Ebony men on the move

Ebony, Feb, 1998

The 46-year-old father of two received a B.A. in economics magna cum laude, a J.D. in law cum laude and a Ph.D. in economics, all formal Harvard University. After completing his formal education, Dr. Ferguson spent three years as a securities and banking lawyer before joining McKinsey & Company, Inc., an international management consulting firm in New York, where he specialized in financial issues. Only the third Black to serve on the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Dr. Ferguson's term runs though January 31, 2000. He is married to Annette L. Nazareth, and they have two children.

Ricky Clemons

In Ricky Clemons'world, he rubs shoulders with some of the biggest names in baseball -- Barry Bonds, Greg Maddux, Tony Gwynn, Barry Larkin -- and he is at the center of ongoing efforts to strengthen the bridge between Major League Baseball and its fans, particularly those in the minority community.

As executive director of public relations for Major League Baseball's National League, Clemons interacts with owners, players and baseball officials, serving as the primary media contact for baseball's National League, which requires him to develop and implement media and marketing strategies to enhance visibility and goodwill for the 16 clubs and league office.

In conjunction with the efforts of National League President Len Coleman, Clemons has been at the forefront of several major projects that include strengthening and expanding the Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities (RBI) program,which gives many minority youngsters their first opportunity to play organized baseball. In addition, he has also been involved in the creation of programs designed to help former Negro Leagues players, who are now benefitting from special insurance coverage and pension plans.

Recognized for his community involvement and described by some media members as "one of baseball's best ambassadors," Clemons is not one to rest on his laurels, as evidenced by his efforts during baseball's showcase events. During the All-star Game and the World Series, he assists with media operations, but expands his duties at the National league Championship Series when he supervises all media operations.

One of the perks of Clemons' job, he says, is being able to form friendships with some of baseball's legends -- Hank Aaron, Larry Doby, Joe Black and Frank Robinson -- who were his childhood heroes while he was growing up in Durham, N.C. "One of my greatest thrills was coordinating the 20th anniversary of Hank Aaron's historic [715th] home run [April 8, 1974] and working with Hank, a true living legend," says the University of Maryland graduate. Just as special, he says, were his experiences that were related to last year's celebration of the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. The season-long tribute required Clemons to work closely with the Robinson family, especially the Hall of Famer's widow, Rachel Robinson, whom Clemons characterizes as "one of the most personable and dynamic people in the world."