NSBE - Convention 2010 - (Page 14)

Jean paul of philadelphia gas Works The American dream Come True By kevin M. Briscoe s in many immigrant stories, one generation follows another to the shores of the New World to take advantage of the wondrous opportunities that exist in the United States. First, the father emigrates to New York, soon followed by the mother, each emboldened by the prospect of their offspring creating a life far better than was possible in their homeland. Such was the case for Jean A. Paul. Born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, Paul came to the U.S. as an 11-year-old with no language skills except his mother tongue of Creole. But he quickly adapted to the English language. Soon, his aptitude for mathematics and science was discovered and cultivated by an elementary school teacher. This nurturing eventually yielded Paul’s interest in mechanical engineering. “In a Haitian household, you had two choices, doctor or lawyer,” says Paul, 33. “I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. I didn’t have to labor much to convince my parents, as engineers are highly respected in Haiti. In a country with an anemic infrastructure, engineers build roads and bridges, and design hospitals and water supply and treatment (systems).” a “My team’s success is my success. Transitioning to my current position has taught me to be a leader who demands excellence, deflects praise and absorbs blame.” Armed with a B.S. in mechanical engineering, the 2001 Temple University graduate and former NSBE collegiate and Alumni Extension member took a position with his current company, the Philadelphia Gas Works. Founded in 1836, PGW manages a distribution system of approximately 6,000 miles of gas mains and service pipes supplying roughly 500,0000 customers in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Owned by the City of Philadelphia, PGW is the largest municipally owned gas utility in the country. “The company’s mission is to be a financially viable enterprise providing safe, reliable gas ser14 • nsbe magazine vice to our customers,” Paul says. “My team and I provide the transportation means to support the company’s operations in the most cost-effective manner possible.” As Fleet Operations manager, Paul leads a team of professionals responsible for the acquisition and maintenance of PGW’s cars, trucks, vans and construction equipment. A major accomplishment in this capacity was his work along with PGW’s Fleet and Operations teams on the fleet revitalization program, which reduced the overall number of company vehicles and eliminated about $1.2 million in capital costs. Before taking his current position, he held a number of staff engineer jobs with duties that included replacing gas mains, analyzing failure data and recommending specific gas main and service replacement projects. Although he found these roles rewarding, he looked to assume a leadership role. “Coming into Fleet and serving in the capacity of manager, the emphasis pivots to team accomplishments,” says Paul. “My team’s success is my success. Transitioning to my current position has taught me to be a leader who demands excellence, deflects praise and absorbs blame. I’m lucky, because I have a great team that has compensated for my learning curve.” In both roles, however, Paul has excelled and gained the respect of company and industry peers. As he continues to look for ways to broaden his skill set and position himself for continued advancement within PGW, Paul remains committed to the people of Haiti. As the finance chair for Haitian Professionals of Philadelphia, he is part of a group that coordinates professional development opportunities for people of Haitian descent, an endeavor that is heartily supported by his PGW peers. “Diversity is an integral part of business success,” says Paul, who adds that PGW was recognized in 2009 as a top diversity employer for African Americans and as a Top Energy, Gas & Oil company by Black EOE Journal and Hispanic Network Magazine and was the recipient of a “2009 Best Diversity Company” award from Diversity/Careers in Engineering and Information Technology Magazine. ■ www.nsbe.org • convention 2010 http://www.nsbe.org

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NSBE - Convention 2010

NSBE - Convention 2010
Contents
Get Involved
What Makes Us Great
Sandra Edmonds of Intel
Dr. David Freeman of MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Dwayne James of Jacobs
Jean Paul of Philadelphia Gas Works
Ernest Levert of Lockheed Martin
Bryan Agard of ITW
Bettye Moddy of Navair
International News
Chapter News
Region I Jobs Outlook
Engineering a Global Impact
Things To Do In Toronto
Career Fair Recruiters Speak
Golden Torch Award Winners
Save Our Kids 2010
CE Cover: Advanced Degrees
Employer Profiles
AE Members On the Move
Advertisers Index

NSBE - Convention 2010