Provide a current overall evaluation of the NSBE Professionals membership and ‘Brand’ both on the National, Regional and Local Levels. Please list potential areas for improvement and enhancement.

The NSBE Professionals are most assuredly on the cusp of change; with a renewed perspective on how NSBE professionals should be positioned both internally and externally.  On a scale of one (1) to ten (10), with 10 being the highest, the NSBE professionals Brand is probably hovering in the middle.  The opportunities really lie in a few areas: (1) creating a true value proposition for membership; (2) creating a true value proposition to our corporate partners that NSBE professionals really has the best, brightest and most valuable experienced STEM talent.  NSBE has yet to become the “go-to” organization for technical professionals.  Another area of improvement is to re-develop leaders that know how to lead the organization effectively.  There are leaders that have great qualities that need to be channeled appropriately for the purpose of NSBE and their personal growth.

What personal contributions have you made to enhance the position of NSBE Professionals?

It has been a deliberate action of mine to continuously prioritize NSBE in my financial commitment as an active member and as a philanthropic champion for its fundraising efforts.  My personal contributions to enhance the position of NSBE Professionals have stemmed from: (1) embodying the mission through my nineteen (19) career in the STEM field; (2) being recognized by NSBE through awards for my continued support; (3) servant leadership to the organization from undergraduate to now (I served on chapter, zone and regional as an undergraduate member); continuing to mentor a host of NSBE college members; continue to provide guidance and offer mentorship as an advisor for my local chapter; (4) long-standing recruiter of NSBE talent for the organizations that I have been employed by; (5) and as frequent speaker/presenter at many engineering symposiums.  My belief is that once you are called to NSBE leadership, it is something that becomes a life-long commitment.

Short essay response to the following question “How have you supported NSBE in its mission to “increase the number” .

A short example of my direct impact to increase the number is through having successfully organized in 2011, New York City-wide Girl Scout chapters to attend a one day “Day in the Life of a Female scientist/engineer” and impacted over 200 5th through 8th  graders; 2013, the NSBE professionals to perform volunteer community service at the Boys & Girls Club in Loiza, Puerto Rico and impacted the largest community  in Puerto Rico of persons with direct African lineage; impacting 100 students in that event.  In just those two examples, my efforts potentially impacted close to 300 young persons. Imagine, if each current NSBE professional (~3500 registered members as of March 2019), does the same? Do the math,…300 students x 3500 = 1.05MM…The potential impact is game-changing!

Candidate Statement addressing the following question “How will you, in your position, help NSBE work toward the goal of graduating 10,000 engineering students by 2025 (i.e. filling the engineering pipeline)?” [This information will be posted in your profile in the Candidate’s Preview for elected positions. Basic demographic information will be provided in your profile so you do not need to mention it in your statement.

With less than six (6) years to the year 2025, we are steadfastly marching towards our goal of graduating 10,000 engineering students. In this position, it would be my goal to plan forward for the NSBE professionals to hold the student chapters accountable impact the goal.  In the role I would guide our board of directors to partner with student counterparts on programming and fiduciary efforts.  To me, it is a direct way to get the quantitative numbers need to achieve the 10,000 mark, and beyond.  The days of functioning in a silo within our three membership segments, are no longer sustainable.  We cannot create different goals, if we are marching towards this particular goal and the overall mission of NSBE.  Collaboration, partnership, and true teamwork are the needed ingredients.  As the experienced segment of NSBE, we are in a great position to guide our students to march towards this goal by encouraging them to operate in their own sphere of influence.  It is as simple as designing a program that directly addresses the critical roadblocks to graduation.  From a managerial standpoint, as chair elect, this role shall be the operational tower and project manage how we execute to the planned, collaborative goal.  The finance, program and communication divisions would collaborative discuss how to acquire and manage funds from our corporate partners; plan how to effectively balance and distribute those funds, ensure that execution of activities to achieve programmatic goals stay within scope.  In my opinion, the success of the operation of the professionals board is directly proportional to this 2025 goal. The responsibility touches every area of our organization from member attraction and retention; program/event planning, execution, and overall management; external partnership engagement, retention and management; and operational sustainability.    As a 501 © (3) organization, our entity is critically tied to the successful operation of all the aforementioned areas.  In this role, I will have the direct responsibility to influence and act upon the operational and managerial initiatives that will get the organization to this goal.  The NSBE professional could very well provide a blueprint for financial, operational and programmatic effectiveness that could be innovative; and therefore set the precedent for NSBE.  We have responsibility to fulfill this goal, and our overall mission.  It behooves us to be more thoughtful, creative and innovative in how we ‘make good’ on the mission.

I AM READY!