Samuel P. "Pat" Black III Named 2009 Alumni Fellow
Erie native and entrepreneur Samuel P. “Pat” Black III ’64 has been named Penn State Behrend’s 2009 Alumni Fellow. The Alumni Fellow award is the most prestigious honor given by the Penn State Alumni Association, and is a permanent and lifelong designation.
Dr. John Magenau, director of the college’s Sam and Irene Black School of Business, which is named for Black’s parents, will host a dinner in his honor on Thursday, October 22. Among the guests will be past Alumni Fellow honorees and Penn State Behrend undergraduates who are recipients of the Samuel P. Black III and Susan L. Black Trustee Scholarship. To date, 25 alumni nominated by Penn State Behrend have been named Alumni Fellows.
“Erie is fortunate to be served by people committed to higher education and to the community at large. In Pat Black, we have an advocate who is creating opportunities where none existed, bringing new technologies to fruition, and investing in initiatives that will help make Erie more competitive in the global market,” Magenau said. “We are pleased that Penn State is honoring Pat with this distinguished award.
Black is chairman of Erie Management Group, which invests in and manages companies whose innovative products capitalize on economic opportunities within the Lake Erie region. Its portfolio includes Kold-Draft Industries, a manufacturer of commercial ice-machine systems that produce a patented long-lasting ice cube, and HERO BX, a BQ9000 accredited producer and marketer of biodiesel fuels. HERO BX’s production capacity of 45million gallons per year makes it one of the largest biodiesel plants in the northern United States.
As a social and environmental advocate, Black provides resources for related philanthropic ventures through The Black Family Foundation. Since 1994 the Foundation has promoted innovation across a range of the Erie region’s compelling community issues, from educational excellence and health care disparity to workforce development and the arts.
Black also is founder and president of the Blackstone Ranch Institute. Located in Taos, New Mexico, the Institute provides targeted seed money to catalyze social innovation in urban environmental sustainability, global carbon offset market growth, sustainable business practices, and the development of renewable energies and green employment. He and his wife, Susan, have purchased 191 acres of pristine grassland in the Taos Valley to develop and demonstrate best environmental practices for sustainable ranching and farming. The infrastructure of Blackstone Ranch preserves the rich history of northern New Mexico—an ancient acequia system irrigates livestock and pastures—while taking advantage of modern solar, wind, and geothermal technologies that minimize outside energy dependence.
Since 1973, the Alumni Fellow Award has been given to select alumni who are leaders in their professional fields. Alumni Fellows are nominated by an academic college and accept an invitation from the President of the University to return to campus to share their expertise with students, faculty, and administrators.