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(BIDCO), I C.
tackle
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African
American
communHy
MUSKEGO - The poten-
tial African-American
entrepreneurs in Weste*"n
Michigan kl hold 0Dt0 their
dreams a little lODger, because
the future i IookiDg brighter.
!? The Board of Directors of
West ichigan Capital
(BIDCO), IDc..Iast week named
venture capitalist Ralph L. Mc­
Neal, Sr. <l1ief executiYe of­
ficer. The appointment moves
West Michigan Capital closer to
seauiDg state funding. .
We t Michigan Capital
(BIDeO), Inc, a business and
industrial development, cor­
poration, wiD seek \icebsins
fsom the state to foster the
growth of miDOrity-owned busi­
nesses, specifically, and small
and medium business in
general
As CEO, cNeal will be in­
volved in preparing the applica­
tion for ubmission to the
Michigan Strategic Fund
(MSF) to obtain a S3 million
loan commitment. The MSF is a
state agency formed to ina-ease
the availahility of capital to state
businesses, Mc eal will also be
involVed in raisiDg other capital
from private d public sources.
I A ewark, w Jersey na­
tive, Mc eal comes to West
Michigan Capital, Inc. with a
diverse venture capital back­
ground with emphasis in provid­
ing corporate and management
expertise to aid in the growth of
small and medium sized com­
panies ..
He is a former president of
North Street Capital Corpor -
tion, a wholly-owned Small
Business Investment Company
(SBIC) subsidiary of General
Foods Corporation ere he
provided fmancing and ass
ranee to compaai Es-
By
ea· Senice
lANSING - State officials
are co Rting on a ne office to
• upgrade the health status of
· Michig n's minority popula-
r" .
But they recognize that the
aeatibn of the offICe· a farst
step and that minority health
problems have a long path to im­
provement.
Gov. James Blanchard's ex­
ecutive order on Sept. 15 estab­
Ii hed the office of minority
ealth in the 51 e Department
of Public H tho
The Legislature also � co -
id ring a bill that w old male
the office a permanent health
department fixture.
Interim .office Chief Karen
Schroc n is setting policies
based on recommendation
from the minority health task
force, said Charles McLoud, the
- health department's acting
- director for administration.
A nationwid search for
permanent director ended ov.
15 and about 50 applications
were received, McLoud said
Schroc was unavailable Cor
comment, but McLoud id the
office now is reviewing the ap­
plications.
The office will act as ·gadf­
Iy" to constantly keep the statis­
tics and the need to do some-
•
Ine·
II Me Sr.
sence Communications, Inc.,
Allstates Trans World Van
Lines Inc., Lynn Cosmetics,
Inc., and Uniworld Group.
He also headed 1m own co -
suiting fum. In his community,
McNeal serves as a co�­
sioner and treasurer on the
Board of Commissioners of the
Newar Housing and
Redevelopme t Authority.
The impact that West
Michigan Capital's efforts will
have on the western part of the
state's economy is expected to
be substantial. For example, a
BIDeO formed in Detroit ear­
lier this year anaounced its plan
. to invest $13 million i 64 com­
·panics # vcr �. '0 Xl t n yW's.
to
ct
The BIDCO's principals say tors.Hesaido Me eal'shiring,
that this investment will. "The fuU Bo¥d unanimously
generate 3,150 jobs and a voted to employ Mr. McNeal
payroU of $47.5 million. after lengthy review of his
"While the economy at-large credentials, interviews and ap­
will gain from our investments: proval from the state. I believe
.1 McNeal said, "minority business that he is the best available per­
will especially benefit by being son for the job, both statewide
able to overcome the obstacles and nationwide."
inherent for minority Ivory added, "Mr. Mc cal's
entrepreneurs." track record indicates that he
McNeal pointed toward un- can work with our constituent
dercapitlization as one of these community, which includes half
obstacles. "A U.S. Census the State of Michigan. He's al-
I Bureau 51 ely found that white ready been accepted into that
households have a median net . community and its members are
worth 11.5 times higher an looking forward to hi arrival"
that of Black households," he the WMC Board of Direc­
said. "So, from the start tors currentlycensi of the fol-
I minorities have a s ller b of lowing member :
wealth in their communities on Ralph L Mc , Sr., Presi­
wbichto draw for their ventures. dent/CEO� st Michigan
That's one of the problems that Capital (BI 0), Inc; J
West Michigan Capital's work � Sheridan, SP Corporation,
going 10 ckIe, and think that Muskegon; Ri ti e Wilkins,
we're going to be successful in Councilwoman, uskego
opening some doors for Heights; Dr. M.C. Burton,
minority achievers." Grand Rapids; H. Max Preston,
Muskegon County Commis- GTE North Inc., Muskegon; G.
sio er Herman Ivory, a 25-year Timothy'Iurner, Plainfield Lin­
public official, is the fo der of· coin Me rcu ry, Grand Rapids;
West Michit@nCap· al, Inc. and' and Herman Ivory, Commi -
a m&er ofi of Di ee- . , Muske n County.
ew office seen: a .. hope for impro ed
min�rity heal h ca e·
Winston Lang, the director of
Detroit's Department of
Human Rights.
thing before the attention of the
legislators, said Raj Weiner,
health department acting direc­
tor.
. "If we are going to have
strong work force to be able t
compete in a technological age
we h ve to be sure that all g­
ment of the population are
equally ab to live up to their
fuD potential and contribute to
the produetivi . of the state,"
said
.When one in every five
peop in Michigan is lagging
behind because of health and
living up to their potential, it
. time to do so thing. Wiener
added
But this is not an issue. The offi will abl to
government can solve overnight devote more time to improving
or by itself, she said the poor hea th of minorities in
"Busine has to wake up and Detroit and tewide, he said
realize that thi . their worle Detroit's igh minori y in­
force of the future," Wiener Cant-mortal ty rate and in­
said. "11Jey have an investment creased can r rate demand at-
in i and tHey are going to have tention, noted.
to do things to help." The . orce, which com-
The Workside WeHnes pleteditsstu y in Junc.de iled
program is one way busin t e wide gap health tatus be-
are helping to improve heal teen the inor ity Black,
conditions, Wiener said . Hispanic, rab American,
The businesses make infor-r Asian-Pacifi Islander and Na-
mation availab to employees live Ameri populatio and
on chronic diseases caused by the majority pulation.
moking, drinkin8, obesity and J The· tas force recom-
high blood pressure, she said mended that e health depart-
The creation 0 the office is a ment and the overnor's uman
ep in the right direction, said. services cab et counci I en- .
. :..1
Furage private busin labor
unio religious organizations
and community groups to pla�
closing the gap" as its top
pr.' rity.
It also recommended that
programs. to improve min rily
bealth be funded nd that health
promotion, disease � tion
and ri reduction be areas of
em
The group's report sho
that minoriity death r tes re
far higher than in the majority
population (or all the ding
ptuses of death, Wiener said
The overall ge-adju ted
th rate for minori . 48
cent higher than for whi in
5, she said .
According to the report, if
here were nOI di pariti s in
e ath rates, 3,241 fewer
inority deaths IWOuid have
red i 1985.
The major causes 0 ex ss
inority deaths ] 1985 were
eart disease, homicide, cancer,
.. ant mortaility, liver disease,
troke, diabetes and accidents,
e reports stat .
The spread of AIDS in the
. ority popula . on was early.
ve times igh r than in the
hite popula ion, Wiener
ot�d. I ,
1 r
See HEALTH,
1
.1
19