NCBW Chair to Address Minority High-Schoolers in Accounting Awareness Program at UA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Dr. Faye E. Williams, national chair of the National Congress of Black Women and former counsel to the U.S. Congress, will be the lead speaker for the 2011 Accounting Career Awareness Program presented by the National Association of Black Accountants and the Center for the Advancement of Minority Accountants.

The Culverhouse School of Accountancy at The University of Alabama is hosting the summer career development program for minority high school students that will run from June 26 through July 2 on the UA campus.

The Accounting Career Awareness Program, or ACAP, began in 1980 when the National Association of Black Accountants recognized the need for a program that would direct African-Americans and other underrepresented ethnic groups toward the accounting profession.

“The camp revolves around a one-week summer residency program for high school students,” said Lisa McKinney, an instructor in accounting and coordinator of the program, now in its second year at UA.

“The program introduces students to career opportunities in accounting through a carefully constructed curriculum that involves Culverhouse School of Accountancy faculty and guest lecturers from business and government,” McKinney said. “We are fortunate to have Dr. Williams as a speaker.”

In addition to being chair of the National Congress of Black Women and a former counsel to the U.S. Congress, Williams is a former professor of international law at Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge, La. and previously served as White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Energy.

She is the author of several books on political and foreign affairs, including “The Peace Terrorists,” which chronicles her 40-day peace mission leading up to the 1992 Gulf War. For 20 of those days, she and 200 women from around the world were held at gunpoint in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman in the Middle East.

She has appeared on several radio and television programs, including ones on BET, CBS and CNN as well as  “Good Morning America.” She has addressed numerous peace and human rights groups in the U.S., Greece, Iraq, Haiti, Gabon, Senegal, Tunisia, Palestine, Israel, Benin and other nations.

She was a delegate to the Reconciliation Conference in Benin, West Africa and the StraightTalk Economic Empowerment Conference in South Africa. She served as an election monitor in Venezuela’s 2008 elections.

She is a member of the board of directors of the Council for the National Interest and Partners for Peace. She is a former member of the Board of Girls and Boys Club USA and the National Council of Women’s Organizations. She is on the board of directors for Broadband Everywhere and City at Peace.

Williams has been named to Ebony Magazine’s “100 Most Influential Black Americans” and “Power 150.” She holds a doctorate in public administration from City University at Los Angeles, as well as a master’s of public administration from the University of Southern California, a J. D. degree from Howard University School of Law; administrative credential from UCLA, and a Bachelor of Science degree from Grambling State University.

The ACAP program will include campus tours, a panel discussion on culture and diversity, an introduction to accounting, cash management and financial planning, maintaining cultural and ethnic identity, making college work for you, business integrity, forensic accounting and fraud detection, and professional etiquette advice.

One of the sponsors, Ernst & Young, LLP, will host a tour of the company’s office, as will Alabama Power, and UA will have representatives on hand to discuss the college admission procedure and financial aid.