Global Institute for Black Progress

09/28/2021

Today is National Voter Registration Day! If you haven’t registered or just need to check your registration do it today! Visit www.whenweallvote.org to make sure you are ready to make your voice heard!!

09/21/2021

What’s happening on our border continues to be an atrocity. We need to develop to a system provide and expedite asylum to the people that face poverty and even worse death upon returning to their home country. It is far beyond time to create comprehensive policy and AID TO rebuild Haiti. How long will we continue to ignore the need to help our neighbo that for too long has been known to be the poorest in our region. Meanwhile we send aid to other countries that don’t even need it. We can do better.

Support our work at Global Institute for Black Progress!! This is why we exist!

www.black-progress.org

07/28/2021

Meet Our Board of Directors - Treasurer Theldon Branch— Mr. Branch has an extensive professional background in both the public and private sector. Mr. Branch is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Branch Companies, a privately held Houston-based holding company that oversees investments in real estate, financial assets, the automotive industry, and construction. His public service experience consists of a Mayor-appointed position as Chairman of the Rebuild Houston Oversight Committee, and working as an Assistant Director for the City of Houston Planning and Housing and Community Development departments.

Mr. Branch was originally appointed to the Port Commission in September of 2013 and represents the City of Houston and was reappointed in 2016. He serves on the Procurement and Small Business Development Task Force, Audit Committee and Community Relations Committee.

Mr. Branch serves as a board member for the Global Institute for Black Progress.

07/26/2021

Meet Our Board of Directors - Secretary - Harry E. Johnson, Sr., is a career lawyer, entrepreneur, and public servant. He is currently with Nuance Duty Free, an ACDBE, at IAH. As an owner/partner of the JV, he oversees marketing, operations and warehousing. Johnson also heads The Memorial Foundation, which promotes the awareness of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and its tenets of Democracy, Justice, Hope and Love.

Mr. Johnson led the Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King Memorial Foundation as President and CEO from 2002 until 2013. This came after a presidential and congressional charge for the MLK Foundation to erect a memorial on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Under Harry Johnson’s leadership, the MLK Memorial Foundation raised $120 million to complete the memorial; positioned three boards (Executive Leadership Cabinet, Governing Board and Honorary Board) for the foundation; and garnered support from all living U.S. Presidents, Congress, members of the corporate and nonprofit communities, and celebrities. The memorial dedication was held on October 16, 2011, with the President, Vice President, members of the cabinet, congressional members and others in attendance.

From 2001 to 2004, he served as National President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated, the fraternity to which Dr. King belonged. While serving in this role, Johnson oversaw over 700 chapters located throughout the United States and abroad enhancing the national image of the organization with fraternity members, business leaders, and political officials.

He serves on the AARP Foundation Board, The National Urban Board and The March of Dimes Board.

Johnson received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Texas Southern University where he was a member of the Thurgood Marshall Student Bar Association. He completed Post Baccalaureate work in Public Administration at St. Louis University and received his Bachelor of Arts from Xavier University of Louisiana. Johnson has received a number of recognition for his public service and was named in Ebony Magazine’s “100 Most Influential Black Americans” 2001 through 2004.

07/23/2021

Meet Our Board of Directors- Vice-Chair Fred Zeidman has been serving as the Chairman of Gordian Group since December of 2014. Mr. Zeidman has involved in the a. Seaport Gordian Energy efforts (especially in Texas) along with other Seaport Gordian professionals (see press release here).

Over the course of his distinguished 45-year career, Mr. Zeidman has been involved in numerous high-profile workouts, restructurings and reorganizations. He was former CEO, President and Chairman of Seitel, Inc., a Houston-based provider where he was instrumental in the successful turnaround of the Company. He most recently served as Chief Restructuring Officer of Transmeridian Exploration, Inc. and Bankruptcy Trustee AremisSoft Corp. He held the post of Chairman of the Board and CEO of Unibar Corporation, the largest domestic independent drilling fluids company, until its sale to Anchor Drilling Fluids.

Mr. Zeidman is also Chairman Emeritus of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, Chairman Emeritus of the University of Texas Health Science System Houston, interim Chief Financial Officer of the Texas Heart Institute and is Vice-Chancellor of the Houston Community College System. He also serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the University of Saint Thomas, is National Campaign Chairman of Development Corp of Israel (Israel Bonds), and is a board member of the Global Institute for Black Progress.

07/22/2021

Meet our Board of Directors- Chairwoman Paula Harris — Paula Harris enjoyed a 33-year career with Schlumberger. Paula started as a field engineer logging wells offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. She spent her career working in project management, operations management, recruiting management, global sales training, and designing and launching the global ESG program for the company. Upon retirement Ms. Harris founded DPM Alliance Energy, consulting on Renewable Energy, ESG Programming, and Global Stewardship.

Paula serves as Chairman of the Board for the Petroleum Club of Houston, Energized for Excellence Charter Schools, Global Institute for Black Progress, and the Texas A&M Black Former Students. She serves as secretary of the board for the Children’s Museum of Houston. She has been profiled in the "Black Engineer," "Graduating Engineer," "Money Magazine", "The Oilwomen’s Magazine," and the Houston Business Journal. Mrs. Harris has received numerous recognitions, including being named Black Engineer’s "50 who make a Difference", "Key Women in Energy, United Nations Global Citizenship Award," and the "Houston Business Journal Lifetime Legacy Award." Paula is a highly requested global speaker on topics such as Women in Energy, Energy Education, STEM and Coding in Schools, and Navigating the Energy Transition. Paula’s memberships include The Executive Leadership Council, National Society of Black Engineers, The Links Incorporated, Society of Petroleum Engineers, American Leadership Forum, and Alpha Kappa Alph aSorority.

Paula has previously served as an elected official on the Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees. She was an integral part of developing theories of action, promoting strategy, STEM planning, and developing and managing the district's $1.6-billion-dollar budget. During her 8 years (2 terms) on the HISD Board of Trustees, Paula served as board president, and the district was recognized twice by the White House under her leadership.

Mrs. Harris is an author, and her first book is titled "For Sister: The Guide for Professional Black Women." Paula’s publishing company, MadisonHouse Publishing, published her children’s book entitled "When I Grow Up, I Want to Be an Engineer". This book has been translated into 4 languages, and over 150,000 copies of this popular book have been distributed globally to school systems and STEM organizations.

Paula is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in Petroleum Engineering. She has also obtained a master’s in Educational Technology Design and a certification from Cambridge University in Sustainability Management. Paula and her husband Dwayne own DPM Investments and are also the proud parents of Madison Serelia Harris, a senior at Spelman College in Atlanta majoring in Computer Science.

07/21/2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

07/21/2021

"...policy analysis, educational programming, advocacy, and direct action."
Visit https://black-progress.org/ to learn more!

Black Progress