US Business Leadership Network®

1501 M Street NW, Seventh Floor

Washington, DC 20005

Contact: Anita Howard

Phone: (202) 872-6739

About the US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN)

The US Business Leadership Network® (USBLN) is the national organization that supports development and expansion of its affiliates across the country, serving as their collective voice. It is the only national disability organization led by business for business. The USBLN® recognizes and promotes best practices in hiring and supporting employees with disabilities, marketing to consumers with disabilities and contracting with vendors with disabilities. The USBLN® uses a “business to business” approach to educate, promoting the business imperative of including people with disabilities in the workforce, marketplace and supplier chain, while representing more than 5,000 employers across the US.

About the 2010 USBLN® Annual Conference & Expo

The 2010 USBLN® Annual Conference & Expo “Aligning Disability with the Bottom Line: Talent, Market Share, and Supplier Diversity”is the preeminent national employer-to-employer event that taps into the vast economic potential of people with disabilities. The annual conference is aimed at providing the best and brightest ideas to positively change the employment, marketplace and supply chainsfor people with disabilities. This is our premier event being hosted at the Westin Michigan Avenue Hotel in Chicago, Illinois, on September 19 -22, 2010.

2010 USBLN® Annual Conference Audience

This conference brings corporate, government, disability-owned businesses and BLN affiliates together to create workplaces, marketplaces, and supply chains where people with disabilities are fully included as professionals, customers and entrepreneurs.

Chicago luminaries include:

•Randy Lewis, SVP - Distribution, Walgreens & USBLN® Annual Conference Chair

•The Honorable Karen Tamley, Commissioner, Office of Persons with Disabilities, City of Chicago

•Karen Meyer, ABC Channel 7 News Reporter

•Warren Ribley, Director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity

•Rick Keyes, EVP Supply Chain & Manufacturing, Meijer Food Stores

•Kevin Bradley, Director Diversity, Global Inclusion and Intercultural Management, McDonald’s Corporation, USBLN® Board member

•Deb Russell, Corporate Manager, Walgreens, USBLN® Board Vice-chair

•Rhonda Stillwell, Store Manager, Walgreens

•Erv Siemoneit, Market Vice President, Walgreens

•Kathleen Yosko, President and Chief Executive Officer, Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital

•Mark Williams, Director, disabiltyworks, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce

•Eric Lipp, Director, Open Doors Organization

•Pam Capraro, Manager of Vocational Rehabilitation, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago

•Carolyn Jones, Assistant Commissioner, Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities

•Alyse Hutchinson, Acting Executive Director, Office of Compliance, City of Chicago

The 2010 USBLN® Annual Conference & Expo provides valuable information to participants:

•Attendance of over 400senior business executives, government and community leaders;

•Tiered educational sessions taught by industry leaders on Talent, Market Share and Supplier Diversity and experts from the USBLN® and the Job Accommodation Network (JAN);

•BLN Affiliate meetings and specialized pre-conference sessions;

•Key information on how to bring full inclusion to supply chains by integrating certified disability-owned businesses through the USBLN® Disability Supplier Diversity ProgramSM (DSDP);

•Entrepreneurs with a disability will learn how to enhance their access to business development opportunities through certification by the USBLN® Disability Supplier Diversity Program;

•Tools and strategies to expand internship and mentoring programs to include students with disabilities through the USBLN® TOWER™ Initiative;

•Opportunities to network with corporate Employee Resource Group representatives;

•The Expo features companies whose services will be of great interest to our attendees, and federal agencies committed to hiring people with disabilities;

•Opportunities to educate the Obama Administration on strengthening workforce programs designed to assist people with disabilities find gainful employment;

•2010 USBLN® Annual Leadership Awards; and

•Special events and networking opportunities throughout the conference.

To inquire about a PRESS PASS, please send an email to Anita Howard, USBLN® Senior Project Manager at .