Banicki, Katherine

Katherine Banicki
Engineer, businesswoman, social activist
Katherine Banicki To Be Honored By Engineers at Gold Award Banquet
Katherine Banicki, President and Co-Owner of a woman-owned engineering firm is the recipient of the American Polish Engineering Association's 2003 "Merit of Excellence" award to be presented at the Engineering Society of Detroit's Gold Award Banquet on Wednesday, February 19, 2003. Mrs. Banicki has met the challenges of the Testing Engineers & Consultants, Inc. over the past 36 years with her leadership and striving for excellence. She has led a staff of 120 engineers and has found time to give back to the community by volunteering on boards of both medical and educational projects.
She is a member of the Polish National Catholic Church of Our Savior in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.
Katherine Banicki's career achievements, in addition to being President and CEO of Testing Engineers and Consultants, Inc., include Program Chairperson for MSPE Detroit Metro Chapter, past board member of National Association of Women in Construction, board member of Detroit Downtown, Inc., board member for Commercial Inc. Magazine, and board director for Friends of Wayne State University. Mrs. Banicki was chairperson of the American Consulting Engineers Council/Michigan (ACEC/M) Business and Professional Resource committee where she was instrumental in instituting the very successful "Power Breakfast" program. She is also a member of the Scholarship Committee and IT Committee Member for ACEC/M. She supports Career Night at Utica community Schools, Madison Heights Public Schools, University of Detroit Mercy and Lawrence Technological University by sending TEC engineers to speak and mentor.
She participates in the high school co-op program at Utica High School and Rochester High School by accepting students into the firm for a rotating three-week period for training in engineering careers. To prepare the junior and senior students for engineering careers, the students are mentored by department engineers while they work on specific engineering projects. Katherine sponsored TEC's participation in a "job shadowing" program with Madison Heights Public Schools. Two teachers spent 40 hours at TEC learning about each department and the requirements and career opportunities in various fields of engineering. The teachers return to their classrooms with units of study and vocabulary for each field observed.
Katherine Banicki was named the "Construction Woman of the Year" in 2002 by the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) for 36 years of leadership and service to the construction industry. In 2001, she was the winner of the "Elite Eight" Award from Commercial Inc. magazine. The Michigan Society of Professional Engineers (MSPE) awarded Mrs. Banicki the president's Citation for 2001 for outstanding leadership, achievements, and contributions to the engineering profession.
Mrs. Banicki's community involvement includes a board member of the William Beaumont Foundation Board, which raises funds for hospital projects such as Children's Miracle Network and cancer research. She is an annual sponsor for the Detroit Festival of Trees auction to benefit Children's Hospital of Michigan. She is involved in MDOT's "Adopt-a-Road" Program in Troy, Michigan. Her educational involvement includes being a committee member of Oakland University's "College of Education Creating the Future" and SEHS Advisory Board. She participates annually in the NAWIC Block Kids Program which encourages engineering as a career. She contributes annually to the Scholarship funds for Detroit Public Schools, Wayne State University, Alternative for Girls, Engineering Society of Detroit Student Engineering, ACEC/M and the MSPE.
The American Polish Engineering Association will also pay tribute to Paul Baran, an innovator and pioneer in the creation of the Internet.
This is the twenty-fifth tribute in a biographical series about outstanding people of Polish heritage. Some of the honored American Polish tribute awardees were born, raised and educated in the United States of America; others were natives of Poland who later made the United States their home. All of these tributees are highly respected and honored for their contributions to the betterment of society.
The American Polish Engineering Association strives to make known the valuable contributions of these outstanding individuals through their dedication to science and engineering. All are leaders or pioneers in their respective disciplines. They are to be remembered with high regard; their contributions to humanity are recorded in the annals of the history of Polish Americans.
In addition to the banquet at the Dearbom Inn, APEA will host a special reception honoring the APEA awardees. APEA is inviting the local "Polonia" and anyone interested in attending. The affair will be held Friday, February 21st at the American Polish Century Club in Sterling Heights on 33204 Maple Lane.
The public is invited. For reservations contact Ann Fletcher tel. 586-725 9698.
Source: Straz, Feb. 13, 2003