As a scholarship recipient at the New York City conference, I was more amazed than I was in Los Angeles.  I was now “behind the curtain” where I first met Stephen Lewis and Derryl Reed. At that moment on the NBMBAA national conference stage, I decided that I would “give back” to the NBMBAA. I became a student member and volunteered on the Student Affairs committee with the Los Angeles Chapter, where I made relationships with leaders like Laurie Murphy, Natalie Burke, and others.

After graduation from USC, word that I was relocating to Texas seemed to arrive at the Dallas Chapter a few hours before my suitcases. Dallas Chapter leadership had already prepared a place for me. As the Student Affairs Chair, I focused on scholarships and built relationships with people like Linda Roach, Cedric and Leslie Ferrell, Tobi Cox-Crooks, and Michelle Thomas. We decided to establish a Dallas Chapter Leaders of Tomorrow program.  Through that effort, I established relationships with people like Cedric Ferrell, Thomas Brooks, and Faye Wright.

In January 2000, I relocated to Stamford, Connecticut and approached the NBMBAA as a latent member, attending a few social events here and there. I later realized that I was receiving that which I invested—very little. Although the social value was appreciated, I found myself stagnant professionally. When Dayneen Preston presented the callout for the Candidates For Success program, I jumped at the chance.  During this program at the 2004 national conference in Houston, my life changed. I gained clarity of my life’s purpose and was energized and invigorated with a bold and audacious spirit. Again, I established relationships with Dr. David Ford, Dr. Cherry Collier, and all of my Champions for Success.

Two fiscal quarters and two promotions later, I found myself in debt to the NBMBAA yet again. Charles Bogguess and Dayneen Preston called in the debt and requested my services. Since that time, I have enjoyed supporting the rebirth of a high potential chapter, helping corporate partners develop and implement business diversity strategies, presenting to NBMBAA chapter leadership retreats, addressing Leaders of Tomorrow students, reviewing and evaluating scholarship applications, judging case competitions, mentoring and being mentored by industry and business leaders, representing Pitney Bowes in recruiting events and activities, and honing precious skills of success.

This past summer, I was offered an opportunity to lead Pitney Bowes’ enterprise-wide employee giving campaign, primarily because of my volunteerism with the NBMBAA. In spite of weekly worsening economic news, our giving campaign team successfully increased the total amount of donations, participation as a percentage of total employees, and the amount of employees participating in a shorter time period than prior years. I fully recognize that my success is due to personal and professional development gained over nearly 20 years in the NBMBAA.

Now, I cherish the opportunity to work with committed leaders like Michael McNeil, Arthy Oparaji, Kim Holder and Tanya Mahan, in the award-winning Westchester/Greater Connecticut Chapter. I enjoy relationships with committed NBMBAA chapter presidents and leaders from coast to coast, NHQ staffers like Liz Hope, Dan Gould, and Kim Wilson, and directors like Barbara Bostick, Dr. dt ogilvie, Charles Bogguess, and Keith Wyche, and, of course, our helmsperson, Ms. Barbara Thomas.

Show me an NBMBAA member that questions the value of his or her membership, and I’ll show you a member that is not actively participating in the local chapter and the national organization. I often joke that the more I “give back,” the more I get—and consequently, the more I owe and must give back to this organization—it is a self-fulfilling prophecy.  Thus, it only makes sense that I be a lifetime member of the National Black MBA Association, devoted to a lifetime of excellence. Roland, thanks for forcing me to go with you 20 years ago.

Todd Hood
Chair, Corporate Relations and Fund Development
Westchester/Greater Connecticut Chapter
National Black MBA Association

Director, Privacy, The Americas
Pitney Bowes
Stamford, CT