North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University students defended their ideas on how to keep the campus "green" at the Third Lloyd Trotter EcoMagination Competition sponsored by General Electric (GE).

The competition, held on N.C. A&T's campus, was comprised of three teams, Team EXCEL, Team QS', and Team Twenty-Eleven. Dr. Janice G. Brewington, provost and vice chancellor of Academic Affairs and other faculty members from the School and Business and the College of Engineering were in attendance.

Brandon D. Ball, ‘06 alumnus, pf Industrial and Systems Engr (ISE) Dept., Hitachi Nuclear Energy, Wilmington, N.C. served as the master of ceremony.

First place winners were Team EXCEL which included: Edward Johnson (leader) and Lawrence Locke (finance major); Joey Marsh (accounting major); Osco Gardin (manufacturing systems major) and William Gee (electrical engineer major). Each team member received a $500 Book Award, $100 American Express Gift Card, a plaque, and a General Electric giveaway bag.

Second place winners were Team QS'. Members were: Demetrius Samuel and Rikki Vinson (leader), (ISE major); Ngozi Opara (finance major); Brandee Reed (business major); and Jonathan Eli Alford (chemical engineering). Each second place winner received a $250 Book Award, $50 American Express Gift Card, a plaque, and a GE giveaway bag.

Team Twenty-Eleven came in third place. Members included: Jordan Ortiz and Kenneth Ochoa (mechanical engineering majors); Maurice McKoy (leader and transportation major); Shavon Moore and Tierra Jones (economic majors). Each team member received a $25 American Express Gift Card, a plaque, and a GE giveaway bag.

Lloyd Trotter received an honorary doctorate in 2006 from A&T. He is also the founder of the competition, chairman of GE and vice president and CEO of GE Industrial. GE is an active partner at A&T. Nationally, GE has taken a positive stand through outreach in the local communities. In the past they have played a key role in providing internships/co-ops for students, and have hired a large number of graduates as well. In the area of student development, GE stands out because they continue to groom students for success and lead by example. During the last two years, GE has sponsored the Lloyd Trotter Competition for the School of Business students.

Competition judges were: Greg D. Talley (A&T alum), GE Energy, Aero Energy Services, Cincinnati, OH, Lori Hess, GE Corporate, Fairfield, CT, Patrick G. McElhaney, GE Consumer and Industrial, Louisville, KY, Tryone DeNeal, GE Energy, Atlanta, GA, and Tyrone Jeffers (A&T alum), GE Consumer and Industrial, Mebane, NC. The event was coordinated in conjunction with Dr. Alonzo Redmon, Business School and Ms. Elaine Vinson, ISE Dept. / College of Engineering and GE personnel, namely, Lateef Winston, ‘00 ISE Alumnus, GE Aviation, Cincinnati, OH, Jennifer McGee, Healthcare, Piscataway, NJ, and Tenee Winstead, GE Energy, Atlanta, GA.