Boeing welcomes the National Society of Black Engineers to St. Louis for its 37th Annual Convention. We congratulate the NSBE on its achievements, culture and leadership.
degrees would be different.”
Mechanical engineering was one of those degrees.
Continued from B1
chapters from a number of universities – affiliated groups at engineering schools,” Donald recalled, as NSBE prepared to host its 37th annual convention in St. Louis.
Arnold Donald being Arnold Donald, he was a student engineer as a stepping stone he had defined for himself on a path he had imagined for himself toward being an executive’s executive.
“I was in New Orleans, a junior in high school, and I decided I wanted be the general manager of a Fortune 100 global U.S. company,” he recalled.
“I thought, ‘How do I do that?’ I knew I needed a prestige MBA. How do you increase the probability of success with a prestige MBA?
I decided two undergraduate
His leadership as a student engineer extended beyond NSBE. He also worked as assistant to the dean of engineering at WU, providing job placement out of the dean’s office as his work/ study program.
“Then the rest all came to pass,” he said with a chuckle: from prestige MBA (University of Chicago) to executive leadership of a Fortune 100 global U.S. company (Monsanto) and beyond.
He has not forgotten NSBE. He has spoken at events over the years and plans to join the conference in St. Louis on Friday. He still sees the unique value of this unique student-run organization.
“Engineering is considered myopic,” Donald said.
“NSBE helped engineers develop team skills and collaborative skills before it became popular at
universities to do that. Back then, universities didn’t do that for you.”
More basic than the networking is the support network NSBE provides.
“Engineering as a discipline is very challenging, especially in the early days, just to navigate the curriculum, especially with some of the other challenges African Americans face,” Donald said. “It provides a network of mutual inspiration and support to help you weather the storms that students go through – and prosper and go beyond them into productive careers.”
Arnold himself went beyond engineering in his own highly productive career, but he still sees engineering as a good foundation.
“Things have slowed a bit in general, but in government, academic disciplines, no matter what you do, critical thinking and quantitative skills come in handy,” Donald said. “If you are an engineer, there is always a demand.”
BOEING
Continued from B1
horizons and my career possibilities,” he said.
And when he moved from Atlanta to St. Louis almost eight years ago, NSBE offered him to a social base of likeminded professionals to build from, he said. Ofori became a NSBE member in college.
“As an undergraduate, it was a support system in terms of getting through academic times,” he said. “It inspired me to create homework groups, and it also helped me get a vision of what a career as an engineer would be like.”
On Wednesday at the conference, Boeing members greeted students and encouraged them to set up “pre-screening” interviews with company representatives, said Lester Kyles, an engineering scientist and 30-plus-year veteran of Boeing.
Kyles works with Boeing’s trainer. Kyles described it as virtual mission training system that prepares pilots against enemies.
“It’s like a big video game,” he said. “You can set up sce-
This is his sixth year attending the NSBE conference and his favorite part is getting a chance to talk with the students, he said.
“I try to give them a little bit of wisdom,” he said. “I tell possible. Once you get into the company, you can always move around.”
As far as working as an engineer, he said it’s a great technology and understanding how things work.
“I like to tinker around with stuff, so it works for me,” he said.
On Saturday, Kyles will be helping with the student sponsored event. NSBE chapterent their aircrafts to a board andthest distance wins. The students will also have to go through the same basic steps that Boeing engineers go through when testing an aircraft, such as answering evaluation questions.
Ofori currently worksin areas concerning navigation algorithms and GPS analysis, and he encourages young African Americans to consider it as a career choice.
said. “Fewer people are going for African Americans to make need in the 21st century.”
Riley, raised in East St. Louis, began her career at Boeing in 2003 as an electrical installation engineer. In her seven years with the company, she has had the opportunity to switch projects every couple years, from electrical design to now program design.
“I’ve built a good background of electrical design,” she said. “Now I am looking to take it to the next level. I’ve have a great experience at the company. I’ve meet some outstanding executives who have helped my growth. Boeing has done a good job at that.”
In her current assignment, she serves as the Midwest focal point for both lean and capital opportunities for the Boeing Test & Evaluation Organization. Riley said engineering degrees are versatile and could African American, she said the diversity.
“It would be great to have more inventors,” she said. “With engineering, the possibilities are endless.”
World Wide Technology Salutes African-American Engineers
World Wide Technology, Inc. (WWT) is a leading Systems Integrator providing technology products, services, and supply chain solutions to customers around the world.
Founded in 1990, WWT has grown from a small start-up to the largest Minority-Owned businesses in the United States, with more than 1,300 highly trained employees and more than $3 billion in annual revenues. WWT continues to achieve and provide our partners with uncommon strength and stability.
WWT understands that a critical component of our success is our ability to leverage diversity and our core values—that is, the strength of our people.
World WideTechnology, Inc. 60 Weldon Parkway St. Louis, MO 63043 800.432.7008 www.wwt.com
vice president of the National Society of Black Engineers, with Eddie Davis, president of the St. Louis Minority Business Council, and others at the kickoff for the 2011 NSBE national conference held recently at Washington University.
Junior engineers from the student-run National Society of Black Engineers networked recently at the kickoff for the 2011 NSBE national conference held recently at Washington University.
From chemical engineering to medical school
By Sandra Jordan Of The St. Louis American
A Wood River, Illinois physician uses her undergraduate degree in chemical engineering to complement her practice in occupational medicine.
At Midwest Occupational Medicine, Dr. Kia Swan-Moore treats work-related diseases, accidents and injuries and conducts any workplace physicals required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. She also promotes worker wellness, safety and preventive health.
“What originally I thought I wanted to do is go into public health but found out what occupational medicine was and it was a perfect fit,” Swan-Moore said.
“As an undergraduate, I had this experience with chemistry and there was an opportunity to change residencies – I did that and here I am.”
Swan-Moore said in high school, her goal was to be an engineer.
“I didn’t want to go into medicine and I was interested in math, science and physics,” she explained. “But I ended up getting into INROADS, which is a program for high school students that are interested in math and science, and ended up finding an engineering internship.”
“I started in electrical engineering and realized that wasn’t really where I was suited. I enjoyed chemistry, thought that I would really enjoy chemical engineering and ended up switching majors.”
Chemical engineers are problem-solvers who use the principles of chemistry to design and create new or higher quality products, procedures and processes for manufacture with safety and profitability in mind. They have a breadth of knowledge in chemistry, physics, mathematics and engineering.
Engineering jobs are some of the highest paying occupations in the U.S.
For example, Salary.com has the median salary for an entry level chemical engineer in the U.S. as $64,410 and in the St. Louis area it’s a bit higher at $64,823.
A Winter 2011 Salary Survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers reports that for the class of 2011, engineering salaries overall received a slight increase at .03 percent, with some majors faring better than others.
The University of Missouri system, Washington University and Saint Louis University all have engineering programs offering several different disciplines.
The WUSTL website says chemical engineers transfer scientific discoveries to modern technologies and new products that benefit society and minimize the impact on the environment. It also says a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering is a great launching paint for a career in business, law or medicine.
While in undergraduate school at Northwestern University, Swan-Moore decided to change directions. Remember how in high school she wasn’t interested in medicine? What used to be of no interest became more intriguing.
“My undergraduate degree was in
chemical engineering, then later in biomedical engineering, and I went to medical school after that,” Swan-Moore said.
“I started out in internal medicine and just wasn’t particularly happy.”
She went from engineering to medicine and eventually to occupational medicine, which she describes as her “perfect fit” because of her engineering background.
“I understood what goes on in the workplace; I understood the processes of the workplace. Many physicians, they go straight through and they’ll major in something like biology and never actually be in an industrial-type work environment,” Swan-Moore said.
“And more than 50 percent of the population doesn’t work at a desk. They work in either some type of factory making something or some other type of heavy industry, be it making steel or the petroleum industry.”
Swan-Moore says having that experience in engineering helps her to understand how those processes work.
“When I see someone that has been off work for say a back injury or some type of illness, I can look at them and say, ‘You know what? You are probably not ready to go back to what is heavy industry; you’re probably not ready to go back to towing a wheel barrow full of shot back-and-forth across a work floor.’”
Swan-Moore says engineering is a wonderful field because it provides lots of opportunities. And like medicine, there are challenges, demands and rewards.
“It prepares you to learn, either in a work environment or either in a graduate or post-graduate school environment. The work level is hard, it’s very challenging, but in a lot of ways, it’s very fun,” SwanMoore said.
“And so when I got to medical school [Rush University in Chicago], which was considered hard and a lot of studying, it wasn’t that difficult for me. It was a different way of thinking. Because in medical school there is a lot of memorization, as opposed to a lot of doing that you do in engineering. But the workload was something that I was accustomed to and I enjoyed it.”
a 31 year
NSBE
Louis couple Nicole Adewale and her husband Abe Adewale, who together own ABNA Engineering Inc. Alumni like the Adewales aren’t just faces of success for NSBE youth, but there to make a difference in their lives. Most often, that difference is madecial gift, which is essential for any continued education. The Adewales consistently have been involved in raising money for NSBE scholarships.
Continued from B1 Within 36 years, NSBE has grown from six members to more than 31,000, and the conference delegation has grown from 48 to more than 8,000.
Each year, the Gateway AE St. Louis chapter holds a scholarship reception. Through this fund, the Adewales have educational opportunities for more than 50 students in the St. Louis area in a relatively short time.
“We’re like a family,” Nicole said. at scholarships available to
NSBE members. Genesis Steele, the St. Louis Community College–Florissant Valley coordinator for the African American Male Initiative and co-advisor to the NSBE program, said, “There are a lot of great companies that seek to partner with students that are from NSBE because they know that they are some of the top leaders.” She said the engi“underrepresented by minorities, and not just African Americans, but by many minorities across the board.”
Within the organizational structure of NSBE there is the PCI, the Pre-college Initiative, which educates young of engineering and helps to prepare them for higher education, as well as various NSBE college and alumni chapters.
NSBE’s PCI, college and alumni chapters meet separately once a month throughout the state to discuss business. Periodically throughout the year, they gather for socials and workshops. For more information on the organization or to become a member, visit nsbe.org.
MBA, Project Management Concentration, SIU-Edwardsville Manager, Gas Turbine and Renewables Generation, Ameren Missouri – 9+ years
Ever since he was a kid, Ozzie Lomax has been curious about what makes things tick. “I was always tearing apart appliances to figure out how they worked.” That love of tinkering grew into a successful career as an electrical engineer at Ameren Missouri. “I think making energy is the coolest career to have because everyone uses energy- hospitals, schools, restaurants, gas stations. I know I’m providing power to make their businesses happen.”
Craig Sherrill
BS, Electrical Engineering, Washington University Supervisor of Distribution Control, Ameren Missouri – 25 years
As a college student, Craig Sherrill proved a lot of people wrong. He says there were doubts as to whether an African American could make it through an engineering program. It wasn’t until Sherrill received a grade back on a particularly tough exam that he truly believed what his high school teachers had told him. “That test proved to me that with hard work and studying, I had the ability to compete.” In his 25 year career, Sherrill says Ameren Missouri has played an important role in his success. “I have seen a lot of positive changes over the years. It’s not just talk, but actual support for diversity within our workforce.”
At Ameren Missouri, we believe a diverse workforce helps strengthen our commitment to meet our customers’ energy needs in a safe, reliable and efficient manner. As a provider of a vital service, we recognize our special connection to the communities we serve and the need for our workforce to reflect those communities.
Ameren Missouri is fortunate to employ a diverse group of engineers who excel in their fields.
Together, we focus on what matters.
Karlynnta Oredugba
BS, Electrical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla Demand Side Management Consultant, Ameren Services – 1 year
“Engineers come in all shapes, sizes, colors and backgrounds, and that helps when a team is working to solve a problem. We each see the world from a different perspective, so we’re able to come up with a variety of possible solutions.” In high school, Karlynnta Oredugba participated in the National Society of Black Engineers Pre-College Initiative. Now, she spends her free time tutoring high school students interested in engineering. Her message to the students, “Lay a good foundation your first year of college, surround yourself with people who support you, and with a little hard work, your future will be filled with possibilities.”
Gary Cannon
BS, Electrical Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla Intern, Ameren Missouri
Gary Cannon is on a mission to make engineering cool with kids. “Engineering is the backbone of almost anything in our society.” In high school, Cannon saw an opportunity to use his curiosity for how things work to build a career as an electrical engineer. “I get to be inventive. Growing up you see inventors of light bulbs and stop lights. As an engineer, I get to put my name on something that helps the community or the world.”
Felicia Childs
BS, Electrical Engineering, University of Missouri St. Louis - Washington University Joint Engineering Program
Customer Service Engineer, Ameren Missouri – 9 years
Felicia Childs found her dream job as a Customer Service Engineer for Ameren Missouri. “I enjoy solving problems and ensuring customers have reliable electric service.” As an African American woman and single mother pursuing an engineering degree, Childs faced many obstacles and naysayers. “This made me more determined to succeed, even though others thought I wouldn’t. I took negative feedback and turned it into a positive to obtain my goals.”
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Saint Louis University’s Engineering and Aviation college has over 12,000 alumni. Currently, the college has over 600 undergraduate and graduate students and is internationally known for its strength in aviation and aerospace engineering programs, as well as biomedical, civil, computer, electrical and mechanical engineering.
Engineeringandaviationstudentscollaborate withfacultyonresearchinareassuchas:aviation safety, biomedical engineering, space systems, sustainability, structural mechanics and design and thermal- uid sciences. ese are the six major areas of research at the college and they address global challenges of the 21st century. e six research areas cross traditional disciplines, allowing students to work not only with engineering and aviation faculty, but also with faculty from business, medicine, psychology and chemistry.
Together, diverse faculty and students bring multiple perspectives to solve challenging problems. Undergraduates have the unique opportunity to work on research and the college recently introduced M.S. and Ph.D. graduate programs.
e College boasts an overall intellectually vibrant environment that de nes the Parks College Experience—dedicated faculty and sta , strong curricula, cutting-edge research, hands-on learning, active collaboration with local and national employers for internships and jobs, as well as an enriching student life.
Students in engineering and aviation programs at Saint Louis University make a di erence, applying their education in a context that is technically brilliant, socially responsible, and uniquely enterprising, ultimately making our world a better, more inclusive place. Æ
ST. LOUIS COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION
Committed to diversity and the community
Since 1942, St. Louis Community Credit Union has had a solid tradition of serving the diverse population of the St. Louis metropolitan area.As a matter of fact, our commitment to serving the financial needs of people from all racial, ethnic and socio-economic walks of life has never been stronger.
Our original mission to provide working people with access to affordable financial services remains the beacon by which we operate.
Our original mission to provide working people with access to affordable financial services remains the beacon by which we operate.This diversity and commitment to community has positioned us as a trusted, viable financial resource to our members and to the neighborhoods in which they live. Our desire to enhance the economic empowerment of those we serve is unwavering.
Simply put, we work to provide individuals the tools they need to help increase their standard of living and better their lifestyle. Numerous studies show that we charge fewer and lower fees than banks and predatory financial intermediaries.In addition, higher savings rates, lower loan rates, lower minimum balance requirements, and personal, caring service all are mainstays to our charge.
We serve people who live, work, worship or study in St. Louis City, County, the Metro East, and their family members. To learn more, visit our web site at WorksForMe.com
Fifth Third Bank St. Louis announces winnerof African American History Makercampaign
Fifth Third Bank St. Louis is honored to announce that Glenda Ervin of St. Louis was the winning caller on KMJM during its African American History Maker advertising campaign.
Mrs. Ervin was one of 20 $50 MasterCard®gift card winners who called into the station after listening to a vignette featuring an African American history maker during Black History Month. Mrs. Ervin was the grand prize $1,000 winner chosen at the conclusion of the month. She also had the honor of choosing Covenant House to receive $5,300 from Fifth Third Bank. Covenant House of Missouri is a nonprofit organization that empowers homeless, runaway and at-risk youth to live independently and become contributing
members of the community.
Fifth Third Bank St. Louis President & CEO Tom Welch, with Vice President and Community Development Manager Royce Sutton, will present the $1,000 check to Mrs. Ervin and with her, will present a $5,300 check to Covenant House on Friday March 18, 2011.
Fifth Third Bank’s advertising campaign was designed to feature and honor 20 AfricanAmericans whose unique contributions to society helped shape American history.
“We are excited to present checks for $1,000 and $5,300 in honor of Black History Month,” said Welch. “This was
a great opportunity for our Bank to give the appropriate recognition to African American leaders of the past as well as support the community’s needs today.”
About Fifth Third Bank
Fifth Third Bancorp is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Company has $111 billion in assets, operated 18 affiliates with 1,227 full-service Banking Centers, including 102 Bank Mart®locations open seven days a week inside select grocery stores and 2,211 ATMs in Ohio, Kentucky,
Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Missouri and Georgia. Fifth Third operates five main businesses: Commercial Banking, Branch Banking, Consumer Lending, Investment Advisors and Fifth Third Processing Solutions. Fifth Third is among the largest money managers in the Midwest and, as of December 31, 2007, has $223 billion in assets under care, of which it managed $33 billion for individuals, corporations and not-forprofit organizations. Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Fifth Third’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® National Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.”
New money forthe IRS based on old tax schemes
I thought it time to reveal to each taxpayer/readers the documented and official Mission of the Internal Revenue Service:
“The purpose of the Internal Revenue Service is to collect the proper amount of tax revenue at the least cost; serve the
public by continually improving the quality of our products and services; and perform in a manner warranting the highest degree of public confidence in our integrity, efficiency and fairness.”
The ‘least cost,’portion of their mission statement could and should be found
For advertising information on our next Money Wise section, please contact 314-533-8000.
humorous. It has been my experience that should the IRS discover a person, persons, or entity in violation of the Internal Revenue Code and that such violation could spread and create a ‘tax gap’ among the general populous: they have endless coffers from which to draw in order to “stopping the bleeding.” They cut off the proverbial head and the feet to stop moving.
The operation of law is determined by Congress.
Let’s take this opportunity to investigate or consider what you would like to see changed at the IRS. Change comes to the IRS by way of Congress; change is present at the voting booth, not embedded in the tax return; or a tax scheme.
into his corporation and a family trust. This was not even creative.
Senior Loan Officer Winston Thomas, of New Carrollton, MD., was sentenced to 37 months in prison, and ordered to pay $58,418.00 to the IRS, plus a judgment for over $2M. Why? False advertisements and documents to mortgage bankers. Same soup – warmed over.
The first six to eight months that I was employed by the IRS was spent in the Criminal Investigation Division as a tax fraud investigative aide. As an Investigative Aide, we investigated all types of cases, schemes, and fraudulent plans.
What is so unbelievable is that as I review current “examples of general tax fraud investigations – fiscal year 2009” some 30 years later they are quite similar.
Change the names, the dates and the people and the schemes are the same:
Dr. Malcom David MacHauer of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to 33 months imprisonment, and pay restitution of $222,782. Why? Tax evasion, he failed to report all his income. MacHauer placed his unreported income
Former IRS official sentenced for tax fraud as a leader of ‘Tax Dream Team,’Jesse Ayala Cota, of Vista, Calif., was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Cota was a former internal revenue service district director. After retiring from the IRS Cota, defrauded the US government of more than $1.3M and earned more than $300,000 by offering audit protection, and converting personal expenses to business deductions. Cota and his co-conspirators, still dream but, in jail. The arm of the law is long. The list of attempts to defraud the IRS is endless; the schemes for the most part are stagnant, and to the trained eye, of a revenue officer or revenue agent, boring. The very best way to save money on taxes, tax related deductions, and credits is to do the bookkeeping during the year. Bookkeeping is not gender specific, race specific, or entity specific. It’s just specific. It is also good business wisdom. This especially applies if you are in business at any level. Don’t catch up, keep up. If you cannot perform bookkeeping get a professional who can.
Glenda Ervin
Alma M. Scarborough
Banking on the go COMMERCE BANK
By:Jeannine Murphy, Manager, Natural Bridge Commerce Bank
Given the growing list of things cell phones can do, they are fast becoming a necessity of life. And they’re now being transformed into “mobile wallets” thanks in large part to a new generation of consumers who are doing most everything online. To keep up with this trend, a new generation of banking services has been designed for people on the go.
Bank customers can now transfer funds, view account activity – and more, anytime and anywhere from their cell phones.
Bank customers can now transfer funds, view account activity – and more, anytime and anywhere from their cell phones. Customers can use Alerts from their bank
to let them know when a direct deposit is received, when a withdrawal exceeds a specific threshold, and when an account has insufficient funds, and more. Alerts can address security issues too, including changes in customer passwords and potential fraud. These messages help them address many problems before they can escalate into something far worse. And it won’t end there. Mobile banking technology is evolving, eventually, to function as a “mobile wallet” that allows customers to make payments with their phone right at the point of sale.
There’s still much more to come.
Yourcredit score is key to economic empowerment
By Galen Gondolfi Special to the American
What is more important: your credit score or how much you earn? Most of us consider our income to be the driving factor behind our finances, but have you ever thought about how your credit score affects your budget? Ahigh credit score means you pay less from everything to car insurance to car payments to credit card bills to your home mortgage. Interest rates are partially based on your credit score, so a low credit score results in a higher monthly payment for such bills as credit cards and automobile loans. Low credit scores can also be a barrier to renting an apartment and landing a job.
More than ever, you need to have a credit score that reflects active payments, so that you can keep raising your credit score.
open lines of credit, such as a secured credit card or a credit builder loan. These lines of credit are not for consumption, but rather are tools for building your credit score. The goal is to keep your balances –outstanding debt – small, and to make timely monthly payments. Building a credit score is as easy as paying your bills on time each month. But not every bill reports to credit bureaus; you need to ensure that you have active lines of credit that report to credit bureaus each month. Cell phone bills, utilities and payday loans generally do not report on a monthly basis.
So, now more than ever, you need to have a credit score that reflects active payments, so that you can keep raising your credit score. Merely cleaning up your negative credit will not allow your score to keep growing; the key is to forever build your credit score by having
Become economically empowered through raising your credit score. Any income level can result in a high credit score, and any income level can build a credit score. So let’s do some “spring building” of our credit score in addition to “spring cleaning.”
Galen Gondolfi is Senior Loan Counselor, Justine PETERSEN
