AABE Week 2025 All Events Flyer

Celebrate AABE Week 2025 with Us!

AABE Week is here โ€” and weโ€™re excited to invite you to a week full of energy, engagement, and empowerment. Hosted by the Florida Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy, this annual celebration brings members together to connect, give back, and have fun across a series of dynamic events throughout Jacksonville.

From networking mixers and family fun nights to our signature 5K and community meet-ups, thereโ€™s something for everyone to enjoy. Whether youโ€™re a longtime member or new to AABE, we encourage you to participate, share your experiences on social media, and show your AABE pride all week long!

๐Ÿ–ค AABE Week 2025 โ€“ Event Schedule

Join us June 23โ€“28, 2025 for a week of connection, celebration, and community as we honor AABE Week with a variety of exciting events across Jacksonville, Florida!


Monday, June 23

Grown & Grateful Wind Down
๐Ÿ“ Havana Cigar Bar & Hookah Lounge
5220 Normandy Blvd, Jacksonville, FL
๐Ÿ•  5:30 PM โ€“ 8:30 PM
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Use the QR code on the flyer to purchase tickets.


Tuesday, June 24

Virtual 5K Kick-Off & Social Media Check-In
๐Ÿƒโ€โ™‚๏ธ Get moving and check in on social!
๐Ÿ“ฑ Share your AABE Week energy by tagging us in your posts and stories.


Wednesday, June 25

Family & Friends Fun Night
๐Ÿ“ Dave & Busterโ€™s
7025 Salisbury Road, Jacksonville, FL
๐Ÿ•• 6:00 PM โ€“ 8:30 PM


Thursday, June 26

AABE Day at JEA
๐Ÿ‘• Donโ€™t forget to wear your AABE shirts!


Friday, June 27

Fun Night with MFK
๐Ÿ“ FSCJ Downtown Campus
Jacksonville, FL
๐Ÿ•• 6:00 PM โ€“ 8:00 PM


Saturday, June 28

AABE Members โ€“ 5K Meet-Up
๐Ÿ“ Friendship Fountain
๐Ÿ•ฃ 8:30 AM
๐ŸŽŸ๏ธ Use the QR code on the flyer to register.

Lunch Meet-Up
๐Ÿ“ Spliffโ€™s Gastropub
100 E Forsyth St, Jacksonville, FL
๐Ÿ•ฆ 11:30 AM โ€“ 1:00 PM

AABE National Conference Highlights โ€“ Atlanta 2025

Take a look at the energy, inspiration, and impact from the 48th AABE National Conference held in Atlanta, GA. This highlight video captures key moments from the event, showcasing the passion and progress driving our mission forward. Whether you attended or are seeing it for the first time, enjoy this glimpse into the powerful work happening across the AABE network.

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AABE Florida Hosts Annual General Membership Meeting โ€“ Key Highlights from 2024

The Florida Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy (AABE Florida) recently held its Annual General Membership Meeting (GMM) on December 13, 2024. This event brought together members, industry leaders, and community partners to reflect on the chapterโ€™s achievements, discuss new initiatives, and set the stage for an impactful 2025.

Scholarship Program & Fundraising Success

The Scholarship Committee, led by Derick Farfan of Duke Energy, provided an update on the AABE Florida High School Scholarship Program. Thanks to strong industry support, the chapter continues to provide financial assistance to students pursuing careers in STEM fields with a focus on the energy sector.

A significant contributor to this success is the 18th Annual AABE Florida Golf Classic, which raised funds with the help of generous sponsors:
๐Ÿ† Title Sponsor: OUC
๐Ÿ’Ž Platinum Sponsors: FPL, Leidos, Ferreira Construction
๐Ÿฝ Lunch Sponsor: TEA
๐Ÿฅ‡ Gold Sponsors: JEA, MESA, SECO, Seminole Electric

Black Energy Awareness Month (BEAM) 2024 โ€“ Inspiring the Next Generation

Mikle Gordon presented an overview of the chapterโ€™s Black Energy Awareness Month (BEAM) initiatives, which took place in October. BEAM 2024 focused on introducing students and young professionals to careers in the energy industry through hands-on activities, industry discussions, and mentorship programs.

A key highlight was the NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) partnership, which connected students from:
๐ŸŽ“ Florida A&M University & Florida State University
๐ŸŽ“ University of South Florida
๐ŸŽ“ University of Florida
๐ŸŽ“ University of Central Florida

Through career fairs and networking opportunities, over 130 students engaged with industry leaders, paving the way for future careers in energy.

Regional Engagement & Community Initiatives

๐Ÿ”น Northeast Florida BEAM Initiative (Presented by LaMiriam Johnson, JEA)

  • The 2nd BEAM Project at Minds of the Future Academy (Jacksonville, FL) engaged 200+ K-12 students in energy education from October 28-30, 2024.

๐Ÿ”น South Florida Region Update (Presented by Dion Watson & Jasmine Govan, NextEra Energy)

  • A successful Holiday Social on December 5, 2024, strengthened professional connections within the AABE Florida network.

Looking Ahead: AABE Floridaโ€™s 2025 Goals

As the chapter moves into 2025, it remains committed to:
โœ… Strengthening community partnerships to expand educational opportunities.
โœ… Leveraging technology to improve mentorship and industry outreach.
โœ… Enhancing communications through website updates and social media engagement.

Join Us at the 2025 AABE National Conference!

๐Ÿ“ Location: Atlanta, GA
๐Ÿ—“ Early Bird Registration Deadline: January 31, 2025, at 5:00 PM EST

We encourage all members to stay involved, take advantage of networking opportunities, and help us continue shaping the future of energy.

Stay tuned for more updates, and be sure to follow AABE Florida on social media for the latest news and events!

๐Ÿš€ Together, we are building a brighter, more inclusive energy future!

DUKE ENERGY LOGO
Scholarships

2024 AABE Florida/Duke Energy Foundation Collegiate Scholarship Application now available.

The scholarship committee is pleased to announce the 2024 AABE Florida/Duke Energy Foundation Collegiate Scholarship application is now available.ย  If you or your network know of a Sophomore-Senior college/university students that are majoring in business, one of the physical sciences, technology, engineering, or mathematics, please encourage them to apply.ย  All applications must be submitted by the deadline which is Friday, December 20th, 2024.ย 

Please download the application for further details including eligibility.

The purpose of the AABE-FL/Duke Energy Foundation Collegiate Scholarship is to assist African American, Hispanic and Native American students with the cost of pursuing a bachelorโ€™s degree in energy-related fields at an accredited college or university within the state of Florida.

The AABE-FL/Duke Energy Foundation Collegiate scholarship rewards collegiate students who reside or attend a higher institution within Duke Energy Floridaโ€™s service territory.

A motivating force behind what we do is purposefully investing in our future.  Our investments come full circle when many of the students we support go on to work in the energy industry, and those companies, like Duke Energy in this instance, gain skilled workers trained to meet the demands of a modern workforce.

Early Registration Now Open for The 2024 American Association of Blacks in Energy – 47th National Conference

Visit the site linked below to take advantage of the discounted early registration rates for the 2024 AABE National Conference.

https://www.aabeanaheim2024.com/

YEA Greater Gainesville by AABE Florida

Below is press coverage from our latest YEA event, YEA Greater Gainesville.

https://www.wuft.org/news/2023/08/02/youth-energy-academy-gets-kids-excited-about-energy/

Below are a couple of additional links to other stories from our local press about the event.

https://www.mainstreetdailynews.com/news/duke-gru-local-youth-academy

https://www.wcjb.com/2023/08/02/american-association-blacks-energy-holds-first-youth-energy-academy-event-alachua-county/

2022 Energy Policy Summit Early Registration Now Open

Engage members of the Administration, U.S. Congress and heads of industry about the Nationโ€™s energy policy, goals and objectives.

Register and join the American Association of Blacks in Energy at 701 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004-2696 on December 6th, 2022.

For details and registration visit https://www.aabeenergypolicysummit.com/