Councilman Kenyatta Johnson forms Diversity Oversight Board to monitor commitments made by proposed casino

PHILADELPHIA -- Today Councilman Kenyatta Johnson announced the formation of a Diversity Oversight Board, which will monitor the implementation of diversity commitments made by the proposed Stadium Casino, LLC hotel and casino in South Philadelphia.

"The members of the new Diversity Oversight Board possess a breadth of experience and a commitment to inclusion that makes me confident they will ensure that the developer of the proposed casino will keep its promises to achieve aggressive diversity goals as outlined in its Economic Opportunity Plan," said Councilman Kenyatta Johnson.

The new Diversity Oversight Board is currently comprised of 16 members, including Rodney Muhammad, President, Philadelphia NAACP; Rev. Terrence Griffith, President, Black Clergy of Philadelphia; Bob Ambrose, Instructor, Hospitality and Tourism, Drexel University; Steven Bradley, Chairman, African-American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ and DE; Samuel Staten, Jr., Business Manager, Laborers' International Union-Local 332; Della Clark, President, The Enterprise Center; Maribel Valdez, Member, Philadelphia Dominican Grocers' Association; Jeffery Smith, President, Global Synergies; Mark Edwards, President and CEO, Philadelphia Works, Inc.; Myra Brown, JEVS; Mary A. Faustino, Business Services Manager, Asian American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia; Christopher Sample, Chief of Staff, Office of Councilman Kenyatta Johnson; Gail Anderson, HR Manager, Philadelphia Job Corps; Angela Dowd-Burton, Executive Director, Philadelphia Office of Economic Opportunity; Zed Smith, COO, The Cordish Companies; and Ron Davis, Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Parx Casino.

The Diversity Oversight Board will monitor compliance with ambitious inclusion goals regarding Minority and Women Business Enterprises contained in an Economic Opportunity Plan (EOP) which was negotiated by Councilman Kenyatta Johnson and the Philadelphia Office of Economic Opportunity. Contained in the EOP are commitments to engage Minority Business Enterprises (MBE's) for 50% and Women Business Enterprises (WBE's) for 8-15% of the contract revenues during its construction phase. The EOP also contains commitments that the construction workforce will be at least 50% minority and 7% female.

The EOP also sets forth that if the facility gains approval and is open for business, the hotel and casino will engage MBE's for at least 50% of its professional services and vendor contracting and WBE's for 8-10% of such contract revenues. The casino's post-construction workforce including management and executive level positions will be at least 50% minority and 40% women according to goals set forth in the EOP.

Stadium Casino, LLC has also committed to a facility wide minimum wage of at least $12 per hour for all employment categories including subcontractors and vendors.