ILBCC CHAMBER REPORT Www.ilbcc.org

411 Hamilton Blvd Suite 1404

Peoria, IL 61602

Fall/Winter 2017

CONSTRUCTION

Bowa Construction: Community Engagement with Local High Schools

Chicago, IL-November 16, 2017- This December, Bowa Construction will be launching a new non-profit initiative, Build Up, that introduces high school students to different career opportunities and provides them with educational resources to achieve academic success. Through two different workshops, one focused on entre-preneurship and the other focused solely on careers in construction, Bowa hopes to reach kids at an early age to engage them with their futures.

“We believe in corporate responsibility and investing in our community,” said Bowa CEO Nosa Ehimwenman. “As a thriving South Side business, we want to strengthen the financial foundation of our neighborhoods. Preparing the next generation can help build that infrastructure.”

Bowa’s first workshop, to be held with Urban Prep Academy at their Bronzeville cam-pus, will feature a panel of entrepreneurs from different fields of business, including consulting, non-profit, and construction. Students will have an opportunity to engage with the panelists through a Q&A and a brief meet-and-greet.

“It’s important for kids to know what their futures can look like,” said Ehimwenman, “they should be able to put a name to a face of what they want to do with their lives. We plan on building and sustaining relationships with these students to they have people they can come to for guidance and internship opportunities.”

The second workshop, to be held in Spring 2018, will specifically feature career paths in construction, such as Project Engineering, Project Management, and Design.

“Construction is a sustainable field of business,” said Ehimwenman. “If young women and men are introduced to the different career paths available to them early on, they can consider and pursue construction management, engineering, and other related programs in college.”

The workshops are one facet of Build Up’s plan of action. An after-school program for students aiding them in their studies will launch in Fall of 2018. The program will ac-tively work with students through tutoring, provide them with educational resources, and plant the seed for a successful collegiate career post-high school graduation.

How to Eat Healthier for

the Holidays By: Carla R. Hightower, MD

During the holidays, it is really hard to eat healthy foods. If you’re going out to a holiday party or family

gathering, you need to know how to have fun and stay well. Here are some effective strategies to help

you eat healthier for the holidays.

Communicate with the host in advance

Talk to your host several days before the gathering. Don’t wait until you get there.

If you are eating a whole food plant-based diet, here’s what you might say:

“I eat differently than most other people. I eat foods that are low-fat and vegan, so I don’t eat meat or

dairy. I eat a lot of vegetables, beans, sweet potatoes, and fruits.”

Offer to bring a dish

Your host is going to love this! When you bring food, it makes things so much easier. You have some-

thing you want to eat, and the host doesn’t have to figure out how to feed you.

Eat before you go

Many people skip meals in the morning so they can overeat at the holiday dinner. That’s a bad idea and

can harm you. When you arrive starving, you are likely to eat everything in sight and end up in a food

coma. More importantly, a heavy meal increases the risk of having a heart attack. Prevent this by eat-

ing a healthy, low-fat meal just before you go out, so you’re not hungry when you arrive. Then all those

artery-clogging holiday foods look less tempting.

Prepare for the tempting offer

You’ll likely experience external pressure to eat stuff that’s unhealthy.

Here’s how to handle it:

Somebody says, “Aren’t you going to have some cake? Just a little won’t hurt.” Kindly say, “No. Thank you for offering. I have what I need for now.”

If you do choose to indulge, at least it should be your idea. Eating for the sake of being polite makes you

feel even worse.

Avoid sharing too much information

People are naturally curious when someone eats differently. You’re going to get questions. Neverthe-less, don’t give a lecture on nutrition. It’s okay to answer one or two questions about your food, but don’t dwell on it. Quickly change the subject. Talk about what you’re celebrating and stay in a festive, lighthearted mood.

Skip the debate

Don’t get pulled into a debate or argument over healthy vs. unhealthy food. It’s not your job to be the food police.

D­rink plenty of water

Water refreshes your tissues, detoxifies your cells, and reduces your caloric intake. As a general rule for your best health, avoid the alcohol, eggnog, and sweetened beverages.

Stay on the move­

Exercise ---and take a walk in the morning. Try not to spend the whole holiday sitting around. You’ll have healthier blood sugars, better blood pressure, and more energy.

Bounce back fast

What if you cannot resist and indulge in unhealthy holiday eating? Don’t stay there for long. Under-stand your tremendous resilience and capacity to get back on track.

Focus on what makes your health important to you. Stay inspired and little by little you will succeed.

ILBCC Launches Sports &

Entertainment Committee

October 2017

On October 4, 2017, the Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce publicly announced the for-

mation of a newly developed Sports and Entertainment Committee. The Committee was for-

mulated to create an avenue by which celebrities and those close to the entertainment and

sports industry could help promote the message of the chamber, while simultaneously utiliz-

ing the chamber’s network to grow their own personal projects and promote their brands .

The board currently consist of Chairman, Harry Lennix, Actor NBC’s Blacklist. Co-Chair,

Chama St. Louis, Public Relations specialist, J. Alexander Martin, co-founder of FUBU and

creator of AFashionMind, The Voice Competitor, Tonya-Boyd Cannon and Singer, Actor

Bryce Wilson have both been invited to be apart of this committee.

Illinois Tollway Technical

Assistance

The Illinois Black Chamber of Commerce hosted a Meet and Greet event in conjunction with the Illinois Tollway Authority on November 9, 2017 to make the Rockford commu-nity aware of the newly established Technical Assistance Program (TAP) that kicked off September 15, 2017. The event was successful and well attended by dignitaries, community leaders, and Key business leaders from the Rockford area. Mayor of Rockford, Thomas McNamara, Illinois Tollway Commissioner, Earl Dotson, and Illinois Tollway Authority Marlene Vick all spoke at the event in support of the new program and what it could potential mean for the Rockford Community. ILBCC President, Larry Ivory and ILBCC CFO, Deavay Tyler spoke on the purpose and benefits of the program as well as the importance of the relationship with the Illinois Tollway Authority. The purpose of the program is to assist minority owned road building companies and vertical construction contractors become Tollway Bid ready, begin to bid and win Toll-way work and successfully navigate Tollway projects from bid to completion. If you are a minority owned road building company or a vertical construction contractor that is interested in becoming a part of this program, please contact the ILBCC Out-reach and Intake Officer, Helen Montgomery at (773) 377-4997 or via email at hmont-gomery@ilbcc.org.

e are offering professional training in a conducive learning environment for all students. We

will ensure that we work hard to meet and surpass all students’ expectations and education-

al goals. Our students overall best interest will always come first, and everything we do is

guided by our values and professional ethics. We have hired experienced and highly re-

garded professional educators with impressive credentials.

The AGB Institute will be the most highly recognized and respected school in the Security &

Training Industry in the United States.

Chamber Member Spotlight

About AGB Institute:

In the first quarter of 2018, AGB (Always Giving Back) In-

vestigative Services will launch its first school, The AGB

Institute. The AGB Institute will provide a Security Service

Management Diploma for Security Guards interested in

management level employment in the field of security and

law enforcement. The Institute will also provide Basic &

Advanced Microsoft Office Suite training. AGB Investiga-

tive Services is the only full-service company to have a

school approved by the Illinois Board of Higher Education

(IBHE).

AGB is committed to developing people by providing

them with education and life skills that will empower them

to be successful and positive contributors to society. The

Institute will provide educational opportunities to current

security officers as well as the general public.

John Griffin, Jr.

Owner, AGB Investigative

Services, Inc.

John Griffin Jr. Bio:

An authority in security and risk mitigation, John Griffin Jr. has been involved in high-level

security prevention and investigations for more than 16 years and has extensive local and

national experience. John Griffin Jr. was trained by Department of Defense, Department of

Homeland Security, and United States Secret Service in computer forensics. John Griffin Jr.

is a certified Forensic Expert Witness and continues to collaborate with local, state, and fed-

eral law enforcement agencies.

A native Chicagoan, John grew up in the city’s Englewood community. He holds a Masters

of Public Administration from Roosevelt University and a B.S. in Commerce from DePaul

University. He has been married to his sweetheart Dr.Denitra Griffin for 26 years whom they

have 4 loving children; John III, 25; Nia, 22; Najia, 17; Jibril, 15. The family resides on Chi-

cago’s south side.

John Griffin Jr. has received many awards acknowledging AGB’s accomplishments. He was

awarded 2015 Small Business Person of the Year award in the Illinois Business District. He

was also awarded 2015 Inner City 100 Award for the Fastest Growing Companies in Ameri-

ca’s Inner Cities. AGB was recognized as the Oustanding Business of the Year from the Illi-

nois Black Chamber of Commerce. John was also accoladed for the 2014 Goldman Sachs

10,000 Small Business Growth Award. John additionally prides himself on being the only Af-

rican American Company Security Company in the Nation to receive ISO 9001:2015 Certifi-

cation. John Griffin Jr. is very passionate about his business that he considers his “ministry.”

John Griffin Jr. is also a 30-year, active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated,

XI Lambda Chapter (by way of Omicron Iota Chapter “Still OI”). The AGB Foundation was

established by John Griffin, Jr. and his wife Dr. Denitra Griffin. The Always Giving Back

Foundation focuses on mentoring and life skills for high school students and young

adults. Both John and Denitra are passionate about service and giving back to their commu-

nities.

They founded the AGB Foundation College Scholarships and Summer Business Internship

in 2012. They served over 145 youth, paid $58,000 internships paid, and awarded $13,000

in scholarships. John will continue to create hundreds of jobs for minorities and will contin-

ue to add jobs in a variety of fields while providing life skills for employees in the future.

Pictures from Illinois Tollway

Technical Assistance Event

Rockford, Illinois

International trade trip to Cuba

via National Black Chamber of

Commerce