FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 9, 2018
OIC of America Affiliates from Around the Country Convene in Philadelphia for Three-Day Reunion
October 15th – 17th
Celebrating the Legacy of OIC Founder, Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan
PHILADELPHIA, PA …. OIC of America (OICA) and its Affiliates will convene in Philadelphia from October 15 – October 17, 2018 for a milestone reunion and celebration of the enduring legacy of OIC Founder, Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan. The reunion will also demonstrate the resurgence of OICA’s national presence. The multi-day event will be held at the Wyndham Philadelphia Hotel at 400 Arch Street.
James C. Haynes, OICA President and Board Chair said, “It is compelling that this organization has grown and thrived to include 34 affiliates in 22 states, with some attendees traveling from as far as Seattle, Washington. We are excited about recognizing the continued relevance and foresight of our founder, Rev. Sullivan. His vision to create an organization to “Help People Help Themselves” has existed for more than half a century continues to live on and, has trained and educated millions of men and women from all walks of life and ethnicities across the country, ensuring they become productive members of society and the American Workforce. As we convene, we are mindful that the city Philadelphia, the home of our National Headquarters, has the highest poverty level of any large city in the country. Over the 3 days we’re together we intend to share Best and Promising Practices in our Network that can be shared and leveraged to address challenges in our society relating to education, poverty, unemployment/underemployed and economic empowerment, while also having meaningful and action dialogue about OICA’s mission and our effectiveness in addressing other critical issues.”
Educational and community-based programs play a key role in the vision and mission of OICA. The OIC network administers programs in vocational training, job readiness, healthcare, education, reentry and youth development. OICA will continue to expand the national team in order to provide technical assistance, performance management, and support of its network of affiliates, program partners, funders and those who use our services.
The three-day reunion will include a business, training and social agenda. With “A Party with a Purpose,” as the theme highlights include:
Monday, October 15th – Meet & Greet / Registration
Tuesday, October 16th – Special Presentations/ Birthdate of Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan
“Rev. Dr. Leon H Sullivan, The Man” – Ronald J. Harper Esq., OICA Board Member and Mable Welborn, Board Chair, Leon H. Sullivan Charitable Trust: 10:45-11:15AM HANCOCK ROOM
“Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan,” Hope Sullivan: 11:15-11:45AM HANCOCK ROOM
Marketing & Public Relations – Naja Killebrew, Communications Manager, OICA
1:15 – 2:00 PM
Resource Development – Louis King, President Summit Academy OIC, Minneapolis, MN
2:00 – 2:45 PM
Community Engagement- Steve Schmidbauer, COO, Job Training, Menlo Park, CA
3:00 – 3:45 PM
Apprenticeships -Joseph McFerrin, II President- Portland, Ore. OIC, Portland, Oregon
3:45 – 4:30 PM
Volunteerism – Luddy Hayden, President -Luddy Hayden and Associates& Former Chevron Executive
4:30 – 5:15 PM
Special Musical Performance
Wednesday, October 17th
“How Inclusive Competitiveness can Save American Democracy and Lead the Way to Wakanda”– Dr. Jamie Bracey-Green, Director of STEM Education Temple University – 10:20 – 10:50 AM
HANCOCK ROOM
Current State of OICA- James C. Haynes, OICA President & Board Chair and Jason Whyte, Senior Director, Operations and Strategy, OICA – 10:50 – 12:00 PM HANCOCK ROOM
Musical Performance by Gerald Alston- OICA Celebrity Ambassadors Program BETSY BALLROOM
6:00 – 9:30 PM
___________________________________________________________________________
Background – OIC of America
In the 1960s, after leading selective patronage campaigns in Philadelphia to expose discriminatory hiring and opened thousands of jobs to African Americans, the Rev. Dr. Leon H. Sullivan (1922-2001) founded the Opportunities Industrialization Center. (OIC) OIC is a vocational, educational, and life skills training program designed to prepare young men and women for full-time employment. The organization quickly expanded into all corners of the city of Philadelphia and ultimately grew into a national and international movement that trained millions of workers from all racial and ethnic backgrounds. Today, OIC of America (OICA) is a national network of community-based organization that delivers results-driven leadership in workforce development. The organization employs best and promising practice programing as targeted intervention to address nation-wide problems that affect the economically disadvantaged. One of these problems is mass incarceration coupled with the high rates of recidivism. Today, OICA has 34 affiliates in 22 states.
###
