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ORLANDO, FL - Chad Smith spoke to 250 MBA alumni of the Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management at the annual meeting in Orlando Florida June 12, 199 on the impact of economic development on the Cherokee Nation. Smith is an 1975 alumnus of the Consortium and the University of Wisconsin with a Master’s Degree in Business. He is a candidate for Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation. The Consortium was founded 33 years ago by major corporations to provide educational support of minorities completing their Master’s degrees in Business Management. The Consortium is composed of eleven major universities known for their management schools including UCLA, Wisconsin, Washington, Rochester. The Consortium is funded by major corporations and has graduated 3000 alumni. Consortium alumni are upper and middle management for 150 of the country’s largest corporations.

The theme of Smith’s talk was the Cherokee Nation was trying to recover from an administration that had set the Cherokee Nation back in its effort to become economically self-reliant. Prior to Oklahoma statehood, the Cherokee Nation was known for its prosperity. He asked Consortium alumni for their help in bringing jobs, work and contracts to the Cherokee Nation.

Chad Smith said, "It was pleasure to speak to the Consortium but the primary purpose was to ask representatives of these corporations assist in economic development of the Cherokee Nation. I developed some good contacts and secured some preliminary commitments. I have an initial meeting with a Wal-mart representative to design ways to bring jobs to eastern Oklahoma."

Consortium Director Phyllis Scott Buford presented Smith an award for Distinguished Service to the Consortium.

Smith said, "It was great news for the Army Corp of Engineers announcing donation of acreage on the Arkansas River for the development of Cherokee Nation port authority. It is my plan to develop my MBA contacts into real jobs for the port authority and other sites within eastern Oklahoma.” Once the Cherokees obtain economic self-reliance again, we will have the ability to take care of ourselves, our families, our neighbors and our communities. That really is the designed purpose of the Cherokees."