Board of Directors
GLAAACC’s Board of Directors consists of nineteen business men and women who bring ideas, insight, and resources to the table. They are all stellar individuals and the driving force behind the Chamber.
Gene Hale, Chairman
President
G&C Equipment Corporation
Gene Hale is president and CEO of G&C Equipment Corporation, Gence Corporation and G&C Service and Supply Corporation. The companies are engaged in the sale, lease and procurement of construction equipment, material, and supplies. Encouraging strong community involvement has been one of Mr. Hale’s principal objectives. He has promoted these values by providing equipment and financial support to churches, charities, schools and local business organizations. Mr. Hale earned his Business Administration degree from California State University-Dominguez Hills in Los Angeles and is a native of Birmingham, Alabama.
Clarence A. Daniels, Jr., Vice Chair
President
Concessions Management Services, Inc.
Clarence A. Daniels, Jr. is the president & CEO of Concessions Management Services, Inc. and chairman of Hartsfield Hospitality, LLC. Both companies operate food and beverage concessions in airports. Concessions Management Services, Inc. is headquartered in Los Angeles and operates six food and beverage locations. Prior to entering the hospitality industry Mr. Daniels was a civil rights attorney, attorney for the D.C. Public School System, and later worked as managing partner for Cochran Consulting International, a division of the law firm of Attorney Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr.
Angela Gibson, President
Director of External Affairs
AT&T
Angela Gibson, director of External Affairs at AT&T is responsible for public policy and community relations activities in cities located in East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, and portions of the West Los Angeles community. She is the corporate liaison to selected federal and state officials and serves on the board for the Huntington Park Chamber of Commerce and Culver City Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Gibson also serves as treasurer of the Los Angeles African American Women Public Policy Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on preparing young women of color for careers in the public policy arena.
Bettye Dixon, Vice President
President & CEO
Concourse Concessions, Inc.
Bettye J. Dixon is president & CEO of Concourse Concessions, Inc. She is a well-respected strategic entrepreneur who has spent more than 20 years forming, partnering and presiding over a series of specialty and duty free stores. Ms. Dixon runs one of the most experienced and successful companies doing business with some of the largest airports in the nation, including Los Angeles International, Phoenix Sky Harbor International, Washington Dulles International, JFK International and Miami International.
Michelle Smith-Ballard, Secretary
Community Affairs Manager
Turner Construction Company
Michelle Smith-Ballard is the director of Community Affairs for Turner Construction Company and has over 20 years of experience in the construction field. One of her duties is monitoring and reporting dollars spent with MBE/WBE firms. Mrs. Smith-Ballard holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from UC Irvine, and a certificate from the Minority Entrepreneur Program at USC. She also serves on the board of the Los Angeles African American Women Public Policy Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on preparing young women of color for careers in the public policy arena. 
Kimberly Carter, Parliamentarian
Attorney at Law
Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP
Kimberly Carter is an attorney for Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP where she currently practices in the firm’s Labor and Employment Group. In the past, Ms. Carter was a litigation associate with Wicker Smith, OHara, McCoy, Graham & Ford, P.A. in Miami, Florida. She also worked as a tax associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Francisco, California. Ms. Carter volunteers with many organizations including the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. 
Lemuel Daniels, Treasurer
Vice President & Client Advisor
Deutsche Bank
Lemuel Daniels joined Deutsche Bank Alex. Brown in 2007 and has worked in the financial services industry for over 30 years at four major Wall Street firms. He was the first African American chosen to represent Merrill Lynch in 1978 as part of a diversity advertising program and was the recipient of the Broker of the Year in 1985 with Bear Stearns' Special Investment Group. Mr. Daniels received a B.S. in Communications from Southern Illinois University and is a native of Chicago, IL.
Directors
Bob Blake
Principal
Bob Blake & Associates, Inc.
Bob L. Blake is president & CEO of Bob Blake & Associates, Inc., a full service Insurance and Financial Services firm specializing in Benefit Communication and Supplemental Insurance products for public sector and private nonprofit businesses. Mr. Blake’s mission is to protect working American families from catastrophic events that can ruin their future. He serves on several boards, including the City of Los Angeles MBOC Community Advisory Board and 100 Black Men of Los Angeles.
Sonya Dukes
Senior V.P. & Supplier Diversity Director
Wells Fargo Bank
Sonya Dukes is the senior vice president of Corporate Supplier Diversity for Wells Fargo Bank. The Corporate Supplier Diversity group develops company-wide strategies, policies, infrastructure, processes and procedures to increase business with minority- , women- and disadvantaged-owned suppliers. In addition to being a board director for GLAAACC, Ms. Dukes also serves on the Corporate Advisory Board for the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Howard University School of Communication Advisory Council. 
Charles J. Franklin, II
Manager of Corporate Services
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
Charles J. Franklin, II is the manager of Corporate Services for American Honda Motor Co. Inc., headquartered in Torrance, California. In this position, Mr. Franklin is responsible for a number of services that support the daily operations of Honda. Mr. Franklin also chairs the GLAAACC Business Evolution Program (BEP) Committee which oversees the unique program designed to assist a small business reach the next level of economic success. 
Charles A. Harmon
Manager of Corporate Procurement
American Honda Motor Company, Inc.
Charles A. Harmon currently serves as manager of Corporate Procurement for American Honda Motor Co., Inc. Mr. Harmon has been with Honda since 1981 and has occupied the positions of senior administrator national facility services and manager corporate facilities planning & real estate administration. Currently, he is responsible for more than $1 billion in American Honda’s corporate spend, and plans to further lead American Honda’s efforts to increase minority supplier participation through partnerships and strategic alliances.
Walter Hill, Jr.
President
Icon Blue, Inc.
Walter Hill, Jr. is chairman, president and CEO of Icon Blue, Inc., a brand-marketing company based in Los Angeles, California. A second generation entrepreneur with over forty years of business experience, Mr. Hill began learning the fundamentals of building a successful business at the age of nine with the guidance and support of his father. Icon Blue is now positioned to become a leading Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) provider of marketing business solutions in the United States. 
Kerman Maddox
Majority Owner
Dakota Communications
Kerman Maddox, managing partner for Dakota Communications develops public outreach and media coordination programs for corporations, academic institutions, governmental agencies, community organizations, religious institutions, political candidates, and small businesses in Southern California. He has worked on numerous outreach programs to increase minority participation in enrollment, employment and contracting opportunities with governmental agencies and private businesses. A graduate of the University of Southern California's Intergovernmental Masters Program and the Coro Foundation Public Affairs Institute, Mr. Maddox has extensive experience in strategic planning, media relations, community outreach and public affairs consulting. 
Patricia Means
President & Publisher
Turning Point Magazine
Patricia Means is founder and president of Turning Point Communications - parent company of Turning Point Magazine, The Annual African American Business Summit and the Access to Success® Business Tour, and co-executive producer of the Turning Point Business Minute Radio Program. Knowing first-hand the obstacles that African American business owners face, this business trail-blazer positioned Turning Point Communications as a viable vehicle to assist entrepreneurs in keeping abreast of the ever-changing business paradigm by creating entrepreneurial development events such as the very successful annual National African American Business Summit and the Access to Success Business Tour®.
Christine N. Simmons
Vice President of Strategic Alliances
Magic Johnson Enterprises
Christine N. Simmons is vice president of Strategic Alliances for Magic Johnson Enterprises (MJE). In this role she is responsible for identifying new areas of partnership and business opportunities for all MJE lines of business as a value added diverse supplier to the Fortune 500. Mrs. Simmons also collaborates in the development of strategies for co-branded activation of strategic alliances and new lines of business through MJE’s private equity fund. She received her Bachelor’s of Science degree from UCLA. 
Derek C. Smith
President & CEO
Diamond Contract Services, Inc.
Derek C. Smith is president and CEO of Diamond Contract Services, Inc., a company he founded in 1993 specializes in commercial janitorial services. Diamond operates in nine states and has grown from one employee to over 1,500 during past sixteen years. Mr. Smith has over twenty-five years of senior management experience in the building maintenance industry. He received his MBA from UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School and a B.S. in Accounting from California State University, Los Angeles. 
Monetta Stephens
Supplier Diversity Manager
Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc.
Monetta Stephens is the supplier diversity manager for Toyota Motor Sales U.S.A., Inc. and has been with Toyota for 22 years. She is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategic supplier diversity plan that ensures Toyota’s suppliers reflect the communities where Toyota does business. She began her career as a tax accountant filing state income tax returns. Ms. Stephens who was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in business from the University of Redlands. She is a jazz aficionado and enjoys volunteering. 
Douglas L. Hall
Territory Manager
Wells Fargo Bank
Douglas L. Hall is a territory manager for Wells Fargo Equipment Finance, Inc. In this capacity, he assists business owners in fulfilling their capital equipment needs through a variety of loan and lease products. Mr. Hall has been a banking professional for more than twenty years and has his MBA in Finance and Marketing. His hobbies include writing and he is the screenwriter of the cult classic film, "Leprechaun in the Hood," starring Ice-T, and released by Trimark Pictures. 
Karim Zaman
President
The Zaman Group
Karim Zaman is president of The Zaman Group, which provides representation for minority and women manufacturers in the Southern California region in the areas of office products, janitorial products, over the counter pharmaceuticals, and electrical supplies. Mr. Zaman has taken his tremendous experience in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Economic Development (Mayor Richard Riordan) through building partnerships with MBE/WBE/DBE firms and the corporate sector by starting The Zaman Group, which provides representation for these firms exclusively. Additionally, Mr. Zaman is the owner of The Payphone Company and The Zaman Group Trucking.
