Rosa Whitaker, President and CEO of the Whitaker Group (TWG) has been named by The Network Journal (TNJ) in Washington D.C, as one of the “25 Influential Black Women in Business” of 2013.Ms. Whitaker, wife of the Archbishop of the Christian Action Faith Ministries, Nicholas Duncan Williams, who will be profiled in the March 2013 issue of TNJ Magazine was also recognized during TNJ’s 15th Anniversary Awards Luncheon on March 21st, 2013 in New York City.An experienced leader in international business, Ms. Whitaker served as the first-ever Assistant US Trade Representative (USTR) for Africa during the administrations of Presidents George W. Bush and William J. Clinton and is credited with a host of successful U.S. economic initiatives towards Africa.Ms. Whitaker has been widely recognized for her leadership and success in advancing trade and business in Africa and was named one of Foreign Policy magazine’s Top 100 Global Thinkers of 2010. She has also been featured on CNN, MSNBC, the BBC, and other major news outlets.Under Ms. Whitaker’s leadership, the Whitaker Group (TWG) has become widely recognized as the leading strategic consulting firm for global companies seeking investment and business engagement in Africa.TWG has brought more than $2 billion in investments and capital flows to the African continent in the last decade and was also named “Company of the Year” for 2012 by the African Diaspora Association.In recommending Ms. Whitaker for the award, veteran politician and U.S. Congressional leader Charlie Rangel stated, “Rosa has always impressed me with her strong leadership qualities…she is deserving of this award due to her significant and lasting commitment to developing United States – Africa trade policy and investment.”As one of the “25 Influential Black Women in Business”, Ms. Whitaker is among other notable honorees such as Stephanie P. Smith, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs & Co., Rhonda R. Mims,President of the ING Foundation and Senior Vice President for Corporate Responsibility at ING U.S., and Erica C. Bowen, Vice President of Marketing for L’Oreal Paris.“This year’s honorees are a particularly special class, one that marks the 15th consecutive year that we have presented these awards,” stated TNJ Publisher and CEO Aziz Gueye Adetimirin. “We are proud of them, as we are proud of all of our past honorees, because they help our community to lift its head so much higher.”Founded in 1993, The Network Journal (TNJ) is an award-winning business magazine published six times a year that provides news and commentary on issues such as business growth and workplace advancement for an audience of predominantly African-American professionals, corporate executives and small-business owners.