In 2006, the Board of Directors of the Energy Telecommunications & Electrical Association (ENTELEC; www.entelec.org) established the Wayne V. Black Scholarship Award. It was with great sadness that in the fall of 2011, ENTELEC mourned the loss of Mr. Black. The scholarship has been renamed the “Wayne V. Black Memorial Scholarship Award”.

Mr. Black, a former partner in the Washington, D.C. law firm of Keller and Heckman llp, graduated from the University of Missouri in 1959.  He began his career at the firm as a Federal Communications Commission licensing specialist, before receiving his law degree from the George Washington University and becoming an attorney in 1964.

From 1964 until his retirement in 2007, Mr. Black represented oil and gas companies, electric utilities and others before the FCC and elsewhere on a wide variety of telecommunications matters.  Among other things, he assisted countless energy companies in securing radio authorizations and waivers, participating in FCC rulemaking proceedings, and representing their interests before the Commission, the courts and the United States Congress.  He had served as General Counsel of ENTELEC since the 1970s.

In recognition of his many years of service on behalf of ENTELEC, the Board of Directors determined to establish a lasting tribute to Mr. Black with the creation of the annual scholarship in his name.

HISTORY OF WAYNE V. BLACK:

The Wayne V. Black Memorial Scholarship Award is named after one of the most important contributors to the ENTELEC community in our association’s history.

Mr. Black served as General Counsel of ENTELEC starting in the 1970s and continued to contribute until his retirement in 2007. Mr. Black’s legacy carries on through the educational award given annually to a recipient who embodies his passion for the industry:

  • 1959: Mr. Black graduated from the University of Missouri.
  • 1964: Mr. Black received his law degree from George Washington University after starting his career at Keller and Heckman LLP as a Federal Communications Commission licensing specialist.
  • 1960s: Mr. Black represented oil & gas companies, electric utilities and other companies on telecommunications matters before the FCC.
  • 1960s: Mr. Black helped energy companies secure radio authorizations and waivers, participated in FCC rulemaking proceedings, and represented energy companies before U.S. Congress.
  • 1970s onward: Mr. Black served as General Counsel of ENTELEC.
  • 2006: ENTELEC Board established the Wayne V. Black Scholarship Award.
  • 2007: Mr. Black retired from the industry after more than 40 years of active involvement representing oil & gas, electric, and telecommunication companies.
  • 2011: ENTELEC mourned the loss of Mr. Black and renamed the award the “Wayne V. Black Memorial Scholarship Award.”
  • 2022: The ENTELEC Board voted to turn our “Wayne V. Black Memorial Scholarship Award” into an Endowed Scholarship for the Edward E. Whitacre Jr. College of Engineering at Texas Tech University.

LIST OF PAST WINNERS:

  • 2022    No Scholarship Awarded
  • 2021    Joseph Kawiecki, Purdue University (Mechanical Engineering)
  • 2020   No Scholarship Awarded
  • 2019    Rylie MacLaughlin, Colorado State University (Political Science)
  • 2018    Reeda Hanif, Quinnipiac University (Computer Science / Biology)
  • 2017    Daniel Speer, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Mechanical Engineering)
  • 2016    Grace Kim, United States Naval Academy (Nuclear Engineering)
  • 2015    Joshua Bowman, Penn State University (Nuclear/Mechanical Engineering)
  • 2014    John T. Peters, Lincoln Land Community College (Electrical Engineering)
  • 2013    Baui Senkfor, Northwestern University (Chemical Engineering)
  • 2012    Bradley Robinson, Tulane University (Applied Computing Systems & Tech)
  • 2011    Jose Vivas, Florida International University (Engineering Major)
  • 2010    Sarah Fogle, University of Colorado (Information Tech. at Colorado Springs)
  • 2009    Gretchen Heberling, University of Wyoming (Engineering)
  • 2008    Richard Negri, Morgan State University (Civil Engineering)
  • 2007    Ambrel Mitchell, Southern Methodist University (Engineering)