Former King County NAACP President Carl B. Mack Elected Clarkson University Trustee

Related Media

Carl B. Mack

POTSDAM, NY (04/13/2011)(readMedia)-- Carl B. Mack of Fort Washington, Md., executive director of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), has been elected to the Clarkson University board of trustees. He will serve on the finance and budget, research, and student affairs committees.

Mack is a graduate and distinguished engineering fellow of Mississippi State University, where he received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctor of science degree from Clarkson.

Mack has been executive director of NSBE, one of the nation's largest student-governed organizations, since 2005. In each of his first five years, the organization set records for membership, reaching 35,776 members in 2010, up from its previous high of 12,842 before his arrival.

"The students in Clarkson's NSBE Chapter are known for their progressive academic and technical work, program delivery and participation in competitions at the regional and national level. Carl Mack has been an inspiring leader, confidence builder and advocate for their continued success. As the Executive Director of an organization positioned to advance the global technology community and accelerate its diversity, Dr. Mack appreciates the work ethic of our students and the financial commitment made by research universities like Clarkson to ensure a rigorous education remains affordable and attainable for NSBE members to attend, graduate and make their mark on the world," said Clarkson President Tony Collins.

He has also been instrumental in increasing NSBE's financial resources to record highs: helping expand the organization's cash reserves from $3.5 million to $9 million; securing a largest-ever grant of $1 million from a NSBE sponsor; helping build NSBE's top-level sponsorship to record levels; bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars to strengthen NSBE's IT infrastructure; pushing attendance at NSBE's Annual Convention to nearly 10,000 attendees; and working with NSBE's National Executive Board to pay off the mortgage on NSBE's new world headquarters building, among other highlights.

His extraordinary leadership has led to an increase in visibility for NSBE, with appearances on CNN's Lou Dobbs Tonight and ABC's Good Morning America, and recognition in Ebony magazine as one of the Top 150 Black Leaders in America. In 2009, Adm. Gary Roughead, chief of naval operations, presented Mack with the National Naval Officers Association's top honor for work in the field of diversity: the Capt. Charles L. Tompkins Award.

Before joining NSBE, Mack worked as an engineer with the King County Metro transportation system in Seattle, Wash., and coordinated the county's award-winning Minority Engineering Internship Program.

He also served as president of the Seattle King County Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). During his tenure, the branch won the 2004 Class 1-A Thalheimer Award as the top branch in the country.

Because of his significant contributions in the arena of civil rights, Mack was listed as one of the 25 most influential people in the greater Seattle area. Upon his departure from the area, both the City of Seattle and the King County government designated Feb. 12, 2005 as Carl B. Mack Day.

Mack is a lifetime member of NSBE and a life member of the NAACP. He also sits on the minority advisory board of the Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University and on the board of directors of the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) Foundation.

Mack resides in Fort Washington, Md., with his wife, Jamiyo, and his sons, Joshua and Jonathan. His daughter, LaShaundra Johnson, resides in Jackson, Miss.

Clarkson University launches leaders into the global economy. One in six alumni already leads as a CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. Located just outside the Adirondack Park in Potsdam, N.Y., Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university for undergraduates with select graduate programs in signature areas of academic excellence directed toward the world's pressing issues. Through 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, sciences and health sciences, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and engineering innovation with enterprise.

[A photograph for media use is available at http://www.clarkson.edu/news/photos/cmack.jpg .]