A block of rooms has been reserved under the group code “NOPBNRCSE” at the Hilton – Atlanta Hotel, 255 Courtland St. NE, Atlanta, GA, 30303, at the conference rate of $99.00 per night through November 28, 2008. The phone number for the hotel is (404) 659-2000 or the toll-free number 1-800-HILTONS. Rooms will be released to the public after November 28, 2008.
Online Registration / Membership Tools Now Available!
Registering for the 2008 NOPBNRCSE Training Conference is only a click away—literally! The Organization kicked off Online Registration on October 20th with huge success. Opening day on Monday boasted the single largest registration day to date, largely because the Organization is committed to streamlining the registration process to make it convenient for its members and other attendees. Just register online before the November 14 pre-registration deadline. After this date, the regular "On-site" rate will apply. Additional details regarding On-site registration will be available in the near future.
In addition, employees still have time to submit their membership application for 2008 via the web—late registration has been extended to October 31. If you chose to mail in your membership in, please note that it must be received by October 31, or it will count toward 2009 membership only.
Take advantage of the new online tools provided to you through the Organization, and be sure to check the Web site periodically for updates. Visit www.nopbnrcse.org today!
A Charming and Sophisticated Southern City
by Sylvia Rainford
Atlanta. The city invokes images of intense heat, southern charm, African-American wealth and sophistication, and civil rights accomplishments.
The city will host the 16th Annual NOPBNRCSE Training Conference Dec. 8-12, 2008, and members will find much to do there. There are ample restaurants, shopping, and attractions to keep us occupied once the conference day is over.
Attractions abound in this city. Within proximity of the Hilton Atlanta, you can find the Georgia World Congress Center, Georgia Aquarium, CNN Center, Centennial Olympic Park, and World of Coca Cola.
More than 20 restaurants are located close to the hotel. Many more restaurants; museums; the Georgia Dome; and Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, are a short taxi ride or MARTA ride away.
Atlanta’s subway system is affectionately known as MARTA, or Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. You can take the MARTA to the Hilton from the airport. MARTA stops at the Marriott Hotel, about a block away from the Hilton. Visit http://www.itsmarta.com for more information, including schedules.
No one can visit Atlanta without experiencing its civil rights history and accomplishments. The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site and Sweet Auburn District. The 1.5 mile Sweet Auburn District served as a thriving center of black enterprise from the 1890s through the 1940s and is the birth place of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Visit www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/atlanta/aud.htm for more information.
Explore Dr. King’s birth home, the historic Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center, where Dr. King’s Nobel Peace Prize is on exhibit. The grave sites of Dr. King and his wife, Coretta Scott King, are also located at the King Center. The visitor’s center features exhibits telling the civil rights movement story. Visit www.nps.gov/malu for more information.
The African-American Panoramic Experience (APEX) Museum interprets and presents history from an African-American perspective to help visitors better understand and appreciate the contributions of African-Americans to the nation and to the world. Visit www.apexmuseum.org for more information.
The Hammonds House Galleries and Resource Center of African-American Art is Georgia’s only independent fine arts museum dedicated to presenting art by people of African-American descent, including works by Romare Bearden. Visit www.hammondshouse.org for more information.
The Atlanta History Center features a museum with a permanent exhibit that charts regional and black history. Visit www.atlantahistorycenter.org for more information.
At the World of Coca Cola at Pemberton Place in downtown Atlanta, you can explore the past, present and future of one of the world’s most recognizable brands and sample more than 40 Coca Cola products from around the world. Visit www.worldofcoca-cola.com for more information.
The Underground is a must for every Atlanta visitor. Six city blocks in the heart of downtown Atlanta were transformed into a marketplace that offers historic tours and features 12 restaurants, more than 100 specialty stores, entertainment emporiums and street cart merchants. Segway tours offer a unique view of the city.
If you ever wanted to explore the inside of a national network television studio, then the CNN tour is the one for you. You can learn about TV newsmaking at the headquarters of CNN and Headline News. The tour includes the special effects studio, the main newsroom and the Control Room Theater. Visit www.cnn.com/tour/atlanta for more information.
Dining options abound in Atlanta. There are about 8,000 restaurants in the metro area. You can get any type of food here—from a juicy steak to Southern barbecue. The conference hotel also has two award-winning restaurants—Trader Vic’s and Nikola’s Roof. You can experience dining atop Atlanta at its numerous rooftop restaurants or you can choose an outdoor setting. Ask the hotel concierge for more details upon your arrival at the Hilton.
Want to learn more about Atlanta’s southern style and sophistication? Visit its various malls, including the Mall at Peachtree Center within walking distance of our hotel. Complete tourism details are available online through the Atlanta Travel Guide at www.atlanta.net.
When asked what’s valued most in the Maryland chapter, Chapter President Jackie Roscoe answered in one word, “Unity.” And nearly 14 years earlier, it was this same ‘unity’ element that shaped the Maryland chapter of The Organization. Fortunately, it still remains embedded in their leaders today.
The Maryland chapter was formed on December 3, 1994 because of workplace discrimination concerns among several agency employees. A small group of employees joined together to form a chapter to address these issues in an effort to make the workplace better for minority employees.
Today, the Maryland chapter continues to unite and build upon those same principles which launched their chapter. “Our goal is to help each other,” said Roscoe. “To mentor the new employees and students - to try and move them in the right direction.”
For the students, the Maryland chapter sponsors an annual scholarship program that awards $1,000 over four years to help cover the student’s costs associated with tuition, books, fees, supplies or computer equipment.
One member, Willie Ruffin, Senior Soil Conservationist, was the first Black employee to be recruited through the International Programs Division to serve on a Provincial Reconstruction Team in Iraq. Ruffin was deployed for a one-year detail in July 2008. The chapter pulled together to host a fish fry in his honor. The proceeds from the event went toward the chapter scholarship fund.
The Maryland Chapter supports and participates in community and civic events in Maryland and Washington, DC, including the Anacostia Environmental Fair and the Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure. “We have people that are committed, dedicated and passionate about helping one another.” Roscoe says that is what she loves most about her chapter. “Members are willing to step up and support our events—they want to do things.”
The Maryland chapter currently has 22 members and invites any interested employee to participate. “We try to include people that don’t have state chapters because we want all employees to get this information.”
For more information on the Maryland chapter, please contact Jackie Roscoe, President, at 202-690-4242.
