United Negro College Fund Holds Council Leadership Conference

UNCF HOSTS 64^th NATIONAL ALUMNI COUNCIL/52^nd NATIONAL PRE-ALUMNI COUNCIL LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE IN NEW ORLEANS

FAIRFAX, VA - UNCF– the United Negro College Fund– the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization, will host its 64^th National Alumni Council (NAC)/52^nd National Pre-Alumni Council (NPAC Leadership Conference) from February 3-7 in New Orleans at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel. The theme for this year’s conference is “Challenge-Choice-Change.” Hundreds of HBCU students, alumni, faculty, staff, presidents and supporters will participate in workshops, panels, roundtables and college fairs to help expand their abilities to support minority education through fundraising, recruitment and advocacy.

The Conference’s Saturday morning session will feature UNCF’s HBCU Empower Me Tour, hosted by, winner of NBC’s The Apprentice, Dr. Randal Pinkett. This celebrity panel discussion will inspire and motivate youth to use their education as a foundation to not only enhance their professional opportunities, but to improve their communities through service. Featured panelists include: music artist and entrepreneur Ledisi; actress and host of TV One’s Access Tatyana Ali; Comedienne and International Grand Baselius of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Sheryl Underwood; President of Russell Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network Dr. Ben Chavis; attorney and radio personality Warren Ballentine; President of the NJ Advocates for Education Foundation Tamara Robinson; celebrity make-up artist Nicole Caldwell and President of Usher’s New Look Foundation Shawn Wilson.

Additional speakers, panelists and participants in the conference include Dr. Michael Lomax, President and CEO of UNCF; Dr. Norman Francis, president of UNCF member institution Xavier University of Louisiana; Dr. Marvalene Hughes, president of UNCF member institution Dillard University in New Orleans; Desiree Rogers, White House Social Secretary; Dr. Cynthia Butler-McIntyre, National President of Delta Sigma Theta, Inc.; and Kimaka Willis, Principal and Founder of Refining Redefining. Four-time Grammy nominee Ledisi will host a listening party on Saturday night.

The NAC Welcome Reception will be held Wednesday evening and Dr. Sebetha Jenkins, Immediate Past President of Jarvis Christian College will be the speaker for Thursday morning’s Leadership Breakfast. On Friday, there will be a Corporate Luncheon and Alumni Recognition Banquet where each member college recognizes its outstanding graduate. The new Miss National UNCF will be crowned on Saturday evening. This honor goes to the student at a UNCF member institution whose team raises the most money to help educate the next generation of UNCF students.

“President Obama has a goal of making our nation a world leader in college graduates by 2020. UNCF’s National Alumni Council and National Pre-Alumni Council Leadership Conference is an opportunity for HBCU supporters to come together to collaborate and learn new ways of growing our institutions, enabling them to continue producing more of the minority graduates that our nation needs,” said UNCF president and CEO Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D. “The support of the NAC and NPAC will help UNCF make sure that the next generation of doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, scientists, politicians and teachers gets the education they need and our nation needs them to have.”

For more information on the conference, visit www.uncf.org or contact Kristina Broughton at 404-302-8623 or nac@uncf.org.

About UNCF

UNCF—the United Negro College Fund—is the nation’s largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students’ education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 39 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the country. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."^®Learn more at www.UNCF.org.

About NAC
The National Alumni Council was founded in 1946 by James E. Stamps, a Fisk University alumnus, two years after UNCF was incorporated to establish a national alumni organization to serve the needs of private historically black colleges and universities in partnership with UNCF. All graduates of UNCF schools are automatically members of the National Alumni Council.

About NPAC
The National Alumni Counsel is the parent organization for the National Pre-Alumni Council (NPAC). NPAC is the umbrella organization for Pre-Alumni Councils on the campuses of UNCF member colleges and universities, and for other national student organizations that subscribe to the purpose of UNCF.

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