Michigan has truly become the kaleidoscope of world cultures, according to Dr. Shakil A. Khan, President of the Multicultural Council of America (MCC). According to the 2010 U.S. Census, Michigan continues to lose its population but the good news is that the ethnic population continues to grow significantly in Michigan, Khan added.

What attracts the new immigrants from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East to Michigan may be puzzling to some, but the major reasons include existing families, business opportunities and proximity to Canada. In spite of all its short comings, high unemployment, crime and the uncertainties, the immigrant community is thriving in Michigan, both economically & culturally.

The Multicultural Center, completely run by volunteers, is open 7 days a week to help the new immigrants. It provides consumer information, helps new-comers as well as established ethno-cultural individuals & families with social, cultural educational and economic adjustment. The small library of the Multicultural Center has newspapers & magazines from around the world, but it also provides English Language Training, Citizenship and plans to arrange ‘Ethnic Festivals’ in all major cities in Metropolitan Detroit.

Multicultural Center also provides qualified interpreters & translators in more than 150 languages to the schools, governments, private organizations, courts & police departments. Its educational affiliate, Dominican International Institute offers certification for interpreters and foreign language teachers.

To help Michigan entrepreneurs, MCC is introducing a series of “How to do business in Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America & Middle East” besides programs in Diversity & Inter-Cultural Communication.

The Multicultural Center is located at 3555 E. 12 Mile Road, Warren, MI 48092. Additional information can be had by calling 586-573-7300 or 248-822-6000 or by email to info@multiculturalcouncil.org

USCCD Board Member Randa Fahmy Hudome is one of the selected members.

The Board Institute will be held February 9-11, 2011 at the WaldorfAstoria in New York City.

The 2011 DirectWomen Class is composed of a phenomenal group of 24 accomplished women lawyers, which is DirectWomen’s largest class yet. DirectWomen has expanded its class size for this year due to the high caliber of applicants, which included general counsel of Fortune 500 companies as well as partners at top firms, experienced judges and highly respected consultants.

The 2011 class members represent a wide swath of business knowledge and experience. 13 members of the new class are in-house counsel at leading companies in their industries, which include the energy, financial, hospitality, information & technology, insurance and retail sectors. Seven of these companies are listed in the S&P 500. The 2011 class includes a justice from the Supreme Court of Delaware as well as the general counsel for a prominent government group. Three of the new class members come from the non-profit sector, representing a communications organization, a charitable foundation and an organization promoting diversity in the legal field.

Over half of DirectWomen’s 2011 class is from outside the Northeast/East Coast area, with 21% hailing from the Midwest, 17% from the Southwest and 8% each from the West Coast and South. 21% of the 2011 class identified themselves as African-American, Arab-American, Asian-American or Hispanic.

The DirectWomen Board Institute is an annual two-day program providing an orientation and update on key issues facing current and future directors, with the goal of positioning an elite group of exceptional senior women lawyers for service as directors of major U.S. corporations. The Board Institute faculty features leading experts on corporate governance, experienced directors and officers. The program covers topics including the role and work of nominating and corporate governance committees, the evolving nature of shareholder relations, the strategic role of audit committees and the role of executive search firms in board searches. In addition, the Institute affords participants the opportunity to network with DirectWomen alumnae and honorees as well as top representatives of executive search firms.

The DirectWomen Board Institute will culminate on Friday, Feb. 11 in the Sandra Day O’Connor Board Excellence Award Luncheon, recognizing a distinguished group of women lawyers who have served as corporate directors and the companies on whose boards they have served.

DirectWomen is a project of the Tides Center.

More information is available here : http://directwomen.org/about/press/