The National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) hosted its 2012 Conference and Exposition September 25-29 in Indianapolis, IN, which included over 10,000 attendees primarily from Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs.  This year’s theme was Impacting Time, Technology and Tomorrow one Member at a Time.  What better time and place for a company whose brand platform is “Beyond Time” to step up and be recognized! 

It has been said we at FedEx are masters of time and we set the pace and pulse of the world - that our people, technology and network create a dynamic rhythm that serves to keep the world alive and connected.  FedEx certainly made the connection and integrated it into an amazing opportunity at this year’s National Black MBA Association Conference and Exposition.

As a proud life member of the Association and a FedEx employee who bleeds deep purple, I relished in this unique opportunity to exploit the synergistic blend of the two in their respective quests to grow leaders and influence outcomes.  My membership in the National Black MBA Association began as an offshoot of the long standing relationship between FedEx and the Association.  This year, with FedEx’s support, my efforts to positively impact the Association’s mission to create economic wealth for African Americans, we created a win-win for both organizations.  Beyond promoting the FedEx brand through several commercials, this year’s sponsorship also allowed us to announce the launch of the FedEx Small Business Grant Competition at the Conference’s Leadership and Entrepreneurial Institute.  The timing was perfect and the message resounded well with this audience.  I can’t wait to see the impact this has on the number of participants in the Competition!

I have not missed a Conference since 1997, so I knew what the conference experience would be like and the benefit it offered for FedEx as a brand awareness opportunity.  This year, I was joined by Matthew Thornton, III, SVP FedEx Express US Operations for his first conference experience.  I would say that he would attest to the positive impact of this event.  Matthew joined me to accept the NBMBAA’s 2012 Helping Hand Award, which was awarded to FedEx for its actions “exceeding expectations of service to the NBMBAA.”  It was awesome to have a FedEx executive there since this was a special time for me being selected as the recipient of the 2012 NBMBAA Chairman’s Award.  This honor is awarded by the Chairman of the Board of Directors to a member of the Association who has demonstrated visionary leadership and service to the organization and community.  Thank you to Victor Reiss and the Digital & Social Channels team for picking up the tweet, announcing the award on Twitter and re-tweeting it.

This level of recognition is unprecedented since both awards have not previously been given to a single corporate sponsor.  As a result of these honors, I had the opportunity to be interviewed by several media outlets including The Black MBA Magazine, Indianapolis Star Newspaper, and a live on-air radio interview with Indianapolis radio station AM 1310. 

Overall, the FedEx footprint was definitely felt in Indianapolis during the Conference and will leave an indelible imprint on the organization and its members.  I am FedEx and I am proud to be a part of a thriving relationship between FedEx and the National Black MBA Association together we impact time, technology and tomorrow one member (customer) at a time!