Business discussion

MARCH 25—The Economic Club of Pittsburgh will host the chairman and CEO of PNC Financial Services Group, James E. Rohr, from 11:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. at the Omni William Penn, 530 William Penn Place, Downtown. The topic to be discussed is “The Banking Sector in 2010:A Year of Challenges and Opportunities.” Reservations are required and the cost is $30 for members, $40 for non-members and $20 for students. For more information, call 412-762-2671 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Erin Patton credits the New Pittsburgh Courier as the first media source to write about his accomplishments. Since then he has been quoted in the USA Today, Time, Newsweek, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Inc. Magazines and has appeared on ESPN, NBC, CNN, VH1 and Fox News.

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS— Former entrepreneur and director of the Allegheny County Department of Minority, Women and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise, Ruth Byrd-Smith shares some  wisdom during the Micro 2 Millions Microenterprise Symposium.

In Pittsburgh recently sharing his wisdom and expertise on how the Hip-Hop Generation is influencing the brand on sports and pop culture, he says, “Pittsburgh made me what I am.”

This employee-only, cultural awareness workshop was hosted by Malik Yoba, co-star of the upcoming Tyler Perry movie, “Why Did I Get Married Too” as well as BET.com’s Web show, “Shop Talk: What’s on the Hearts of Men.”

During the session, Yoba engaged the audience with non-traditional, innovative teaching methods to explore the themes of diversity, inclusion and exclusion. This event took place Feb. 28 at the Highmark Auditorium, Downtown.

TAKING QUESTIONS— Malik Yorba takes a question from an audience member.

“We are highlighting Black history with three companies, UPMC, BNY Mellon and Highmark. We want to promote a diverse workforce with all three companies. We were interested in some of the work that Malik Yoba has done in terms of culture awareness and the work that he has done with some other organizations across the country. Of course they will be attracted by his Hollywood stature, but the main focus is diversity in the workplace,” said Greg Awitta, production manager of BNY Mellon.

Bad things happen to good people. Loss of employment, divorce, death of a spouse, medical emergency or many other unforeseen events can take anyone by surprise. This often times results in a temporary or permanent reduction in household income leading to a mountain of debt and delinquent bills. The stress associated with the unforeseen event in and of itself can be devastating. To be put in such a vulnerable position and have to deal with the aggressive tactics of debt collectors can be overwhelming.