“Fellowship Fellas” started meeting for lunch and decided to invite others to their very popular fellowship luncheon Above: (Top Right) Lindsay Huddleston, Jackie Jerome Marks and Dennis McCants
Seated: James Butler III and Judge Donald Allen
TNCP photos
By Deborah M. Walker
“It’s not about me, it’s not about the founders, it’s about us,” said Jackie Jerome Marks as he addressed guests at the semi-annual fellowship luncheon.
Looking around at the sea of smiling faces it’s easy to see the comradery that the fellowship luncheon brings. A chance to network, share ideas and connect with old friends the fellowship luncheon is a hot spot for young black professionals in the Lansing area.
“No matter where you go in Lansing you will not find this many black people together at one time,” said James W. Butler III, cofounder of the fellowship luncheon.
It can sometimes be daunting trying to facilitate job searching, connecting with other professionals in the area and meeting new people. With little resources available for minorities in the Lansing area, African Americans in Lansing are left with little opportunity to share ideas, grow their business as well as gain access to new jobs.
“Since state government is so large trying to navigate through the bowels of state government can sometimes be very difficult. A lot of times you don’t know where the individuals are located,” said Butler, as he described the situation that many young professionals in the area face when trying to branch out into state and local government positions.
Connecting with professionals and networking can be a challenge for some, especially those who have little or no contact with business leaders or government workers. To solve this issue Marks along with several other professionals got together and came up with the fellowship luncheon. The fellowship luncheon takes place several times a year, the most recent being held on September 13, 2013. The luncheon brings affluent professionals, those looking to enhance their career, together to “break bread” and build relationships.
“We saw a need to really bring together people of color together in the professional world,” said Lindsay W. Huddleston II, consultant and co-founder of the fellowship luncheon. “By us building on the network that we had we were able to bring individuals together and it just grew organically.”
Huddleston says that the fellowship Luncheon is not just for people looking for career opportunities and networking it’s also for those who are new to the area or just want to share information.
The luncheon gives professionals an opportunity to exchange resumes, learn about new job opportunities and mentoring positions and meet new people and contacts. It also allows professionals to join the fellowship’s list-serve which is an online data base that connects fellowship members in between fellowship luncheons and keeps them informed on upcoming events and activities in the community.
Some say it isn’t the networking or being connected to the events and happenings in the community that brings them to the luncheon, but it is the friendship that the fellowship creates that is most important to them.
“The networking is there but the most important thing is to sit down and have lunch with someone that you know somebody from the fellowship. Actually sit down and have lunch and hear stories and people doing good things and what’s happening in the community,” said Lyonel E. Wooley, an attorney who attended the luncheon for the second time.
Edith Gibson, accountant and business owner who attended the luncheon for the first time says that she was excited to find out about the fellowship. The luncheon was a way for her to connect with old friends while meeting some new ones.
“I loved it,” said Gibson. “Meeting new people was exciting, I ran into some old friends that I could connect with so it was a very enjoyable experience.”
Not just is the fellowship for those looking to enhance their career it is also a way for established professionals to showcase their success and help inspire others who maybe just starting out.
The luncheon is also a way for professionals in the area to reach and not only help themselves and each other but also the community they serve. Michelle Shannon, an attorney in the Lansing area, attended the luncheon for the first time and was thrilled by the connections she was able to make. Shannon says that she was looking for people to help mentor children and thanks to the luncheon she was able to connect with professionals to volunteer to help. She was also made aware of scholarships and other resources to help her clients that she did not know was there. Shannon says that the fellowship is important and the networking invaluable.
“There are a lot of individuals in the community and a lot of programs that the courts need to be made aware of because we have kids that we need to find places for and we need to find programs for,” said Shannon.No matter what the reason for attending the luncheon, networking, connecting with friends or just getting out to meet new people, the luncheon has something for every professional looking to expand and grown in the community.
Even though the group is non-partisan they still congratulate and allow elected officials to attend.
Bryan L. Crenshaw has been instrumental in the Lansing community for a long time. He has attended the meeting for over 7 years. During that time he has held different positions but today he spoke about his new position as the recently appointed County Commissioner District 4 on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners.
Crenshaw said, “Since coming to the fellowship events, I have met many people through networking and of course, fellowship. I am thankful to Jerome and the founders of fellowship for putting on these events. I look forward to serving the constituents in my district on the Ingham County Board of Commissioners.”
Marks said that once again the luncheon was a success. More than 60 local professionals came out to enjoy a soul food buffet while connecting with people just like themselves. Marks said that he is looking forward to the next fellowship luncheon which will be held on Friday, November 15, 2013 at the Radisson Hotel in Lansing. It will be the last one of the year.
To become a member of the fellowship all you have to do is show up to the luncheon. Membership is free. An e-mail address is needed to add individuals to the list-serve.
This was printed in the September 22, 2013 – October 5, 2013 Edition
