Get involved in your community
Doug Smock, Editor-in-Chief -- Purchasing, 1/15/2004 2:00:00 AM
"Hey, do you have a Bunsen burner to spare?"
So starts another supplier call by Laura Dornbusch, the owner and president of Expo Chemical in Houston, Texas and the 2003 recipient of the Chemical Educational Foundation's Vanguard Award. The Vanguard, which I had the great pleasure to present last December, is arguably the most prestigious award in the chemical industry because it recognizes very important intangibles. It's meant to honor an individual who fosters a greater understanding of the science of chemistry, the benefits of chemicals and the importance of safety awareness.
Certainly those are values that all buyers must embrace as well as suppliers.
As a judge of this year's Vanguard, I was blown away by the munificence of some of the nominees. But the real measure of character is not money; it's heart. I had never heard of Laura before this year's judging process, but I thought she was a real winner, not because of all of the association offices she had held, but because of the time she gave to the community, particularly the schools in the Houston area.
"One of the reasons America has been great is that we have always been leaders in innovation," Laura told me. "And science is a big part of that."
She and her husband Elton, who founded Expo in 1975, have been on a mission to supply science labs with needed equipment and materials. She and Elton totally equipped one school's science lab and provides to others on an as-needed basis. She works up the supply chain to see who else can help, which is why her greeting may include a request for a Bunsen burner. She also makes available the staff of Expo Chemical, which a bit unusual as a distributor in that all sales reps are also chemists.
If you're interested in outreach, the Chemical Educational Foundation sells an inexpensive guide that offers ideas and examples at www.chemed.org.
NACDEF changes name, broadens scope
02/11/1998NACD announces this year's award winners
07/15/1998CEF announces Vanguard winners
02/10/1999CEF offers new guides
05/05/1999
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