PRESIDENT OF TOYOTA MOTOR MANUFACTURING, KY, TO SPEAK AT URBAN LEAGUE'S REPORT LUNCHEON

Wilbert W. (Wil) James, Jr., President, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky, Inc., will be the keynote speaker at the Louisville Urban League’s 2013 Annual Report Luncheon on Friday, December 6, at 11:30 a.m., at the Hyatt Regency Louisville's Regency Ballroom.  

“We are pleased and honored to welcome Wil James to our Annual Report Luncheon”, stated Ben Richmond, Louisville Urban League President & CEO.  " His message is certain to be a source of inspiration to us all."

Traditionally, it is at this luncheon that the Louisville Urban League reports its impact in the community and is an opportunity to highlight its accomplishments during the past year in building economically stable families, successful school aged youth, and education attainment.  The luncheon also looks ahead at important local issued in workforce development, housing services and youth education.

- New Employment Initiative Focuses on Improverished Areas -

The Louisville Urban League (LUL) honored the first graduates of a new, innovative, workforce development initiative called, ICANBE (Individual Career Advancement Now! Be Empowered) on June 13, 2013.  ICANBE is a pilot program designed to raise employment levels and increase economic stability in the most impoverished neighborhoods in Louisville and prepare residents for available jobs with local employers.  UPS serves as the lead partner.  Other partner companies will be announced as they are confirmed. 

The most impoverished neighborhoods in the Louisville Metro area are within the 40203, 40210, 40211 and 40212 zip codes.  In addition to high poverty rates, neighborhoods in these zip codes have high crime rates, lower educational attainment levels, and higher unemployment and under employment than other areas in the community.  Employment data for these four zip codes show that 22.8% (7,128 persons) of the residents in the labor force are unemployed.  At the same time, there are hundreds of job openings in the logistics industry locally and many more when you include other industries such as retail.  For this reason, the Louisville Urban League created the ICANBE program to primarily target these four zip codes to outreach, recruit, screen, and train a large number of residents for available jobs. 

The Louisville Urban League announces Get Fit Louisville a new health and wellness collaborative aimed at reducing health disparities. Get Fit Louisville uses the production of a Reality Show as an innovative approach to engaging people to participate in health education and wellness, access healthcare professionals, and to increase their physical activity and overall fitness. To produce the Reality Show and to raise awareness, Get Fit Louisville is recruiting 25 teens along with their parent to participate. Participating Teens and Parents must commit to 10 sessions over five months. Organizations collaborating with the League on the initiative include: Norton Healthcare Centers for Prevention and Wellness, The Heuser Clinic, Walmart, Papailler Creative, and many others are being added.   

Teens (13-18) and their parent or legal guardian can apply to participate in Get Fit Louisville and the creation of the reality show about getting healthy by clicking here.  

Sessions includes health education as well as physical activities in the form of games where 5 teams of 10 participants (50) each will compete for prizes and incentives. 

The Louisville Urban League is launching a program designed to prepare African American men for leadership opportunities. The Urban Leadership Alliance Seminar (ULAS) is specifically designed as a vehicle through which African American men exhibiting high potential as future leaders are coached, educated and prepared for higher levels of leadership and responsibility within their respective companies. 

Beginning in March, an inaugural class of 15 attendees will participate in a humanities-based program with a solid grounding in business. Participants must meet a variety of leadership qualifications, have between seven and seventeen years’ experience in the workforce, and commit to attending all nine sessions over a 12-month cycle.