Barbara Lang, President and CEO of D.C. Chamber of Commerce, to Speak at Commencement

President McGuire announced that the 2007 Commencement speaker will be Barbara Lang, president and chief executive officer of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce. “Barbara Lang is highly respected in the local business community and has been a very effective president of the D.C. Chamber,” said President McGuire. “She’s been at the forefront of many local issues, from the baseball stadium to public education. I know that our graduates will appreciate her insights.” Commencement will be held on Trinity’s campus on Sunday, May 20, 2007.

Barbara LangBarbara Lang has been president and chief executive officer of the D.C. Chamber of Commerce since March 2002. In this role, she has responsibility for the day-to-day and strategic operation of the Chamber €“ the premier advocate of business in the District of Columbia. The Chamber is a 2,000-member organization that advances the interests and prosperity of its members through advocacy, education, information, networking and business development. Under her leadership, the D.C. Chamber of Commerce has become the #1 chamber of commerce in the metro area; and has truly distinguished itself as the “The Voice of Business in the District of Columbia.”

Prior to joining the Chamber, Lang was the vice president of corporate services and chief procurement officer for Fannie Mae, a private, shareholder-owned corporation that provides financial products and services that increase the availability and affordability of housing for low, moderate, and middle income Americans. She was responsible for all of Fannie Mae’s procurement of goods and services, real estate and facility operations and security services that support 4,500 employees in 60 locations around the country. Prior to joining Fannie Mae in 1992, Lang had a long career with IBM where she served in several management positions in finance, administration and product forecasting. Her business and management experience spans over three decades with IBM, Fannie Mae and now the D.C. Chamber of Commerce.

Barbara Lang has been recognized in the community for her leadership both from a business and community perspective. Recognition includes: Washington Magazine’s 1992 Washingtonian of the Year, Washington; 1999 DC Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Corporate Leadership Award; 1999 Fannie Mae Diversity Award €“ for demonstrating courage and innovation in support of Fannie Mae’s diversity objectives; 2000 Going the Distance Award; the Minority Business Professional Network, Inc. 2002 €“ 25 Influential Black Women in Business; The Network Journal 2004 BISA Distinguished Black Women Award; the 2004 Parren J. Mitchell Foundation Award of Excellence; 2004 Washington Business Journal Newsmaker of the year; 2005 Washington Business Journal Women Who Mean Business Award; 2005 United Way Distinguished Service Award; 2005 National Louis University Women’s Leadership Award; the 2005 DC Commission Women Speak Award; the 2006 Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Austin Fowler Leadership Award; the 2006 Archbishop Carroll High School Leadership Award; 2006 District of Columbia Builders Association Achievement Award.

Lang is a member of the following boards: the Institute for Supply Management (formerly NAPM), Tempe, Arizona; Southeastern University, Washington, DC; The Lab School of Washington; Washington Home and Hospice; Washington Convention and Tourism Corporation; Downtown Business Improvement District; Mentor’s Inc., Washington DC; District of Columbia Education Compact; District of Columbia Business Coalition; the Howard University Institute for Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Innovation National Advisory Board; the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond (Small Business and Agriculture Advisory Council) and was appointed in March 2006 by the Mayor to chair, the Workforce Investment Council.

Lang earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Edward Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida; has pursued graduate studies at Harvard; is a 1999 graduate of Fannie Mae’s Executive Development Program; and is a graduate of the Class of 2001 of Leadership Washington.

She and her husband, Gerald, live in Washington, D.C.

D.C. Chamber of Commerce

Commencement 2007