Fraser, George C. 1945- (George Fraser)

PERSONAL:

Born May 1, 1945, in Brooklyn, NY; son of Walter Frederick (a taxi driver) and Ida Mae (a homemaker) Fraser; married Nora Jean Spencer (an administrator), September 7, 1973; children: George C. II, Scott Spencer. Ethnicity: "African American." Education: Attended minority executive training program at Dartmouth College. Politics: Independent. Religion: Baptist.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Highland Heights, OH. Office—SuccessSource, Inc., 2940 Noble Rd., Ste. 1, Cleveland, OH 44121; fax: 216-691-6685. E-mail—gfraser@frasernet.com.

CAREER:

Procter & Gamble, Cincinnati, OH, unit marketing manager, 1972-84; United Way Services, Cleveland, OH, director of marketing and communications, 1984-87; Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, MI, trainee in minority dealership development program, 1987-89; SuccessSource, Inc., Cleveland, president and publisher, 1988—; FraserNet, Inc., chair and chief executive officer; PowerNetworking Conference, founder; guest on more than 450 television and radio talk shows. Phoenix Village Academy, chair; member of board of trustees, Ohio Building Authority, Greater Cleveland Growth Association, and National Business League; Cleveland Museum of Art, member of corporate council. Past member of board of trustees, John Carroll University, Black Professionals Association Foundation, Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cleveland Scholarship Program, Center for Human Services, Clean-Land Ohio, Cleveland 500 Foundation, Greater Cleveland Roundtable, Great Lakes Theater Festival, Goodwill Industries, and Karamu House Theater; past member of board of directors, Operation Alert and Ohio Junior Olympics.

MEMBER:

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (past member of board of trustees of Cleveland chapter).

AWARDS, HONORS:

Manager of the Year Award, Procter & Gamble, 1974, 1975, 1980, 1981; named National Volunteer of the Year, United Negro College Fund, 1982, 1983; first place award for community events, Northern Ohio Live, 1989; Communicator of the Year Award, National Association of Black Journalists and Black Media Workers of Cleveland, 1990; Communication Excellence to Black Audiences Award, World Institute of Black Communications, 1991, for SuccessGuide; selection as "one of the ten best business books of the year," Booklist, 1998, for Race for Success: The Ten Best Business Opportunities for Blacks in America; Architects of the Village Award, Allstate Insurance Co., 1999; D.H.L., Jarvis Christian College; also recipient of numerous local awards and honors.

WRITINGS:

Success Runs in Our Race: The Complete Guide to Effective Networking in the African-American Community, William Morrow (New York, NY), 1994, revised edition, Amistad (New York, NY), 2004.

Race for Success: The Ten Best Business Opportunities for Blacks in America, William Morrow (New York. NY), 1998.

Contributor to books, including Vital Speeches of the Day and Encyclopedia of African American Business History, Greenwood Press, 1999. Creator and publisher of the annual SuccessGuide Worldwide: The Networking Guide to Black Resources, 1989—.

SIDELIGHTS:

George C. Fraser once told CA: "My primary motivation for writing is to share what I have learned and experienced in life as it pertains to relationship-building. Influences on my work include life experiences and the stories and experiences of other people. There are many common threads and themes that run through all experiences. God is my inspiration. We are just chosen vessels, instruments and tools of a higher power. As I get older, I get more spiritual."