Profile: The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce

The Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce (GLAAACC) was established in 1991 by a group of business owners and executives led by Gene Hale, President of G&C Equipment Corp. and Homer Broome, President, Marvid Associates. Their vision was to create an organization that would serve as an advocate for African American-owned business enterprises and to promote their growth and expansion into the international arena.

Beginning with a $5,000 grant from Toyota Motor Sales, USA, GLAAACC began its journey. Led by Hale, Broome, the late William Kennard, Sr. and other prominent business owners, GLAAACC was able to attract the attention and support of major corporations, including the public utility sector.

GLAAACC held its first major fundraiser, the Greater Los Angeles African American Chamber of Commerce Economic Award Dinner in 1994. Chaired by Sam Iacobellis of Rockwell International, the keynote speaker was Daniel S. Goldin, administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Since that time the annual dinner has grown in size and stature with such notable keynotes as Lee Brown, U.S. Drug Czar (1995); Hazel O'Leary, U.S. Secretary of Energy; (1996); Rodney Slater, U.S. Secretary of Transportation (1997); Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Los Angeles County Supervisor (1998); Alexis Herman, U.S. Secretary of Labor (1999) and Robert Mallet, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Commerce (2000), Former LA Governor Gray Davis (2001), Grant Aldonas, Under Secretary for International Trade Administration (2002), and Alphonso Jackson, Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (2003).

Our receptions and Town Hall luncheons are the vehicles GLAAACC employs to create networking opportunities for its members. Guest speakers at these events include such notable as U.S. Vice President Al Gore; the late U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown; U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters; Al Fromm, former chairman of the Democratic National Committee; Gil Garcetti, former Los Angeles County District Attorney; Bernard Parks, current Los Angeles Councilman and former LAPD Chief; former LAPD Chief Willie Williams; Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky and a host of senior executives from the corporate community. At these events our members are afforded the opportunity to meet, exchange business cards and have dialog and develop relationships with potential customers.

In keeping with our mission, the Chamber has been active in its advocacy and support of African American business enterprise by providing a variety of programs and services to assist in their growth and development. GLAAACC works to combine the resources of the African American business community and other business organizations in order to secure solutions for expanding business opportunities. The Chamber's immediate goal is to increase African American participation in the multi-billion dollar Los Angeles County business arena. The Chamber aggressively works within the mainstream to secure and maintain open access and support of the corporate business community.

Committed to the development of new African American business leaders, GLAAACC has created the GLAAACC Education Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit public benefit corporation to provide scholarships for high school students seeking a degree in business or a related field, i.e., accounting, banking, etc. Additionally, we are expanding our scholarship program to provide financial assistance to students entering vocational and trade schools. GLAAACC has awarded more than $60,000 over the past four years to twelve students from three inner-city schools.

GLAAACC is a proud participant in the Shell Youth Training Academy; a program established by Shell Oil Company to give high school students in the inner city, on the job training. Twice a year the Chamber staff trains and mentors these students in business acumen and office procedures.

During the holidays, GLAAACC donates toys to The Parents of Watts; a community service program designed to assist low income families in need and gives turkeys to parents of children at the Challengers Boys and Girls club located in South Central Los Angeles.

In addition to lobbying to city, state and federal lawmakers on issues affecting business enterprise, the Chamber assists in providing information, resources and referrals to the community at large.