NSBE Magazine - Fall 2010 - 10

From the

ExecutiveDirector

The Fruits of Mission Focus
By Carl B. Mack
NSBE Executive Director

amily, the staff here at World Headquarters recently helped me celebrate my fifth year as “Brother E.D,” executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers. Of course, that provided me with an opportunity for reflection. I realize now that one of the many lessons I’ve learned is this: There really are fruits that come from focusing on the mission of our beloved NSBE, which is “to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel aca-

“Our focus will ALWAYS be on our mission, and thus, we shall always bear fruit to nourish our next generation.”
demically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community.” Five years ago, there was a great deal of attention to a report called “The Gathering Storm,” about the state of engineering in the U.S. This report said our nation was losing its competitive edge in producing engineers. It said the U.S. was producing 60,000 to 70,000 engineers per year, in comparison with China and India, which were producing approximately 600,000 and 300,000 engineers per year, respectively. Within those production numbers for the U.S. were less than 3,500 black engineers per year, many of them from a public education system that was barely graduating 50 percent of its black students across the nation! It didn’t take an engineer to calculate that NSBE’s mission needed our undivided attention. To address the problem, NSBE attacked from two directions: (1) pipeline development and (2) retention. From a pipeline develop10 •
nsbe magazine • fall

ment standpoint, we aimed to bring a critical mass of black children to the engineering profession through our vehicle known as SEEK — the Summer Engineering Experience for Kids. From a retention standpoint, we aimed to graduate every black undergrad who declared engineering as his or her major. Success with both of these programs would demonstrate a serious focus on our mission by increasing the number of black engineers. Even though we are early in the evolution of these programs, the fruits have been plentiful. For example, SEEK has become the largest engineering camp in the nation for black children and black mentors. Each SEEK camp has 300 children and at least 50 mentors. Over the past five years, SEEK has raised more funding than all other NSBE programs combined. SEEK has garnered national attention, including a shout-out on Good Morning America! Next year, SEEK camps will be introduced in Chicago and Oakland, to complement our existing presence in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio. On the retention side, as a result of the efforts of NSBE’s Clarkson University chapter, Brother E.D. received an honorary Doctorate of Science degree this past May…. Fruit, I tell you! Now, family, let’s move the spotlight from “increase the number” to “culturally responsible.” For at least four years, NSBE has chosen not to do business with Hilton properties, because of Hilton’s disrespect for our business. Recently, realizing they were losing hundreds of thousands of dollars every year, Hilton has come to realize that NSBE would go on forever without them, if necessary. Today, as I write to you, Hilton has asked for a resolution, and, family, we have reached one! The fruit that came as a result of our commitment to cultural responsibility includes: an apology from Hilton, an agreement for NSBE to help Hilton find engineers for its properties and, finally, a $10,000 scholarship funded by Hilton for 2011, 2012 and 2013! In closing, let me say that our focus will ALWAYS be on our mission, and thus we shall always bear fruit to nourish our next generation. ■
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2010

NSBE Magazine - Fall 2010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE Magazine - Fall 2010