ANCHORAGE, AK - Anchorage Urban League, a non-profit organization designed to promote economic growth in Alaska’s divergent communities, has partnered with Alyeska Pipeline Services Company to promote the use of women and minority owned businesses.

As a partner in the women and minority owned business, (WMBE) program at Alyeska, the Urban League will identify potential businesses that have the qualification, capabilities, and programs necessary to create a successful vendor relationship. Additionally the Urban League will utilize the resources of the board of directors and members to provide community education on opportunities as well as the requirements for safety, environmental controls, quality, and certifications necessary to successfully work with Alyeska. Alyeska has a very structured and specific process for doing business with the company. The intent of this effort is to help WMBE businesses fully understand the company’s requirements.

Eleanor Andrews, President of the Anchorage Urban League stated; “We are embracing this opportunity as a potential model for matching the needs of a larger company with the services available in the community. We hope to see other large organizations utilize this partnering format to diversify and meet their needs with local resources throughout Alaska.”

The Urban League was established in 1910 and is the nation's oldest and largest community- based movement devoted to empowering African Americans to enter the economic and social mainstream. Today, the National Urban League, headquartered in New York City, spearheads the non-partisan efforts of its local affiliates. There are over 100 local affiliates of the National Urban League located in 35 states and the District of Columbia providing direct services to more than 2 million people nationwide through programs, advocacy and research. To find out more about the history, mission, and goals of this long-standing minority empowering organization, go to www.nul.org

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