Alabama A&M University News April 2012 Black Tie Gala Raises $275K Huntsville, Ala. ---- The 12th Annual Black Tie Scholarship Gala hosted by Alabama A&M University raised some $275,000 for scholarships, according to Wendy Kobler, vice president for marketing, communication and advancement. AAMU President Andrew Hugine announced the figure before a Von Braun Center-South Hall audience, and indicated that he would like to see that amount rounded to $300,000 in the near future. Awards were presented in recognition of achievements in the following categories: Large Organization of the Year (Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne); Small Business of the Year (Willbrook Solutions, Inc.); Advocate of the Year (Erskine McKinnon, AAMU alumnus and retiree); Diversity Award (Lee Rosenburg of MDA); and the Koinonia Award, which recognizes an individual and/or religious organization that has created a mutually beneficial partnership with Alabama A&M and/or its students (Fellowship of Faith Baptist Church). The 2012 Gala co-chairs were Miranda Bouldin, president/CEO of LogiCore of Huntsville, Ala., and John O. Hudson III, vice president for public relations, Alabama Power, Birmingham, Ala. The honorary co-chairs were alumni Dr. Bernice Richardson, former chair of AAMU's Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, and Robert Holmes, former corporate administrator and AAMU trustee. WHNT-TV 19's Clarissa McClain served as mistress of ceremonies, while the evening's entertainment was provided by the U.S. Army Materiel Command's Four Star Jazz Orchestra. Major General James E. Rogers, commander, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Life Cycle Command (AMCOM), Redstone Arsenal, Ala., was the keynote speaker. For additional information about fundraising initiatives, call (256) 372-8344; e-mail blacktie@aamu.edu; or visit http://www.aamu.edu/blacktie. SANDRA M. PHOENIX Executive Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 800-999-8558, ext. 4820 404-520-0593 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Register now http://www.hbculibraries.org/html/2012meeting-form.html for the October 21-23, 2012 HBCU Library Alliance 5th Membership Meeting and the Photographic Preservation Pre-Conference in New Orleans, LA. The Pre-Conference and Membership meeting are open to directors and other librarians.