New Haven Independent

… or, more accurately, the evening.

The evening was Friday evening. The event was the 42nd anniversary dinner, at the Omni Hotel, of the Greater New Haven Business & Professional Association

Gerald Clark (on the left in the photo) cofounded the association 42 years ago and is its long-time executive director. He said the organization was needed because minority business people were excluded from access to loans, marketing and other opportunities. It’s still needed, he said.

Pictured with Clark above is Juan Figueroa, president of the Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut, and his wife, Helene Figueroa. The foundation was honored as the 2007 Outstanding Organization for Change.

Click on the play arrow to watch Tom Ficklin’s video of Figueroa receiving the award.

After much merry mingling at the start of the evening, the formalities began with the recorded singing of the Star-Spangled Banner. Attendees stood and faced the American flag in one corner of the room, many with hands on hearts. That was supposed to be followed by a recorded version of Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing, aka the “Negro national anthem,” but the song didn’t come on

“Technical difficulties,” announced the emcee, and the next second the woman pictured at the top of the story launched into the anthem. Most of the audience joined in. Jonnie Lewis-Thorpe is a professional singer, and sounded it.

Tony Resigno attended the event, too. Rescigno runs the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, which was founded about 200 years ago and thus was in existence when the Business & Professional Association came along. Clark said the two organizations “have some of the same characteristics, but we started because minority-owned businesses could not get loans or marketing opportunities that other businesses had.” Asked if it’s gotten better in the past 42 years, Clark replied, “A little.”

Resigno said the chamber has a working relationship with the GNHB&PA, offering those who want to join both a special rate. “So we encourage businesses to be part of both organizations. This is a first-class operation, so we’re happy to support it and be partners.”

Bishop William Philpot (pictured) gave the invocation, thanking the Lord for looking out for the GNHB&PA and predicting, “Inspiration, information and enlightenment await us this evening.” He also asked the Lord “to bless the food, the fellowship and our faith.”

Guest speaker Gwendolyn Sykes (pictured) is the chief financial officer (CFO) at Yale University, “responsible for the financial stewardship of the university, including budgeting, accounting and transaction management, financial reporting, internal control and the integrity of financial information,” according to the information in the extensive program book. Before coming to Yale, Sykes served as CFO at NASA. She has won a slew of awards and accolades, including being named by Black Enterprise magazine one of the 50 Most Powerful Black Women in Business.

Click here to watch excerpts of Sykes’ speech.

Keynote speaker was David G. Carter, Sr., Ph.D., the chancellor of the Connecticut State University System.

Click on the play arrow to watch excerpts from his speech.

In addition to Juan Figueroa, awardees included Elizabeth Hayes (pictured), the 2007 Outstanding Female Business Owner of the Year; she is president of both The New Rite-Way Cleaners and S&L Property Management; Dale Bethune, her male counter-part, who is co-founder, chairman and CEO of C-Tech of New Haven; Althea Marshall-Richardson, president and CEO of Empower New Haven, Inc, the Outstanding Community Executive of the Year.

Click on the play arrow to watch Marshall-Richardson receiving the award.