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Frances Grice: Veteran Pioneer to be Honored

Thursday, 15 March 2007

REDLANDS

By Cheryl Brown

When Redlands resident Frances Grice walks across the stage at the Los Angeles Black Business Association's (BBA) Salute to Women Conference and Awards Luncheon on March 31, 2007 at the downtown Los Angeles Omni Hotel, the recognition will just be a portion of what she deserves says many of her successful mentees. Grice is the only local woman to be honored by the association. But she will be in good company as she joins other honorees: Jeanette T. Ndhlovu, South African Counsel General; Cynthia Marshall, President, AT&T North Carolina, Karen Earl, Ex. Director, Jenesse Center, Inc; LaSandra Stratton, President Lions Communication, and the Black Women's Network. Ms. Shabazz, daughter of the late Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz and Ambassador at Large for the country of Belize is the honorary chair for the event, and Clarisa Howard, President CEO of Howard & Howard Consulting is the keynote speaker.

Framces Grice

Grice is the founder of Operation Second Chance, a high-tech training and educational facility for disadvantaged youth, welfare recipients and workers displaced by plant closures, of which there were many in the early 70's in the Inland Empire.

Margaret Hill, Assistant Superintendent for San Bernardino County Schools said it has been 37 years since she was Grice's secretary and even now if she called she would "obey" her. Hill, like others who talked about Grice, said they owe their success to her efforts.

Each of her former students spoke about the summer youth program that placed students as young as 14 in local university settings. "My experience in the program was great!" said Linda Russ-Smith, CEO of 4 D College. "I went to the University of Redlands for my program for two years, the first year I selected the library. I was happy to just dust the books and learn filing and the card catalog system. I was amazed at the books," she said. The next year she wanted another experience and chose to work in the Chancellor's office. "There she used her typing skills to make name tags and parking passes for faculty and alternated between the office and the staff lounge where at break time she was taught how to use the cash register. "Those strong foundations in my growth and development, and how I view life came from Mrs. Grice," she said.

Van Howard, a professional photographer, said that the visits to the universities were key for him and his brother Crocket. They are both businessmen. Crocket is a bail bondsman. "From 7th to the 9th grades I went to UCR. We picked what department we wanted to work in. I chose the Audio Visual Director. I learned how to work with sound," he said. He said that his brother and others who were older had the opportunity to go to Washington, D.C. where they lobbied with Mrs. Grice for the Public Enterprise building, now the New Hope Family Life Center. "Operation Second Chance was keeping my head in the right place," said Howard.

Where most of the youth remember the summer youth program there were others who were involved with her in the NAACP.

Bobby Bivens became a national board member on the strength of what he learned with Grice as his mentor. "She taught me that anything is possible. We should stick to it and keep fighting for what is good for our community." Bivens spoke of the fight the NAACP waged for school desegregation in San Bernardino. It took seven years and by the time they won his children were almost in high school. "She taught me that I can really make a difference through civil rights advocacy and that I must reach back and train the young people. As a result I have the best NAACP Youth Council in the region," he said. Frances helped him by paving the way for others to have a better quality of life.

Grice has extensive experience in outreach programs. She is a leading advocate for diversity -- promoting civil rights and equal opportunity in education, employment, housing economic and community development.

She has designed and implemented community outreach programs for local, state and federal government agencies to meet the needs of targeted audiences. She has also developed and managed employee training programs to promote academic achievement and employability in local water districts.

When Kaiser and other plants were closing she developed programs to minimize the negative affects of the closures. Her efforts of racial harmony, job creation, and facilitating help for small businesses resulted in San Bernardino receiving the All America City Award, proudly worn for years by the entire city and showcased in the Rose Bowl Parade for several years. Each float took major awards.

She was able to bring together government officials on the local, state and national levels with professional businesses, local residents helping them to create a mutually beneficial partnership to ensure success for businesses on a local level.

After arriving from Detroit and before she was a household name in the community, one of her first jobs was to work as secretary for Art Townsend, Publisher of the Precinct Reporter, a San Bernardino community newspaper. She was instrumental in Townsend's sons Brian and Michael's development. "The most important thing that Frances did for me and later my brother Michael was to let me provide leadership at an early age. I was 20 years old and she let me run the summer youth program unimpeded. She had us sit in the meetings with the presidents of corporations and interface with them. She put us in those realms," said Brian.

When people who are in important positions think of their experiences with Grice they have fond memories. Memories of Wesley Jefferson who was a clerk at Safeway before going to work at Second Chance and becoming the Chief Financial Officer, or Tony Blakely who retired and was so successful. The late PK Blakely who came out of the corporate environment to work with someone who was saving the youth for this generation. Frank Quevedo, now a vice president at Southern California Edison, worked at Second Chance as a youth community counselor in her summer youth program. Mary Humphrey is now a nurse and James Sweeney is with the State NAACP office in Sacramento.

Grice has not given up. Even though both of her children have passed on she still remains active in her business and throughout the state. She is currently the President and CEO of ADF Networking Consultancy Inc.

The Los Angeles based BBA was founded in 1970 and has been instrumental in the incubation of 10,000 African American businesses. Their mission stated by Skip Cooper, the Executive Director is to advocate and promote the development of African American owned business with the goal of creating a firm economic base that support the self-determination and survival of the African American and the urban community.

Personal Services Plus Event Management Company is the event planner and tickets and advertising opportunities can be purchased by calling (626) 791-3847.

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