Ms. Sonja Hines
President of H&S Resources Corporation
Sonja Hines is President and an Owner of H&S Resources Corporation (H&S), a SBA certified 8(a) minority owned business incorporated in 2006. The company provides comprehensive technical support in the areas of facility operations and maintenance services such as planning, consulting, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, electrical, preventive maintenance, and other facility engineering services for federal government agencies and commercial businesses. Headquartered in Columbia, MD, the company has several offices established throughout the U.S.
As President of H&S, Ms. Hines leads all aspects of the company and sets its vision and strategic direction. Her responsibilities include the management and operation of all contracts, business development, marketing, reconciliation of all financial accounts, and providing direction to staff members. Through the direct efforts of Ms. Hines, H&S’ received its Small Business Administration (SBA) designation as a certified 8(a) minority-owned business in 2007. H&S possesses a growing portfolio of multi-million dollar contracts with various installations within the Department of Navy and the Department of Army.
Ms. Hines possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Technology with a concentration in Occupational Safety & Health from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (NCA&TSU) and a Master of Science degree in Safety & Systems Management –School of Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC). From 1993 to 1996 Ms. Hines worked at Sandia National Laboratories as a Safety Engineer. While there she developed and implemented general safety programs and provided consultation in construction safety through reviewing and approving construction safety plans, and monitored construction projects, and helped revise the Construction Safety Manual.
Prior to founding H&S, Ms. Hines excelled in various safety engineering capacities where she honed the skills and expertise needed to successfully build her enterprise. In 2007, she was responsible for the safety hazard program development and safety hazard mitigation support for over 400 employees on the Multi-disciplinary Engineering and Technology Services (METS) and the Mechanical Systems Engineering Services (MSES II/A) program contracts at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. These contracts were valued at $750 MM and provided engineering and related services to the Mechanical Systems Division, Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate and related organizations throughout Goddard Space Flight Center, as required, for the formulation, design, development, fabrication, non-flight fabrication, integration, testing, verification, and operations of space flight and ground system hardware and software, including development and validation of new technologies to enable future space and science mission.
In 2004, Ms. Hines worked for LB&B Associates as a federal government contractor, where she held two key positions. First as the Safety/Quality Control Administrator at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and at the Naval District Washington Project as the Quality Control/Safety Manager. In both positions she planned, directed, and coordinated safety program implementation.
In 2002, Ms. Hines worked for Horne Engineering Services, Inc. at Aberdeen Proving Ground-Edgewood, Maryland as the Environmental Safety and Health Specialist/Advisor. She monitored and evaluated work practices utilized by contractors/subcontractors to ascertain compliance with ES&H local, state, and federal regulations for the US Army Demilitarization Site to destroy United States Mustard Agent Stockpile. From 2000 to 2002 Ms. Hines worked as a Safety & Environmental Affairs Professional for Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. While there she was responsible for the planning, organizing, execution, and quality of various occupational safety, industrial hygiene, and environmental protection programs.
Ms. Hines was recently lauded by SmartCEO Magazine with the 2015 Future 50 Award, a distinguished honor among top female CEOs that exemplify outstanding business and community leadership acumen. She received the 2014 Enterprising Women Award from Enterprising Women Magazine and her company is listed as one of the Top 100 Minority Business Enterprises within the region. The Baltimore Sun also listed her as one of 50 Women to Watch. She is a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO) – Baltimore Chapter. Ms. Hines is also in various professional associations including Women In Defense, the International Facility Management Association, and the National Facilities Management & Technology Association. Additionally, she is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Club Dejouir-Washington, D.C. Chapter.
Mr. Elijah Thorne
Owner of Grayhound Trash Removal, Inc.
A&T alumni Elijah W. Thorne ’64 is an excellent model of good will and thoughtful reflection, innate sensitivities that are the roots of philanthropy.
In 2004, He and his wife lived up to what they believe is their responsibility. They gave the University an outright gift of $100, 000. Their generous gift represented the first time in A&T’s history that living alumni made an outright gift of cash at this level. The Thorne’s gift is not from inherited money but profits from their company, Grayhound Trash Removal, Inc. (named after the fleet dog and fleet of buses known for speed), started in 1968 by Elijah. Headquartered in Upper Marlboro, Md., Grayhound Trash Removal employs about 19 people and provides refuse collection/recycling, street sweeping, and equipment leasing (rental/leasing of portable toilets) services for universities, governmental agencies and private enterprises. Elijah Thorne has received several awards for recycling, recognized for significant service to A&T’s School of Technology and in 1994 received the Outstanding Alumnus Award.
Elijah believes in “causes” and A&T. He and his wife are always involved in some type of activity with the Washington D.C. Alumni Association to support the University and, consequently, were quick to respond to Chancellor James C. Renick’s request to co-chair the February One Monument Campaign with James F. Garrett ’64. Moreover, they protested with the A&T Four and believed that because of their vision and courage, they changed the face of civil rights, paving the way for their (Thornes) success as business owners.
Source: www.ncat.edu
Image by GreenStar from Pixabay
