Shell Deer Park in the Community

Shell Donates $100K to the City of Deer Park for Gateway Project

Shell Deer Park GM, Mark Byrd, presented Mayor Riddle with the donation at a June City Council meeting

At a recent City Council meeting, Shell Deer Park made a special contribution of $100,000 to the City of Deer Park for its Gateway Project.

The Gateway Project refers to the construction of commemorative monuments and towers at the intersection of Highway 225 and Center Street. The design will conform to the standards of the San Jacinto Texas Historic District and reflect the important historical legacy of this area known as "Birthplace of Texas".  The project is viewed as natural extension of the mural tank art that Shell sponsored several years ago as part of an initiative known as 'Project Stars' commissioned by the Economic Alliance.

Co-funded by Corporate Social Investment and Deer Park, Shell emerged as the first industrial sponsor to provide financial backing for Phase I of the Gateway Project.  During General Manager Mark Byrd’s presentation to Mayor Wayne Riddle, he remarked that Shell “recognized the Gateway Project was not only a way to help beautify our community, but more importantly, a way for us to be woven into the fabric of the city in a truly meaningful and lasting way.”

Shell Deer Park Invests in Educational Outreach with a long view to workforce development

Juniors and seniors from Deer Park High School on a pre-engineering field trip to Shell

Shell, like so many other companies in the energy industry, faces a formidable challenge in recruiting future generations of skilled and well-qualified workers. Keeping the ‘talent pipeline’ flowing with vigor is the reason why companies are investing heavily in workforce development initiatives that target students early on in their educational lives.

As part of its social investment work with the community, Shell has long been a strong advocate of educational outreach programs. Partnering with external and Corporate stakeholders, the Deer Park site recently participated in several activities to introduce students to the oil and gas industry, particularly the downstream side of the business, and the range of attractive career options, including engineering and process technology.

Partners in Education launches pre-engineering programs

The Partners in Education (PIE) Committee is comprised of Shell Deer Park volunteers and educators from Deer Park Independent School District.  During the 2011-12 school year, the PIE Committee sponsored a pre-engineering 101 workshop and field visit for local students enrolled in AP math and science courses. Organized by Scott Brodie, site electrical engineer and member of PIE, the pre-engineering program offered driven students a first-hand look into the refining and chemical business as well as an overview of the primary engineering disciplines recruited at Shell Deer Park.

Shell Deer Park also initiated a pre-engineering summer internship pilot for high-potential students. Sponsored by Site Leadership Team member, Michelle Knight, and implemented by Liz Longoria and Reggie Bellizaire, the program offers a real opportunity to perform basic engineering work. Commented Knight, ‘students will be asked to perform problem definition and analysis to assist an engineer with identifying root cause and ultimately solutions."  In addition to strengthening technical competencies, students will also gain insight into soft skills, such as teamwork, communication, and leadership.

Site hosts students enrolled in specialized energy curriculum

This past spring, Shell Deer Park also welcomed students enrolled in the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) Academy, a unique high school program “developing the next generation of energy professionals.” With only four such campuses in the United States – three based in Houston – the IPAA Academy is a rich source of bright, accomplished youth whose minds have already

Students from IPAA Westside Academy near Houston’s energy corridor and freshmen from the Fort Worth Academy visited Shell Deer Park’s facility, where along with dozens of other manufacturing plants along the Houston Ship Channel, they learned the critical importance of the industry’s contribution to the nation’s economy and way of life.

Shell Deer Park takes time to combat hunger in the local community

A sea of yellow SERVE volunteers - ready to hit the road!

Shell Deer Park's theme this summer in the community is all about addressing the most basic of human needs -- food -- and more specifically, fighting hunger for vulnerable members of the community, including the home-bound and the homeless.

Making house calls with hot food and company

In June, Shell Deer Park employees and family members showed up on a Saturday morning to participate in the site's summer Meals on Wheels event.  The volunteers - clad in not-to-be-missed yellow SERVE shirts -- made personal deliveries of 50 meals to 30 households in the North Channel area. 

Andrea Georgy administers the Meals on Wheels program through the Leon Grayson Center, a senior community facility, and the volunteer effort helped her provide nutritious food and smiles to home-bound seniors.

Donation to Sarah's House for food re-stocking

Shell Deer Park also made a special $5,000 donation to Sarah's House, a Pasadena transitional shelter providing emergency meals and necessities for 16 homeless women and children.

In May, Sarah's House experienced a series of misfortunes to its shelter, including the failure of its refrigeration and freezers used for meat storage -- resulting in the loss of precious supplies.  Once the equipment had been replaced, Shell Deer Park's contribution was used to re-stock the freezers, cover processing fees for meat, and support other operational costs.

Later this month, the site will also be donating packets of surplus Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs) to the shelter and other social services agencies in the area.