BEYA Awards Home

Date posted: 02/26/2009*

For more than twenty years, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) National Conference has brought together top black professionals in the science, technology, engineering, and math-related fields, and honored their achievements. The conference also serves as a forum highlighting issues surrounding black professionals including career advancement, diversity programs and specialized industry updates.

Raytheon Chairman and CEO William H. Swanson, a regular attendee of the annual BEYA conference for 18 years, was among many senior Raytheon executives who participated in the event. He spoke at the Stars and Stripes dinner and also presented two of BEYA’s top awards to Raytheon employees Alana Tyler and David Wilkins.

Alana Tyler was awarded BEYA’s Most Promising Engineer Award. She is a graduate of the class of 2007 Raytheon Engineering Leadership Development Program, and she was also selected for the 2007 President’s Culture Initiative to help drive cultural change in Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems Business. Due to her proven work ethic, her ability to get results, and her insights, she was chosen for a special rotational assignment to support the Integrated Defense Systems Vice President of Engineering.

David Wilkins received the prestigious Career Achievement award. As Vice President of Contracts for Raytheon Network Centric Systems, Wilkins is a leader who has contributed enormously to the significant growth and success of the company’s business. In 2007 he established a diverse group to pursue international growth. The group has bid on more than 100 international programs worth more than $15 billion and has contributed to higher efficiency, win rates and profitability. He has also chaired the business' People Engagement Council, which launched three initiatives last year that will benefit more than 14,000 employees, including more than 6,500 engineers. In addition, he served as the Executive Sponsor for the Raytheon Black Engineer Network for four years, significantly increasing the organization's effectiveness.

Six other exceptional employees were also named Modern Day Technology Leaders at a conference event where they were recognized for their dedication and contributions to Raytheon and to the industry. They are Vincent Alexander, Jaron Charles, Sherita Cummings, Tiffany Graham, Amuche Onyemelukwe, and Sidney Rodrigues.

Raytheon’s commitment to BEYA included hosting a variety of workshops and panels during the three-day event. These seminars attended by senior Raytheon executives and employees focused on career development and diversity. Raytheon has long had ties to BEYA and shares the organization’s commitment in recognizing and providing opportunities for top professionals of color.

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