2Q17
The Exemplar
A snapshot of how ExxonMobil projects are contributing to the Gulf Coast’s vibrant economy Growing the Gulf Technological advances have unlocked vast new supplies of energy, particularly natural gas, which has helped lead a resurgence in American manufacturing. ExxonMobil plans to spend more than $20 billion over 10 years to build and expand manufacturing facilities in the U.S. Gulf Coast. These projects, once completed and operating at mature levels, are expected to have far-reaching and long-lasting benefits, and are expected to create more than 35,000 construction jobs and more than 12,000 full-time jobs.
Contents 03 08 Complex & Operations Major Projects 09 12 Profiles & Employee Community
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Complex
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The new unit would enhance the Beaumont refinery’s competitive position and establish it as a leader in the North American refining industry. “The proposed project would position the Beaumont refinery as a world leader in West Texas light crude or tight oil processing, converting raw materials to clean finished products at a highly competitive cost. The project would also further improve base operating cost competitiveness ensuring the long term viability of our refinery,” says Ryan Bucholtz, the process division manager at the Beaumont refinery. These projects combined with expansions in Baytown, Baton Rouge and elsewhere along the Gulf Coast are the catalysts for growth that is shaping the Gulf Coast’s economy.
Some of that expansion is already underway right here in Beaumont. Last year, investment on crude unit A increased production capacity at the refinery by 20,000 barrels per day and added flexibility to process light crudes. Additionally, work on the SCANfiner is advancing to increase production of ultra-low sulfur fuels by approximately 40,000 barrels per day. Start-up is expected in 2018, producing gasoline that will meet EPA’s Tier 3 specifications. Meanwhile, the construction of a new production unit at the polyethylene plant will increase capacity by 65 percent once it is completed in 2019. The polyethylene plant expansion is aimed at meeting a growing demand for high performance plastics driven by a growing global population and an emerging worldwide middle class. One of the proposed projects is the potential expansion of light crude refining capacity at the Beaumont refinery, but an investment decision won’t be made for many years. If the project proceeds, construction would begin in 2019, followed by a unit startup in 2022.
To learn more, visit ExxonMobil’s website at exxonmobil.com/growingthegulf.
These investments are expected to strengthen communities with well-paying jobs and grow the region’s economy.
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Complex
BPEX
President of EMCC visits the Beaumont Polyethylene Plant
During his visit, Chapman spoke with workers about the project and the visible progress at the construction site. A focus of the trip was also to share with employees how EMCC did last year as a whole. Chapman also noted successes related to safety and reliability throughout EMCC. “It was a big year in 2016 for this facility. It was here that we produced the first commercial production of our new, differentiated polyethylene Exceed XP. It’s also here that we’re starting the construction of our new 650,000-ton polyethylene line that’ll increase the capacity of this site by some 65 percent versus where it is today,” says Chapman. The commercialization last year of three new products, including Exceed XP polyethylene, the high-toughness impact copolymer polypropylene, and a low-viscosity VistaMaxx product, was a success. It was one of several successes that had a positive impact on the bottom line. “We had record earnings in several of our product families, including synthetics, Infineum, Santoprene, Vistamaxx, and the olefins and polyolefins businesses. We had a series of highlights in the other product families. Our differentiated chemical intermediates had record sales. We had improvement in sales in all the segments we serve in the fluids business with the exception of oil and gas,” says Chapman. During 2016, EMCC earned $4.6 billion making up 60 percent of the Corporation’s earnings.
Before daybreak, the rumbling sound of tractor trailers and heavy construction equipment can already be heard — evidence of the construction work well underway at the Beaumont polyethylene plant. “The traffic management at this construction site has been exemplary and without incident. We’ve had 400,000 tons of limestone base delivered here so far. That’s a tractor trailer arriving every 90 seconds five days a week for three months,” says Sean McNelis, interconnects and enabling works construction manager for the Beaumont polyethylene expansion project. While tractor trailers deliver their loads, crews work to construct new rail yards, temporary facilities and vast material laydown yards at the expansion site for the Beaumont polyethylene plant. The stand-alone site is the epicenter for one of the largest ExxonMobil expansion projects along the Gulf Coast. It was also where the president of ExxonMobil Chemical Company (EMCC) Neil Chapman paid a visit late February. The visit for McNelis and his colleagues was an exciting opportunity to share with others the progress made thus far. “It’s very rewarding to have the President of the chemical company visit your site and not only share with him and others the work already accomplished but also gain insight into how the company is doing overall and what is on the horizon,” says McNelis.
(Left) Expansion site, Beaumont Polyethylene Plant Workers use tractors to move gravel over railway tracks.
Image placement
(Right) Expansion site, Beaumont Polyethylene Plant Neil Chapman speaks to workers.
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Complex
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Pictured Left to Right: Marshall Goode, Sean McNelis
“It was a really good year for the chemical company, and I’d like to thank all of you for your contributions — the folks within the chemical company and all the support service folks. We want to do the same and better in 2017,” says Chapman. “Traffic management at this site has been exemplary and without incident,” says McNelis.
Operations
OIMS Beaumont complex receives feedback on OIMS
ExxonMobil’s Operations Integrity Management System (OIMS) is a cornerstone to managing safety, security, health, and environmental risks as well as to achieving excellence in performance. The application of OIMS is implemented around the world at ExxonMobil facilities and is credited for providing the structure needed to sustain superior operational performance, achieve continuous improvement, and, ultimately, maintain a license to operate. Management is responsible for ensuring appropriate systems satisfying the OIMS framework are in place, and compliance testing is performed on a regular basis. Last year, the Beaumont complex completed an external OIMS assessment leveraging a team of twenty-five high level managers and experts from around the globe to validate improvements in key managing systems and to identify additional vulnerabilities for action. The team provided encouragement and support on improvements made at the Beaumont complex since 2013. Overall the Beaumont complex improved effectiveness to a 3.5 score with no systems scoring below 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. They noted progress in the Loss Prevention System, competency management
and development programs, work permit system, OIMS Critical Verification and Measurement (OCVM) implementation, and strong community programs. The team noted improvement at the site was heading in the right direction. However, they also highlighted opportunities for improvement exist regarding safety, security, health, and environment standards. These include personal protective equipment (PPE), housekeeping, backlog reductions and consistent application of OIMS across all business teams and functions. Enforcing standards in the field at the front line level is a key near term opportunity for the Beaumont complex. The site continues to drive improvement in equipment strategies and reduction of inspection task backlog including improving management of safety critical devices. The site expects continued focused progress in improving OIMS effectiveness during 2017. Select members of the external assessment team will return during August of 2017 to test additional progress in the aforementioned areas. The site will also conduct an internal assessment during the fourth quarter of 2017.
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Operations
Business team effectiveness roll-out achieves results During the last few weeks Malena Lund has been settling in to her new desk on the first floor, down the hall from her previous space. She now sits within close proximity of all her business team colleagues in the oil movements group. “One of the best
of the team as well as increased face-time between team members of all disciplines. “Maintaining team alignment throughout both short-term and long-term activities is important. The new team structure combined with morning meetings allows our team an opportunity to discuss and prioritize day-to-day activities and discuss why they are important. Observing team members from different disciplines and backgrounds discussing how best to manage vulnerabilities and priorities has been immediately rewarding,” says Eiklor. While business teams have a more resolute focus on running the business, the support functions in engineering, mechanical, technical, process and SSHE also play a key role. Functions are expected to support the business teams’ strategy while driving functional excellence and are accountable for managing both the quality and how the work is done in support of the business teams. “Accountability for what we do individually can help us appreciate how our contributions impact the success of the rest of the team. This can help lead to all team members understanding the importance their roles play in achieving business results,” says Eiklor. According to Regina Davis, the business team effectiveness lead, the changes are designed to better define accountabilities and behaviors within the organization. The business teams run the business and functions support the business teams providing functional excellence. “We have enhanced the business team management practices to allow the teams to have more control and time to identify and manage issues. Some of these enhancements include new morning meetings that focus on short- term issues, new business team planning meetings that focus on long-term improvements, and an enhanced stewardship process that focuses on all business results. Each team is expected to take ownership of their business performance and deliver business results. I’m convinced that these steps are in alignment with being a world-class organization,” says Davis.
things that’s happened with the re-organization of our business team is that we all sit together. This simple change has made it much easier for us to communicate in real-time about things happening out in the field, risk management, and project work among other things,” says Lund. In her role as technical lead for the oil movements business team, Lund works to manage and assess risks the business team faces day-to-day while acting as liaison between the Beaumont area projects engineers and the business team in designing and reviewing long-term projects. Lund believes that the business team effectiveness initiative rolled out by the Beaumont refinery leadership team, is having an impact by better defining roles and responsibilities while allowing a forum to communicate with other leads in her team. The Beaumont refinery launched a “Back to Basics” initiative in 2015 to deliver sustainable improvements in operational excellence that focuses on OIMS, global reliability systems and best practices fundamentals. To further build on this effort, the refinery leadership team launched an initiative in 2016 to leverage best practices to improve organizational effectiveness. Business teams were consolidated from twelve to eight teams. Each team now has a dedicated business team lead, process unit lead, mechanical availability lead, technical lead and engineering lead. The business team effectiveness initiative roll- out earlier this year empowers business teams by defining clear roles and responsibilities, accountabilities and measurements of business results for all positions within their team. Business teams are accountable for defining what work will be done and when it will be done in order to deliver the business results consistent with the overall strategy set by the refinery leadership team. Dan Eiklor, the business team leader for the oil movements team, has noticed an increase in accountability by members
Note: This newsletter includes forward-looking statements pertaining to future anticipated plans. All forward–looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. While accurately conveyed at the time of publishing, no updates regarding future changes to forward-looking statements in this newsletter will be provided.
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Operations
Infrastructure
Special Emphasis Programs improve site infrastructure in pursuit of operational excellence
On a clear and sunny day, Ryan Demien surveys an area of the Beaumont refinery known as the lower part tank farm. Once populated with dozens of tanks surrounded by water, now none remain. Last year, the Special Emphasis Program Tanks team was tasked with demolishing the remaining two tanks. Ryan Demien points to a photograph of the two tanks his team demolished. “These tanks were no longer in service, so we demolished them. We inspected 14 other tanks and reached API 653 compliance for the year. It was a large work load but our tanks team stepped up to the challenge and completed the work on time. Maintaining the integrity of our tanks at the Beaumont refinery is critical to ensure operational excellence and to protect the environment,” says Ryan Demien. Last year, the Special Emphasis Program (SEP) Tanks team was one of several SEP teams tasked with inspecting and improving the refinery’s site infrastructure. The improvements ranged from tanks, sewers, asbestos abatement, abandoned unit demolition, equipment cleaning critical to reducing energy intensity and offsite piping. Glen Williams and his team worked to make piping and trip valve modifications necessary to comply with the machinery network tier one best practices for over-speed testing of general purpose turbines. “Thanks to the hard work of many, these modifications were successfully completed allowing for improved safety in our continued effort to be a world-class refinery,” says Glen Williams.
“By maintaining our infrastructure in a methodical, safe, and efficient manner we are working in alignment with how world-class organizations operate in order to manage risk and be in compliance,” says Fowler.
Beaumont refinery Steam leak program eliminates steam energy exhaust.
Beaumont refinery Completed inspection of more than 500 pipe lines in 2016.
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Operations
Safety and energy efficiency were also top of mind for Justin McKenzie and the Global Energy Management System (GEMS) team when they worked to repair steam leaks and steam traps last year. “Ultimately our goal was to reduce the amount of energy the site spends. The steam leak program eliminates steam energy exhausted into the atmosphere and the heat exchanger program cleans scale buildup preventing efficient heat exchange,” says Justin McKenzie. According to McKenzie, one of the largest expenses a manufacturing site has is the energy spent to boil and separate molecules. The year-round SEP improvement initiatives through GEMS are expected to reduce the cost of doing business for the refinery by increasing the site’s efficiency. Last year, Melanie Fowler’s team worked to complete inspection and improvement of more than 500 pipe lines. It’s part of ExxonMobil’s commitment to improve and maintain the refinery’s infrastructure. “By maintaining our infrastructure in a methodical, safe, and efficient manner we are working in alignment with how world-class organizations operate in order to manage risk and be in compliance,” says Fowler. The plan for 2017 work is finalized and Fowler along with others are moving forward to meet their commitments for this year. “We have a plan for each month which details the location of the lines we will inspect and the logistics of getting that work done. We’ve learned a lot from past years on how to be more efficient and expect to continue to improve our communication and methods,” says Fowler.
New SEP initiatives for 2017 include the abandoned unit demolition of Pretreater Reformer One and Pretreater Reformer Two (PTR1/PTR2) facilities, Demethanator Tower at GP5E, and first Reactor at Hydrocracker (HDC). Gary Matthews is leading the Demo Task Force with that initiative. “We are in the early planning stages of the demolition project but already have developed our resource team. We have a lot of work ahead but we expect to have most of the work completed some time during the fourth quarter,” says Gary Matthews. A focus on safety, reliability, energy efficiency, risk mitigation and the environment are some of the key components for SEPs. It’s the kind of focus necessary for maintaining manufacturing and operational excellence driving profitability.
Beaumont refinery Crude heater charge pump turbines overspeed trip piping.
Beaumont refinery Fire water pump turbine overspeed trip piping.
“Ultimately our goal was to reduce the amount of energy the site spends,” says McKenzie.
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Major Projects
SCANfiner Update
Groundwork for equipment installation well underway
The SCANfiner project work site at the Beaumont refinery is bustling with activity as workers prepare the groundwork for equipment that’s either on site or on the way. Equipment procurement is nearly complete now that the engineering work is wrapping up. These critical steps are setting in motion the initial stages of construction that will culminate with the installment of a selective catalytic naphtha hydrofining unit used to remove sulfur from the gasoline while minimizing octane loss. The unit is expected to increase production of ultra-low sulfur fuel at the refinery by approximately 40,000 barrels per day. During the current stage of the project, teams are focusing their efforts on foundation work in the SCANfiner, Naptha Splitter Unit (NSU), Catalytic Hydrodesulfurizer (CHD-2), and offsites areas. Steel and pipe assembly is underway. One of the priorities for the project is relocating existing poles and cables surrounding the SCANfiner plot. This will facilitate placement of new equipment and allow for maintenance access. All of the pipe and structural steel for the project is being fabricated in Texas. As groundwork is completed, equipment installation in the unit will begin. An update on equipment installation will most likely happen during the second quarter of 2017.
SCANfiner Project Aerial shot in October 2016.
SCANfiner Project Aerial shot of project as of March 2017.
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Profiles
Cynthia Thibodeaux, Beaumont Refinery Controls Advisor Erika Arango, BAES Business Analyst I began my career at ExxonMobil as an alkylation contact engineer after graduating from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering. My first role at the Beaumont refinery gave me the opportunity to learn more about alkylation technology and develop my technical skills, while working in the field with operators and contractors to mitigate risks in our endeavor for operational excellence. The experience equipped me with a good overall knowledge of ExxonMobil work process and business, laying the ground work that would help me during my next role as the light-oils systems improvement engineer. During this time, I was proud to collaborate with others in supporting the Crude A turnaround as a process engineer. I considered it a once in a lifetime opportunity. In my current role as Beaumont Area Engineering Specialist business analyst, I’m leading a change in After graduating from Lamar Institute of Technology in 1985, I joined ExxonMobil’s information technology (IT) department as an operator working the 4 a.m. to noon shift. Those could be grueling hours, but I learned a lot. Following long days at work, I went to school at night. After several years, I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial technology from the College of Industrial Engineering at Lamar University. That experience set the foundation for my next business assignment as the lead of the North America refining IT controls network at ExxonMobil. I focused on the Beaumont and Baytown refineries, and from there I became Controls Advisor at the Beaumont refinery. In a previous role, I collaborated on a follow-the- sun support model project for Lotus Notes regions (Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia Pacific). I helped train folks on what to do during server outages at their prime time. It was enriching to learn more about other cultures. Working at ExxonMobil
Cynthia Thibodeaux enjoys watching professional football with family and friends. The Dallas Cowboys are her favorite football team.
has given me the opportunity to have an exciting career doing what I love. Above work, my number one job is being a mother of two and a wife. I am an active member of St. Jude church where I serve as lector and commentator. I’m also a member of Lamar University’s College of Industrial Engineering Industrial Technology Advisory Council. When asked to give advice to young professionals, I always share my motto, “Never give up, and always do your best.”
Erika Arango enjoys singing and was in choir during her school years.
how we perform purchase requisitions that gives second-line supervisors more control and ownership over their budget and spending. I’ve really enjoyed the different roles I’ve had at ExxonMobil and look forward to a challenging and rewarding career in the organization. I enjoy dancing salsa and boating with friends and family. I’m a foodie at heart and enjoy trying new cuisine. My motto is one my parents shared with me all my life, “Always forward, never backwards.”
Editor’s note: Starting with this issue, we’re expanding our profiles section beyond the leadership teams to include our colleagues at all levels. If you’d like to nominate someone to be featured in the next issue, contact Sarai Demien.W
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Employee
Spindletop Awards
Teams recognized for their efforts receive first Beaumont Area Spindletop Award
through a joint Chemicals and Refining effort that the transportation values for the Aromatics concentrate were higher than we thought and the amount of money that we were getting from third-party sales was much lower than in our planning models. We decided to make less of it and change the cut points, which means what percentage you put into gasoline and what percentage is placed in the aromatics concentrates stream,” says Provenzano. Their efforts resulted in a $7 million dollar savings for the company. According to Beaumont area HR Manager Ryan Phillips, it’s just one example of the ambition, dedication and commitment to excellence exhibited by Spindletop award winners. “ExxonMobil in the Beaumont Area has an extremely bright future. This bright future is powered by the competitive advantage we create through our ambitious, committed, and talented workforce. The Spindletop Award allows us another occasion to shine the spotlight on our most important resource – Our People,” says Phillips.
The Two Magnolias room at the Art Museum of Southeast Texas was abuzz as guests chatted and were transfixed by the colorful two-dimensional art work displayed on the walls. It was the stage for the first Beaumont area Spindletop Award ceremony recognized as the highest local honor an ExxonMobil employee can receive in Beaumont. This year eight teams from both the Beaumont refinery and the chemical plant won the award for their outstanding work. During the catered recognition luncheon, members of the leadership team expressed their thanks for each award winners’ effort in successfully tackling difficult challenges and finding solutions. “These award winners are pushing us forward as we continue on our journey to make Beaumont a world class refinery. We recognize that the success of the Beaumont refinery is dependent on our high quality employees. Today’s award winners are outstanding examples of the excellence that is occurring at our plant,” says Fernando Salazar, Beaumont refinery plant manager. It’s that kind of excellence Ricky Battle and Dale Hunter believe their tanks team demonstrated by servicing more than thirty tanks last year. “Our biggest challenge was completing the cleaning of three high solids tanks. Tank Sweeps were used to enable us to pump the material out of the tank and reduce the amount of manual cleaning required. We utilized LPS and developed specific JLA’s to assist us with the safe removal of this material,” says Battle. Dale Hunter is proud of the success he and his team accomplished last year with safety as a priority. “This accomplishment was a direct result of the entire Refinery working together towards our API 653 compliance goal. It truly took top level team work from Process, Technical, Safety, and Mechanical working together and reaching across all of the Business organizations,” says Hunter. Collaboration at all levels was also instrumental for Charles Provenzano and his R&S and Chemicals team to reduce transportation costs. “We figured out
Pictured Left to Right the R&S Chemicals team: Zachary Wendel, Jeff Macha, Charles Provenzano, James Davison.
Pictured Left to Right the Aromatics and alarm rationalization team: John Hunley, Tim Schreck, Benjamin Korff, Justin San- doval, Shanna West, Ebony Tongo, Rebecca Figueroa, Richard Furlow, Michael Mullins. Not Pictured: Victoria Satizabal, Catherine Madden, Monica Sage.
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Employee
Pictured Left to Right the Tanks team API 653: Corey Winkler, Ricky Battle, Ryan Demien, Dale Hunter, Ashley Gomez, William Parsley, Samantha Stapleton.
Work Accomplished:
Developing safe work process producing a 50 percent reduction in alarms Completing a capital project with no injuries, one year ahead of schedule and under budget resulting in a $250,000 savings Cleaning 16 tanks including demolition of two tanks that had been idle for years, without incident and on schedule for meeting compliance requirements Developing process and ready-made kit boxes to repair Very Critical Equipment compressors during an unexpected shutdown significantly reducing the time to repair Development and completion of training and equipment strategy stages at all Beaumont area sites Significant reduction in transportation costs of gasoline, saving the company $7 million a year Mitigating risk of performing an over speed trip test on a general purpose steam turbine and completing compliance requirements on schedule
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Pictured Left to Right the turbine overspeed testing tier 1 compliance team: Doug Lamkin, Michael Merrill, Rich Schardan, Billy Downs, Jacob Marshall, Paul Mayeaux, Sara Tuell, Sean Stambaugh, Janna Stanford. Not Pictured: Pictured Left to Right the olefins furnace override team: Pamela Gage, Rebecca Figueroa, Lisa Kendrick, Shanna West, Wesley Lewis. Not Pictured: Melissa Ham, David Shay, Srinivas Karra. Pictured Left to Right the Major machinery kit box program team: Dean Myers, James Jackson, Quinton Single- ton, Mike Lowe, Mike Edmondson, and Dan Misko.
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Pictured Left to Right the catalyst team: Spencer Anderson, Peter Calvillo, Tom Stadelman, Gary Loud, John Hunley.
Glenn Williams, Kevin Kemp, Michael Dang.
Pictured Left to Right the equipment strategy training team: Dennis Kratovil, Kimberly Wynn, Lisa Kendrick.
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Employee
Special API recognition awarded to Beaumont employee
and Training. He also is chairman of API Manual of Petroleum Measurement Standards (MPMS) Chapter 2 and tank calibration methods. He just completed work creating API MPMS 17.14, a new industry standard that defines the method to determine petroleum coke transfer volumes.
Michael Zook was selected this year to receive the API Citation for Service award. These awards are given for exceptional service to industry and are a true mark of distinction among standardization volunteers. Although Zook was unable to attend the award ceremony held in Dallas earlier this month, he was grateful for the recognition. “It’s an honor to represent ExxonMobil interests in the development of the industry standards used by the petroleum industry. I’m very thankful for the support I’ve been given which allows me to participate,” says Zook. Zook is the ExxonMobil voting representative for the API Committee on Measurement Education
Pictured Below: Michael Zook is the HCP measurements advisor at the Beaumont refinery.
Community
JASON Project: Students explore STEM-based curriculum
divided into groups and led by ExxonMobil volunteers to science lessons where they learned about air pressure, wind speed, root systems, wetlands and weather balloons. The STEM-based program is named after the mythological Greek hero, Jason, who led the Argonauts on a nautical quest for the Golden Fleece. The Jason Project was founded by Robert D. Ballard, the oceanographer and explorer who discovered the Titanic. Ballard designed the STEM-based program to help educate students about their world, and the program has received overwhelming interest by students around the globe. Melissa Chance was one of the volunteers who guided students to their lessons. “As a Lamar University alumna and ExxonMobil employee, I was honored to spend time supporting the jointly sponsored event. It was rewarding to see students enjoying what they were learning outside of the normal classroom and getting the opportunity to experience Lamar. I encourage others to volunteer. It’s an excellent way to develop the next generation of leaders to impact Beaumont and beyond,” says Chance.
During a two-week period in January, nearly 7,000 fourth-through-eighth grade students from across Southeast Texas participated in the Jason Project at Lamar University to learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). ExxonMobil supported the program with a $20,000 grant and volunteers who contributed an additional $500 through the ExxonMobil’s team volunteer involvement program (VIP). Carl Jenkins was one of the ExxonMobil volunteers who helped during the event. Jenkins has participated in the event for the past four years. “The program is designed to motivate and inspire students to pursue interests and careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and I believe it does a good job in cultivating that interest,” says Jenkins. Students watched a movie produced by Lamar University that featured local eighth-grade students performing science experiments. Afterwards, representatives from the National Weather Service demonstrated how tornados are formed by using an encapsulated tornado machine. Students were then
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Community
Junior Achievement High school students learn first-hand about real problems engineers tasked to solve
He says the biggest reward is seeing the students enjoy solving problems and finding out what they think about a future career in engineering. “I had one student tell me that she’d learned a lot during the event about the different types of engineering fields out there and how she sees herself capable of pursuing a career of her own in engineering. That’s great to hear and to know that I’ve helped contribute to that enthusiasm in some way,” says Slack. Patricia Woolridge is the executive director of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas and says their mission is to inspire young people to succeed in a global economy. “We appreciate ExxonMobil for its strong volunteer pool. You can always identify an ExxonMobil employee simply by looking at how they engage with the students and share their passion for what they do. They are involved in almost every event we do, and you can tell that they genuinely want to be there. The students truly appreciate that,” says Wooldridge.
It wasn’t a typical day at school for the nearly 200 high school students who attended the Junior Achievement event at the Beaumont Event Center in February. Students were selected by their teachers from ten different schools in the Golden Triangle area to attend and learn more about the engineering field from real engineers. About 70 engineers from 19 different companies worked with small groups of students to complete science demonstrations and share their experiences working day-to-day in the engineering field. “This was my first time volunteering for this particular event but I’ve volunteered at other Junior Achievement and United Way events,” says Cullen Duke. Duke works as a facilities planning engineer at the Beaumont chemical plant. He finds it rewarding to share with students his passion for chemistry and insights on how to use science and math to solve problems. “Today, my colleagues and I performed a series of chemistry experiments showcasing the principles that we as chemical engineers deal with on a daily basis. After the experiments, we discussed how we use theoretical knowledge about these scientific principles to solve problems in our day-to-day jobs,” says Duke. Steve Slack is an engineer at the Beaumont chemical plant and has volunteered at the event several times.
Steven Slack helps students build a tower using STEM principles.
“It’s great to know you’ve helped a student get excited about engineering, “ says Slack.
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Community
Living Legends
ExxonMobil employees honor Living Legends of Southeast Texas
in Southeast Texas. Among the honorees were Dr. Gwendolyn Alfred, Leah Jacobs, Albert Turner, Council Member Audwin Samuel, and Hargie Savoy. Each honoree received a plaque in recognition of their contribution to civil rights, arts, city government and business. “I believe all of these living legends are making history in our community by the work they do in local government, the judicial system, civil rights and other areas. Ms. Hargie Savoy for example has worked relentlessly for decades as a civil rights activist and she’s helped pave the way for others to work in making a positive impact,” says Allyson Lattimore. Lattimore is a finite scheduler at the blending and packaging plant and is a member of the BEST organization. She helped coordinate the event and is glad for the support she and her colleagues received from ExxonMobil. “I was excited that ExxonMobil supported an event like this one commemorating the efforts of African American legends. It just shows how ExxonMobil really cares about the communities near its operations,” says Lattimore.
The view of Beaumont stretches for miles atop the eighth floor of the Mary and John Gray Library at Lamar University. Surrounded by the view, an audience of nearly ninety people sit mesmerized listening to Jefferson County’s new Sheriff Zena Stephens give the keynote address during a celebration of African American History Month. “When I set out to run for Sheriff I didn’t set out to be the first anything. I set out to be the very best at what I do. When I was elected to be Sheriff I didn’t make history; our community made history,” says Stephens. Stephens is the first African American woman to be elected Sheriff in the state of Texas. Stephens shared with the audience her passion for serving the community in which she grew up and the goals she aspires to accomplish during her time in office. “I want to be a positive force in the community, build partnerships and keep an open dialogue. I challenge you as citizens to also seek opportunities to be a positive force in your neighborhoods just like today’s honorees have done in their areas of work,” says Stephens. ExxonMobil’s Black Employee Success Team collaborated with Lamar University to coordinate the celebration honoring African American living legends
Pictured top row Left to Right: Kerrel Gomes; Cheryl Ajayi; Jordan Cole; Phil Tucker; Allyson Lattimore; Julius Bedford; Angela Brown; Leslie Rideau; Carl Jenkins. Pictured middle row Left to Right: Damien Frederick; Milton Hill; Ashlyn Dumas; Brandi Isadore; Rochanda Scott Pictured bottom row Left to Right: Council member Audwin Samuel, Dr. Gwendolyn Alfred, Leah Jacobs, Hargie Savoy, and Jefferson County Sheriff Zena Stephens.
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Community
Beaumont students motivated to master math and science skills
Jordan Cole teaches students about surface area and circumference.
It’s one-o’clock on a Tuesday afternoon at Martin Luther King (MLK) Middle School in Beaumont. As the school bell rings between classes, it’s a cue for ExxonMobil engineer Jordan Cole that his eighth grade students are making their way to the science lab. Moments later, he watches as a handful of students shuffle in. They pass the solar system models, beakers, Bunsen burners and make their way to the front of the room. Sitting down on high stools they take a load off by dropping their backpacks to the ground and leaning over the science lab table – their arms touching the cold black surface of the table. They are ready to listen to what Cole has to teach them about math and science. “I’m one of five ExxonMobil employee volunteers who chose to be part of this volunteer program at MLK middle school, and we help eighth graders with math and science skills. These students are on the cusp of passing the standardized test so we hope that by making an intervention during the Spring semester they will be able to pass the test at the end of the school year,” says Cole. Adjacent to the students stands a K’nex Rollercoaster - a visual model Cole and his colleagues use to teach the students about slope. “It’s a chance we get to make math fun and show them that they can understand these concepts. Once they find the confidence within themselves, I hope they can be inspired to achieve academic success,” says Cole. The volunteer program at MLK middle school happens on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for one hour. The goal is to prepare students for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam they are scheduled to take at the end of the school year. The initiative stemmed from the on-going tutoring program ExxonMobil employees initiated at Charlton-Pollard elementary in 2011. The BEST organization at ExxonMobil identified an opportunity to help raise test scores on standardized math and science exams by initiating tutoring sessions.
Students work with tutors to learn and strengthen math and science skills.
“From our efforts at both Charlton-Pollard and MLK we have seen an improvement in test scores for the kids we tutor,” says Erika Anderson. She is an ExxonMobil engineer and BEST member. This year she helped coordinate the volunteers and tutoring sessions. She’s also volunteered to teach during past tutorial program sessions. Anderson believes in the importance of helping students master math and science skills early in elementary school and beyond. “Statistics show that a large percentage of at-risk students struggle with strong academic behaviors beginning early-on in elementary school. The lack of disciplined focus on mastering math and science methodologies, simple calculations and techniques are further revealed in the middle school grade levels. BEST hopes that with consistent one-on- one tutorials, small group tutoring, mentorship and examples of long term academic excellence we can encourage students. We also hope to motivate and inspire our youth to become more engaged and excited about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) activities and future career opportunities,” says Anderson.
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UPCOMING EVENTS:
On-going
Volunteers needed for the Beaumont Independent School District’s reading program known as Reach Out and Read (ROAR). For information contact Becky Knott. WIN will host “Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day” at Lamar University. This event teaches 8th grade girls about STEM through interesting experiments and exposure to STEM professionals. Contact Allyson Lattimore to volunteer or learn more. The Beaumont Employee Area Network is hosting a crawfish boil from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at Rockin A’s Cafe. Contact Trace Thurgood for ticket pricing and more information. The Southeast Texas Young Professionals group will have a family day of service at the Southeast Texas Food Bank from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. For more information about how to join and participate in the Southeast Texas Young Professionals group contact Ashley Alemayehu. Join the Southeast Texas Young Professionals group for their “Museums and Mixers” happy hour from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the McFaddin-Ward House Museum. For more information, contact Ashley Alemayehu. Lamar Institute of Technology will hold Spring Graduation ceremony at the Montagne Center beginning at 9 a.m. Lamar University’s College of Arts and Science will hold commencement ceremony at the Montagne Center beginning at 6 p.m. Lamar University’s Colleges of Engineering, Business, Fine Arts and Communication, and Education will hold Commencement Ceremonies throughout the day beginning at 8:30 a.m. Volunteers needed for the ExxonMobil Bernard Harris Summer Science Camp held at Lamar University. To volunteer contact Erika Arango. Municipal and school board elections will be held.
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The Exemplar If you have any questions, suggestions or feedback regarding The Exemplar please email:
sarai.demien@ exxonmobil.com
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