Sigma Pi Phi The Source for African American Corporate Board Talent in the 21st Century

Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity has launched a bold initiative to prepare and place highly qualified African American men and women as directors on corporate boards both domestically and abroad.

Background

Grand Boulé of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, a.k.a. the Boulé, is the first and oldest African American Greek-letter fraternal organization. It was founded in 1904, at a time when African American professionals were excluded from participating in the mainline professional, cultural and social associations. Sigma Pi Phi has approximately 5,000 members in 134 member boulés (externally known as chapters) throughout the United States, London England, and Nassau, The Bahamas. The members of Sigma Pi Phi are geographically dispersed domestically and abroad and represent the most accomplished pool of African American talent in the world. Their professional backgrounds include C-Suite leaders of public companies, private firms, and global leaders in fields of business, technology, medicine, law, politics, investment banking, real estate, accounting, private equity, academia, and philanthropy.

Sigma Pi Phi’s primary focus is on modeling leadership, education and civic responsibility in support of these endeavors and by mentoring young men and women, thereby advancing the African American community in all facets of equality, education, wealth creation, and devotion to investing in the next generation of leaders.

More details on the history of Sigma Pi Phi can be found here http://www.sigmapiphi.org/home/history-of-the-boule.php Notable members past and present include:

· John Hope Franklin – Presidential Medal of · Vernon Jordan Jr. Freedom recipient, more than 100 honorary doctorate degrees, longest tenured president · Ron Brown – legendary businessman and of Phi Beta Kappa former Sec. of Commerce

· Charles Drew – 1981 US Postal Service stamp · Ralph Bunche – 1950 Nobel Peace Prize, honoree whose work led to the establishment of Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient the American Red Cross Blood Bank · Ambassador Andrew Young – Presidential Medal of · Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom recipient, Springarn Medal, Congressman, France’s Legion d’honneur · John H. Johnson – Publisher, Johnson Publishing Company (Jet and Ebony magazines) · Kenneth Chenault – Chairman and CEO of American Express · Earl Graves – Publisher (Black Enterprise magazine) · Charles Bolden, Jr. – Chief Administrator, NASA · Arthur Ashe – Tennis great · Eric Holder – former (and first black) U.S. · Benjamin Mays – legendary President Attorney General of Morehouse · Orlando Ashford, CEO of Holland America · Maynard Jackson – first Black Mayor of Atlanta and Chairman of the Board, Executive Leadership Council · Jeh Johnson – former Head of Homeland Security · Anthony Foxx – former Secretary of Transportation · Marc Morial – former mayor of New Orleans and current head of National Urban League · Bernard Tyson – Chairman and CEO of Kaiser Permanente

Among the many accomplished women associated with Sigma Pi Phi by marriage to members include:

· Susan Taylor – Editor-In-Chief, Essence Magazine · Aaronetta Pierce – Texas Women’s Hall of Fame

· Coretta Scott King – Civil Rights Icon · Roberta Jenkins – Philanthropist, Director-The MIND Institute, Director-The CSULB 49er Foundation, · Linda Johnson Rice – Johnson Publishing Co, Founding Board Director-Long Beach Symphony CEO, Ebony · Ursula M. Burns – Chairwoman of VEON, former · Ernesta Procope – “First lady of Wall Street,” Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox. The first African president of The E.G. Bowman Co. American female CEO to head a Fortune 500 company.

More details on the history of Sigma Pi Phi can be found here http://www.sigmapiphi.org/home/history-of-the-boule.php