Sweet Ride
nola.com
In September 1999, during a team barbecue in Krzyzewski's back yard held during Duhon's official visit to Duke, Duhon committed to the Blue Devils. He also asked his mother to join him.
The next summer, Harper rented out her house in Slidell and headed for a two-bedroom apartment in Durham, N.C. There she found a job at NCM Capital Management Group, a billion-dollar money management firm owned by Maceo Sloan, who displays in his office the basketball he received as a gift from Duke's 1991 national championship team.
How Harper learned of the NCM job is unclear, because the full-time position she got in its operations department was never posted, according to several former employees. No details were available from Harper, who initially offered to provide her résumé to prove her qualifications for the position. When contacted later, she said, "I'm not interested in talking to you." Attempts to reach Duhon were unsuccessful.
Robert Sinclair, former manager of operations at the NCM, said Harper was the only candidate for the position. He also said when his supervisors gave him Harper's résumé and he questioned her move from Louisiana to Durham, his supervisors explained, "Her son is going to play at Duke."
Sinclair said he recalls Harper having some banking experience, but lacking a Series 7 General Securities license, which allows agents to sell stocks, bonds and other investment vehicles.
Sinclair stressed that Harper quickly learned all facets of the accounting job and "earned her keep," but also said, "the (hiring) process may not have been the ideal process for everyone involved."
Regarding Harper's hire, Sinclair said, "I don't know if anybody pulled strings. How she got wind of the position? For that you're going to have to go higher."
Sinclair said he got Harper's résumé from two supervisors: Ben Blakney, then the company chief operating officer and president, and Debra Lane, who was Sinclair's immediate supervisor. Blakney, no longer with the company, declined comment. Lane, also no longer with the company, said Harper was "more than qualified to do any job," but refused further comment.
more at the link above. |
