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Anchorage Alumni enjoyed an evening get together in Anchorage at O'Malley's on August 26. Log on to see the pictures.
Thanks to Advancial, ACS and PRA Alaska for sponsoring the happy hour.
The Advancial door prizes are a tradition of the event, and this year, one prize was awarded to Harold Heinze.
Despite the challenges, we were able to host a safe get together
The past weeks in central Texas have been challenging for many, and for ARCO Alumnus Greg Beard and his Grace of Giving team, they have been able to weather a number of challenges - pun intended! "Our goal," explains Greg, "is to source food and personal items (e.g., toilet paper, toothpaste, shampoo) each month and deliver to partners in Texas but near the Texas/Mexico border. They then move as much as they can across the border to meet needs there. Our partners also help people in their local areas. We don’t really care where the food goes as long as the people that get it have a genuine need. Our ultimate purpose is to allow our partners to share the Gospel as they meet needs. But to emphasize, the only qualification for getting food from Grace of Giving is to need it."
Every penny we get goes to buy and deliver food. - Greg Beard
A Petroleum Engineer early in his career, Greg transitioned to natural gas marketing/commercialization for most of his tenure. He worked in Midland, Dallas, Plano, Tulsa, Los Angeles, London, Jakarta, and Dubai.
"In late 2003, I was spending a great deal of time in prayer asking God what He wanted me to do “post-ARCO”," shares Greg. "I remember reading in a book to “ take your passion and use it to glorify God and serve the Kingdom.” My passion was feeding people, so I bought 1000# of rice, made a couple of contacts in Del Rio and Fabens (near El Paso) through friends at church, and set off to meet them! The ministry has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, and now that I am fully retired, it is my primary occupation and joy!" This year, Greg and his wife Dara are celebrating their 18th year in operation. "Our priorities are to purchase food and to fund operating costs to deliver the food," said Greg. "The officers of Grace of Giving and those that assist us accept no compensation for our services.
Despite the madness of 2020, our organization missed only one month of deliveries to our ministry partners. We made eleven “western” trips (a western trip goes to Del Rio, Van Horn, and Fabens, with bi-monthly forays into El Paso, principally for pinto beans and toilet paper) and four trips (beginning in September) to our new partners at First Baptist Church in Brownsville. This month, with the severe cold and power outages, our team faced difficulties getting a food shipment on the road. Thankfully, my colleague, Gary Waller, was able to leave Clifton with a load of food for Del Rio, Van Horn, and Fabens. My wife and I will be taking a load of food the first week of March to Brownsville, where we have partnered with First Baptist Church to meet needs in that area."
We also have some specific recipients – two children’s homes in Mexico, a home for young, unwed mothers in Acuna and several ministries that feed hungry children in their area.
Despite the challenges in 2020, we delivered almost 91,000 pounds of food. - Greg Beard
"The need is greater now along the border, but paradoxically, our partners are finding it increasingly difficult to get food across the border on a regular basis. Border transit in both directions is difficult now with the COVID restrictions, so we actually expect to see our deliveries increase when border transits become easier. In the meantime, we move as much as we can and continue to look for new opportunities to establish partnerships along the border."
The last thing I want to emphasize is we have no overhead for staff or warehouse space, so every penny we get goes to buy food and provide for the means to deliver it. We buy all the food we deliver (regrettably, donated food is often out of date and unusable) and take only things we would serve on our own table. I am a very good customer of Sam’s Walmart, and HEB!
Our 2020 deliveries covered about 17,000 miles. - Greg Beard
In 2020, the Grace of Giving team delivered almost 91,000 pounds on these trips, consisting of: • ~19,000# of pinto beans • ~28,000# of rice • ~44,000# of sugar, flour, canned goods, personal items, and toilet paper "We don’t quite compete with the folks that drive 18 wheelers, but we meet these niche needs very well. We are also able to use our equipment efficiently. We are blessed by the generous support of many, and we pray simply that we would continue to be faithful servants in 2021," said Greg. To learn more, or to support Grace of Giving, contact Greg.
David Crowley and Frank Schuh
David M. Crowley, former ARCO Coal Engineering Dept Engineering VP, passed away this last weekend, following a fall and breaking a hip.
His family writes: "It is with great sadness to inform you that my father, David Crowley passed away on the morning of January 6th 2021 at the age of 89. He had fallen the previous Friday evening and broke his hip. Surgery was out of the question given his weak heart so we honored his wishes and brought him home. He spent his final days in his home surrounded by family and his beloved kitty cat. He had a great life and lived it to the fullest. Grave site service was held at St Helena's in Beaufort, South Carolina, Wednesday January 13th.
Frank Shuh passed away December 24, 2020. Frank spent his entire life dedicated to the betterment of the oil industry. He worked for ARCO Oil and Gas, and after his retirement in 1984, he founded Drilling Technology Inc. His many inventions included being a major contributor to horizontal drilling which changed the industry. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineers, and received awards from Ohio State, SPE, and AIME for his brilliance. Frank loved his family and enjoyed a summer family vacation every year. He also loved sailing, baseball coaching, scouting, and teaching CCD with his children. Later golf and the Dallas Cowboys became passions. Read his obituary
Janet and Troy Weiss were awarded the United Way of Anchorage de Tocqueville Society Community Service Award on June 11. The press release shares the couples' extraordinary commitment to their community over the years.
Unitd Way of Anchorage's President, Michelle Brown had this to say: “On reflection, though, it’s not the volume (high as it is) of Janet and Troy’s community work that is most noteworthy. It’s the quality of their engagement. They are as comfortable being a volunteer in the trenches pounding nails, as they are in a boardroom pounding out a 10-year action plan to improve graduation rates or a strategy to help more low-income families own their own homes.
“Whatever the role Janet and Troy are serving, they fill it genuinely, consistently, and authentically. When they walk shoulder to shoulder with you, it’s because they feel it and live it,” Brown added.
They are as comfortable being a volunteer in the trenches pounding nails as they are in a boardroom poindign out an action plan - Michelle Brown, United Way of Anchorage President
Janet was with ARCO from 1986-2000, and then worked for BP. She returned to Alaska from Houston and in 2013 she assumed the role of Regional President, BP Alaska. She will retire from BP when the sale of BP Alaska to Hilcorp is completed this year. Janet spent 25 of her 34 years in the industry working in Alaska.Whatever role Janet and Troy are serving, they fill it genuinely, consistently and authentically - Michelle Brown
Jim Johnstone retired from Contek & ERM on May 31, having spent 43 incredible years in the industry and working with hundreds of exceptional people.
"I leave Contek & ERM knowing that there are many talented people who will take the “reins” and create even more advanced solutions to the energy industry’s technical challenges," said Jim.
Jim started his career with ARCO Oil and Gas Company in Denver City, Texas following his graduation from Washington State University. "ARCO provided a wealth of opportunity enabling me to work in field operations, engineering and safety & environmental. During my 23 years with ARCO, I worked in nnie different locations. Besides giving me varied work experiences,I was blessed to know and work with hundreds of people all over the industry."
My network of friends and family helped to build Contek. It was most rewarding to see our younger employees grow professionally, start families and develop into keen, dedicated consultants - Jim Johnstone
Following the sale of ARCO in 2000, Jim worked for Mary Jane Wilson of WZI. "While at WZI, I truly learned the “business” of consulting with her mentorship, and in 2003, Georges Michaud and I formed Contek Solutions LLC," said Jim. "Contek was seemingly off to a slow start, but my network of industry friends and family started to kick in. Georges and I were able to build Contek with close to 50 employees. My chief personal goal was to make Contek a great place to work. Having a great place to work brought in top people, created a hospitable work environment and was naturally followed by clients wanting to use a great company of people. It was most rewarding to see our younger employees grow professionally, start families and develop into keen dedicated consultants that could handle any task. Contek was acquired by ERM in September of 2019."
ARCO provided a wealth of opportunity enabling me to work in field operations, engineering and safety & environmental - Jim Johnstone
A “Thank You” to those demanding bosses, work friends, clients who took a chance on me, professional societies who provided professional growth and mentoring; and of course my family for the past 43 years! Thanks to everyone for making my career so fulfilling and gratifying.
My wife Cindy and I will be splitting out time between fishing on Lake Fork, Texas and our home in Plano. Our future will also include a lot of traveling, time with the grandkids and enjoying God’s beautiful creation.
I thank everyone who made my career so fulfilling and gratifying - Jim Johnstone
