Bruce S. Gordon
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Bruce Scott Gordon (born February 15, 1946) is an African American business executive who spent most of his career with Verizon and currently serves as a corporate director of CBS. He was selected in June 2005 to head the NAACP, a major American civil rights organization. [1] Gordon served in that position until March 2007.
[edit] Career
Born in Camden, New Jersey, Gordon's parents were both active in the civil rights movement. A 1968 graduate of Gettysburg College, where he was a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity, and a 1988 Master's degree in Management (M.B.A.) graduate of the Sloan Fellows program of the MIT Sloan School of Management, Gordon's professional career began at Bell of Pennsylvania, where he rose in corporate management to become the Head of the Retail Markets Division of Verizon upon his retirement in December 2003. Other Verizon executives have credited him with helping to promote diversity and a corporate culture based on customer service at the telecom company.
Among other professional activities, Gordon sits on the boards of the Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Office Depot, and Tyco International. Black Enterprise magazine named him executive of the year in 1998; Fortune magazine named him one of its 50 most powerful black executives in 2002.
[edit] NAACP
Gordon's selection as NAACP president on 25 June 2005 was widely regarded as unusual -- most of the organization's past presidents have been prominent figures in politics, religion, or the civil rights movement before holding the office. The only candidate seriously considered by the organization's board, he was approved by a unanimous vote and was confirmed at the July 2005 NAACP convention. He succeeded Kweisi Mfume, who resigned his post as NAACP president in late 2004.
President George W. Bush made his first appearance at the NAACP on July 20, 2006, half-way through his second term. [2] After having snubbed the organization for most of his presidency, it was Gordon's "moderate" political views that led Bush to acquiesce to the appearance, according to White House spokesman Tony Snow.
Citing strain with the board, Gordon resigned in March 2007. He stated "I did not step into the role to be a caretaker, to be dictated to," Gordon said. "I stepped into the role to understand as best I could the needs of the African American community and then to propose strategies and policies and programs and practices that could improve conditions for African Americans…. The things I had in mind were not consistent with what some — unfortunately, too many — on the board had in mind." [3]
[edit] References
- ^ Texeira, Erin (June 25, 2005). NAACP board names Bruce Gordon president.
- ^ President Bush Addresses NAACP Annual Convention
- ^ Associated Press (March 4, 2007). Bruce Gordon Resigns as N.A.A.C.P. President. New York Times
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