For Immediate Release
September 22, 2008
MEDIA ADVISORY
Elsie Meeks, President and CEO of the Oweesta Corporation, to Participate on Rural Innovation Plenary at Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting
Who: Elsie Meeks, President and CEO of First Nations Oweesta Corporation (Oweesta)
What: Ms. Meeks will join four other panelists including micro-finance pioneer and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus to discuss Native economic development strategies on The Global Impact of Rural Innovation plenary session, part of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting. CGI was started by former President Bill Clinton and the William Jefferson Clinton Foundation as “… a call for action that brings together a community of global leaders from various backgrounds to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.”
Where: The Global Impact of Rural Innovation plenary session will take place at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting being held at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City.
When: The plenary session will be held on Friday, September 26, 2008 at 9:00am-10:00am eastern time. The CGI annual meeting begins Tuesday, September 23rd and concludes on Friday September 26, 2008. Oweesta will have a booth at the CGI Exchange forum on Tuesday the 23rd from 2:00pm-5:00pm.
Why: Elsie Meeks is a champion and leader for creating sustainable asset building strategies for Native communities across the country. Through its training and technical assistance services, Ms. Meeks’ organization is at the forefront of the movement to increase the number of Native community development financial institutions (CDFI) serving Native peoples. These institutions and their programs are the foundation of any successful economic development strategy. Ms. Meeks’ participation will bring a unique perspective to the panel as she highlights the issue of poverty in Native communities and offers strategies for the future.
Contact: Jody Sarkozy, Chief External Relations Officer, Oweesta
(605)342-3770 or jody@oweesta.org.