Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and IFA Educational Foundation join to create Congressional Fellowship: City University of New York graduate the first to benefit from joint fellowship program aimed at offering public policy training and chance to work on Capitol Hill.

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The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and the International Franchise Association Educational Foundation have jointly established the first Congressional Fellowship with a focus on franchising, leaders of the two nonprofit organizations said. The fellowship was established by a generous grant from ServiceMaster Co.

U.S. Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-Fla.), chairman of the CBCF board of directors, and Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D., CBCF's president and chief executive officer, were on hand when the fellowship was presented to the first recipient during IFA's recent Franchise Appreciation Day event.

The CBC/IFA Foundations' fellowship program is similar to the one CBCF runs each year for young African-American graduate students and professionals. The participants receive public policy training and have an opportunity to work with members of Congress and congressional committees.

The joint fellowship was awarded to Kavon Ward, who recently completed her master's degree in public administration at the City University of New York.

Dr. Scott praised Ward for her commitment to excellence and thanked IFA, its educational foundation and the ServiceMaster Co. for helping CBCF further its cause of providing fellowships to young men and women seeking experience on Capitol Hill.

"CBCF is proud to partner with the International Franchise Association and ServiceMaster in an effort to give the best and brightest of our community the chance to help write legislation and build professional networks that will benefit them for years to come," Dr. Scott said. "Kavon Ward is yet another example of the vast pool of talent that CBCF is thrilled to help bring to Washington."

IFA Chairman Michael Isakson, president and chief operating officer of ServiceMaster, described Ward as an outstanding example of the young professionals that "our political and business leaders need to be engaged by and with." Isakson also said that IFA members are looking forward to working with Ward and CBCF to increase the awareness of the important role franchises can play in creating more opportunities for women and minorities.

IFA Educational Foundation President John Reynolds stated that Ward was selected from a long list of highly qualified applicants. Ward worked as a youth counselor at the Harlem YMCA in the late 1990s. In 1999, she started working as an intern with the Coca-Cola Co. and was later hired as an account manager. She completed her bachelors degree in communications from the State University of New York (Oneonta), while working at Coca-Cola. Ward then went on to complete her master's of public administration degree with four consecutive terms on the Dean's List. She is the recipient of the U.S. President's Community Service Award (2003) and the Center for Social Responsibility's Community Service Award (2003).

During the fellowship presentation, Ward thanked the sponsors. "People said I couldn't do it, but I didn't listen to them," Ward said. "Thanks for helping me get from 'Harlem' to 'the Hill'--for helping to make my dream come true."

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