The Benchmark

e
h
T
Benchmark
SPECIAL
POINTS OF
INTEREST:

V O L U M E
Sarah Wagner
Participates on
Engineering
Industry Panel

Keith Carmon’s Trip
to the Amazon

Have You Met a
Famous Person?

Jason Rheams’ Trip
to Costa Rica

David Jones’ Son
Achieves Eagle Scout

Brandy Aucoin,
Bodybuilding
Champion
INSIDE THIS
ISSUE:
Safety Corner
5
Company
Holidays
8
Human
Resources
Presents...
10
Faces & Places 14
2 ,
I S S U E
4
O C T O B E R ,
2 0 1 5
William Brookshire Scholarship at LSU Honors
Students Balancing Work, School
William A. Brookshire only
visited the LSU Student Union
once when he was enrolled
as a graduate student. He’s
quick to explain that trip was
only made because “Hatcher
Hall was closed, and I
couldn’t get coffee.”
Brookshire, the co-founder
and chairman of the board of
S & B Engineers and
Constructors, was all work
and little play when he was in
school. Now, he’s giving back
to the students who share his
values.
More than 70 students in the
College of Engineering were
honored with the William
Brookshire Scholarship in
Engineering this academic
year, and on March 26, 2015,
they had the chance to meet
and dine with the man who
has helped fund their
education. The
scholarship, which has
been in place since 2010,
is given to full-time
undergraduate students
who have a combined
work and course work
schedule of more than 30
hours per week.
graduate experience
balancing work and school. “I
want to help the kids who are
trying to help themselves.”
Brookshire began his
undergraduate studies at a
junior college before
transferring to the University
of Houston. His father had
enough war bonds to pay for
one semester, he said, but
after that, he was tasked with
funding his own education.
To makes ends meet, he held
a variety of jobs, working as a
lab technician, an
electrician and the like, and
he took classes at night.
He graduated from the
University of Houston in 1957
with a bachelor’s degree in
chemical engineering. He
then enrolled in graduate
school at LSU, where he
earned his master’s in science
in 1959 and his Ph.D. in
chemical engineering in 1961.
After six years working as a
process engineering
supervisor for Exxon
Corporation in Houston, he
invested $10,000—his life
savings of $7,000 and an
additional $3,000 he
borrowed—and created S & B
Engineers and Constructors
with business partner James
Slaughter, Sr. That small
company of two employees
has since grown to include
more than 7,500 employees
globally.
Continued on Page 2
“My focus is on the kids
that are working their
way through school,”
Brookshire said,
reflecting on his own
undergraduate and
Dr. Brookshire, center, with scholarship recipients
PAGE
2
Dr. Brookshire, cont...
“Dr. Brookshire worked
hard, and he knows what
that can mean for you if
you do the same,” Richard
Koubek, Dean of the
College of Engineering,
told the students at the
ceremony. “Look at what
he’s accomplished. It’s
remarkable to me. When I
first met him, I deeply
respected him, and now I
have to say that I deeply
admire him.”
Brandon Travis,
mechanical engineering
senior and scholarship
recipient, also expressed
“I was honored to
be asked to
participate on this
industry panel,”
said Sarah.
FB&D
Project
Manager,
Sarah
Wagner
his gratitude. He was
one of two students who
made a presentation at
the ceremony.
“As a student, husband,
father and member of
society who holds a
full-time course schedule
and works up to 40 hours
a week, I find each day
holds new experiences
and challenges,” Travis
said, detailing his rural
upbringing and financial
hardships. “Dr.
Brookshire, words cannot
express how grateful I am
that you provide this
scholarship to engineering
students … Your selfless
sponsorship of our
education, which grants
us the opportunity to
passionately continue in
our career development,
is now a special part of
each of our stories.”
Reprinted with permission
from LSU’s College of
Engineering
Sarah Wagner Participates on Engineering Industry Panel
Sarah Wagner, Project
Manager in Baton Rouge,
participated in Louisiana
State University's (LSU)
second annual
"Engineering Transfer
Career Day" on August 31,
2015, on LSU's campus in
Baton Rouge. The purpose
of the day was to
introduce new
engineering
students, who
transferred to
LSU from
another school,
to connect with
each other, to
inform them
about possible
career paths,
and to
encourage them
to get involved on
campus.
Part of the program
included a panel of local
engineering professionals,
represented from all
disciplines. Members of
the panel had the
opportunity to spend time
with the 22 transfer
students, by answering
questions about their
particular engineering
field, and discuss
real-world scenarios.
"I was honored to be
asked to participate on
this industry panel," said
Sarah. "The students and I
had great discussions on
what an engineer does on
a daily basis, the types of
THE
engineering careers
available, and we even
discussed how to get
hired."
Sarah said that the school
received positive feedback
from the students about
the day. "The students
informed the school how
much they enjoyed
meeting other transfer
students, and really liked
getting to speak with
local industry
professionals. They would
definitely recommend this
event to future students,
and I would love to be
invited back as a panelist."
BENCHMARK
VOLUME
2,
ISSUE
4
PAGE
3
On-Site Team Receives Safety Award
Caption
describing
picture or
graphic.
FB&D employees working On-Site in
Norco, LA, received a "Safety Excellence"
award from the client, in recognition of
their outstanding safety performance in
2014, (25,000+hours).
Representatives from the FB&D On-Site team include, from left to right, Duke Dukaric;
Tom McLaughlin, Matthew Romero, Jorge Guiterrez; Ray Day; Della Stieffel; Wanda Cambre;
Vince Currier; Jesse Rodrigue; Mark Weber; Dirk Webre; and Sammy LaBauve.
Business Enterprise Founder Celebrates 80th Birthday
Employees of S&B Engineers
and Constructors, and FB&D
President, Rick Moore,
gathered in the Business
Development conference room
at S&B's headquarters in
Houston, TX, on August 5,
2015, to celebrate the 80th
birthday of Dr. W.A.
Brookshire, co-founder and
chairman of the board.
him in 2001 to establish the W.A.
Brookshire Foundation, which
awards scholarships to full-time
undergraduate students who
have a combined work, and
course work schedule, of more
than 30 hours per week. For the
2015-2016 school year, the
foundation has awarded more
than 177 scholarships, ranging
from $3,000 to $15,000.
Dr. Brookshire, who is
affectionately known to all
employees, as "Dr. B", keeps
regular office hours in the
Houston office, attending
meetings and overseeing the
business enterprise he
co-founded with J.G. Slaughter,
Sr., in 1967.
His birthday was celebrated with
family, which included having a
nice meal of Osso Buco, cooked
by his son Brook. After having a
piece of chocolate cake at his
birthday gathering, he probably
mumbled what employees
frequently hear him say leaving
the coffee area - "Going back to
my assigned area."
Dr. Brookshire's value of
pursuing an education, and a
strong work ethic, motivated
FB&D President, Rick Moore, stands
next to Dr. W.A. Brookshire,
Co-founder and Chairman of the
Board for S&B Engineers &
Constructors
PAGE
4
Keith Carmon’s Mission Trip to the Amazon
These days, the word "Amazon" is synonymous
with an online retail store, where you can order
just about anything on the planet, and have it
delivered to your doorstep overnight. Keith
Carmon, Systems Administrator in Baton Rouge,
experienced the word Amazon in its truest
form on a boat in Brazil; meeting people who live
in villages along the banks of the Amazon River,
the largest river in the world in volume of water
carried.
"Our motto on the trip was to be flexible,
because we never knew what the day would
bring," said Keith.
Picture of the group who traveled to the Amazon
From July 15-24, 2015, Keith, along with 32 other people, which included doctors and dentists,
traveled from Dallas, TX , to Manaus, Brazil, on a mission trip with a goal to meet the physical and
spiritual needs of the people of the Amazon.
"Each person in our group had two 75lb. bags of donated items, which included clothes, toothbrushes,
utensils and fishing supplies," said Keith. "The people of the villages really
got excited about the fishing supplies."
Upon arriving in Manaus, the group boarded an open air boat that was three
decks tall, and about 100 feet long. This boat was their home for the
duration of the trip. "We had a full kitchen, a pharmacy and showers on the
boat, " said Keith. "We ate on the top deck, which gave us a great view of the
river, and we slept in hammocks."
The team’s home
on the
Amazon River
The boat ride to the five villages they visited took two full days in travel time
to get there. Once they arrived at the poverty stricken villages, the doctors
and dentists treated the villagers in accordance to their medical needs,
providing eye exams, dental exams, and medicine. Others distributed much
needed goods, and taught bible school to the children, as well as conducted
men and women ministries.
"We felt very welcome at all of the villages. The
men on our team enjoyed playing soccer with
the young boys there, and the ladies on our team
really bonded with the village girls by styling
their hair and painting their nails," said Keith.
This was Keith's ninth trip to the Amazon.
"Beautiful country, beautiful people," he said.
Team members sorting
through donated items
THE
BENCHMARK
P A G E
Safety
Corner
“What 3 parts of FB&D’s Safety
Culture are represented by a
washer?”
1. It looks like the number Zero
2. It is continuous
3. It applies even and distributed pressure
SAFETY at FB&D is not a
priority…
Priorities change
Safety at FB&D is a
VALUE
Values never change
FB&D INFORMATION HOTLINE: 866-832-7189
5
PAGE
Ronnie Carlis, Sr. Lead Instrument
Designer in our New Orleans office, is
pictured on the left with New Orleans
Saints Linebacker, Vaughan Johnson.
Shane Martin (gray shirt) and Marshall
Dantin, Electrical Engineers in Baton
Rouge, are seen here in Las Vegas with
Pete Rose, former Major League
Baseball player and Manager.
Paul Christopher, P.E., left, is
pictured with U.S. Congressman,
Trey Gowdy, who represents the
4th District of South Carolina.
Paul is a Civil/Structural Engineer
in our Greenville office.
6
PAGE
Have You Met a Famous Person, cont...
Manager of Projects in Baton Rouge,
Don Phillips, met country music singer,
Keith Urban, at the Jazz Fest in
New Orleans, in April, 2015.
FB&D Safety/Security Manager, Keith Sliman, appeared in
a couple of "Clean Team" Anti-Littering television
commercials in 1985 with a few well known people. Keith
is pictured on the left in the orange life jacket. He
portrayed the "litterbug". The "Clean Team" included;
from top left, Hokie Gajan, former LSU and New Orleans
Saints Running Back; Grits Gresham, Sports Writer and the
host of ABC's "The American Sportsman" from 1966
through 1979; and Tommy Casanova, LSU and Cincinnati
Bengals Defensive Back. On the bottom row, left, is
CC Lockwood, Nature and Wildlife photographer;
and Bert Jones, LSU, Baltimore Colts
and Los Angeles Rams Quarterback.
Cheryl Landry, Civil/Structural Designer
in New Orleans, is pictured with
singer-songwriter Rod Stewart.
Marketing Assistant in Baton Rouge, Deana Coreil is seen
here, on the left, with Jay Ducote, and on the right with
Jesse Romero. Jay is a Baton Rouge food blogger, and
media personality, who competed on Food Network's
"Next Food Network Star" television show.
Jesse competed on the Fox Network's
television series "Master Chef".
Civil/Structural Engineer in Baton Rouge,
Jarred “Kowboy” Reynolds, had the
opportunity to meet Bigfoot, a large, hairy,
muscular, ape-like being, also known as
Sasquatch. Jarred is the first known person in
the world who has taken a picture with the
creature. As you can see, he dressed up
for the occasion.
7
Have You Met a Famous Person, cont...
Vice President of Business Development in Baton Rouge,
Jim Horton, is seen with Sean Payton,
Head Football Coach for the New Orleans Saints.
PAGE
Laura Wirth, Sr. Instrumentation Specialist in Baton Rouge, has
attended live shows, Meet & Greets, hosted a CD release party at her
home, and has even been "tour mom" over the years for
various metal rock bands.
8
VOLUME
2,
ISSUE
4
PAGE
Baton Rouge Employee's International Model Son
Picture this. It's a hot summer
day in New Orleans, LA. You are
a 23 year old man on active
duty with the Air Force, working
on the recovery efforts from
Hurricane Katrina. Like any
other day, you are loading
cases of bottled water into a
Humvee to take to one of the
many relief stations around the
city. When out of nowhere, a
black stretch limousine pulls up
to you, and a talent scout from
one of the largest and most
successful modeling agencies in
the world, Wilhelmina Models,
hands you his business card,
and tells you to contact him
because you have the "look"
the agency longs for. And you
thought it was just going to be
another normal day.
This is no fairytale. It actually
happened to Brad Alphonso,
son of FB&D Sr. Piping Designer
in Baton Rouge, David
Alphonso.
"Brad called me the day this
happened because he was very
skeptical. The agency scout told
him that Wilhelmina would like
to sign him, but first they'd like
to send him to Las Vegas to a
talent competition," said David.
Brad was in the Air Guard
studying at LSU, when he was
called to active duty after the
hurricane, where he rescued
many people by helicopter off
of rooftops. He had less than a
month of duty left when the
agency scout approached him.
His plans were to return to LSU,
but instead he found himself at
a huge talent/model search
event, where he won every
category, and was signed by
Wilhelmina immediately.
"We couldn't believe he won in
all 16 categories," said David.
"My son had no modeling or
acting experience, yet he beat
out 3,500 guys in the modeling
competition alone."
Next stop for Brad was
Los Angeles. Because he lacked
experience, he was sent on
modeling assignments for retail
stores like JC Penny and Macy's.
After only three weeks of
modeling, Brad appeared on
the cover of Glamour Magazine
with singer Katy Perry, which
catapulted his career.
"He worked very hard, and
after six months, he was
sent to Paris to appear in
advertisements for Versace,
Dolce & Gabbana and other
European labels," said
David. Many people in the
industry started to take
notice. He was even cast in
two of Madonna's music
videos.
His dad says his
friends back
home thought
it was cool
seeing him on
the cover of
magazines, but
in their minds,
he really made
it when he
appeared on
billboards for
Budweiser.
"The billboards
were placed
outside of
every major
stadium in the United States,"
said David.
Brad's family and friends still
can't believe he's an
international supermodel . "It's
weird," said David. "We never
get used to seeing him on
magazine covers. Fame has not
changed him. He's still the same
guy who played football in high
school, who can't wait to come
home to hang out with his
family and friends."
9
P A G E
Human Resources Presents...
Flex spending account
Health savings account
For 2016
In mid-to-late November, 2015, Human Resources will send out information for the 2016
Flex Spending Account (FSA) /Health Savings Account (HSA) programs.
This information is NOT intended to be tax advice.
Please consult with your tax advisor for what is best for you.
FSA
All benefited employees who have completed 6 months of continuous service, will be eligible to join FSA. It is not mandatory
to be enrolled in an FB&D insurance plan in order to participate in an FSA. Employees who are not yet eligible, have 30 days to
enroll from their 6-month anniversary date.
FSA - Part A
Under Part A – Medical, you may elect to participate by authorizing up to $2,500 in payroll deductions of FSA “pre-tax” dollars
to pay for health expenses not covered under your existing plan. For example, you can pay the “deductible” amount of your
medical coverage, medical and drug co-pays, plus dental, vision, hearing and other eligible expenses with “pre-tax” dollars.
FSA-Part B
Under Part B - Child Care/Dependent Adult Care of the program, you may allocate up to $5,000, (certain conditions apply, see
enrollment form or ask your tax advisor) per year, in payroll deductions from your pre-taxed pay, for childcare, for children
less than 13 years of age, and IRS dependent adult care expenses. This program is a tax break for you sponsored by the
Company, and allowed under Section 125 of the IRS Code.
Note: Child care expenses are eligible only if your spouse is attending school, or working.
Remember, if you will be utilizing an employer sponsored HSA, or private source, you are only eligible for the
FSA – Dependent Care (Part B). You may NOT have an HSA in combination with an FSA – Health Care (Part A). Please “Waive”
participation on the FSA enrollment form.
Employees that have elected the FB&D High Deductible Health Plan, may be eligible to participate in the HSA. The Co-pay
plans are NOT eligible by IRS rules.
HSA
To enroll in an HSA, you must meet the following requirements:
 You must be enrolled in an FB&D high-deductible medical plan.
 You must have a Health Savings Account with Optum Bank (applications available from Human Resources).
 You cannot be covered by another medical plan (you can’t be a dependent on anyone else’s plan, e.g.,
spouse’s medical plan).
 You may not be entitled to Medicare benefits.
 You may not be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return.
 You may not be enrolled in FSA Part A (Medical).
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