Fort Worth’s Black Chamber of Commerce celebrates growth, business trailblazers
The Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce held its 44th Annual Luncheon on Friday, June 27, to celebrate its mission and honor local Black entrepreneurs and business people.
Michelle Green-Ford, president and CEO of Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, said the organization is growing, just like the city of Fort Worth.
Three years ago, there were about 470 members of the Chamber, and today membership has surpassed 800, she said. She expects membership to reach 1,000 in the next year.
The keynote speaker was DL Wallace, founder of Success Training Institute, whose message focused on being positive in your life and having people around you who will be positive, if you want to be successful.
“There are no reasons for the negativity,” Wallace said. “There are no reasons to feel like you won’t make it. You made it before, you’re still here.”
Wallace finished by donating $250,000 worth of services to Fort Worth ISD. His Success Training Institute will provide access to soft skills training to boost emotional, social and career competencies for students to help them prepare for college or the workforce.
Chamber awards
Tim Coates, director of Community Outreach and Small Business Lending for Prosperity Bank, was recognized with the Community Partnership Award, and Shay Gibson, vice president of community engagement for Goodwill North Central Texas, won the Trailblazer Award.
Stephen Jenkins, senior director of Graduate Recruiting and Admissions at Texas Christian University’s Neeley School of Business, won the President’s Award, and Diane Lampkin Thomas, a composer and singer, won the Bringing Meetings Home Award.
Special recognition was given to Charles O’Neal, president of the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce, and to Dr. Marie Holliday for the Sneakerball Business of the Year Award. Holliday has a local dental practice, Let it Shine Dental; operates Flowers to Go in downtown Fort Worth; and has an online fragrance boutique, Parfumerie Marie Antoinette.
About 800 people attended the event at the Fort Worth Convention Center.
