Five GM Engineers Receive 2007 Black Engineer of the Year Awards

DETROIT Mich - Five General Motors (GM) engineers will be recognized for their contributions as innovators and leaders as part of the upcoming 21st Annual Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference. The conference will be held at the Baltimore Convention Center in February 2007 during Black History Month.

The awards, sponsored by Lockheed Martin, the Council of Engineering Deans of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and US Black Engineer & Information Technology magazine, are given to several African-American engineers, scientists, executives and educators each year.

The GM recipients are:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Lewis Cole, Jr., vehicle line director, General Motors North America Product Development

Special Recognition Award: Renee Arrington-Johnson, lead engineer, General Motors North America Manufacturing Engineering

Modern-Day Technology Leaders Award: Terrence Southern, manufacturing engineer, General Motors North America Manufacturing Engineering; Lateisha Collier, service parts engineer, General Motors North America Service and Parts Operations; and Alex Shuler, process control manager, General Motors North America Manufacturing.

These distinguished winners are considered innovators who demonstrate commitment to engineering expertise, leadership and managerial savvy. They are also noted for their contributions as role models and mentors, helping to boost the minority presence in the technology enterprise.

For more than two decades, the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Conference has showcased the outstanding contributions of Blacks in the fields of engineering, technology and science. The conference is an opportunity to bring together award-winning engineers, scientists, executives and educators - the Best of the Best - in celebration both of the accomplishments of the Black pioneers who preceded them and of their own achievements, during Black History Month.