twelve six 2015 mag

2

This magazine is called

TWELVE to note its

monthly presence, only

TWELVE times a year.

Also, and more im-

portantly, TWELVE is a

symbol of time. So it

represents timely infor-

mation and the central

point by which life

events are measured.

And of course, time-

pieces are part of the

finer things, perfect for

our core readers in pur-

suit of sophisticated

living.

Welcome to TWELVE.

3

Tell A Friend!

Welcome to number SIX of TWELVE.

This is the Money issue. It’s time we

talk about economic empowerment,

career and business development op-

portunities.

This issue correlates to our 4th Annual

Network with the 100. It’s the live in-

teractive opportunity to learn, grow

and build in money matters.

Review the calendar to discover up-

coming events and take note of what’s

happening in the city.

You have an opportunity to contribute

to the content by writing, submitting

story suggestions, and of course, at-tending the launch events and more.

Contact us at [email protected] to

get involved and send us feedback, too!

Sincerely,

Ken L

COVER

TECH N9NE

DON’T MISS

Calendar 52

INSIDE

NETWORK

Welcome Sarah

9

LIFE:

Time & Money

11

MILLIONAIRE

SUCCESS

John Walker

14

FRAUD

24

MONEY RULES

FED RESERVE

30

FITNESS

34

MUSIC:

Tech N9ne

46

JUNE 2015 Volume III, Issue VI

Though a lifestyle publication isn’t unique, TWELVE evolves the genre. It’s the

only magazine that you both read and live. We set out to create more than a

literary piece. We’ve merged both the online world and the live event into the

“magazine experience”. Once a month, we release a new issue of the magazine.

The release is paired with a live launch event, where the feature elements and

characters of our magazine are brought to life for you to touch, taste, feel and

experience. The live experience becomes part of gathering ground of additional

stories, photos, and more for the final written magazine.

What’s Different? Read It & Experience it Live

kcsoul.com @TWELVEKC

TWELVE Magazine is part

of the KCSoul.com net-work. Owned by H.G.E.

Marketing, LLC. (H.G.E.). Views & opinions ex-

pressed here are not

necessarily those of H.G.E.

or contributors.

5

SPECIAL THANKS

To all of Our Writers,

Designers, Planners,

Contributors,

Advertisers &

Supporters

of Xii.

Ken L.

Shemeka Cockerm

Keyana Collins

Kween Colston

DJ Franklin

Jasmine Jackson

Raye Jackson

Diamond Jones

Katrina Leonard

Clarence Lomax

Iman Lott

Sherry Lumpkins

LeAndrea Mack

Randi McCreary

Carlanda McKinney

Gary Mitchell

Casie Murff

Kendra Neal

Earl Smith

Tony Van Trece

Jessikha Williams

Christopher White twelvekc.com

[email protected] @twelvekc

PICTURED:

SARAH FLETCHER

Photo By:

Ken Lumpkins

6

BUSINESS

7

TWELVEKC.COM

8

TWELVEKC.COM

9

NETWORK

CONNECT

Sometimes on the road to success and achieving our goals we need more resources beyond what we have currently. This can be especially true when we feel stuck and options appear to be minimal. An excellent oppor-tunity to get energized again is to network in new groups and circles. Networking is an excellent way to move further, faster. It allows for collaboration and the sharing of perspectives as it relates to similar goals and interests. You make new connections, expand your reach, and learn new things. Do keep in mind that networking is an art, a skill to be honed. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

Networking is not a one way street. Approach net-

working as an opportunity to serve. Those seeking to make meaningful connections, should seek to add value wherever connections are made. This approach and understanding creates long-lasting meaningful connections and open up greater possibilities for everyone.

Create personal touch points during conversation.

Make eye contact and address people by name. Whether the conversation is business or social, attention to these details will yield more produc-tive and impactful outcomes.

Finally, consider taking an extra step and sending

notes of gratitude and appreciation to new con-nections thanking them for their time and noting why connecting with them is meaningful to you. Expressing gratitude and other small steps like this create a positive lasting impression.

By Welcome Sarah

Welcome Sarah

Coach &

Development Specialist

Greatness Realized

TO YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY

10

Time’s value –more than just money By Brian Foster

11

TWELVEKC.COM

A s humans, our relationship with the con-cept of time is as fluid as a river: it

holds a myriad of twists and turns, transitioning between trickles and torrents, and it’s constantly flowing downhill. All life on earth is dependent upon water, which qualifies it, arguably, our most precious resource. I submit that, while water is undeniably necessary to sustain life, the value of time cannot be overstated. It IS possible to have too much water. In most instances, when one references time in terms of value, business and money is invariably the theme. After all, “earning a living” is a ne-cessity, in order to obtain the items we require to sustain our lives. You don’t need to be an econ-omist to understand the symbiotic relationship between time and money; every second of the business day is an opportunity to earn a dollar, and any time not devoted to that enterprise is an opportunity lost. The investment and banking world espouses a very simple ideal: money + time = more money. Of course, the competing firms for your money will tell you that the skill and

experience they bring to bear in the management of money is the key factor, but ultimately, that’s all they’re selling: “Give me your money and some time, and I’ll return more money to you.” The trick is to have enough money to afford to invest, and the time to wait

until it grows. While you’re waiting, life is still happening, and requires sustenance, shelter, and whatever amenities to which we’ve become ac-customed. When I say “amenities” I’m not just referring to luxury items; toothpaste is an ameni-ty…but many of us believe it’s key to dental hy-giene. Believe it or, brushing your teeth is one of the many time-investment decisions we make eve-ry day without even realizing it. From the moment we awake to the moment we fall asleep, our time management choices are on full display, testing and growing our experience. Faced with decisions on how best to spend the time we have, our selections speak volumes re-garding what we view as important:

When that alarm clock goes off, do I immedi-ately get out of bed to begin my day, or do I “invest” in an extra 10 minutes of sleep for my body?

How long do I take to shower, shave, and brush my teeth?

Do I sit with the kids and have some fruit be-fore they head to school, or do I grab a do-nut at the coffee shop near work, so I can get a head start on the waiting emails?

Do I take my full lunch hour at the cafeteria, or do I heat up a Hot Pocket and eat at my desk?

Should I skip the gym today, so I can get home a little earlier?

On the commute today, do I listen to NPR, the sports talk show, my audiobook, or funk out to one of my compilation CDs?

When I get home, do I grab the remote out of my kids’ hands? Do I even ask them about their day, when I know they’re not going to tell me anything?

Cook dinner or order a pizza? “SportsCenter” or “Letterman?” Or, perhaps,

go to sleep earlier so I get enough rest? As anyone who is about their business knows, when, where, and how to invest our time is cru-cial for ensuring a graduated return on that in-vestment. Encouraging employees to make deci-sions as if they owned the company is a common tactic business leaders use to empower their workforce. If everyone views the way they spend their time as impactful to the success of the enter-prise, the result is, hopefully, a more focused and efficient staff and a thriving company. I submit that, based on the bulleted list above, each of us owe ourselves the same level of examination – viewing our entire life’s journey as a business, in order to achieve the optimum result. In my way of thinking, there are three aspects of a person’s existence in which one’s time investment should be carefully considered and balanced:

(Continued on page 13)

ELEVATE

“...when, where, and how to in-vest our time is crucial for en-suring a gradu-ated return on that investment.”

13

TWELVEKC.COM

Physical well-being and health (“the body”)

Mental acuity and flexibility (“the mind”)

Relative state of happiness and content-ment (“the spirit”)

The world can be an extremely fast-paced place. There are literally thousands of distrac-tions competing for our attention. In our drive to be successful – or, more often, to reflect the appear-ance of success – it is understandable when shortcuts are pursued. Chasing that “paper” can mean sacrificing sleep, nutrition, and physical fitness. Many of us begin this habit in college; making decisions outside of the watchful eye of our parents for the first time, we make sure that no opportunity for social interac-tion is missed, then study during hours best devoted to rest-ing – eating any-thing that remotely resembles food. We don’t know what we don’t know…and maybe, we like it that way. Decades of devel-oping bad eating, exercising, and rest-ing habits – that’s how easy it is for a society to become

(Continued from page 11)

obese, America. Typically, it’s never too late to undo some of the damage. A few minutes of investment each day to plan proper meals, exercise moderately (e.g., a 10-minute walk), and add 45 minutes to your sleep will pay off in sustainable, sound health. The Internet – what I like to refer to as the 21st century library – provides access to virtually all

of mankind’s accumulated recorded knowledge, yet illiteracy rates are shockingly high. I’ve heard college and high school instructors project a slow death for proper grammar, as stu-dents weaned on emojis and SMS shorthand turn in reports, essays, and other assign-ments that are increasingly un-intelligible. Even with the advent of eBooks and tablets, America isn’t reading well…certainly not at the level it used to. Where one used to seek out books for adventure (and I include comic books in that equation), video games now serve that escapist function. While I enjoy playing (Continued on page 16)

Brian Foster, Immediate Past President, 100 Black Men of Greater Kansas City. Visit 100blackmenkc.org

100 Black Men KC: Use Your Time Wisely

There is but one universal pursuit which every human being on the planet share: we all want to be happy.

14

PRINTING MONEY

Y ou’ve heard the phrase, “Printing Money”. It refers to making a great deal of money and is equated with success. This term has a double

meaning when we speak of John Walker, the Chairman and CEO of Perfect Output, LLC. Not only is he successful, having built the largest Black-owned business in the city, with over $50 million in sales annually, a big part of his business is printing and document output services. The metaphor “printing money” is particularly applicable. Walker founded Perfect Output, LLC in 1997 to serve cus-tomers looking for customized, highly service-oriented document output devices and service solutions. Walker gained his experience in corporate America right out of school. He first joined IBM, then moved Blue Cross & Blue Shield where he would spend 26 years, holding exec-utive positions including Vice President of Information Ser-vices and later, CIO. He would ultimately serve as BCBS’s Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer leading departments such as Finance, Marketing, Customer Ser-vice and IT. “In 1997, I decided to leave to start a consulting organiza-


BUSINESS

$50Million Dollars Annually!

John Walker leads KC’s

Largest Black business.

Here’s How:

5 Steps For Business Success

16

video games with my kids – or even by myself – I don’t feel necessarily enriched by the experi-ence, nor do I feel that I’ve added anything of particular substance to my conscious-ness. It’s true that “Fast & Furious” movies are a rela-tively enjoyable two hours of my time, but I didn’t walk out of the theater thinking, “I just became a better driver.” Charles Dickens transported me to Oliver Twist’s world, and as a result, the experi-ence of reading the story contributed to my character. The kids who don’t read for themselves are robbed of that opportunity to self-examine, and ultimately, to self-improve. Oscar Wilde once said, “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.” Yes, reading requires a sig-nificant time investment, but enriching one’s mind is not only a profound experience, but keeps the brain cells functioning at a high level. There is but one universal pursuit which every human being on the planet share: we all want to be happy. I say happiness, instead of life, because all one really needs to live is food to eat, water to drink, air to breathe, and shelter from the elements. We work to earn enough money to ensure those basic necessities are covered; we break our necks for that which makes life worth living. This often translates to material possessions and experiences that oth-ers might view as extravagances…which they are. Some psychologists would suggest that what we’re doing is attempting to feed our souls. I’m not talking about church (although,

(Continued from page 13) for me, the churchgoing experience is central to my spiritual feeding), because the intent of worship – other than being thankful for life –

is to remind yourself of the mission: service. Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Accumulating wealth is a worthwhile pursuit, and the most tangible reward of the time invested in acquir-ing it. More so, there’s nothing at all wrong with spending your hard-earned money on whatever you desire. Showering yourself, your family, and your friends with baubles is gratifying, and sharing your blessings with worthy causes can be fulfilling. Volunteering some of your time to help someone is per-haps the greatest gift one can offer. Be-cause the resource

cannot be replicated, volunteering to give freely of your time offers a satisfaction equal in preciousness to the time being invested. For a genuine pursuit of happiness and fulfill-ment, it truly is better to give than to receive. Spending time making money is prudent; spending all your time making money severely depreciates time’s true value. Of course, you don’t have to agree with me. I won’t invest in arguing about this; I can wait. As Thomas Paine famously wrote: “Time makes more converts than reason.”

The kids who don’t read for them-selves are robbed of that opportunity to self-examine, and ultimately, to self-improve. Os-car Wilde once said, “It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

TIME & VALUE

18

GALLERY Photo: Jessikha Williams

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Melvin Porter, UMB; Andrea Hendricks, Fed Reserve; Stan Beatty, Fed Reserve; Willetta Willis-McGhee, Fleishman Hillard; Mark Watson, Fed Reserve, Ted Crews, KC Chiefs, Tammy Edwards, Fed Reserve, Carla Wilson, UMKC, Fred Wise, Hall-mark; Pat Brown-Dixon, US SBA; Pete Burney, Hallmark.

Picture of Success Some of our participating executives for the 4th Annual Network with the 100

20

tion around IT business process and outsourc-ing services, and staffing for many of the busi-nesses I had garnered some great relation-ships with. Xerox approached me about the time I was leaving and wanted us to come up with a strategic partnership to sell their prod-ucts and services through our company, for companies that wanted a diverse solution.” The rest, as they say, is history. “From there we cre-ated some method-ologies to strip out a lot of the costs for first Health Midwest, Turner, Hallmark, St. Luke’s Health Sys-tems, and Sprint. In 2009, Sprint decided to outsource all of their document management and processed to us.” This along with the addition of new cli-ents enabled Perfect Output to add a new portfolio of services. “It opened to the doors to business on a nationwide basis.” Walker approximates that 70% of the company’s rev-enue is national business, outside of KC. Having achieved both corporate and entre-preneurial success, Walker is well-qualified to provide a lesson on “How to Make It Big”. Here’s what he prescribes:

First, have a vision and passion. You’ve

got to see it. You’ve got to reticulate it and you’ve got to execute things that reach your vision.

Be opportunistic. Never say what you can’t do. If it’s part of your vision, you should be able to figure out how you can do it and what value you can cre-ate for customer.

(Continued from page 14) Everything centers on doing what’s best for your customer. You do that and you do that well then you keep cus-tomers for life because they under-stand what you’ve done on their be-half and to what degree.

Network. When I left (Blue Cross & Blue Shield) I never had to look back be-cause the network was already in

place locally and nation-ally.

Equally important as those above, hire high-end tal-

ent. The problem we have as small businesses is the fact that we can’t grow with our customers because we’re limited in our understanding and our scope. When you’ve got talented people that can do their jobs on behalf of the customer, you can continue to grow the busi-ness.

With money in the bank, a national network of clients, it would seem that Walker is close to the finish line, but he’s hungry for more. Walk-er says, “I’d like to see us become a $300-500 million dollar company. I’m a long way away from that but we’re establishing the building blocks. Then I can turn it over to my daughter, Farrah, who’s in business with me to continue the growth with her vision and passion.” The other priority is the success Walker wants to see for the African-American community. “I’ve served in a variety of roles, as a founder of Full Employment Council, on boards for or-ganizations such as the Urban League, Op-portunity Industrialization center and others, but more is needed”, he says. “Reaching in-side our culture, our system and ‘Growing Peo-ple’ is what we have to do. We don’t do


50 MILLION DOLLAR PLAN

“Capital dollars - real dollars -

need to be put into the process...FOR the nurturing and

development of young people so

they’re the next in-novators to grow

businesses.”

1

2

3

4

5

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TWELVEKC.COM

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enough of it and we don’t do it to the degree that’s needed”. He continues, “Capital dollars - real dollars - need to be put into the process. I’m not talking about in school systems itself, but the nurturing and development of young people so they’re the next innovators to grow business-es.” Understanding the opportunities as an entrepre-neur and the changing landscape of business, he explains that we need to think and act differently to get ahead. “Not everyone should stay in corporate America. Not every-body’s going to reach the pinnacle that I reached in corporate America. I happened to be in the right place at the right time. With competition and things go-ing global, very few of us are going to rise to the top.” Like his own career path, Walker postulates that the corporate route might be the start, but great-er achievements and contributions can lie in evolving into a business owner. “I used to tell in-terns, learn as much as you can inside the or-ganization and go out and apply that through the networking relationships you’ve garnered and start something, grow it, and bring the talent in to become an entrepreneur from a small business standpoint and grow your business.”

The Future One of the greatest lessons we can learn is to position ourselves for the future in high-demand businesses. “Often in Kansas City the kinds of businesses we have —such as janitorial and food service – are not the businesses we need for the future. We don’t have technology companies. You almost have to go to Chicago, Atlanta, New York, Dallas, Los Angeles and others, to bring in technology personnel for companies like Sprint, because we’re married to service businesses, and that’s not where businesses are going.” Walk-er views technology and S.T.E.M. jobs as the fu-

(Continued from page 20) ture. “Be creative around it, embrace it, bring your understanding to it to get the contracts.” Even as a leader, Walker has learned from others along the way. “Dr. Leon Sullivan of the Sullivan Principles was on the General Motors board, IBM board and others. He would come to KC and say ‘wake up’, to the kinds of things that need to take place in technology. He told a story of walking through GM’s dining room and kitchen,

seeing his eggs being stirred by robotics. “This was 20 years ago.” Walker emphasizes that robots will continue to be able to handle service jobs. “You have to think toward the future to have a company that re-pairs the robots.” Today with technology, infor-mation, reach, and consump-

tion quadruples every five years. “We need young people to emulate sustainable jobs for the future. We need buildings cleaned, but that’s not where the money is made,” says Walk-er. To further illustrate the technology advance-ments, he brings up the changing pace of car dealerships. “Lexus is getting rid of the dealer-ships. Lexus cars will be 70% marketing and 30% in the repair unit.” Forbes has an article, “The Fu-ture of Car Retailing” that substantiates his point. Dealers will have fewer cars onsite, but people can compose the type of car they want, drive it virtually in showrooms, and purchase the actual car digitally. “My point: you have to understand the technology and where things are going.”

The Business Lesson...In Conclusion Walker summarizes his lesson on how to build business and make money with this. “Start with vision, be opportunistic. Money, you can figure out how to get it if you’ve got the right idea. Peo-ple are willing to fund you if you’ve got an idea and they can see how it fits into what you’re try-ing to sell or service. www.perfectoutput.com

“We need young people to emulate sustainable jobs for the future. We need build-ings cleaned, but that’s not where the money is made.”

50 MILLION DOLLAR PLAN continued

24

SECURITY TWELVEKC.COM

G o to school, work hard, save, invest, and don’t overspend. Those used to be the five de-pendable money rules to

yield a comfortable living. Those guide-lines didn’t take into account the nefari-ous nature of the few that are all too hap-py to lay claim to your earnings. Millions annually are knowingly and unknowingly affected by some sort of fraudulent activi-ty. Thus, “Security” is the new key to to-day’s financial management. Twelve spoke with Jabari Wam-ble, a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice in the Kansas City, Kansas office about the most common patterns of fraud and how you may be able to avoid them. “If it seems too good to be true it probably is” says Wamble reminding us of an old adage that still holds true today. It’s the first layer of protection against white collar crime such as the longstand-ing Ponzi scheme. In a Ponzi scheme, the perpetrator collects money ostensibly for the purpose of investing it. Then, rather than actually investing the money and paying genuine returns to the investor, he simply uses new “investment” monies to pay earlier investors. It’s a scheme that is guaranteed to collapse because, the per-petrator has to continually bring in new

In God We Trust, Everyone Else….

investors to pay old investors and the more investors he brings in, the more in-vestors he has to pay. Eventually, the amount of money owed to investors far exceeds the amount of new money being brought in. However, the scheme re-mains popular since it was made famous by Charles Ponzi in 1920, because it can run for years before collapsing.

Operators usually entice new in-vestors by offering better returns than oth-er investments, in the form of short-term returns that are either atypically high or strangely consistent.

“What gets people in the most trouble”, explains Wamble, “is they are approached by someone that they know and at the end of the day it was too good to be true. Individuals find themselves without their money and without resources and really embar-rassed”. This speaks to the fact that part of

the blame is often on the actual victims. Sometimes, it’s the victim’s own greed, not only the culprit’s, which makes them susceptible to financial crimes.

Bernard “Bernie” Madoff, and his New York firm, raised Ponzi schemes to a whole new high. In what’s been called


By Iman Lott

FRAUD

26

the “Scam of the Century”, he perpe-trated a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme, the largest financial fraud in U.S. history, reportedly af-fecting potentially 50,000 investors. Estimated to have been a two-decade lie, it finally ended in 2008 with Madoff receiving a 150-year prison sentence.

This fraudulent op-eration is not just on Wall Street. It happens close to home and can come from just about any place, rang-ing financial managers to even churches.

“We find often people don’t report it when they should because they’ve been victimized by someone whom they know and love, or at least trust-ed”.

In today’s digital age, trust isn’t a requirement. Accounts and finances are unknowingly raided every day. Eve-ry credit card swipe, request for a social security number, and unsecured com-puter, is subject to illegal use. Victims suffer loss of money and credit and sometimes irreparable harm to their livelihood. “You’ve probably seen on televi-sion where large retail stores have had credit card breaches and millions of customers’ information is just floating out there. Unknown to a lot of people, their personal information is considered currency and is sold on the black mar-ket to individuals anywhere in the world who use it or resell it. This makes it hard to track who the perpetrator is because of how it’s sold, packaged, and pro-cessed on the internet”. Wamble says another current trend in fraud is identity theft which de-

(Continued from page 24) scribes the unlawful use of someone else’s identifying information, such as name, social security number, bank ac-counts, etc. Identify theft comes in vari-

ous forms with a recent surge in one particular form, tax fraud. “Many people file their taxes in March and April but fraudsters are filing in January and Febru-ary before you, attempting to assume your identity and collect any returns coming to you.” Wamble recommends checking your credit report by calling the credit bureau and having them run a credit check. If you notice items on it that you don’t recognize or charges in-consistent with your spending habits, report the activity as soon as possible. “Unfortunately, the in-vestigative process is slow. This happens every second of the

day and is considered a criminal act. Criminal investigations don’t move fast. The reality is millions of people every year have to deal with this and in this day and age it is very difficult to track down who the perpetrator is. It can take months or even years to come back from something like this”. Wamble says while it’s impossi-ble to completely insulate yourself from potential fraud, even with best technolo-gy and security, there are a few keys to remember that can greatly reduce your risks.

“Guard your personal infor-mation with discretion. Don’t give your social security number out to people or organizations you don’t trust. You can also go to IRS.gov and they have tools you can use to alert them as well as a tax payer advocate that can work with you if you have issues concerning identi-ty theft and tax fraud”.

“Many people file their taxes in March and April but fraudsters are filing in January and February be-fore you, attempt-ing to assume your identity and collect any returns coming to you.”

27

Jabari Wamble Assistant US Attorney

Department of Justice

Photo: Ken Lumpkins

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It’s BACK! The 2nd

Annual Work of Art

Calendar. Sign up to

be a part of the style

or production team!

[email protected]

2016

30

MONEY RULES

IT’S TIME WE JOIN THE

CONVERSATION AND THE

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF

KANSAS CITY CAN HELP

BANKING

(l to r.) Melissa Norwood: Manager - Retail Payments Technology Services; Andrea Hendricks: Deputy Director of Diversity and Inclu-sion and Organizational De-velopment - Human Re-sources; Stan Beatty: Assistant Vice President - Financial Services

31

F rom the beginning, “money” has been the

great divider. It’s separated the poor from

the rich, and forged the class structure de-

fined by haves and have-nots. Money is a

determining factor in who receives the opportunities

and even influences the justice system. As we exam-

ine the situation in the urban community, we discov-

er the great equalizer is first and foremost education.

(l to r.) Mark Watson: Vice President - Research Tammy Edwards: Vice Presi-dent - Regional, Public & Community Affairs Porcia Block: SRM Manager - Supervision & Risk Manage-ment

32

When it comes to wealth, we need to know what

it is and how to get it, keep it, and grow it. It’s

natural for the rich to pass on money lessons of

inheritance, wealth and ownership. However, the

African-American majority has never been on

parity of ownership, or even basic civil rights, to

be able to garner this same education. Lack of

trust—in people and systems—further exacer-

bates the issue.

Though we won’t bridge the gaps in money edu-

cation or ownership in one issue, at TWELVE, we

seek to bring awareness and “conscious living” to

this issue. Here, we provide you with a few in-

sights on money from those who know, the Feder-

al Reserve Bank of Kansas City, which supervises

financial institutions and sets policies on money.

THE NATION’S BANK Founded in 1914, the Federal Reserve Bank of

(Continued from page 31) Kansas City is one of 12 Regional Reserve Banks,

which, along, which, along with the Board of

Governors in Washington, D.C., make up the

Federal Reserve System.

As the central bank for the United States, the Fed-

eral Reserve System is responsible for three mis-

sion areas: setting the nation’s monetary policy,

providing financial services to depository institu-

tions, and supervising and regulating financial

institutions. The System’s structure, which includes

local boards of directors and advisory councils at

each Reserve Bank, ensures that a broad spec-

trum of views from the public at the regional level

is used in national policy deliberations.

The Kansas City Fed employs about 1,350 peo-

ple at its head office in Kansas City and at Branch

offices in Denver, Oklahoma City and Omaha.

The Bank is responsible for the Tenth Federal Re-

serve District, an area that includes Colorado,

(Front to Back) Melissa Norwood; Tammy Edwards, Stan Beatty, Porcia Block; Andrea Hendricks, Jeff Legette, Mark Watson

33

Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Wyoming, north-

ern New Mexico and western Missouri.

HOW SAFE IS YOUR MONEY? Following the financial crisis of 2008, Congress

passed new legislation in 2010, the Dodd-Frank

Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The goal of this legislation was to reform the

country’s financial regulatory system by imposing

more stringent requirements on financial institu-

tions and creating new agencies, including the

Financial Stability Oversight Council and the

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. More in-

formation and background about the law is avail-

able at http://www.federalreservehistory.org/

Events/DetailView/59.

At the Kansas City Fed specifically, an entire divi-sion of more than 320 employees is dedicated to supervising and monitoring financial institutions in our seven-state region. These employees con-duct examinations of institutions to ensure com-pliance with safety and soundness and consumer protection regulations; review applications from institutions seeking to merge, open new branches or change ownership structure; and collect finan-cial data, analyze banking industry trends to iden-tify emerging issues and potential areas of con-cern.

HOW CAN THE COMMUNITY GET EDUCATED ON MONEY? The Kansas City Fed is dedicated to helping con-sumers and young people better understand how their financial choices affect their future. In 2014, the Bank hosted educational programs that reached nearly 20,000 people in urban or under-served areas across our District, including more than 1,500 urban high school students who par-ticipated in Bank-led educational programs. One of our hallmark programs is our Student Board of Directors. This program is designed for high school students in the Kansas City, Missouri, and Kansas City, Kansas, school districts. More information on this is found on p. 25 of our OM-WI Annual Report on diversity, or at http://www.kansascityfed.org/education/foreducators/student-board/index.cfm

Another key program is our Summer @ the Fed program, in which members of our Student Board program join the Bank as paid summer interns and lead financial education programs throughout the Kansas City community. More info on this is on p. 27 of our diversity report. In addition, our Money Museum provides a great opportunity for people to learn more about how their money works and the Fed’s role in the econo-my. Located at 1 Memorial Drive in Kansas City, the Museum is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and admission is free. More info is available at http://www.kansascityfed.org/moneymuseum.

NOW HIRING Some of the areas in which we recruit candidates

include customer service and support, economic

research, banking supervision, financial services

and technology (including application development,

information management and big data).

Recently, the Bank announced plans to hire up to

200 new technology professionals over the next

three years. These positions are needed as the

Bank’s duties have expanded in monetary policy,

banking supervision

and financial services,

including services to

the U.S. Treasury De-

partment.

The Bank is committed

to ensuring its work-

force represents the

diversity of the District

we serve. We recog-

nize that diversity of

thought and experi-

ence leads to innova-

tive solutions to meet

our current and future

challenges. In order to meet this goal, the Bank re-

cruits at diverse colleges and universities and part-(Continued on page 51)

“We want the best on our teams and offer more than you may expect in terms of career opportunities, compensation and benefits.”

http://www.federalreservehistory.org/Events/DetailView/59

http://www.federalreservehistory.org/Events/DetailView/59

http://www.kansascityfed.org/education/foreducators/student-board/index.cfm



http://www.kansascityfed.org/moneymuseum

http://www.kansascityfed.org/moneymuseum

34

W ith so many people hitting the gym these days, it is easy to see losing weight as the big picture but running miles and pushing up as much weight as possible doesn’t complete the full fitness experience. Fitness goals should be treated like any other goal in life: devoting hard work and


FITNESS

By LeAndrea Mack

Photos: Raye Jackson

35

TWELVEKC.COM

LOOK LIKE A MILLION

36

LOOK LIKE A MILLION 12MAG SHOOT

Clothing Courtesy Of:

Todd's Clothiers & Tailor Shop

7052 W 135th St, Overland Park, KS,

toddsclothiers.com

38

dedication to achieve results. Casie Murff, participant in the 2015 Natural Southern States Classic and the 2015 Heartland Classic bodybuild-ing competitions, says, “So many peo-ple forget or just don’t understand that their diet is 80% of meeting their goals. I see so many people dedicat-ed to fitness but only see minimal re-sults because of their diets. I guaran-tee those same people would see significant changes if they focused on their diet combined with working out 3 to 4 days a week.” Fitness devotee, Casie Murff loves bar-b-que, soul food, and pizza, so when he decided to commit to bodybuild-ing and fitness, he knew his biggest challenge would be changing his diet but believes that the change is the key reason he’s attained the level he has to date. Casie had always worked out regularly and admits that his motivation was diminishing. He needed something that would allow him to continue his fitness journey and step his game up. He began watching friends who com-peted in fitness and bodybuilding shows. He says, “They kept encourag-ing me to compete, so one day I said, ‘why not’. There were times that I want-ed to quit but when I thought about the time and money I had already invested in it. Quitting wasn’t an op-tion.” It was only when Casie fully committed to training for fitness competitions that he truly began to see and understand that how the body responds to what is put in it. When asked what Casie’s diet normally consists of, he said: My diet is constructed in a hybrid manner. It is extreme because of my training for shows. I do a combo of low carb, Paleo, and low to no sugar.

I would suggest for a person who is not competing and just wants to stay healthy and look their best to get with a trainer. Pick your trainer wisely, one who has been there and done that and is looking out for your best interest and not just to get paid. Casie currently trains with the Men’s Physique North American Natural Bodybuilding Federation Pro, Craig

Donnell, who recently won 1st place overall at the 2015 NPC Midway USA Championship in Wichita. They train with A to Z Fitness at the Train for Warri-ors Facility in Lenexa, KS and Lee’s Summit, MO. Follow Casie Murff on Facebook, Insta-gram and twitter to get tips, tricks and glimpses of his diet plan.

So many people forget or just don’t understand that their diet is 80% of meeting their goals. I see so many people dedicated to fit-ness but only see minimal results because of their diets.

39

From fitness to finance, if you’re interested in being featured, email

[email protected] for consideration. twelvekc.com

40

EXECS

B orn and raised in Kansas City, MO. Melvin attended school in the KC school district. Later, he received a B.S. Accounting from DeVry University and MBA from Baker University. With Over 19 years in the financial services industry, including work at State Street Bank

Kansas City as a fund manager, Melvin is now with UMB Bank, operating as Trust/Custody Opera-tions Manager, VP. Melvin manages multiple teams that perform various securities service functions across the entire footprint of the bank. He supports the main lines of business to include Private Wealth Manage-ment, Investment Banking, Institutional Asset Management, Investors Banking & Institutional Ser-vices, and Corporate Trust Operations. He’s married to his wife Marquetta and has two children, Brittany & Melvin.

Melvin Porter UMB Vice President

42

GRADS

43

SALUTING THE CLASS OF 2015

Pictured: Graduate, Vincent Tabb

and members of Alpha Phi Alpha

Fraternity, Inc., Delta Rho Chapter

at UMKC.

46

MUSIC

“I f you’re from a certain area there’s nothing better than to repre-sent where you grew up.” This is our mantra at TWELVE so we appreci-ate hearing this from Tech N9ne. Now making global moves, he never misses a moment to let listeners know about the home town.


Tech N9ne NO STOPPING NOW

Photos Courtesy: Strange Music

48

“Represent where you grew up. I love my city. I love Gates barbecue, I love Jack Stack. I love Niece's. I love the Plaza. I love where I grew up Wayne Minor…Michigan on 58th St. This is what I know and I rap what I know. I still live in KC. Even after I moved to L.A. I came back to my comfort zone. I tell people all over the world, when we do Einstein even overseas… K-C-MO. If you don’t know, you’re not really paying attention. My whole career is me banging for Kansas City. This is my home.

Success-Right on Time Tech N9ne is synonymous with success these days. Known for the most robust touring regi-men in rap, more than a decade owning the most successful independent rap label, solidi-

fied with an independently released gold single, and recurring placement on Forbes’ Hip-Hop Cash Kings list. Now with Special Effects his 15th studio album, he’s now getting the recognition to match what the numbers have already clearly shown. “This is a beautiful place to be: to get Eminem to say ‘yes’; Corey Taylor of Slipknot to say ‘yes’; T.I. 2 Chainz, B.o.B. Yo Gotti, Lil Wayne, Audio Push, E-40 to say ‘yes’; and we all work together to make this album the best one I’ve ever done. This is wonderful place to be! To get validation of all my peers in mu-sic and saying, pretty much saying I’m doing this Tech, just for love. But this is only the beginning of getting bigger for next week.” Considered his best work to date, the new album, Special Effects, stays true to Tech N9ne’s need to de-liver true emotion—passion and pain, break-up heartache, frustrations and woes. Through it all, he’s

When I hear a dope beat, I’m just go-ing to go and I can’t change that.

49

Kansas City Artists...In Due Time Kansas City has had a handful of artists, in re-cent years with some moderate success, but nothing sustaining. Tech N9ne is often the solo name in the conversation on national players. “It’s just now opening up, but you gotta think, Tech N9ne is not the norm. Black due, painted face, red-spiked hair. What the hell is that? We don’t need another one of those, but now they want another one of those. They’re not going to get another one of those, ‘cause I’m one-of-a-kind.”

Tech N9ne does his part to not just rep the town in his music but as co-owner of recording label, Strange Mu-sic, he brings other KC artists along. “I signed Ces Cru, born and raised in KC. Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Kalhoon, Big Scoob. The list goes on and on. We have a lot of talent in KC. The Popper, G-Rock, Joey Cool, Jay L

from B-Hood, been rapping with me forever. These are KC artists with so much talent, it just needs to be opened all the way up. It’s not too late. I’ll be the one helping open this up this thing up all the way.”

On Success (Continued on page 51)

focused on the lyrical content all the while con-scious of the needs of his fans that want to party, with cuts like Hood Go Crazy. Tech N9ne considers this album to be a bridge builder. “This album is making a way for me to approach Gary Clark, Jr., and Jay-Z again and get it; Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry like I’ve al-ways want to; OutKast and get both of them on track, I pray. This is not ‘we made it’. This is: we have to prove why we have these summer jams and headline shows like Rock Fest. We have to show these people that are paying attention now why we have this position, so we can go even big-ger, on the next one, so no, I’m not com-placent at all. This al-bum is dedicat-ed to my mom. I don’t think this is a coin-cidence that this is biggest album I’ve ever had. Number 1 rap, R&B Bill-board, No. 1 independent, out of the top 200, the No. 4 on Billboard. So I think I have a real angel with me now. This album is dedicated to her. Thanks to all my Technicians that agree that this is my best work and spreading it to everyone else. This is the one.”

50

INSPIRED Author, Georgetown Professor and NPR Host Dr. Michael Eric Dyson gave a public lecture on April 29th. Saint Paul School of Theology hosted the event as part of the Cleaver Lecture in Religion and Public Life. The event drew a full house and was held at St. James United Methodist Church, 5540 Wayne Ave, Kansas City, MO. Michael Eric Dyson, named by Ebony as one of the hundred most influential black Americans, is also the author of sixteen books.

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Keep up with Tech N9ne if you can. He’s not only taking over music, but other projects are underway like his beverage, Caribou Lou, and even movies. So how can others succeed on this level? “For me, my ‘Making It’ is longevity. Serving the people. Over and Over again.” If this is also your idea of success, Tech N9ne offers these pointers:

It starts with the music. Beats with quality. “Without no pulse, there’s no life.”

Business sense to get to the people. Tour.

Create merchandise, a walking bill-board. It’s easier for youngsters now with Social Media and YouTube. You hit millions of people at once. Thank God for technology now for upcoming artists.

Distribution. Learn where and how to press

music the correct way and get it to the people.

Money. It’s takes money to press up CDs,

posters, and flyers for a show or tickets. Money is what you need to make it happen. I tell everybody that ‘cause it can be frustrating, but that’s what it takes.

Not Gonna Stop Fifteen studio albums and non-stop touring, it’s got to stop sometime, right? “I love music man. Ain’t no way my fans are ever gonna let me stop. I feel like I’m getting younger. I’m gonna do it till it goes away. When I hear a dope beat, I’m just going to go and I can’t change that. I don’t have a projected timeframe. I’m using this music to rejoice. I’m not gonna stop.” Check out the Tech N9ne’s latest work. Cop Special effects and catch him on the road. www.strangemusicinc.com

(Continued from page 49) ners with professional organizations such

as the Urban Financial Services Coalition,

INROADS, the National Black MBA Asso-

ciation, the National Minority Supplier De-

velopment Council and many others. As

detailed in our 2014 diversity report, the

number of total minority hires at the Bank

has increased in each of the last three

years. In addition, minorities make up

16.7 percent of our senior management

team, more than double the average for

organizations in the Kansas City metro

area.

Dr. Andrea Hendricks, assistant vice presi-dent and Deputy Director of the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion, helps lead the diversity efforts of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. She echoes the commitment to diversity. “In order to at-tract top performing, diverse talent, the Bank must have a strong, favorable and visible presence in the community. People must know who we are, what we do, and what we offer. We want the best on our teams and offer more than you may ex-pect in terms of career opportunities, com-pensation and benefits. A career with the Bank also comes with the prestige of work-ing for an organization that affects the everyday lives of people”, says Hen-dricks. As the Bank continues to build its talent pipeline over the next two years, she encourages career seekers to explore op-portunities and information about their community involvement by visiting the Fed website. In addition to direct hires, you’ll also dis-cover additional support is provided to minority and women-owned businesses through its supplier diversity strategy, thereby helping others create jobs. Find out more today. www.kansascityfed.org

(Continued from page 33)

IN THE BANK: FED RESERVE

http://www.kansascityfed.org

52

Fri 06/05 UMKC 10th Annual Women of Color Leadership Conference UMKC Student Union 9:00 AM-5:00 PM Location: UMKC Student Union 5100 Cherry Street Kansas City, MO Se-lect One 64110 Sat 06/06 Buffalo Soldier Ques White Pty Event type: Fundraiser Venue: Leavenworth Heritage Center: 109 Delaware Street Leavenworth KS Time: 8:00 PM - 1:00 AM Producer: OII chapter of Omega Psi Phi Contact: Cyrus Russ Email: [email protected] Phone: 337-540-3453 buffalosoldierques.clubexpress.com/ Sat 06/13 Black Fathers Matter Flash Mkt Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church Event type: expo/fair Time: 10:00 AM-4:00 PM Location: Metro Missi. Baptist Church 2310 Linwood Blvd. Kansas City MO Producer: Black United Front Sat 06/13 16th Annual American Red Cross Charles Drew Comm Blood Drive

Event type: Community Action Venue: Brush Creek Community Center 3801 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd, Kansas City, Mis: 3801 Emanuel Cleaver II Blvd, Kansas City, Time: 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM Contact: Howard Johnson Email: Phone: 913-909-5356 Web: https://www.facebook.com/events/1452130315100569/ Mon 06/15 INROADS 20TH ANNUAL MIDWEST REGION GOLF TOURN Event type: Business - Finance Venue: Deer Creek Golf Course : 7000 W. 133rd Street Overland Park KS Time: 12:00 AM - 6:00 PM Producer: INROADS Golf Tournament Planning Committee - Alumni Contact: Mallorie Denmon Email: [email protected] Phone: Thu 06/18 Festival on the Vine Gem Theater Time: 8:00 PM-10:00 PM Location: Gem Theater 1615 East 18th Street Kansas City Producer: KC Friends of Alvin Ailey Fri 06/19 2015 Big Hats & Bow Ties Venue: Lake Quivera Country Club: 100

Crescent Dr Lake Quivera KS Time: 6:30 PM - 1:00 AM Producer: AKA Upsilon Rho Omega Contact: akaupsilon rhoomega Email: [email protected] Fri 06/26 The Kansas City Greek Picnic 2015 STOMP DOWN 2 Event type: Performance Venue: Paseo High School: 4747 Paseo Kansas City MO Time: 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM Producer: Im Greek and Im Proud Contact: KC Greek PIcnic Email: [email protected] Phone: Sat 06/27 Brandon C. Fauntleroy-McDowel 2015 Scholarship Luncheon Event type: Community Action Venue: Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Cen-ter: 3700 Blue Parkway Kansas City MO Time: 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM Producer: OXL Fdtn Contact: Jermain Wilson Email: [email protected] Phone: 8167261903 Web: http://www.omicronxilambda.org

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