L.A. Council of Black Professional Engineers - 50 Phenomenal Women

As an undergraduate physics major at Cal State LA some thirty plus years ago, the Council provided me with an income, mentorship, mo- tivation, direction, summer jobs, role models, and countless other tangibles and intangibles too numerous to list. Thus it is with great anticipation that we face the next fifty years of existence of the Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers (LACBPE). The mission of the LACBPE; “shall be to endeavor to enhance the ed- ucational employment and business opportunities of minority (Black) individuals.” Over the last six years that I have served as your presi- dent, one of my focuses was addressing the sustainability of our organization into the distant fu- ture. The desired outcome was to transition to a NEW generation of leaders that are ready, willing and able. We have found? that present and future generation of leaders in our midst. To lead is to be a trailblazer. The 50 Phenomenal Black Women and Rising Star Engineers we are honoring tonight are all trailblazers in their technical professions, and are up to the task of moving the Council forward. Their academic and work experiences affirms that these 50 Phenomenal Black Women and Rising Star Engineers are able. They are Capable of moving and growing the Council in a Sustainable fashion, thus assuring that the organi- zation will continue to be viable for the next fifty years. My work in the community is focused on the mathematics edu- cation of Black students in the Los Angeles Unified School Dis- trict. It will take organizations committed to Math, Science and Engineering education to achieve that goal. The future looks bright with the next generation(s) of the able cadres of the Los Angeles Council’s 50 Phenomenal Black Women and Rising Star Engineers at the helm. 1. Dr. Batie with Cynthia Guidry at the STEM Lab

YOLANDE BECKLES, CONSULTANT I have the enormous pleasure and huge opportunity of introducing you to the 50 Phenom- enal Black Women and 7 Rising Stars, in the 50th Year of the Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers celebrating tonight at The Proud Bird Grand Ballroom. What an honor this has been to be working on such a dynamic project. Who would of thought that a Black woman from the UK would of had such an amazing opportunity I am truly humble. I want to take this opportunity to thank the President Michael Batie PhD, Immediate Past-President Leroy Freeman Jr, Vice-President Cash Sutton III P.E, Treasurer Phillip A. Downing P.E, Secretary Dana Johnson, Member-at-Large Al Nicholson P.E for commissioning me. This was their vision, six Black men who wanted to honor 50 Phenomenal Black women and 7 Rising Stars so let’s salute them! Let me tell you something about the program because tonight is only the start. The work began with Sam Wilson III Membership Chair and I contacting our current and past members. At first it was like pulling teeth! Because some of our amazing and Phenomenal Black women did not see themselves that way. Why? How many women do you know that have an undergraduate degree, a Masters, a MBA , PhD, gave birth to five children, had a family and have a professional career. Well you have the privilege of sitting at a table with them tonight. So let's applaud them. Emeritus President Lois L Cooper embodied the three C's Character, Courage and Commitment and that she wanted the organization to continue to provide an inspiration to generations of women to come well tonight she would be very proud to see we accomplished her dream 50 Phenomenal Black Women and 7 Rising Stars. The next stage of our work will be a book in the Fall 2019 and an exhibition on the 50 Phenomenal Black Women and all the proceeds will go to the council so we can support the development of their vision for future years. The 7 Rising Stars will work alongside the organization and the 50 Phenomenal Black Women as we launch our new 2020 program Black Girls in STEM targeting K-12 students in Los Angeles. Finally I want to thank the Committee Co-Chairs Sam Wilson III P.E. and Rhonda Hayes please stand along with the women committee members Jovita Jenkins, Nicole Toler, Carole Sanders P.E, Terri Grant and Past President Syvilla Weatherford for reading all those resumes and bios and making the final selection tonight. Congratulations to all the beautiful, smart, brilliant phenomenal Black women and rising stars! 2.

Phenomenal Woman (excerpt) By: MAYA ANGELOU Pretty women wonder where my secret lies. I’m not cute or built to suit a fashion model’s size But when I start to tell them, They think I’m telling lies. I say, It’s in the reach of my arms, The span of my hips, The stride of my step, The curl of my lips. I’m a woman Phenomenally. Phenomenal woman, That’s me. 3.

Co-Chair Rhonda Hayes Co-Chair Samuel Wilson III P.E. Committee Member Committee Member Committee Member Syvila Weatherford Nicole Toler Terri Grant Committee Member Committee Member Carole Sanders P.E. Jovita Jenkins 4.

President Emeritus Lois Cooper P.E. President from 1975-1976 1. First Black Female to be hired in the Engineering Department at the Cali- fornia Department of Transportation (CALTRANS, formerly California Di- vision of Highways) in 1953. Passed her Principles and Practice of Engi- neering exam on the first try 2. Born in Vicksburg, Mississippi in 1931. An early aptitude for math led her to attend Tougaloo College, leaving early due to financial reasons 3. In 1950, Cooper moved to California and found her calling in 1953 when she answered an ad for an Under Engineering Aide with the Division of Highways (CALTRANS) 4. Completed her degree in Mathematics and took Engineering classes at night 5. 1st African American woman with an Engineering License in California after passing her Professional Engineers test on the first try 6. First Female Director of the HOV (called Diamond Lane at the time) Program 7. Retired in 1991 and began working as a Mentor/Teacher, being the first wom- an to join the Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers Lois Cooper P.E. embodied Character, Courage and Commitment and will continue to provide an inspiration to generations of women to come. 5.

Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers - Past President 1980-1982 U.S. Patent & Trademark Office Patent Attorney Massachusetts Institute of Technology Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Electrical Engineering/Computer Science University of Southern California Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering/ Digital Electronics Western State University College of Law Juris Doctor Los Angeles Council of Black Professional Engineers - Past President 1987-1989 IBM Corporation - Retired School of Biblical Instructions/ School of Ministry Diploma in Theology University of La Verne MBA in Business California State University Northridge BS in Engineering 6.

Cosumnes River College Adjunct Professor in Biological Sciences California State University, Long Beach Bachelors Degree in Electrical Engineering California State University, Los Angeles Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering Arizona State University Bioengineering Ph.D. program at Arizona State University   Kaiser Permanente Project Engineer California State University, Long Beach Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 7.

Lockheed Martin EBS System Integration Associate Manager University of Maryland University College, Adelphi, MD Master of Science: Information Technology/ Information Assurance Strayer University, Arlington, VA Bachelor of Science: Networking / Web Development Raytheon Systems Engineer California State University, Long Beach Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering Bachelor of Arts in Physics 8.

Arcadis, Inc. Engineering Consultant San Jose State University Norm Mineta Transportation Institute Master of Science in Transportation Management Howard University Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Jacobs Project Engineer California State University, Long Beach Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering 9.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Deputy Executive Director Planning & Development Group (PDG) Pepperdine University Masters of Business Administration University of California at Irvine Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Equilon Enterprises LLC dba Shell Oil Products US - Retired Senior Program Manager University of Southern California Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemical Engineering UCLA Master of Business Admiration with emphasis in finance and accounting 10.

IDEMIA AUGMENTED IDENTITY Product Management Executive, Biometric Solutions – Border & Passenger Facilitation Pepperdine University— George Graziadio School of Business and Management Master of Business Administration Loyola Marymount University– Frank R. Seaver College of Science & Engineering Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering Black Women in Science and Engineering (BWISE) President and Founder BP Inc Business Improvement Program Manager Georgia Tech Masters of Business Administration Louisiana State University Bachelors of Science in Chemical Engineering 11.

Chevron Fixed Equipment Integrity Team Lead California State Polytechnic University Masters of Science in Engineering (Mechanical Emphasis) Queen Mary and Westfield College Bachelors in Aerospace Engineering California Professional Engineering License (Mechanical Engineering) Raytheon Engineering Manager III (Senior Principal Multi-Disciplined Engineer) University of Southern California Masters of Science in Materials Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles Bachelors of Science in Materials Engineering, Certificate in Systems Engineering 12.

General Electric (GE) Power Engineering Development Program California State University Long Beach Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering   Shule CEO and Founder National University Masters of Science in Computer Science Ashford University Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science 13.

JHP Consulting & Collaboration Present Human Resources Collaborator University of Pennsylvania Executive Master of Science Engineering, Management of Technology Princeton University Bachelor of Science, Engineering Engineering Management Systems Pepperdine University PhD Student Global Leadership and Change Aerospace Engineer - Retired Executive/Leadership & Transition Coach University of California, Los Angeles BS and MS degrees in Math Master’s in Business Administration 14.

Raytheon Program Manager in the area of Resilient Navigation R-NAV California State University, Long Beach Bachelor's of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Master's of Science degree in Engineering Management Northrop Grumman Opto-Mechanical Engineer University of California, Los Angeles Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering Master of Science degree in Systems Engineering 15.

Founder of The B-RELYT Los Angeles County Sanitation District Project Engineer at the in the Sanitation District’s Sewer Management Department Loyola Marymount University Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Master of Science in Civil Engineering Inventory and Supply Chain Planning leader George Washington University Master of Science degree with an emphasis on Corporate Social Responsibility Bachelor of Science in Paralegal Studies North Carolina State University Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering 16.

NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Retired Program Area Manager University of California, Los Angeles Master of Science in Computer Science Specialization: Computer Architecture and Software Engineering (MCASE) Tuskegee Institute, Alabama Bachelor of Science in Mathematics (Summa cum laude) Specialization: Applied Mathematics and Computer Science Black Women in Technology Founder & CEO Pennsylvania State University Bachelor of Science, Information Systems Harrisburg Area Community College Associate of Applied Science Respiratory Care Pennsylvania State University Bachelor’s Degree in Information Systems 17.

AeroJet Rocketdyne Pro Unlimited Contractor University of Phoenix Master’s of Science, Technological Management Bachelor of Science, Business Management Pierce College Associate of Liberal Art L.A. METRO Highway Program Department Senior Director, Highway Program University of Southern California Master of Public Administration (MPA) New Jersey Institute of Technology BS in Civil Engineering (BSCE) 18.

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Program Manager in the Advanced Early Warning Systems Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems University of California, Los Angeles Aerospace Engineering Loyola Marymount University City of Carson Director of Public Works Pepperdine University Master of Business Administration Loyola Marymount University Master of Science, Civil Engineering California State University Northridge Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering 19.

Raytheon Satellite and Airborne Systems Deputy Integrated Product Lead for Electronic Module Assembly Cost Account Manager, VIIRS, Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite California State University, Long Beach Master of Science: Electrical Engineering Howard University, Washington DC Bachelor of Science: Electrical Engineering Founder/President/CEO – O2EPCM, Inc. University of California, Los Angeles Master of Science Civil & Environmental Engineering California State University, Northridge Bachelor of Science Civil & Structural Engineering 20.

IBM Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Analytics and Cognitive Solutions University of California, Los Angeles Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and Computer Science Raytheon Retired California State University Long Beach College of Engineering California Poly San Luis Obispo Degrees in Architecture Computer Engineering Applied Mathematics 21.

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems Secure Sensor Solutions (S3) GPS & Navigation Systems (GNS) Senior Program Manager Loyola Marymount University, L.A. Masters of Business Administration Management University of California, Los Angeles Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering Caltrans Program/Project Management Senior Transportation Engineer, Supervisor California State University, Northridge Bachelor of Science , Civil Engineer Option: Structures George Washington University Masters Certification, Project Management 22.

Established CTI Environmental, Inc. (CTI) an environmental construction and safety consulting firm Drexel University Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering Los Angeles World Airports Senior Airport Engineer State of California Professional Civil Engineering license Prairie View A & M University Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering 23.

Raytheon Senior Principal Multi-Disciplined Materials and Processes Engineer University of California, Los Angeles Bachelor of Science, Materials Engineering California State University, Dominguez Hills Master of Science, Quality Assurance Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company Software Engineer Clark Atlanta University Bachelor of Science in Computer Science 24.

Northrop Grumman Staff Software and System Quality Engineer – Aerospace Systems California State University – Northridge Masters of Engineering Management Prairie View A&M University Bachelor of Science –Electrical Engineering Magna Cum Laude Graduate Metro’s C/LAX Team Senior Construction Manager Anderson School at UCLA Masters of Business Administrations, Operations Stanford University Bachelors of Science Civil Engineering 25.

Justin Carr Wants World Peace Foundation Co-Founder & Director of Career Placement University of Southern California Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering Certificate in Management Effectiveness USC Graduate School of Business Administration College Counseling Certificate UC San Diego Certified Grief Recovery Specialist® HigginsWorks LLC Founding Principal and Chief Executive Officer Biola University Master of Business Administration University of California, Irvine Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering 26.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Principal Engineer Vanderbilt University Bachelors of Engineering, Environmental and Water Resources California State University, Dominguez Hills Masters of Science, Public Administration University of Southern California Fast Track Entrepreneur Program Northrop Grumman – Aerospace Systems Engineer Electrical, Ground & Avionics Systems Development Ohio Northern University Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering University of Southern California Master of Science in Electrical Engineering with Emphasis on Computer Architecture and Networks 27.

Jacobs Project Management Consultant The University of Toledo Master of Business Administration Executive Management Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems Project Engineer, Systems Engineering – Military Aircraft Systems University of California at Irvine Certificate in Project Management University of Tennessee, Knoxville Bachelor of Science Industrial Engineering 28.

Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) Strategic Planning Manager Grand Canyon University Masters of Science, Public Administration, Government & Public Policy, 2019 (expected) University of Southern California Bachelors of Science, Industrial & Systems Engineering University of the Pacific Transit Paratransit Management Certificate Program NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Deputy Project System Engineer for the Psyche Mission University of Kentucky BS in Mechanical Engineering Georgia Institute of Technology MS in ME (focus: Vibrations & Controls) 29.

Elizabeth Eboka Florida International University Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering Elroi Kibret California State University Long Beach Bachelor of Science Biomedical Engineering 30.

Niamani Knight S.T.R.E.A.M. Kids ExpoTM Founder Saugus High School Senior Norah Nyangau Berkeley City College Associate Transfer California State University Long Beach Bachelor of Science, Biomedical Engineering 31.

Sia Turay California State University Long Beach Civil Engineering Timirah James TechniGal LA Founder Valerie Sharp California State University Northridge Bachelor of Arts Psychology 32.



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