Good evening, and welcome to the 29th annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Gala!
It is my privilege to be here with you celebrating the outstanding accomplishments of so many impressive men and women. Tonight, we salute each of you for your significant career achievements and contributions promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education across America. You should be incredibly proud of your accomplishments leading up to this prestigious recognition. We are all eager to see you continue to succeed in the years to come. Congratulations!
As you saw in the video, Lockheed Martin is a company that is focused on the future—engineering a better tomorrow for our customers and the world. It’s our mission to help our customers solve the world’s most pressing challenges, advance scientific discovery and deliver innovative solutions that keep people safe and provide them with essential services.
To achieve this mission, we must constantly push the boundaries of innovation, helping to turn today’s era of change into an era of opportunity. We know that breakthrough achievements come when we leverage the diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences of our entire team.
It’s that spirit of inclusion that drives the innovation and creativity we celebrate tonight. Each of the 22 BEYA winners embodies tonight’s theme, “Beyond the Expected to the Exceptional.” You are leaders in your fields, demonstrating technical excellence while being role models for the next generation of STEM innovators.
Lockheed Martin is proud to be a founding sponsor of this important event, and we value our longtime partnership with Career Communications Group and their Chairman and CEO, Dr. Tyrone Taborn. Dr. Taborn, we share in your goal to help grow and develop the STEM innovators of the future, and your leadership has enabled us to advance this important mission.
We’ve certainly come a long way, yet we know we still have work to do. And that’s where each of you come in.
Inspiring and preparing America’s future technology leaders depends on your continued engagement. Each of us must commit to inspiring the next generation and remove the barriers in their way. We must show them the difference they can make in the world when they pursue a career in STEM.
With your support, I am confident we will reach the brightest, most capable students and ensure the United States remains on the leading edge of innovation for generations to come.
Congratulations, again, to each of our BEYA honorees, and thanks to all of you for being here.
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