9/2/04 Roy Summerford, 334/844-9999 (summero@auburn.edu)

AU AUTHORITY TO SPEAK AT MINORITY DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

AUBURN -- Keenan Grenell, an administrator and faculty member at Auburn University, will be a panelist for a session of the National Minority Enterprise Development Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 8, in Washington, D.C.

The conference, "Empowerment through Entrepreneurship," is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce's Minority Business Development Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Government Contracting and Business Development

Grenell, who is an associate professor of political science and interim assistant provost for diversity and multicultural affairs, will be one of six experts for the session on "Competitive Advantages of Minority Business Enterprise." Speaking on "Competitive Advantage of a Rural South Minority Entrepreneurship Model," Grenell will examine the Interstate 85 Corridor Initiative, a partnership of local governments and educational institutions in East Alabama.

A frequently cited authority on minority business development, Grenell is a founder of the African-American Entrepreneurial Summit, an international conference which explores economic opportunities for minority enterprise development.

For information on the National Minority Enterprise Development Conference, see the web site www.medweek.gov.

Auburn University is a comprehensive research institution with more than 23,000 students and 6,500 faculty and staff. Ranked among the top 50 public universities nationally, Auburn is Alabama's largest educational institution, offering more than 230 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs.
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CONTACT: Grenell, 844-4184, grenekd@auburn.edu