The Pioneer Issue:

Inside:

Brian ThompsonCurrency Designer

Mae JemisonAstronaut Chemist

Don ThompsonMcDonald’s CEO

African-Americans Who Broke New Ground And Changed The World

Acushnet Company proudly supports

America’s Veterans.

Join the Team behind the Brands.

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Opportunities are available in Southeastern MA and Southern CA. Acushnet Company offers competitive salaries and comprehensive

benefits. For more information, check out our website.

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We embrace diversity in our products, the players who use our equipment, and most importantly, our people.

Embracing Diversity

DIVERSITYAt Covance, we respect, value and understand the differences of each of our employees and create a work environment that encourages, develops and leverages their diverse capabilities to achieve our business goals. Simply speaking, our vision statement is to — build competitive advantage by optimizing the impact of diverse skills, cultures, ideas and experiences of every employee around the globe.

We believe that diversity is not about legal requirements, affi rmative actions, quotas, or minority representation. Rather, its focus is on awareness, inclusion, respect, understanding and developing a supportive work environment for all employees regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, or sexual orientation.

Bring your unique talents to Covance. Visit www.covancecareers.com to learn more about a career with Covance and search open job opportunities.

I S I N O U R C U L T U R E

Diversity within Covance is alive and universal. EOE

www.covancecareers.com

DIVERSITYAt Covance, we respect, value and understand the differences of each of our employees and create a work environment that encourages, develops and leverages their diverse capabilities to achieve our business goals. Simply speaking, our vision statement is to — build competitive advantage by optimizing the impact of diverse skills, cultures, ideas and experiences of every employee around the globe.

We believe that diversity is not about legal requirements, affi rmative actions, quotas, or minority representation. Rather, its focus is on awareness, inclusion, respect, understanding and developing a supportive work environment for all employees regardless of age, gender, ethnic background, or sexual orientation.

Bring your unique talents to Covance. Visit www.covancecareers.com to learn more about a career with Covance and search open job opportunities.

I S I N O U R C U L T U R E

Diversity within Covance is alive and universal. EOE

www.covancecareers.com

Inside This Issue:

CLICK ON A PAGE NUMBER TO GO TO THAT STORY

Having vowed never to flip hamburgers for anybody, Don Thomp-son eventually changed his mind and wound up as the CEO of McDonald’s corporation. It’s a safe bet he’ll never say never again.

Rolling Three Deep

Five Black Chemists Who Changed The World

Making Money The Old Fashioned Way

Page 14Page 12

Page 16

Never Say Never Again

Numbered among them are a racer, a car dealer, and a turn-of-the-century carmaker. These ground-breaking African-American motoring pioneers have left an enduring mark on the automotive world.

They’ve alleviated pain, re-versed blindness, saved crops, and blasted into outer space. These five African-American chemists have literally changed the way we live. Here’s how they did it.

Aside from loving what we do, making money is one of the fun-damental reasons most people get up and go to work every day. This is just as true for Brian Thompson as it is for everyone else; except in Thompson’s case, he quite literally makes money.

Page 21

PUBLISHEREqualityMagazines.com

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EDITORLyndon Conrad Bell

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6 The Black Perspective

He’s A Guy You Want On Your SideDespite sustaining an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter of the Seattle Seahawks’ Super Bowl victory over Denver’s Broncos, Richard Sherman goes

home with a Super Bowl ring, and his detractors go home with, well, nothing. Regardless of where you come down on his post-victory NFC Champion-

ship Game interview comments, you have to admit Sherman is good at his job. In fact, I submit he is exactly the kind of person any organization seek-ing business success would be fortunate to have functioning on its behalf.

Did Sherman prove himself outspoken at that moment?Absolutely!

But name one introverted salesperson who ever made quota.In a fiercely competitive business environment, what com-

pany does not want its brand trumpeted by an outspokenly passionate individual who is intelligent, committed, and has what it takes to execute the big plays? Regardless of whether you agree with what he said, or more likely how he said it, you have to admit, Sherman absolutely displays all of those qualities.

Am I saying he was right?No.Could he have handled it better?Yes.But I’m not saying he was wrong either.It was just what it was.I am saying it doesn’t make Sherman a “thug”, as so many people declared him to be—operating

only on half of the information—with no personal knowledge of the man or his motivation. Most people didn’t see or hear the exchange Crabtree and Sherman had when Sherman went to shake Crabtree’s hand after the game and was rebuffed with a shove to the face, nor were they aware of Crabtree’s taunts and insults directed toward Sherman earlier in the season.

In this editor’s opinion, Sherman’s response marks him a passionate, committed individual, who was justifiably proud of his accomplishment, even in the face (no pun intended) of an abusively aggressive adversary. And oh, by the way, did we mention he’s also an academically high-achieving Stanford graduate, who pulled himself up by his own bootstraps to overcome an impoverished child-hood? All of which makes him an individual any company would benefit from having on its payroll.

In other words, Sherman’s exactly the type of person you want on your side.

-Lyndon Conrad BellEditor

The Black Perspective

Editor’s Letter

At Lockheed Martin, we believe that in order to have a world-class supplier base, we must provide opportunities for

a wide range of businesses to work with us. Veteran-owned businesses bring a special perspective with them that

enables us to deliver innovative solutions and new ideas to our customers. And we’re proud to say that putting supplier

diversity into practice has made us one of DiversityInc magazine’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity. Lockheed Martin.

Supporting veterans and veteran-owned businesses. We always have. And we always will.

www.lockheedmartin.com

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF

EXPERIENCE

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At Lockheed Martin, we believe that in order to have a world-class supplier base, we must provide opportunities for

a wide range of businesses to work with us. Veteran-owned businesses bring a special perspective with them that

enables us to deliver innovative solutions and new ideas to our customers. And we’re proud to say that putting supplier

diversity into practice has made us one of DiversityInc magazine’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity. Lockheed Martin.

Supporting veterans and veteran-owned businesses. We always have. And we always will.

www.lockheedmartin.com

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF

EXPERIENCE©

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8 The Black Perspective

The best salespeople know one of their most effective sales tools is presupposition.

Let’s say you’re selling cars. In all likelihood, every indi-vidual coming into your showroom inquiring about a spe-cific model already wants it. All you have to do is help them see themselves owning it—through your choice of language. To this end, the word “when”; combined with the words “you” and “your” trumps the word “if ” every time.

“When”, particularly employed with “you” and “your”, implies a foregone conclusion and personalizes the situation, which diminishes doubt.

“Your heated steering wheel is so nice when you’re driv-ing home on a cold day. “When you pull up at valet parking they race to be the one to park your car—which is kind of funny when you think about it, because they always park your car right out front.” When you hear your music on your audio system you feel like you’re sitting right in the middle of the band.”

Conversely, the word “if “—particularly when used with-out personalization—leaves the situation abstract, implies a decision needs to be made, and entertains doubt.

“The heated steering wheel is so nice if you’re driv-ing home in this car on a cold day. “If you pull up at valet parking the valets race each other to be the one to park it—which is kind of funny when you think about it, because they always park it right out front.” If you hear music on the

audio system in this car it feels like you’re sitting right in the middle of the band.”

So what does that have to do with a job interview? Interviewers want to hire someone—your task is to help

them see you doing the job.Let’s take a common interview question; “What makes

you suited for this job?”Now when you’re well-informed, as you will be after read-

ing this article, you will have conducted some research on the company to see what they do, what their strengths are, what their weaknesses are, and you will have figured out how your particular skill-set will benefit the organization.

Then, when that question comes, you’ll be prepared to answer it as follows;

“I’m glad you asked that. Having looked into the situation, when I am the lead IT person here, I will maximize the ef-fectiveness of our platform by…”

When your every answer subtly presupposes you will get the position, the interviewer starts seeing you in the posi-tion. When your answers are thoughtful and demonstrative of the required expertise, it makes it very easy to see them-selves recommending you for the position.

In other words, when you talk like you already have it—odds are, you’ll get it. BP

The PowerOf PRESUPPOSITION Interview Like You Already Have The Job

workplace

THE BLACK PERSPECTIVE14

Rehrig Pacific is a world-leading manufacturer of reusable

plastic pallets and crates for handling and transporting

commercial products, manufactured goods, produce, food

and beverage products, and more. We help thousands of

businesses move their products more efficiently through

the supply chain. An international company with licensees

worldwide, Rehrig Pacific offers an ever-expanding line

of transport packaging products, such as our new export

pallet, and logistical services for industry.

In addition, Rehrig Pacific also manufactures a full line of

roll-out carts and recycle bins for the curbside collection

of household waste and recyclables, and commercial

containers and litter bins for automated refuse and

recylables collection. Private haulers and municipalities

alike enjoy the many advantages of using Rehrig Pacific

collection containers and distribution services.

To learn more about us or to explore careers

with Rehrig Pacific, visit us online.

www.rehrigpacific.com

An Equal Oppprtunity Employer Committed to Diversity

The Black Perspective 9

Interview Like You Already Have The Job

THE BLACK PERSPECTIVE14

Rehrig Pacific is a world-leading manufacturer of reusable

plastic pallets and crates for handling and transporting

commercial products, manufactured goods, produce, food

and beverage products, and more. We help thousands of

businesses move their products more efficiently through

the supply chain. An international company with licensees

worldwide, Rehrig Pacific offers an ever-expanding line

of transport packaging products, such as our new export

pallet, and logistical services for industry.

In addition, Rehrig Pacific also manufactures a full line of

roll-out carts and recycle bins for the curbside collection

of household waste and recyclables, and commercial

containers and litter bins for automated refuse and

recylables collection. Private haulers and municipalities

alike enjoy the many advantages of using Rehrig Pacific

collection containers and distribution services.

To learn more about us or to explore careers

with Rehrig Pacific, visit us online.

www.rehrigpacific.com

An Equal Oppprtunity Employer Committed to Diversity

10 The Black Perspective

7Smart Salary

NegotiationStrategies

Consider these seven smart salary negotiation strategies:

1) Know your market value. Do your homework and support your re-quest with concrete numbers from reputable sources. Consult publica-tions such as Robert Half ’s 2014 Salary Guides or the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

2) Look at the whole picture. Re-member to consider all the aspects of the deal, not just pay. An attrac-tive healthcare benefits package, bonus opportunities, a retirement savings plan and perks such as tu-ition reimbursement, telecommut-ing options or relocation assistance can make up for a lower base salary.

3) Research the company. Get an idea of how much wiggle room there is by learning about the firm’s

financial standing. 4) Keep it friendly. Always manage

the negotiation discussions tact-fully. Remember: You’re negotiating with someone who could be your future boss, not haggling with a used car salesperson you’ll never see again.

5) Ask to revisit the issue. If the company can’t quite meet your desired salary, ask if the hiring manager would be willing to re-evaluate your compensation in six months. The firm could be in better financial standing by that time, and your manager will have had an opportunity to see the value you provide firsthand.

6) Know when it’s time to quit. If you’ve volleyed a few times and received what you’ve asked for, don’t continue pushing just to see if there’s anything else you can squeeze out of the company. Like-

wise, if the final offer presented falls short of your expectations, realize it’s time to stop haggling and decide if you can live with the offer or not.

7) Get it in writing. Make sure to get an employment contract detailing all aspects of the agreement. That includes compensation and any spe-cial arrangements you’ve negotiated.

Finally, if you decide to turn down an offer, do it with class so that you don’t burn any bridges. Go out of your way to be gracious and appreciative. The bottom line is that you want to do everything possible to leave the door open to future opportunities.

Brenda Arnold is a regional vice president for Robert Half, the world’s first and largest specialized staff-ing firm. For more career advice and online job search services, visit www.roberthalf.com. BP

BY BRENDA ARNOLD

Many job seekers shy away from salary negotiations out of fear they’ll blow the deal. But here’s a little secret: Most employers expect to engage in some back-and-forth discussion at the bargaining table. In fact, according to research from our company, 63 percent of

executives said they’re willing to negotiate salary when extending a job offer to a top candidate.

salary negotiating 101

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12 The Black Perspective

Produced with the National Organization for the Profes-sional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engi-neers, the video highlights the work of astronaut and chemi-cal engineer Mae Jemison, the first woman of color to go into space, as well as of course George Washington Carver, the

noted agricultural scientist. Also featured in the video are Patricia Bath, the first Afri-

can-American female doctor to patent a medical device; Betty Harris, a noted expert in the chemistry of explosives; and Percy Julian, a pioneer in synthesizing materials from plants.

Dr. Bath’s work in ophthal-mology resulted in the devel-opment of a medical device, which improves the use of lasers to treat cataracts. Bath’s invention is used internation-ally to treat the disease. While serving as a fellow at Columbia University, she persuaded her

Five Black Chemists

MAE JEMISON

professors from Columbia to operate on blind patients at Harlem Hospital Center—which had not previously of-fered eye surgery—at no cost after realizing poor people of color were basically going blind because they could not afford treatment.

Dr. Harris’ work as a re-search chemist in the areas of hazardous waste treatment and environmental restoration facilities contaminated with energetic materials such as gun propellants and explosives precipitated her recognition as a noted expert in the chemistry of explosives. Harris also worked

with the Girl Scouts to develop a chemistry badge similar to the chemistry merit badge for Boy Scouts. Harris holds a patent for her invention of a spot test for identifying explo-sives in a field environment.

Dr. Julian developed a glau-coma drug from beans, fire-fighting foam from soy protein, and an arthritis treatment used to treat millions of patients today. One of the first African-Americans to receive a doctor-ate in chemistry, his work laid the foundation for the steroid drug industry’s production of cortisone, other corticosteroids, and birth control pills. Dr.

Julian was the first African-American chemist inducted into the National Academy of Sciences and the second African-American scientist inducted from any field. BP

Who Changed The World

They’ve alleviated pain, reversed blindness, saved crops, and blasted into space. The American Chemi-

cal Society’s Reactions YouTube series is celebrating Black History Month with a new video featuring five black chem-ists who changed the world. The video is available here.

pioneers

Sometimes, it sounds a horn.To see the wide range of challenging and meaningful career opportunities available

right now at North America’s premier railroad, visit www.unionpacific.jobs.

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Opportunity doesn’t always knock.

14 The Black Perspective

African-American Automotive Pioneers

N umbered among them are racers, car dealers, and turn-of-century carmakers; these groundbreaking African Americans left an enduring mark on the automotive world. Here are their stories; courtesy of our friends at the Historic Vehicle Association.

Born into slavery on a West Virginia planta-tion in April 1833, C.R. Patterson escaped to Ohio in 1862 and found work as a blacksmith for the Greenfield carriage-building busi-ness Dines and Simp-son. Patterson eventu-ally partnered with J.P. Lowe, a local carriage manufacturer who hap-pened to be white.

When Lowe died, Patterson took over the business and renamed his new venture “C.R. Patterson & Sons Com-pany.” Patterson eventu-ally offered 28 types of horse-drawn vehicles and employed over a dozen workers. He died in 1910, but not before experimenting with the manufacture of gas-powered “horseless carriages.” Patterson’s company is considered the world’s first and only African-American owned and founded automobile company.

It was actually Patterson’s son, Frederick, who con-verted the company entirely over to automobile manufac-

turing with the debut of the Patterson-Greenfield car. It sold for $850, featured a four-cylinder Con-tinental engine and was comparable to the contemporary Ford Model T.

Unable to compete with Ford’s manu-facturing capability, C.R. Patterson & Sons switched to produc-tion of truck, bus and other utility vehicle bodies installed on chassis from major auto manufactur-ers such as Ford and General Motors. The company’s school bus bodies became popu-lar as midwestern school districts began

to convert from horse-drawn to internal-combustion-fired transportation by 1920.

While no Patterson-Greenfield automobiles are known to have survived, rare examples of C.R. Patterson & Sons carriages and buggies can still be found in museums across the Midwest.

pioneers

C.R. Patterson

The Black Perspective 15

African-American Automotive PioneersHomer RobertsA graduate of Kansas State Agricultural College and a

veteran of World War I who achieved the rank of lieuten-ant in the Army Signal Corps, Homer Roberts moved to Kansas City in 1919 and took out an ad in the local paper advertising seven used cars.

Brokering deals exclusively for African-American buy-ers, Roberts sold over 60 cars before the end of the year. According to the historic records of the Homer Roberts Foundation, Roberts hired two salesmen, offered insur-ance to buyers, and eventually founded Roberts Motors, the first African-American-owned car dealership in the United States.

Roberts’ success helped him land a Ford franchise that grew to include a 60-car showroom, an auto repair and body shop, a parts store and a filling station. He eventually added

Hupmobile and Ricken-backer to the lineup. In 1925, Roberts’ dealership ranked third in the U.S. for sales of Rickenbacker. He eventually opened another dealership in Chicago that claimed the larg-est number of Hupmobile sales in the nation in 1929.

The Great Depression marked the end of Rob-erts’ business success. In 1941, at the age of 56, he rejoined the military and spent four years in the Army during World War II. After his discharge, he returned to Chicago where he worked in media/public relations until his death in 1952.

Born in 1897 in Evansville, Indiana, Charlie Wiggins spent his boyhood shining shoes on the street in front of a local auto repair shop until he was invited into the garage to help work on cars. He worked his way up to apprentice and then, in 1917, became chief mechanic after American soldiers be-gan shipping out to fight in the trenches of World War I.

The Roaring Twenties are best remembered for prohibition, gangsters and high-flying jazz clubs. But it was also a time of violent racism. Membership in the Ku Klux Klan was at a peak. Anti-lynching laws repeatedly failed to pass Congress. After moving to Indianapolis in 1922 , Wiggins opened his own garage and began building his own racecar with salvaged junkyard parts. He wanted to compete in the Indianapolis 500 in the car he dubbed “the Wiggins Special,” but the color of his skin made him ineligible to compete.

Wiggins and other African-American drivers responded by boldly forming their own racing league. He helped establish the Gold and Glory Sweepstakes, an annual 100-mile race for black drivers on a one-mile dirt track at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. The first race, in 1924, drew a crowd of 12,000 and was the largest sporting event held for African Ameri-cans up to that point. Over the next decade, Wiggins would win three Gold and Glory Sweepstakes championships. His

notoriety as a mechanic and racer and his outspoken actions against segregation in auto racing made him a frequent target of the KKK, who attacked Wiggins and vandalized his home on more than one occasion.

During the 1936 running of the Gold and Glory Sweep-stakes, Wiggins lost a leg in a 13-car crash. He made himself a wooden prosthetic and for the next 40 years built and repaired cars while training and advising other drivers and mechanics. He also continued to fight for African-American participation in motor racing until his death in Indianapolis in 1979 at the age of 82. BP

Charlie Wiggins

16 The Black Perspective

Practically everyone begin-ning their careers has at some point considered mak-

ing money as an aspect of their overall goals. Aside from loving what we do, as well as gaining a sense of purpose, making money is undeniably one of the funda-mental reasons most people get up and go to work everyday.

This is just as true for Brian Thompson as it is for everyone else; except in Thomp-son’s case, he quite literally makes money. A banknote designer at the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing, Thompson is the de-signer of the new 100-dollar banknote, which has been in circulation since October 2013.

Thompson started working there in 1989, at 19 years old. His dad worked there before him—as a cylinder plate maker—one of the people responsible for fabricating the huge rollers used to draw the currency paper through the presses.

One day at work, Thompson’s dad saw a potential opening for his son. The Bureau was looking for banknote designer appren-tices. Knowing Brian was attending a school for the arts, and had been drawing seriously since he was in the third grade, the elder Thompson encouraged his son to submit a portfolio of work for consideration. His talent recognized, Brian was accepted into a seven-year apprenticeship program.

Today, he has a bank note of his own de-sign in circulation.

Getting here wasn’t easy though. One of his first assignments was learning to do the

Making Money Brian Thompson

cover story

WRITTEN BY LYNDON CONRAD BELL.

The Old-Fashioned Way

The Black Perspective 17

alphabet in the font known as Bank Note Roman—entirely by hand. Truly a product of old-world craftsmanship, all work on American currency is done by hand. As Thompson progressed, he was given more complex tasks like rendering streetscapes and bald eagles—in shades of grey. This is how he was taught to produce depth of tone without using color.

As you might well imagine, a key aspect of Thompson’s work is getting details exact. If you have one handy, take a bank note out of your pocket and examine it. Really look at it. You’ll see hundreds of details you’d probably never noticed before. It is the work of Thompson and his col-leagues to put it all there—by hand. Further, it is necessary to incorporate a number of security features into the design to make it as difficult as possible—ideally utterly impos-sible—to duplicate.

That said, it would have been quite easy for him to put together a counterfeit-proof design with no attention to aesthetics. For Thompson and his currency-designing col-leagues however, the real challenge lies in coming up with a work of art capable of telling a story with beauty and grace, within a highly defensible design.

Thompson was more or less given a free hand when he started working on it back in 1996—immediately after the previous iteration of the 100-dollar bill went into circula-tion. We say Thompson was “more or less” given a free hand because the bill went through some 40 rounds of review and revisions before the current design was locked in for the engraver to transfer to the plates used to print the notes. Thompson was also limited by the amount of space available to tell the story he wanted to convey.

His key motivations were to give the design a more open and spacious feel, introduce more of a flowing sensibility to the look of the note, and add more detail. Paying homage

to specific versions of the currency note going before it, the familiar 100-dollar bill elements we’ve grown accustomed to are there, yet amplified in a tasteful and cohesive manner.

Benjamin Franklin’s image dominates the note more than it ever has. Supporting the image of Franklin are images of Constitution Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed (Franklin was one of the signatories of that cov-eted document), along with a gold quill pen, and a portion of text from the Declaration of Independence. In addition to the aforementioned elements, Thompson’s design incorpo-rates a color-shifting Liberty Bell and an inkwell to accom-pany the quill pen, along with the date; July 4, 1776.

Ultimately, his aim was to incorporate all the needed security measures, while still producing a thing of beauty capable of representing the United States favorably all over the world. Remarkably, of the nearly nine billion 100 dollar bank notes in circulation, around 60 percent of them circu-late abroad, making the 100-dollar bill one of our country’s chief exports. BP

Making Money

18 The Black Perspective

www.vhb.com | Offi ces located throughout the east coast

VHB is dedicated to providing a challenging, dynamic and rewarding work environment. Our sta� enjoys opportunities to grow professionally and work on interesting projects. Our dynamic, people-centric organization focuses on our culture of collaboration, personal development, and fostering lasting relationships both inside and outside of our � rm.

VHB is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/A� rmative Action Employer.VHB ensures non discrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.VHB participates in the E-verify employment authorization program.

Planning | Transportation | Land Development | Environmental

The Black Perspective 19

www.vhb.com | Offi ces located throughout the east coast

VHB is dedicated to providing a challenging, dynamic and rewarding work environment. Our sta� enjoys opportunities to grow professionally and work on interesting projects. Our dynamic, people-centric organization focuses on our culture of collaboration, personal development, and fostering lasting relationships both inside and outside of our � rm.

VHB is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/A� rmative Action Employer.VHB ensures non discrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.VHB participates in the E-verify employment authorization program.

Planning | Transportation | Land Development | Environmental

20 The Black PerspectiveVETERANS ENTERPRISE47

w w w . n i x o n p e a b o d y . c o m

Diversity at workAt Nixon Peabody, our commitment to diversity is one of our core values. Our firm is made up of a diverse group of lawyers and professionals whose demographics mirror those of the communities in which we live and work. We believe a diverse environment is a rich environment where an open, inclusive atmosphere benefits everyone within it. Our supportive work culture not only makes the firm more interesting and stimulating, it also enables us to respond with greater agility to the challenges faced by our clients in a diverse, multicultural world.

The Black Perspective 21

corn

er

DonaldThompson

office

Written By Lyndon Conrad Bell

President and Chief Executive Officer - McDonald’s Corporation

22 The Black Perspective

N ever say never is a really good piece of advice. For a vivid illustration of this fact consider the career path of Don Thompson, president and CEO of McDonald’s Corporation since July of 2012. A straight-up brother from the ‘hood,

Thompson spent much of his youth in Chicago, three blocks north of the infamous Cabrini-Green housing projects. At the age of 10, his grandmother moved him to Indianapolis, to enable Thomp-son to avoid the influences of that neighborhood as he matured.

Already in possession of the en-trepreneurial spirit, it is reported Thompson printed up business cards at the age of 11 and passed them out at a convalescent home in his neighborhood. Thompson offered his services running er-rands and cleaning apartments for the elderly. Meanwhile, in school, he showed a great deal of aptitude for math and science. Because of this, after high school, Thompson was recruited into the Minor-ity Engineering Advancement Program at Purdue University’s School of Engineering and Technology. Quite justifiably, Thompson credits his grandmother for the many and varied sacrifices she made to get him into and through Purdue.

After college, he went to work at Northrop Grumman in Chicago as an engineer. A couple of years later, he got

a call from a recruiter looking for someone to engineer robotics, control circuitry, and feedback loops at an-other company. Already working in the defense industry, Thompson assumed the position was with another de-fense contractor. When the recruiter told him the posi-tion was with McDonald’s, concerned primarily with what his grandmother would think after all of her sacrifices to get him a better life, it is reported Thompson’s response

was something along the lines of “McDonald’s? You got the wrong guy, I’m not flipping hamburgers for anybody!”

And, here’s where never say never comes in.

A short while later, Thompson was contacted again about the position, this time by an engineer working at McDonald’s—inviting him to come by their facility for a visit. Once there, he saw the level of tech the company was applying to automating food preparation and he was in. Thompson went to work at McDonald’s engineering center, de-signing robotics for food transport

and control circuits in cooking equipment.Now recall, Thompson’s initial response was he’d never

flip hamburgers for anybody.After working in engineering for a while, he decided

to switch over to operations. This meant he had to learn that side of the business from the ground up. The com-

corner office

The Black Perspective 23

pany placed him in a South Chicago restau-rant, where among his other duties Thompson was tasked with—you guessed it—making fries and flipping hamburg-ers; with an engineering degree from Purdue University.

Never say never.Of course, in Thomp-

son’s case this was temporary, just long enough for him to get a feel for what life was like on a day-to-day basis in the restaurants. In short order, (no pun intended) he was promoted from cook, to shift manager, to assistant manager, and then co-manager of the restaurant. From there, he was sent to manage a region in San Diego. The territory he was given was 39th out of McDonald’s 40 national regions. By the end of Thompson’s San Diego tenure, his region was ranked second. From San Diego he went to Denver, and then back to Illinois, working his way up through the corpo-rate hierarchy.

In the process, Thompson held a variety of key lead-ership positions within the company. These included regional vice president, division president, and chief op-erating officer. Between 2006 and 2010, Thompson also served as president of McDonald’s USA, the company’s largest business segment.

As is to perhaps be expected, serving as the highest-ranking individual at a company like McDonald’s comes with quite a bit of heat. The company has long been viewed as ques-tionable in terms of the overall healthiness of its menu. This creates a great deal of friction for somebody in Thomp-son’s position. On the one hand, the share-holders are looking for ever-increasing profits, while society is looking

for the company to demonstrate social responsibility. Further, McDonald’s is firmly in the crosshairs of the

current debate surrounding raising the minimum wage. While the company came through the recession pretty

well, analysts are saying the company’s growth is stag-nating while it tries to find the right combination of healthy foods and new menu items—some of which have been less than well received. The company has also been chided for predatory marketing to African-Americans.

Long story short, Thompson is contending with some major issues. By all accounts though, he is well equipped to deal with them and is working hard to move the com-pany through this period of turmoil.

And, for the record, Thompson is quoted as saying he eats McDonald’s food every day. BP

24 The Black Perspective

THE BLACK PERSPECTIVE26

JACOBS is creating the world of tomorrow as one of the largest providers of architecture, engineering, construction, and other professional technical services. Jacobs Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering, is a worldwide leader in providing advanced engineering and technical services for government and industry.

www.jacobstechnology.com

UPS Freight is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V

UPS Freight is one of the largest less than truckload carriers in the U.S. and offers

both LTL and truckload job opportunities. For Current Opportunities Visit:

ltl.upsfreight.com/aboutus/careers.aspx

10

HISPANIC TODAY

CAREER AND BUSINESS NEWSAnother four percent of companies planned to give smaller bonuses than a year ago, which the same percentage who said as much in the 2008 survey.“Companies are not quite ready to ramp up hiring, but they are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel. While most can probably justify postponing bonuses another year, there are growing concerns that job market improvements in 2010 could bring an exodus of workers. Companies are also sending a message that we appreciate that this has been a tough year for everyone, and that the workers’ part in ensuring continued survival is recognized,” said John A. Challenger, chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Many employers are indeed expecting a rapid surge in turnover when the economy improves, according to a survey by consultancy firm Deloitte. The survey found that nearly two-thirds of managers were highly or very highly concerned about losing high-potential talent in the year after the recession ended.

“In addition to layoffs, the recession forced many employers to decrease workers’ hours, institute pay cuts, force employees to take unpaid vacations and halt matching 401(k) contributions. While some of these measures have saved jobs, they undoubtedly

left many workers disgruntled, frustrated and ready to move on as soon as the market improves. Year-end bonuses may not ensure the loyalty of all unhappy workers, but they could help entice some to stay aboard,” said Challenger.

While the human resource executives surveyed did not provide details on the amount of bonus checks, John Challenger said some companies may choose to be creative when it comes to year-end rewards. “In some respects, it truly is the thought that counts. Employees want to be recognized for their contribution to the company. It doesn’t have to be a Wall Street sized bonus check. Many workers would be happy with a $100 gift certificate to a local restaurant or store. Many would probably be happy with a couple of extra days of paid vacation at the end of the year. Many are simply happy to have a job in this economy,” said Challenger.

“Of course, those who are just happy to have a job are usually the first ones seeking greener pastures at the first sign of improvement. Companies understand this and it is why nearly two-thirds of them are finding a way to give bonuses this year,” he concluded. HT

VETERANS ENTERPRISE35

JACOBS is creating the world of tomorrow as one of the largest providers of architecture, engineering, construction, and other professional technical services. Jacobs Technology, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jacobs Engineering, is a worldwide leader in providing advanced engineering and technical services for government and industry.

jacobstechnology.com

The Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis, Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer

FOR INFORMATION ON COMMISSIONED AND CIVILIAN CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, VISIT:

www.slmpd.org/hr/index.htm

Should you have additional questions concerning employment opportunities you may call 314-444-5615.

If you are interested in a position as a police officer

please request to speak to a Recruiter.

If you are interested in a civilian position please ask for a Human Resources Assistant.

THE BLACK PERSPECTIVE4

3

HISPANIC TODAY

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITYWe are the world’s largest ASME Authorized Inspection Agency. Although we are best known for our services as an AIA, we’ve leveraged experience gained over more than 136 years of operation to become an industry leader in a variety of engineering services fields.

Job opportunities are currently available at HSB Global Standards. Please visit our website for more information on current openings.

www.hsbglobalstandards.com

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.Transportation | Land Developement | Environmental Services

www.vhb.com | Offices located throughout the east coast

Consistently named among the “Best Civil Engineering Firms to Work For” by CE News magazine, VHB is committed to providing a challenging, dynamic and rewarding work environment. Our staff enjoys opportunities to grow professionally and work on interesting projects. Our dynamic, people-centric organization focuses on our culture of collaboration, personal development, and developing lasting relationships both inside and outside of our firm.

VHB is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.VHB ensures non discrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.VHB participates in the E-verify employment authorization program.

VETERANS ENTERPRISE17

VA is requesting $54.3 billion in advance appropriations for 2012 for health care, an increase of $2.8 billion over the 2011 enacted amount. Planned initiatives in 2012 include better leveraging acquisitions and contracting, enhancing the use of referral agreements, strengthening VA’s relationship with the Defense Department, and expanding the use of medical technology.

Preserving National Shrines“VA remains steadfastly committed to providing access to a dignified and respectful burial for Veterans choosing to be buried in a VA national cemetery,” Shinseki said. “This promise requires that we maintain national cemeteries as shrines dedicated to the memory of those who served this nation in uniform.”

The requested $251 million for cemetery operations and maintenance will support more than 114,000 interments in 2011, a 3.8 percent increase over 2010. In 2011, the department will maintain 8,441 acres with 3.1 million gravesites. The budget request includes $37 million to clean and realign an estimated 668,000 headstones and repair 100,000 sunken graves.

“The 2011 budget proposal

continues the department’s

keen focus on improving

the quality, access and

value of mental health

care provided to Veterans,”

Shinseki said.

Building for the Future$1.15 billion requested for major construction for 2011 includes funding for medical facilities in New Orleans; Denver; Palo Alto, Calif.; Alameda, Calif.; and Omaha, Neb. Also budgeted for 2011 are major expansions and improvements to the national cemeteries in Indiantown Gap, Pa.; Los Angeles; and Tahoma, Wash., and new burial access policies that will provide a burial option to an additional 500,000 Veterans and enhance service in urban areas.

A requested budget of $468 million for minor construction in 2011 would fund a wide variety of improvements at VA facilities. VE

The Black Perspective 25

How many times have you been given the directive mid-month to start placing your com-pany’s job postings after the quarterly or annual budget has al-ready been allocated?

This is the per-fect time to utilize a specifically targeted resource to accomplish your company’s recruit-ment goals.

In order to justify the use of your very limited-budget or what you now need to ask for, it is important to be able to show more than just a number of new resumes. Actually this gives you the opportunity to really shine as the HR recruiter or coordinator.

WIDEN THE NETOne of the things you can do is to not limit yourself to just

looking for an applicant. This is easily accomplished by com-bining the recruitment process with your diversity & inclusion policies and/or your compliance requirements. Not only does this satisfy your initial directive, but you’ll be aid-ing your company’s diversity and inclusion efforts, too. That saves you the cost of yet another job listing that otherwise would have only existed solely for compliance purposes.

USE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL VENDORSThe latest compliance regulations and

those on the im-minent horizon demand not only job postings in order to satisfy good faith efforts, but also direct partnerships with specific diver-sity communities.

If you have government contracts you need to show proof of targeted

recruiting or minority community outreach for compliance purposes.

Find a source that doesn’t just have job postings, but also appeals to the targeted minority community as a whole. These include information, resources, aid groups, and other general content. In other words, “good faith efforts” doesn’t just mean recruiting off a giant job site aggregate, it means creating a partnership with an entity that’s part of the community.

DON’T BE MISTAKENMany companies make the crucial mistake of believing

that if websites host jobs simply pulled from a giant job site aggregate that

will count towards good faith efforts. Unfortunately such

“compliance by association” does not! Compliant outreach only

counts if you’ve made a partnership arrangement directly with the community site; your company’s advertising and recruitment efforts cannot simply “appear” there by grace and luck. BP

cohen’s corner

Your Hiring EffortsWritten By Mark Cohen

MAXIMIZE

26 The Black Perspective

• GFE’s should be used to promote equal opportunity and achieve a work place free of discrimination as well as com-municate your commitment to EEO/AA to all employees.

• GFE’s should be used to ensure employees are aware of

nondiscrimination policies and procedures in addition to company commitment to community.

• GFE’s are ways to ensure departmental processes, proce-

dures, and systems are nondiscriminatory and free of bias.

• GFE’s can and do promote staff development.

• GFE’s show how your corporate efforts attract a large and diverse pool of qualified applicants, particularly inclusive

cohen’s corner

of groups associated with affirmative action recruit-ment goals.

• GFE’s will aid in development of a contingency plan if the initial recruitment effort does not bring in a sufficiently diverse pool. However, it is always best to make your initial recruitment as inclusive as possible.

One acceptable solution (as suggested by the OFCCP) is to make formal and informal contact with community organizations, apprenticeship training organizations, unions, and other recruitment organizations (specifi-cally those organizations focused on women, people of color, and people with disabilities) with the potential to refer qualified applicants for jobs you have available.

GF ESAre You Acting InGOOD FAITH?W ith the new guidelines from the Office of Federal Contract Compliance programs (OF-

CCP) coming to bear, there’s been a lot of talk about Good Faith Efforts (GFE’s). But what exactly are they? GFE’s are specific actions employers can take to help insure

the fulfillment of their EEO/AA and OFCCP responsibilities.A contractor’s GFE’s are determined by whether it takes prompt corrective action when it be-comes aware goals are not being met.

The Black Perspective 27

There are two very important things to remember about your GFE’s:

First, GFE’s for minorities and females are now ONLY required for under-utilized jobs groups. There is no requirement (although it is not necessarily a bad idea) to engage in outreach and recruitment for fully utilized job groups.

Second, GFE’s for indi-viduals with disabilities and protected veterans are required regardless of underutilization because the OFCCP does not currently conduct any analyses specific to these minority talent pools.

To meet GFE requirements, a contractor must create and maintain an action plan, which outlines the specific steps the contractor will take to correct disparities in its workforce. Documentation for the action steps is part of fulfilling good faith efforts.

Additionally, a contractor must make substantially uniform progress toward meeting the workforce participation goals in order to meet the good faith effort requirement.

Ten years ago, Department of Labor / OFCCP auditors

were writing up GFE violations at the rate of approxi-mately five percent on all audits. The figure last year

was almost sixty-five percent. With the publicized hiring of more than 500 new OFCCP compli-

ance field auditors you can be assured the number will increase again.

One of the very best and easiest ways to meet and exceed your GFE

goals is to partner with “diversity specialists” in addition to any general recruitment efforts you make on behalf of your company. This is also a way to maximize your AA/EEO, recruitment and compliance budget. When you

partner with a diversity special-ist you enable your recruitment

efforts to reach into the same specific minority talent pools demonstrating

your company’s commitment to minority recruitment, as well as your GFE’s, with an eye

toward OFCCP compliance. BP

Mark Cohen has been working since 1995 to promote diversity and equality in the workplace through minor-ity recruitment and community outreach. In his position as VP and director of New Business Development at Equality Magazines.com Mark has become a recog-nized authority on minority recruitment and compliance.

28 The Black Perspective

MEET BRANDON, THE MAN BEHIND THE MACHINES BEHIND THIS AIRPORT RUNWAY

SWITCH ON THE AFTERBURNERS WITH A CAREER IN THE TRADES Construction projects like this airport runway can’t happen without skilled workers like Brandon. And that means a lot more than turning wrenches. As a Cat® dealer technician, he’s working on the latest heavy equipment, using cutting-edge diagnostic tools that give him a chance to use his head and his hands. That way, he’s fully engaged and his career is ready for takeoff.

The skilled trades make civilization possible. For Brandon, being a Cat dealer technician is more than a career choice, it’s a choice career. Learn more at caterpillar.com/dealercareers.

CAT, CATERPILLAR, their respective logos, “Caterpillar Yellow” and the “Power Edge” trade dress, as well as corporate and product identity herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission. © 2012 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved.

TechRCRT_Runway_VET_ETRPS_CS5.indd 1 10/17/12 12:47 PM

The Black Perspective 29

THE BLACK PERSPECTIVE4

3

HISPANIC TODAY

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITYWe are the world’s largest ASME Authorized Inspection Agency. Although we are best known for our services as an AIA, we’ve leveraged experience gained over more than 136 years of operation to become an industry leader in a variety of engineering services fields.

Job opportunities are currently available at HSB Global Standards. Please visit our website for more information on current openings.

www.hsbglobalstandards.com

An Equal Opportunity Employer

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.Transportation | Land Developement | Environmental Services

www.vhb.com | Offices located throughout the east coast

Consistently named among the “Best Civil Engineering Firms to Work For” by CE News magazine, VHB is committed to providing a challenging, dynamic and rewarding work environment. Our staff enjoys opportunities to grow professionally and work on interesting projects. Our dynamic, people-centric organization focuses on our culture of collaboration, personal development, and developing lasting relationships both inside and outside of our firm.

VHB is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.VHB ensures non discrimination in all programs and activities in accordance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.VHB participates in the E-verify employment authorization program.

Book ShelfTo know where you’re going, it’s often useful to know where you’ve been. This library of

tomes on the subject of African-American entrepreneurship through the ages provides valuable insights to the history of African-American business in the United States.

A pioneering success book detailing the incredible and uplifting stories of fifteen of the country’s leading, African-American executives and entrepreneurs. These leaders sit or have sat at the helm of major U.S. corporations; they are members of prestigious corporate boards; they are or have been responsible for favorite prod-ucts. But how did these business leaders become so successful? How did they rise to the very top? How did some of the entrepreneurs cut million dollar deals? Can their success be duplicated?

It’s no secret these hard times have been even harder on the Black community. Approximately 35 percent of African Americans had no measur-able assets in 2009, and 24 percent of these same households had only a motor vehicle. Dennis Kimbro, observing how the weight of the con-tinuing housing and credit crises disproportion-ately impacts the African-American community, takes a sharp look at a carefully cultivated group of individuals who’ve scaled the heights of success and details how others can emulate them.

Colin Powell reveals the principles shaping his life and career. Powell’s It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership is a trove of wisdom for anyone hoping to achieve their goals and turn their dreams into reality. A message of strength and endurance from a man who dedi-cated his life to public service, It Worked for Me is a book with the power to show readers everywhere how to achieve a more fulfilling life and career

A VIEW FROM THE TOP: THE INSPIRING SUCCESS STORIES OF 15 BLACK CEOS, BUSINESS LEADERS AND ENTREPRENEURSBeatryce Nivens - CMI Business Books

THE WEALTH CHOICE: SUCCESS SECRETS OF BLACK MILLIONAIRESDennis Kimbro - Palgrave Macmillan Publishing

IT WORKED FOR ME: IN LIFE AND LEADERSHIPColin Powell - Harper Publishing

30 The Black Perspective

T H E B L A C K

PERSPECTIVETODAY

ENTERPRISEV E T E R A N S

T h e M i l i t a r y a n d V e t e r a n ’ s B u s i n e s s N e t w o r k

Part of theEqualityMagazines.comFamily of Diversity Publications