About AABE-SJC

AABE is a national association of energy professionals founded and dedicated to ensuring African Americans and other minorities have input into the development of energy policy regulations, R&D technologies, and environmental issues. The purposes of AABE is the following:

To serve as a resource for policy discussion of the economic, social, and political impact of environmental and energy policies on African Americans and other minorities.

To ensure involvement of minorities in governmental energy policy-making by recommending capable, sensitive and informed personnel to appropriate officials.

To encourage both the public and private sectors to be responsive to the problems, goals and aspirations of minorities in energy-related fields.

To encourage minority students to pursue careers in energy-related fields and to provide scholarships and their financial aid for such students.

As part of its mission, the South Jersey Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE-SJC) focuses on scholarships, mentoring, educational awareness, community service and networking. AABE-SJ has nearly 50 active members comprised of individuals from local energy companies, including South Jersey Industries, American Water and Atlantic City Electric.

Each year, AABE-SJC hosts it annual Golf Scholarship Event where the organization raises scholarship funds to support local, high-achieving high school seniors entering college and majoring in science, technology, engineering or math. In continuation with AABE-SJC’s commitment to advancing energy awareness, the organization hosted the inaugural South Jersey Youth Energy Conference at Atlantic County Institute of Technology (ACIT) in November 2017. Students from ACIT, Pleasantville High School, Atlantic City High School and LEAP Academy learned about careers in energy that don’t require a college degree, barriers to entry in the energy field and participated in interactive demonstrations led by utility employees from South Jersey Gas, Atlantic City Electric and Utiliquest.

AABE-SJC is dedicated to enriching its community and throughout the year has supported the community through involvement with Cathedral Kitchen, the Camden County Women’s Shelter, Dreams of Tomorrow, Inc., the Community Food Bank of NJ and other local organizations.

History of the American Association of Blacks in Energy

Executive Board

Lisa Cottman

President

Jerry Cephas

Vice President

Nikki Charles

Treasurer

Donyale Loveland

Historian

Christina Teel

Corresponding Secretary

Van McPherson III, Esq.

Chapter Counsel

Leonard Brinson Jr.

Executive Sponsor for SJI

Will Smith

Executive Sponsor for SJI 2024

To learn more, visit AABE’s national website here.