blackwater alumni association · blackwater worldwide efficiently and effectively integrates a wide...

Blackwater Pursues Green TechnologyHelping the environment and our employeesby Dana C. Richardson

CommuniquéBLACKWATER ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

August 2008

BLACKWATER ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Blackwater Pursues Green Technology

Blackwater Worldwide efficiently and effectively integrates a wide range of resources and core competencies to provide unique, high quality, timely solutions. Leveraging innovative thinking, ingenuity, research, development and efficient use of resources Blackwater creates solutions that produce maximum results. Innovative and alternative energy sources are currently being constructed and tested at the Blackwater North Carolina facility. In January of 2008 Blackwater commissioned the largest wind turbine connected to the power grid in the state of North Carolina. The wind turbine is made by Entegrity Wind Systems of Prince Edward Island, Canada and Boulder, Colorado and took 12 days to install after site work was completed. The estimated power production is 80,000 to 100,000 kilowatt hours per annum.

Blackwater is now in the process of testing a straight vegetable oil (SVO) fuel for licensed road going vehicles. The test is being run on a 2003 Volkswagen Jetta diesel. Blackwater purchased a PlantDrive conversion kit to only use 100% vegetable oil as fuel. The PlantDrive kit provides high quality components for the conversion of diesel engines without any potential chemical hazards of biodiesel processing. As this was an employee owned vehicle, the process was assisted by the operations and manufacturing divisions at Blackwater. As part of the kit, an electronic control unit or ECU is employed to allow manual or fully automated operation. The vehicle still has to be started and stopped running on diesel fuel. Estimated costs of the conversion range from $2,000 to $2,500 based on options selected. Expected payoff on the system is 14 months commuting 350 miles per month. This type of conversion will work on almost any diesel engine whether vehicular or stationary. Renewable vegetable oil, used as fuel in an efficient diesel engine, is the most affordable and technically feasible carbon- neutral fuel available today! Converting the Jetta allows Blackwater to safely dispose of used vegetable oil from the Chow Hall, while reducing the use of traditional fossil fuels.

Along with an SVO powered car, Blackwater is reducing the use of fossil fuels by providing a corporate sponsored vanpool. The average driver spends about $2,800 annually at current gas prices to fuel a typical passenger car, so participating in a vanpool can result in significant savings. A vanpool is a group that commutes to work together in a van, usually provided by a local transit authority, nonprofit group or employer. Usually co-workers or people, who work in the same vicinity volunteer to drive, fuel and keep the van clean; schedule maintenance and repair work. Though innovation is certainly a hallmark of Blackwater, and renewable energy systems will help any business change things for the better conservation is the first and best place to start. Considering this, Blackwater offered the vanpool for their employees as of June 16, 2008. Blackwater employees receive several benefits by participating in the vanpool: Blackwater provides the vans, all fuel and maintenance on the vehicles, which makes this a no cost service available to employees. Currently there are seven vans that are included in the vanpool with the pick-up and drop-off locations located

Helping the environment and our employeesBy Dana C. Richardson

Though innovation is

certainly a hallmark

of Blackwater, and

renewable energy

systems will help

any business change

things for the better

conservation is the first

and best place to start.


throughout Northeastern North Carolina and the Hampton Roads area. The vans arrive at Blackwater Headquarters in Moyock around 7:30am and depart at 4:30pm, Monday through Friday. All drivers are employees that use this service and rotate on a weekly basis. Before anyone is eligible to drive, Blackwater runs a driving record check. Blackwater is in the process of expanding the vanpool to other areas around North Carolina and Virginia. Blackwater realized that offering a vanpooling to their employees would help the employees cut down the number of days and miles they drove, and save the employees hundreds of dollars a year.

Guided by integrity, innovation, and a desire for a safer world Blackwater is striving to be a good steward of the environment. By venturing into renewable technologies Blackwater is demonstrating a goal of promoting a responsible corporate culture of innovation along with passing these benefits onto our employees and clients. Eventually, Blackwater would like see these efforts evolve into bio-fuel powered commuter vans, greater use of renewable energy systems at our corporate headquarters as well as at our over seas operations.


Blackwater Supports the YMCA

Blackwater Supports the YMCA

The YMCA centers throughout Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina serve Blackwater Worldwide employees and families who live in the surrounding areas. Blackwater focuses on the essential core values of integrity, innovation, excellence, respect, accountability, and teamwork. The YMCA also believes in developing character values throughout all the programs that it offers. Those values include honesty, caring, respect, responsibility and faith. The YMCA’s Strategic Plan addresses the needs of the communities with a vision to continually improve programs and services that enrich the quality of life for community citizens. The Great Bridge, Outer Banks and Elizabeth City YMCA’s are now working together to get more youth involved in the teen programs to provide the building blocks to help them grow into healthy, caring and responsible adults and leaders.

The President of the YMCA Great Bridge Board reached out to Blackwater requesting a sponsorship to support the Teen Leaders and Youth in Government programs that the YMCA offers to local teenagers. Blackwater responded and Jeff Gibson, Vice President of International Training, provided Bill Zazynski, Director of the Great Bridge YMCA, a check for $11,000. The Blackwater sponsorship will provide the opportunity for 30 teens from the Hampton Roads area and Northeastern North Carolina to participate in the 2008 Teen Leaders and Youth in Government programs. Bill Zazynski, stated, “This sponsorship will help open the doors of the YMCA to teens regardless of their ability to pay and it will instill values that will serve them well as adults and provide them tools to develop their leadership skills and opportunities they may not have otherwise had the opportunity to experience or learn.”

The YMCA Youth and Government program brings the workings of state government alive to the participants, creating an opportunity for them to discuss current state issues with state administrators, elected officials, and students from high schools and other YMCA’s throughout the state. This program attracts teens that enjoy debating and working on public issues. The group will have regular meetings throughout year including ice-breakers and personal growth discussions that reflect on the importance of strong character in leaders. In March 2009 the group participants will travel to the state capital for a three-day conference led by teens elected to office by their fellow delegates. The teens will submit bills during the session and these bills will be debated and voted on with some passing into law by the Student-Governor during this mock legislative session.

The Leaders’ Program is a model in which teens learn how to direct, take responsibility, and develop additional leadership skills. The structure of this program helps teens build confidence and gives opportunity for self-definition and positive interaction with other participants. The group meets bi-monthly to address at least one components of the YMCA teen leadership program to include: leadership, community service, social development, education, career and life skill development, health, safety and well being.

Helping the YMCA develop Teens; Building Healthy, Caring and Responsible Adults-Dana C. Richardson

Blackwater responded

and Jeff Gibson,

Vice President of

International Training,

provided Bill Zazynski,

Director of the Great

Bridge YMCA, a check

for $11,000.

The Great Bridge YMCA building.


Under the direction of a knowledgeable YMCA Teen Coordinator, the leaders work with kids in the after- school program, swimming lessons, Parents Night Out, teacher workdays, soccer, basketball, or one of many other programs. The kids participate in community service projects inside and outside of the YMCA. The program concludes June 13 - June 20, 2009 with a trip to Black Mountain, North Carolina to attend the YMCA Blue Ridge Leaders School with other teens from throughout the eastern United States. The Blue Ridge Leaders School’s structure and high standards are designed to maximize the benefits to the Leaders Division participants. The mission is to provide youth training and development in teaching and performance skills, build self esteem and leadership qualities, and strengthen and demonstrate traditional Christian values that foster the essential unity of spirit, mind and body.

“Blackwater Worldwide is generously supporting the YMCA Youth Programs and will truly make a difference too help build strong kids, families and strong communities for the future” Zazynski stated. The YMCA mission is to continue to remind the community the YMCA is for everyone and involving young people in character-building activities will help build a healthy spirit, mind and body.


Blackwater Sponsors Special Olympics Event

This year is the 40th Anniversary of Special Olympics. The Special Olympics provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to participate in sports, helping them gain confidence, a measure of independence, and most importantly, a belief in themselves. Robert Tadlock, owner of Robert Tadlock Insurance Agency, said he became involved in supporting the Special Olympics after his daughter worked for the non-profit organization in South Carolina. Robert Tadlock organized the 1st Annual Waterfront Park Bocce Ball Tournament held at the Waterfront Park in Elizabeth City, North Carolina on July 19th, 2008. This event’s goal was to raise money and spread awareness of the Special Olympics. “I just feel like society has been good to me, and I would like to try to do something back for these kids,” Tadlock said.

The game Bocce Ball has elements of bowling, horseshoes, shuffleboard and billiards. To start play, the pallino, a white ball the size of a golf ball, is rolled onto an 8’ X 60’ grass court. The pallino then becomes the target. Players roll larger balls to see who can come closest to the pallino. Players can move the pallino with their balls or knock opposing balls further away. The game is enjoyed by players of all ages and athletic abilities. The Special Olympics serves a unique group of people, and this event brought a widespread of involvement from the surrounding communities to support this cause. A corporate sponsorship request was sent to Blackwater for sponsorship participation in the 1st Annual Bocce Ball Tournament. Blackwater gladly accepted and became a corporate sponsor at the gold level. Gary Jackson, President of Blackwater stated, “There is nothing more worthy than helping others less fortunate.” Blackwater employees and their families volunteered their time to be the official judges for this tournament, assisted in locating community volunteers and teams, and even recruited other employees for teams to participate in the tournament for this event. It was estimated 100 four-man teams competed in the tournament. There was great food, frozen drinks an exciting and fun Bocce Ball Tournament with the businesses and other groups competing against each other. This event was wrapped up with a dance under the starts at Waterfront Park in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.

Tadlock was approached after the tournament ended with a conversation that would leave him completely humbled. Tadlock explained, “I had a special needs athlete, Ronald, stop me downtown on Sunday the day after the fundraising event. He told me that yesterday was the very best day of his life…the very best day. I asked him if he could describe why and he said, “Because we were just like everyone else yesterday.” Tadlock has now committed to the charity tournament event for at least five years, but that does not mean the tournament will end after that. “It’s going to go on forever,” Tadlock stated. Tadlock estimated that the event rose between $12,000 and $15,000 and all money raised goes directly to Special Olympics.

Employees of Blackwater participate in the Bocce Ball Tournamentby Dana C. Richardson

Blackwater gladly

accepted and became a

corporate sponsor at the

gold level. Gary Jackson,

President of Blackwater

stated, “There is nothing

more worthy than

helping others less

fortunate.”

Open Ceremony for the Bocce Ball Tournament.

Blackwater judges reviewing games rules.


Tadlock responded to Blackwater’s sponsorship and volunteers by saying, “I have participated in civic events my whole adult life. I have never seen a corporation with such a giving, generous spirit, such an understanding of servant’s hearts and that has such a professional, competent process for participating. It was an absolute pleasure and humbling experience to partner with Blackwater Worldwide.”

Held in Elizabeth City, NC.

“Blackwater employees actively judging the Bocce Ball Tournament.”


Blackwater Worldwide in action

The Convoy Support Center (CSC) Scania, south of Baghdad, Iraq, provides more than a logistics and rest stop along a major supply route in and out of the capital city. It is also known as a place the Iraqi people can go to receive free care for burn victims. The clinic’s U.S. Army personnel have treated over 7,000 patients in the last three years – an average of 15-20 patients each day. With many Iraqi homes relying on primitive heating and cooking methods such as open pit fires and kerosene stoves and ovens, burn incidents remain a constant, heart-breaking reality for the average Iraqi.

Large crowds gather each day, but the clinic is only open three days a week due to manning and supply limitations. Care providers go “outside the wire” to triage and sort the injured, then ensure everyone gets a chance to be seen at the little clinic facility just inside CSC Scania’s perimeter fence. When contacted by clinic staff, Blackwater Worldwide enthusiastically, quietly, volunteered time, critical medical supplies and other logistical support needed to treat the burn victims. Items ranging from medications such as Medi-Honey Anti-bacterial Cream, Kerlix, Xeroform Petroleum Dressings, to pain relievers and IV line sets were ordered, packed and rushed to the burn clinic.

Blackwater Worldwide proudly leads the way in reaching out to local populations in need through the continuing, heartfelt efforts of its dedicated personnel who live and work around the world.

CSC Scania Burn Clinic, South of Baghdad, Iraqby Mick Jolley

With many Iraqi homes

relying on primitive

heating and cooking

methods such as open pit

fires and kerosene stoves

and ovens, burn incidents

remain a constant, heart-

breaking reality for the

average Iraqi.

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