DAPCEP Executive Director receives Community Service Award from Ford-employees African-Ancestry Ne

Feb. 23, 2012 - PRLog -- Since its inception in 1976, the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program (DAPCEP) has impacted the lives of more than 150,000 youth. On Friday, February 24, DAPCEP executive director Jason Lee will receive the 2012 Community Service Award from the Ford-employees African-Ancestry Network (FAAN) during its 31st Annual Black History Month program.

DAPCEP is a Detroit-based non-profit that provides state-of-the-art science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programming to under-represented metropolitan Detroit youth in kindergarten through 12th grades. Along with its corporate and eight Michigan university partners, DAPCEP serves more than 4,000 students each year at no cost to its students.  Ford Motor Company has been a key DAPCEP partner for more than 30 years.

A native of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, Lee joined DAPCEP as executive director in 2004 as part of Ford Motor Company’s executive loan program. He provided needed leadership in the organization after the retirement of its founder Kenneth Hill, a Detroit Public Schools employee. At the completion of his assignment in 2007, Lee chose to remain with DAPCEP, becoming the first executive director employed by the non-profit.

“Ford Motor Company realized that the spark that creates an engineer isn’t created overnight; it is developed at an early age through great experiences, motivation and programming,” said Lee. “We appreciate the recognition and continued partnership of Ford as we work with Detroit-area young people.

Lee, a Robert and Jane Meyerhhoff Scholar from the University of Maryland Baltimore County, has multiple engineering degrees in Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, including two graduate degrees from the University of Michigan Ann Arbor where he was a National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science, Inc (GEM) Fellow, Rackham Merit Fellow and Tauber Manufacturing Institute Fellow. Prior to his position at DAPCEP, Lee was an engineer in Ford’s Manufacturing and Product Development divisions.

"DAPCEP has played a critical role in our community, ensuring our youth have access to the skills they require to compete locally, national and globally," said Bennie Fowler, Ford Group Vice President, Global Quality and New Model Launches and President of FAAN. "Ford has a longstanding relationship with DAPCEP, supporting and admiring the work done by this organization to help turn today’s student into tomorrow’s leader. We are extremely glad to offer this year’s Community Service Award to Mr. Jason Lee and DAPCEP."

Ford Motor Company is proud to call the Ford-employees African-American Network (FAAN) its first employee resource group.  FAAN was founded on principles that laid the groundwork for its members to benefit from premier leadership development, an established network, and an open forum for identifying issues and promoting diversity.

For Jason Lee, the FAAN recognition also is a personal matter.

“I am humbled by this recognition,” he said. “Ford was the reason I stayed in Michigan after receiving my graduate degrees from the University of Michigan. Ford believed in my abilities and gave me the opportunity to serve as the executive director of this wonderful organization.”

National broadcast journalist Ed Gordon will host the 31st Annual Black History Month celebration. Also receiving awards during the program will be comedian and radio host Steve Harvey and Dr. Herbert Smitherman, both Heritage Awardees.

The event is 6 p.m. Friday, February 24, 2012 at the Henry Hotel (formerly the Ritz Carlton), Fairlane Plaza, 300 Town Center Drive, Dearborn, Michigan.  

For more information about DAPCEP, visit the website at www.dapcep.org. For more information about the Ford-employees African-Ancestry Network, contact Kimberly Harris at (313) 845-5167, email to kharry1@ford.com.

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DAPCEP is the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program, an educational non-profit organization that provides state-of-the-art science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programming to underrepresented youth in kindergarten through 12 grade in metropolitan Detroit.