Barden
to Keynote AACC Gala
The African-American Chamber
of Commerce of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
Delaware (AACC) today announced that Don H.
Barden, the owner of Fitzgerald Casino Hotels
in Las Vegas, Mississippi and Colorado, will
be the keynote speaker at the African-American
Chamber of Commerce's 2006 Annual Gala, Saturday,
March 4, 2006, at the Wyndham Franklin Plaza,
here.
In
acquiring Fitzgerald's in December 2001, Barden
became the first African American to wholly
own a national casino company. He previously
opened, in 1996, The Majestic Star Riverboat
Casino in Gary, Indiana, with 932 slot machines
and 50 table games. In so doing, Mr. Barden
became the only African American in the United
States to own a casino.
Recognized
as one of the top black entrepreneurs in the
country, Barden has guided Barden Companies,
Inc., where he serves as chairman and CEO, to
$372 million in annual revenues, making the
company one of the largest African American-owned
businesses in the country.
Born
in Detroit, Michigan, Mr. Barden's business
career spans a 30-year period, during which
he founded a successful real estate development
company, owned and operated a cable television
system in Michigan, and owned and operated five
radio stations in Illinois. He is also active
in the global business arena, having established
Barden International, Inc., in Namibia, Africa,
in February 1996. The company, which is engaged
in the automotive processing and distribution
business, constitutes one of the largest private
investments in southern Africa.
"Given
the gaming industry's imminent arrival in the
Greater Philadelphia area, we're especially
pleased to have Don Barden as our keynote speaker,"
said AACC Executive Director John Childress.
"His extensive experience in the gaming
industry and his ability to speak about that
industry from an ownership perspective and from
an African-American perspective make his appearance
here especially timely. Without question Mr.
Barden represents the very highest level of
entrepreneurial success in the national African-American
community. There is a great deal that he should
be able to share with all of us on March 4th."
In
addition to Mr. Barden's keynote remarks, the
African-American Chamber of Commerce will also
present its annual business excellence awards
during the Gala Program. They will include:
-
Lifetime Achievement Award - Charles Bowser,
Esq.
-
Community Service - African-American Freedom
and Reconstruction League
-
Procurement - ACE Insurance
-
Excellence in Media - Athena D. Merritt, Philadelphia
Business Journal
-
Construction - W & W Contractors
-
Legacy - James Brown, Alpha Office Supplies
Additional
awards in the categories of corporate procurement
and youth entrepreneurship will be announced
prior to the date of the Gala.
Serving
as mistress of ceremonies for the Gala will
be Tamala Edwards, news anchor, WPVI TV, the
ABC TV affiliate, here.
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