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Leaders of Tomorrow! MARCH 1997 MBC Wolverine OBSERVER 3
CAMPUS NEWS
Morris Brown College Office of Economic Development
“Friends Helping Friends”
by Morris S. Biggers III
T he Office of Economic
Development and Special
Projects (OED) was created in
January, 1995 by the President of
Morris Brown College, Dr. Samuel
D. Jolley, Jr., to demonstrate his
commitment to the economic and
social development of the local
community. With the successful
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony/Open
House for the MBC @ MBC Micro
Business Center on March 6, under
the leadership of Dr. Wilton E.
Heyliger, Director of the OED, it is
doing just that.
The functions of the office include:
Coordinating all of the Community
Economic Development activities of
the college. Advising the President
of the College on economic develop
ment initiatives which would
enhance the physical and financial
position of the College. Developing
proposals and seeking funds for
projects which would improve the
economic condition of the College
and the neighboring communities.
Furthermore, the OED is
responsible for managing the
College’s contracts and grants
relating to economic development;
undertaking any special projects as
assigned by the President.
The mission of the OED is to
“transform the college neighborhood
into an attractive education,
ESTABLISHED 1935
643 Martin Luther King Jr., Drive
Atlanta, Georgia 30314-4140
(404) 220-0312 Fax: (404) 220-0393
PUBLISHER
Morris Brown College
ADVISOR/MANAGING EDITOR
Carvel Bennett
(Director of Student Activities &
Student Publications)
CONSULTANT
Johnnie B. Bates, Jr.
(Bates & Bates Identity
Development & Graphics)
EDITOR
Miquiel Banks
BUSINESS MANAGER
James Potter, III
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Gerthy Samedi
SPORTS EDITOR
William Johnson
Alfred Edwards
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Sean Gardner
(Clark Atlanta University)
Lynnetta J. Lee
Kizzy Taylor
Alfred Edwards
Abeni Daniels
Sylvia T. Boykin
Carvel Bennett
Natasha Shallow
Dakeer Farrar
Essex Agee
Rochelle M. Hardley
Shonda Cannon
Sheila Dease
PHOTOGRAPHER
Spurgeon Dennis, Jr.
residential and business
community,” according to Dr.
Heyliger. Their goals are to expand
the effectiveness of the college in
addressing the small business, and
economic/social development of the
surrounding communities; by
providing training, technical
assistance, improving residential
land, and commercial real estate
within the Atlanta University
Center-Vine City community.
Within the Office of Economic
Development, there are two projects
currently underway: The Small
Business International Institute,
Mr. Hector Butts, Project Coordi
nator, and MBC @ MBC Micro
Business Center. Both of which have
made substantial contributions, to
their credit, to the College and
community at large.
The Small Business International
Institute Project (SBII) is designed
to help globalize the minority
business community to enhance
the United States competitive
advantage by promoting interna
tional trade and investments.
Among its many accomplishments,
it hosted and facilitated an interna
tional conference on trade and
investment in the Caribbean and
contiguous lands of Latin America.
The event was an overwhelming
success, with distinguished guests
speakers such as the Ambassadors
from Trinidad and Tobago, the
Bahamas, and Guyana, Dr. Heyliger
and Mr. Butts native land.
The MBC @ MBC Micro Business
Center (MBC at MBC) was
established in 1996 and is the first
You can
get your
"eat on"
at the
Snack Bar
Chicken Wings,
Fries, and
small drink
$4|99
Hickman Student Center
known business incubator located
within an historically Black College
and University. It is co-sponsored by
the US Housing and Urban
Development (HUD) in Atlanta.
The Mission of MBC at MBC is to
assist new business owners in
developing a successful start-up
package, provide training and
technical assistance, mentoring, and
business counseling for new and
existing businesses. Through a
combination of low rents, shared
services and dialogue with banks
and other lending institutions.
Currently MBC at MBC houses
eight minority owned businesses on
the third floor of Jordan Hall:
AcaMedia Clearinghouse
Corporation is a non-profit
organization, established in Georgia,
by founding President James Clark.
The company produces and
distributes comprehensive video
guides of Historically Black Colleges
and Universities.
Diversity Communications
provides products and services
that will assist individuals,
entrepreneurs, organizations and
businesses with promoting and
packaging their ideas, products,
services and programs. Ms. Teresa
Graves is the President.
First Communications and Data
Corporation is a full service tele
communications company. Establish
ed in 1989 from Washington, D.C.,
Mr. Albert Little is the President.
Harvest Time is a full service
casting firm, “specializing in
minority ethnic talent.” Ms. Sabrina
McKenzie, a recent MBC Alumnae,
founded the business in 1994. The
mission of which is to help place
ethnic talent for commercial, film,
Lt. Gen. Albert Edmonds ‘64
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
munications Area, Hickman Air
Force Base, Hawaii and served
successively as an inspection team
chief in the Office of the Inspector
General, contributing editor on
Project Corona Harvest, and director
of emergency mission support. He
later served as chief of operations
for the 2083rd Communications
Squadron (Provisional), Takhi Royal
Thai Air Force Base, Thailand.
General Edmonds was assigned to
Headquarters US Air Force, Wash
ington DC in May 1973 as an action
officer in the Directorate of Com
mand, Control and Communications.
In June 1975 the general was
assigned to the Defense Commu
nications Agency. General Edmonds
was assigned to Anderson Air Force
Base, Guam, in 1977, as director of
communications-electronics for
Strategic Air Command’s 3rd Air
Division as commander of the 27th
Communications Squadron.
After completing Air War College
in June 1980, he returned to Air
Force headquarters as chief of the
joint matters group, Directorate of
Command, Control and Telecom
munications, Office of the Deputy
Chief of Staff, Plans and Operations.
General Edmonds was then assigned
to Headquarters Tactical Air
Command, Langley Air Force Base,
industrial, videos and print work.
Joyce & Company Management
Consultants was formed in 1994 in
Atlanta by Joyce Pearson. The
Company specializes in small
business development.
Kenya Berry, Attorney at Law, an
Alumnae of Morris Brown College,
is also one of the many fine
businesses that benefit from the
Micro Business Center.
Tyler Place Community
Development was founded in 1992
by the members of the Tyler Place
Homeowners Association. Their
basic mission is to provide
community services to meet the
needs of Vine City residents
including affordable housing, job
development, cultural enrichment,
economic development, volunteer
involvement, education, recreation
and other social services. Ms. Carrie
Salvary is the President.
Xceed Technology Service (Xceed
TS) was founded by Marcus Hall
and A1 Dickson, with over 30 years
of experience managing, consulting
and programming for fortune 500
companies in the Communications,
LAN Installation, Windows and
Internet arena. Xceed TS was esta
blished to bring a higher level of
Internet and Windows development
expertise to small and mid-sized
businesses.
It is the desire of the Morris
Brown College Family that the
Atlanta University Center and the
Atlanta Community utilize the
resources within the Office of
Economic Development.
For additional information please contact
Mrs. Carol Woodbury at (404) 220-0080.
as assistant deputy chief of staff for
communications and electronics, and
vice commander, Tactical Commu
nications Division. In January 1988
he became director of the Command
and Control, Communications and
Computer Systems Directorate, US
Central Command, MacDill Air
Force Base, Florida. From May 1989
until October 1990 he was assistant
chief of staff, systems for command,
control, communications and com
puters, Air Force headquarters. In
November 1990 General Edmonds
assumed duties as assistant deputy
chief of staff, Command, Control,
Communications and Computers,
Air Force headquarters. In
September 1991 he was assigned as
vice director for Command, Control,
Communications and Computer
Systems Directorate (J6), and
deputy director for Defense-Wide C4
Support. He assumed his current
position in March 1993.
His military awards and
decorations include the Defense
Superior Service Medal, Legion of
Merit, Meritorious Service Medal
with two oak leaf clusters and Air
Force Commendation Medal with
three oak leaf clusters.
General Edmonds is married
to the former Jacquelyn Y. McDaniel
of Biloxi, Mississippi. They have
three daughters: Gia, Sheri and
Alicia.