Business Matters
Karin Hopkins
If Jamelle McDade could wave a magic wand, Tuskegee would instantly be transformed into a place where jobs were abundant, small businesses thrived, blighted neighborhoods were rehabbed and children could blossom to their full potential.
This is her vision for her hometown and it has become a full time commitment that now includes advocating for 100 DAYS OF T-100 SUPPORT.
Jamelle is a document control and training manager at SIO2 Medical Products, Inc. in Auburn. This company has expanded since its inception in 2011 into a pharmaceutical and bioscience leader; manufacturing vials, syringes, blood tubes and microplates to improve the delivery of medical services at laboratories and hospitals. As the company grows, so does Jamelle’s workload. Yet she also makes time for community service projects that benefit Tuskegee.
She designed t-shirts imprinted with the message “Be a Blessing” and sold them as a way to raise money that she donated to the City of Tuskegee Parks and Recreation Department. She created the T”US”KEGEE H.O.P.E. project (Hold Onto Positive Expectations) as a citizen-driven organization that works on revitalizing Tuskegee. Her latest project is a back-to-school effort that fuses her passion for community service with her dedication to business development. She chose Tiger Pause as the place where she will give away school supplies to encourage people to shop local. The school supplies will be distributed on August 5, 2017 from 2:00pm until 5:00pm.
On top of all this, Jamelle is posting on Facebook to spread the word about the T-100 project. She especially wants young people to be informed. She is shouting from her social media platform that this is the time to get prepared for the jobs that could become available in conjunction with the T-100 manufacturing plant. Jamelle and some of her classmates who graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 2003 are exploring other ways to reach children and young adults to let them know what is possibly on the horizon. She says, “We don’t want a situation where all those jobs are filled by people from outside of Tuskegee. As a community, we need to be getting ready now to make sure that no one is left behind.”
Jamelle is using her voice, connections and resources to generate awareness about the T-100 project, which is something that each of us can do.
If you decide to participate in 100 DAYS OF T-100 SUPPORT, please e-mail airmenlegacy@gmail.com so that we can acknowledge you on the Website, www.airmenlegacy.com. And if you host a T-100 event, you could be on television. To request media coverage contact Tuskegee Virtual at least one week before the event. Patrick Wallace can be reached at 334.339.1201 or rastaman5353@hotmail.com.
As we wait for the U.S. Air Force to announce a decision about the T-100, the pause is a window of opportunity. For 100 days beginning July 31, 2017 the T-100 will be a focal point of community attention. This is most assuredly true for Jamelle McDade, other community service activists and the many stakeholders who are involved with BUSINESS MATTERS.
