Group of America) was the major sponsor for the Detroit Chapter’s first dinner. The
keynote speaker was Otis M. Smith, a former General Motors Executive. The president of the Detroit
Chapter at that time was Haven E. Cockerham. The first Scholarship Award Recipients were Linda
Corrin and Thea Walker.
Over the past forty-years, the Detroit Chapter has awarded over $400,000 in educational scholarships to
deserving high school, undergraduate and graduate minority professionals. Tonight, we will award over
$40,000 in educational scholarships. Suppor ting business education will continue to be an
important focus within the Detroit Chapter as its’ membership believe education is the cornerstone for
economic equality. A special commendation goes to the 2015-2016 Scholarship Chair,
LaShawn Early. It was her idea to enact the 40/40 Scholarship Campaign in honor of the Detroit
Chapter’s 40-Year Anniversary.
History of Scholarship and Awards Dinner
William C. Brooks is Chairman and CEO of BPI Communications,
LLC. He is Vice-Chair of Netlinks LLC. He is a past Chairman of the De-
troit
Economic Growth Corporation. He is Chairman Emeritus of the Board of
Directors of the Michigan Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Detroit
Regional Chamber of Commerce. He is former Chairman and CEO of Unit-
ed American Healthcare Corporation.
During Mr. Brooks’ tenure at General Motors, he served in various execu-
tive positions at the General Motors Corporate Headquarters and its field
operations. Prior to retiring in 1997, he served as Vice President of
Corporate Affairs, which included being Chairman of the General Motors
Foundation; and Chairman of the Board and President of Motor Enterprises,
Inc., a subsidiary of General Motors which is a specialized small business
investment company.
Mr. Brooks’ U.S. Air Force career was concluded with six years at the
Pentagon. Upon retirement in 1972 he was recruited to serve in the White House in the Office of Management
and Budget.
Mr. Brooks is a retired member of the Board of Directors of Louisiana Pacific Corporation (NYSE: LPX)
and DTE Energy (NYSE: DTE). He is a former Member of the Board of Directors of Covansys, Inc.
(NASDAQ:CVNS) and Caraco Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Ltd. (AMEX:CFD). He is also a former Chairman
of the Detroit Public Schools Board of Education. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of Grand Valley
State University and the University of Detroit Mercy. He is also a past chair of the Music Hall Center for
Performing Arts. He is a past member of the Board of Trustees of The Detroit-Macomb Hospital Association; the
Henry Ford Health System; and the Pontiac Osteopathic Hospital. He also served as the Non-Executive Chairman
of Lason, Inc. (NASDAQ:LSON). He is a founding member of the Detroit Chapter of the National Black MBA
Association and a Past National President. He co-Chaired the first National Convention in Detroit and is a Life
Time member of the organization.
Having been appointed by Presidents Clinton, George H. Bush and Nixon, Mr. Brooks served as a
member of the Social Security Advisory Board, Assistant Secretary of Labor for the Employment Standards
Administration, the largest agency in the Department of Labor and in the White House as an Operations Research
Analyst in the Office of Management and Budget. In the President Bush and Clinton appointments he was
confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Mr. Brooks earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Long Island University and a Master’s degree in
Business Administration (MBA) from The University of Oklahoma.
He has completed the Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. In May 1987, he was the
commencement speaker at Florida A&M University and awarded an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters. In May
2000, he was the commencement speaker at William Tyndale College.
Mr. Brooks has received many awards. He believes the most significant are: The 28th NAACP Image
Award, The Bethune DuBois Institute Honors Award, The Detroit Urban League’s Distinguished Warriors Award,
and The Urban Wheel Life Time Achievement Award.
William “Bill” Brooks Detroit Chapter Founding Member
Barbara J. Mahone moved to Detroit in June 1968 and began a 38
year career with General Motors Corporation on the Corporate
Financial Staff as a systems analyst. In 2008, she retired as Executive
Director, Human Resources for Global Product Development.
Additional leadership positions included Manager, Career Planning,
GM Corporate Headquarters; Director, Salaried Personnel, Rochester
Products Division; Manager, Labor Relations and Safety, Packard
Electric Division; Director, Human Resource Management,
Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM of Canada Group; General Director of
Personnel and Public Affairs, Inland Division; General Director of
Personnel for Inland-Fisher Guide Division; General Director of
Employee Benefits and the Group Director of Human Resources, the
General Motors Truck Group.
In 1982, Mahone was appointed by President Reagan and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as
Chairman of the Federal Labor Relations Authority. She resigned but later returned to General Motors
Corporation.
Currently, Mahone serves on the Talmer Bancorp and Talmer Bank and Trust Board of Directors.
Additionally, she serves on the Board of the Shiloh Community Restoration Foundation; the Walsh
College Board of Trustees and the BIZDOM Board. Recently, Mahone was named a Beaumont Health
System Director Emeritus recognizing twenty years of Trustee/Board service. She enjoys golf and has
played Augusta National.
Mahone is a Founding Member of the Detroit Chapter of the National Black MBA Association and was
elected the First President of the Chapter. Later she became a member of the National Black MBA
Association Board of Directors and served as National President. In 1978, the First National Conference
was hosted by the Detroit Chapter and Mahone served as a Co-Chair of the National Conference.
Mahone is a Lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association and for the past ten years has
funded a scholarship, awarded annually by the Detroit Chapter.
Mahone earned a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Ohio State University, a MBA Degree from the
University of Michigan and completed the Harvard University Program for Management Development.
Mahone has received numerous awards and recognitions that include the National Council of Negro
Women Mary McLeod Bethune Award, the Detroit Urban League Distinguished Warriors Award and
the Pimlico Elementary School in Baltimore, Maryland renamed its library the Barbara J. Mahone
Multi-Cultural Learning Center.
Barbara J. Mahone Detroit Chapter Founding Member
Chapter President 1976
Carl H. Stoutermire was born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1935 and at the
age of four, his parents relocated the family to Montgomery, Alabama. They
resided in a home separated by one house from the later historic Dexter
Avenue Baptist Church. Often, he played in the basement of the Church.
His Mother was among the many friends of Rosa Parks. He attended
Kindergarten thru 12th Grade at the Alabama State College Laboratory School in
Montgomery.
Following graduation from High School, Stoutermire joined the Air Force
and attained the rank of Staff Sergeant. He enrolled at Wayne State University
and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree and a Juris Doctorate Degree. He began his
career with Ford Motor Company in 1964 but as a member of the U.S. Air Force
Reserve, after two years with Ford, he received orders to
return to the Air Force. Stoutermire spent an additional four years in the Air Force and attained the rank of
Captain: he served a total of eight years in the military during the Korean and Vietnam eras. Afterward, he
returned to the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan.
Moving thru the ranks at the Ford Motor Company World Headquarters, he held positions on both the
Salaried Administration Staff and the Labor Relations Staff including managerial positions in Arbitration and
National Contract Negotiations. Additionally, Stoutemire received a Leave of Absence from Ford and served
as Director of Human Resources for Wayne County, reporting to County Executive William Lucas. He
returned to Ford Motor Company and retired on January 1, 2000 as Manager of Benefits Administration.
Stoutermire married Mattie Hill on December 31, 1959 and to this union two children, Regan and Kevin were
born. His wife had a profound influence on his life. She was born in Tennessee Colony, Texas, a small rural
farming community with few amenities except for a General Store. Although, she was a Chief Anesthetist,
she incorporated Guided Imagery into her practice. She recorded a CD titled: “Guided Imagery: Help for the
Mind and Body during Difficult and Stressful Times” which has been used in hospitals around the country.
His wife’s rural background had a profound impact along with his early childhood development when his
Great Grandmother, Mama Rosanna, a former slave born in the 1850s lived in the household with him for a
period of time. Following forty-six years of marriage, he became a widow in 2005.
Stoutermire joined the National Black MBA Association in September 1974 and became a founding member
of the Detroit Chapter in 1976 where he served as the first Second Vice President of the Chapter. He is a
member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and has received many recognitions. He served as Executive Director
of Graduate Opportunities for Advanced Labor Studies (GOALS).
Carl Stoutermire Detroit Chapter Founding Member
Frank J. Seibert Detroit Chapter Founding Member
Chapter President 1977
John Thomas Detroit Chapter Founding Member
Frank J. Seibert received a Bachelor of Science in Management in 1970
from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His first job out of
college was in the banking industry. Frank also received an MBA with a
concentration in Finance from Atlanta University in Atlanta, Ga. in 1973.
From there he was recruited to work as an automotive Financial Analyst in
Detroit where he has worked in that capacity for over 42 years. Frank also
attended law school at night, receiving his Juris Doctor from the University
of Detroit in 1978. Since 2004, in addition to working full time as an
automotive Financial Analyst, Frank has taught evening classes in business
as well as personal Finance at University of Phoenix Detroit campuses.
John Thomas was an entrepreneur when he became a
founding member of the National Black MBA Association Detroit
Chapter. He relocated from the Detroit area shortly after and the
Detroit Chapter lost contact with him. The Detroit Chapter has
searched many archives and records and have not been able to
find any biographical or contact information for John Thomas.
If you know of his whereabouts or any other contact information,
please email this information to [email protected].
FORMER PRESIDENTS
1976
Barbara J. Mahone
Executive Director Global Human
Resources GM
Retired
1977
Frank Siebert
Automotive Financial Analyst
University Instructor in Business and Finance
1978
Lawrence Roberson
Owner
Wealth Management Group
1979
Michael Carithers Controller
Rocky Peanut Company
1981
Haven Cockerham
President and CEO
Cockerham Associates LLC
1983
B. Craig Orr Finance and Purchasing Manager
Ford Motor Company
Retired
1984
Steve Lewis Director of Strategic Planning North America
Manufacturing Operation
Ford Motor Company
Former National President 1994-1997
Interim President and CEO 2009-2010
1986
Daniel Brightwell City Councilman
Southfield, Michigan
1987-1988
Otis Sprow
Treasurer
Villages of Wooldholme
Retired
FORMER PRESIDENTS
1989 - 1990
Gary Dent Vice Chancellor Human Resources
and Labor Relations
Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
Retired
1991 - 1992
Bruce Thompson Officer and Vice President of Internal Audit
Alcoa
NBMBAA Board Chairman
1993 - 1994
Dr. Tony A. Lyons President and Sr Consultant
P2e Solutions LLC
1995 - 1996
Dr. Victoria Jones President
Northpointe Group Consulting LLC
1997 - 1998
Pamela Ruffin
Entrepreneur
1999 - 2000
Curtrina Smith Retired from GM after 35 Years
Owner, Ms. Cee’s Celebrations
2001
Calvin Speight Jr Principal Consultant Owner Project Executives
Outcomes LLC
2002
Rosie Gholston
Senior Manager, Federal Reserve Bank
2003
Yewande A Odusanwo Marketing Manager, Sears Holdings Corporation
FORMER PRESIDENTS
2004
Tracy-Betina Caldwell Foster
Sr Territory Manager
Bristol-Myers Squibb
2005 - 2006
Corrie Patton
Supply Chain Manager
BASF Automotive
2006 - 2007
Henry Daniels Executive in Financial Systems
General Electric
2008 - 2010
Steven Suber Lead Resident Engineer
Hella
2011 - 2014
Valencia L Parker
Manager Supplier Delivery Performance
Ford Motor Company
2015 - Present
Paulina Johnson Account Manager
ArcelorMittal USA
Not Pictured
Curtis Watson 1980
Vera Weiss 1982
Gregory A Boyd* 1985
*deceased
Welcome Home To Detroit! National Black MBA Association
® 40th Annual Conference
September 25-29, 2018
39th Annual Conference
September 26-30, 2017
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
38th - The Q Factor: Quality,
A Leadership Paradigm October 11-15, 2016
New Orleans, Louisiana
37th - The Art of Leadership:
Relevance. Drive. Effect.
September 22-26, 2015
Orlando, Florida
NBMBAA® 45th Anniversary
36th - The Building Blocks of Leadership:
Inspiration. Innovation. Collaboration.
September 16-20, 2014
Atlanta, Georgia
35th - Courageous Leadership:
Owning Your Own Success!
September 10-14, 2013
Houston, Texas
34th - Impacting Time, Technology &
Tomorrow...One Member at a Time
September 24-28, 2012
Indianapolis, Indiana
33rd - Power Up Your Profitability October 4-8, 2011
Atlanta, Georgia
32nd - Blink the Speed of Change September 21-25, 2010
Los Angeles, California
NBMBAA® 40th Anniversary
31st - Connect/Reconnect 2009
New Orleans, Louisiana
30th - Catalyst for Change –
Then.Today.Tomorrow
2008
Washington, DC
29th - Relevance: Staying Current,
Creative and Credible!
2007
Orlando, Florida
28th - Winning with Intention! Winning with
Innovation! Winning with Integrity!
September 26 - October 1, 2006
Atlanta, Georgia
27th - Leading With Passion October 11-16, 2005
San Diego, California
NBMBAA® 35th Anniversary
26th - RE-IMAGINE Education, Employment and
Entrepreneurship: Creating Possibilities
for the Future
September 14-19, 2004 Houston, Texas
25th - Changing the Course of Your Future September 23-28, 2003
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
24th - Bridging the Gap to the
Untapped Frontier
September 17-22, 2002
Nashville, Tennessee
23rd - The Power of Partnerships September 25-30, 2001
Orlando, Florida
22nd - Harvesting the Fruits of our
Roots in the Diaspora
October 3-8, 2000
Chicago, Illinois
NBMBAA® 30th Anniversary
21st - New Millennium:
The Power of Technology
September 14-19, 1999
Anaheim, California
20th - Accentuate Performance to Drive
Economic Power
September 16-20, 1998
Detroit, Michigan
19th - Strategic Alliances:
Change and the Road Ahead
September 17-21, 1997
Dallas, Texas
18th - Living the Vision:
Achieving Economic Independence
September 25-29, 1996
New Orleans, Louisiana
17th - The Silver Lining:
Winning in the Global Marketplace
September 27 - October 1, 1995
Boston, Massachusetts
NBMBAA® 25th Anniversary
16th - The Dynamics of Leadership:
Moving Principles to Action
September 14-18, 1994
San Francisco, California
15th - Retooling Human Capital for
Economic Leadership
September 22-26, 1993
Atlanta, Georgia
14th - Leadership: The Catalyst for Success October 7-11, 1992
St. Louis, Missouri
13th - Empowerment through Unity,
Education, and Equity
September 18-22, 1991
New York, New York
12th - Competitive Strategies for a
Changing Global Economy
October 3-7, 1990
Los Angeles, California
11th - The 1990's: Fulfillment of Vision October 4-8, 1989
Chicago, Illinois
10th - Exploring Opportunities:
Master Possibilities
October 26-30, 1988
Houston, Texas
9th - Changing Horizons:
The Challenge of Leadership
October 14-18, 1987
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8th - Winning Strategies:
The Competitive Edge
October 15-19, 1986
Detroit, Michigan
7th - Business and Government:
The New Equation
October 30 - November 3, 1985
Washington, D.C.
6th - American Business in Transition October 3-7, 1984
San Francisco, California
5th - Probing Visions of the 21 Century October 5-9, 1983
Atlanta, Georgia
4th - Crossroads: New Directions October 6-9, 1982
New York, New York
3rd - Challenge to Excel October 7-11, 1981
Chicago, Illinois
2nd - Energy for the 80's October 23-26, 1980
Los Angeles, California
1st - The Black MBA: Challenges,
Opportunities, Problems, Expectations
October 15-19, 1979
Detroit, Michigan
Annual Conference Dates
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