Board of the ZZVN
The History
On January the 12th 2004 the business club Black Business Women in the Netherlands (ZZVN), was established to give the entrepreneurship of black women a new impulse. The establishment had a reliable preparation, because of the continually increasing demand of entrepreneur to a congenial platform The ZZVN is already active for more than 9 years in the Netherlands, as a part of the European Federation Black Business Owners (EFBWBO). The election of the Dutch Black Business Woman is one of its highlights. As from 1997 a Dutch Black Business Woman has been appointed. With a network database of more than 5,000 members, both the ZZVN and EFBWBO try to meet up with the European developments, with the objective to organise the black business women, to realise knowledge exchange and economical growth in the Netherlands.
The board
The board was entered on the establishment’s day of the Black Business Women in the Netherlands Foundation, on January the 12th 2004. In accordance with the act of establishment, the board may exist of at least 3 and at most 5 women, who have the affinity with entrepreneurships and businesses, and who have prominent role within the society. The term of board membership is at least 3 years and at most 8 years. The board operates as a collective group. Officially each board member has a certain task, but everyone is personally approachable for questions, suggestions, and so on. The board aspires to give the participants the possibility to take an active part in several commissions. Active participation will be appreciated. A board function is not being paid with a salary or other payments. Though expenses will be counterbalanced. The regulations of the Foundation (and soon also the office rules) are available for the members on the website, in the part which is only accessible for the members of the network ZZVN. The ZZVN Foundation has been registered in the trade register of the Chamber of Commerce Rotterdam, with the number 24357612.
The members of the board
Mrs. F.M.(Maritza) Russel
President of ZZVN, CEO of Marrein Publications Ltd. and Black Business Woman 1998
Florangel
Maritza Russel is the President and founder of the ZZVN Foundation. In her function she is responsible for the entire policy, the coordination of the office and discussion partner for public authorities and other organisations. In her daily life she is the manager, owner and publisher of Marrein Publications Inc, a publishing, advertising and communication company. The successful lifestyle magazine, Beauty Expressions, the first magazine on the Dutch market for the black woman, is her creation. Beauty Expressions reaches a fast growing number of readers and creates positive image for black women. Furthermore she is also the owner Floran Trading Inc. an importer, wholesaler and distributor of black hair care products for the black hair market in the Benelux. Next to that, Florangel Russel is the owner of the successful black hair hairdresser’s chain, Hair & Beauty Design Florangel.
Maritza Russel has many years of board experience. At the present she is active on the board of several organisations in the Netherlands: member of the General Board of the Chamber of Commerce Rotterdam, member of the Management Advisory Board of the Wellness Foundation in Schiedam (Stichting
Welzijn Schiedam), Treasurer of the Foundation "Scala" (Scala is active in the field of Emancipation, Empowerment and Training on health renewal for women), Treasurer of the Wenk Foundation (the largest Wellness Organisation in the west of Rotterdam) and vice–president of MKB Rotterdam–Rijnmond. Her goal is to make leadership and economic potential in black women in Europe more visible.
Mrs. mr. W.L.(Wilma) Gillis – Burleson
Secretary of the ZZVN, Managing director and owner of Legato Training Ltd.
Wilma Gillis-Burleson is the secretary of the business club Black Business Women in the Netherlands (ZZVN). In her daily life she is the managing director and owner of Legato Training Ltd. in Rotterdam, which celebrates its 15 years existence in 2007. She is the 1st chosen Dutch Black Business Woman in 1997 and also the co–founder of ZZVN. With her company she is active in the working field of the labour reintegration of jobseekers and also with workers threatened with unemployment. She is one the pioneers who with her integrated approach, made Diversity Management visible within the Netherlands. Her company is known for the development of lots of creative concepts in the field of the labour market, trainings, diversity policy, tutorage and coaching. She is also deputy President of the Chamber of Commerce Rotterdam, a governing board member of the Economic Development Board of the municipality Rotterdam and the treasurer of Opportunity in Business (Opportunity in Bedrijf). She also is a supervisor as a member of the Council of Commissioners of the Rabobank Rotterdam, member of H
ousing Construction Corporation Woonstad (Woningbouwcorporatie
Woonstad) and the Home Care Foundation (Stichting
Thuiszorg) Rotterdam.
Mrs. U.(
Urly) Lont
Treasurer of ZZVN
Urly
Lont is the Treasurer of ZZVN. In this function she is responsible for the financial administration, the estimates, financial report and she is in charge of projects and the financial report. Furthermore she takes care of the contacts with internal and external accountants of the ZZVN. In her daily life, she works as a notary awaiting appointment Sebök Notary Office in The Hague. General activities are the greater part of her job with the accent on family law, business and estate law. Furthermore she is the administrator of estate planning and consulting activities for the office and she is the international specialist concerning Suriname law.
Urly
Lont has a large network. She is a member of the following organisations: VBM Business Club, Dragons Association, MKB and Estate Planners Association of Ring The Hague. Being a part of the network of black business women is very important to her, because economical independence of women can only be reached by active participation in all kind of fields in the society.