CLEVELAND, OH—Bruce S. Gordon, president and CEO of the NAACP, will discuss economic issues in the African American community at noon on Friday, January 26, 2007, at The City Club of Cleveland.  After a 35-year career in the telecommunications industry, Gordon became head of the NAACP in August 2005. Before retiring in December 2003, he was president of the Retail Markets Group for Verizon Communications, where he managed a 35,000-person work force and was accountable for $23 billion in revenue.

Gordon began his career 1968 as a management trainee, advancing through the ranks. In 1985, he was appointed vice president of sales and subsequently served as group president of consumer and small business services and group president of enterprise business.

In May 2006, Ebony magazine named Gordon to its “100 Most Influential Black Americans and Organization Leaders” list. In July 2002, he was ranked number six on Fortune magazine’s “50 Most Powerful Black Executives” list. Black Enterprise magazine named him "1998 Executive of the Year."

Gordon is a member of the boards of CBS and Tyco International, Ltd., a trustee of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Foundation, and a member of the Executive Leadership Council.

This Friday Forum is first in the 2007 KeyBank Diversity Thought Leadership Series. Upcoming speakers include the following: Luke Visconti, partner and co-founder of DiversityInc (June 1); Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum, president of Spelman College (September 21); and Ralph Alvarez, president and COO of McDonald’s Corporation (October 26).

Tickets for this City Club Friday Forum are $18 for members and $30 for non-members. Lunch is included. They can be purchased by calling The City Club at 216.621.0082 or visiting the website at www.cityclub.org.

Established in 1912 to encourage new ideas and a free exchange of thought, The City Club of Cleveland is the oldest continuous free speech forum in the country, renowned for its tradition of debate and discussion. The City Club’s mission is to inform, educate and inspire citizens by presenting significant ideas and providing opportunities for dialogue in a collegial setting.

  Missy S. Toms Director of Membership & Marketing The City Club of Cleveland 850 Euclid Ave., 2nd Fl. Cleveland, OH 44114 216.621.0082 888.223.6786 F: 216.621.0129 mtoms [at] cityclub [dot] org To become a member or make a reservation, visit us at www.cityclub.org.

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