Recap and Photos

American Institute of Chemical Engineers Delaware Valley Section	Recap and Photos

An Historical Evening for DVS on the Historical Battleship New Jersey

Prepared by Brenda Lando

On September 18, 2002, the Delaware Valley Section of AIChE kicked off its year by bringing together more than 400 people on the Fantail of Camden's own Battleship New Jersey for the Sixth Annual AIChE CEO Lecture Series.

In all, a record-breaking 430 attendees representing a variety of organizations, including AIChE, MIT Alumni Club, ASME, CDMA, Valero (formerly Mobil Paulsboro), Sunoco, Merck, Jacobs, KEEL, Air Products, and Johnson Matthey to name only a few, spent the moonlit night aboard the massive battleship where they were given the opportunity to tour the New Jersey from bow to stern while contemporaneously enjoying Philadelphia's skyline. The event also drew DVS's strongest student showing from area chemical engineering schools, with 51members in attendance from Drexel, U Penn, Rowan, and Villanova.

For those who might not be aware, the historical Battleship New Jersey, called the "Big J", completed her final voyage at the Philadelphia Naval Ship Yard on Veteran's Day 1999 and is now a floating museum on the Delaware River along the Camden Waterfront. This important monument served as the perfect social gathering spot for all of the attendees. In addition to touring the battleship, attendees gathered for dinner on the Fantail where they were provided an enlightening presentation by keynote speaker Paul Brochu, VP/General Manager for the Valero Paulsboro NJ Refinery, and enjoyed the delightful music of Valero's own band, High Octane. The evening was enjoyed by all participants, who deemed the event a major success.

If this is the case, then a logical question would be “Why not do this every month?" Because teamwork, coordination, and planning take time! DVS's wide range of leadership types and creative abilities, combined with hard work and dedication, allowed us to work together toward our common goal of filling the Big J's Fantail with guests who would walk away delighted that they were a part of this memorable event. This idea started as a series of doubts and evolved into a reality thanks to outstanding teamwork amongst all those active in DVS; from Richard Kral and the RSVPs, to Carl Watters and the funding, to Ajit Ghorpade and the food and table settings, to the Gatekeepers and their careful gate keeping, to all of our guest societies and their tremendous representation and support. One person alone simply could not have accomplished this, as the clothespins to keep the tablecloths in place would surely have been forgotten!

DVS-AIChE would like to think that events such as "An Evening on the Battleship New Jersey" encourage individuals to attend future meetings, become a part of the DVS team, and perhaps grow to be leaders some day. At the very least, the Delaware Valley Section strives to provide an essential means of networking, career-pathing, and forming mutually beneficial relationships, and most importantly, friendships.

Philadelphia Skyline at sunset

Mr. & Mrs. Sam Speer - DVS Chair
Bill Youngblood - DVS Vice-Chair (Right)

Paul Brochu V.P./General Manager
Valero Paulsboro, NJ Refinery

Richard Kral - Program Chair (center back)
Bill Youngblood - DVS Vice-Chair (4th from Left)
Brenda Lando - Assistant Program Chair (3rd from Right)
And the guides from the Battleship New Jersey

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