Tom Buckmaster of Honeywell, Jacmel’s Mayor Edwin Zenny, and Richard Walden of Operation USA break ground on the new school.
Honeywell broke ground on a public school, Ecole Nationale Jacob Martin Henriquez, in Jacmel, Haiti. In attendance were Tom Buckmaster, President of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, Richard Walden, President and CEO of Operation USA, Jacmel Mayor Edwin Zenny and Parliament Senator Joseph Lambert. Construction of the school, which will serve approximately 600 local students in grades K through seven, is scheduled to be completed by January 2011.
“Six months ago, Honeywell committed to contributing $1 million in aid to the region, including a 100 percent match of employee donations, to fund rebuilding projects in Haiti and we are on target with that promise,” said Tom Buckmaster, President of Honeywell Hometown Solutions, Honeywell’s Corporate Citizenship initiative. “With the dedicated assistance of Mayor Edwin Zenny along with Operation USA, we’re confident that today’s ground breaking will help support education and overall community resources. Honeywell has also made business jets available to relief agency Operation USA for airlift support to deliver medical supplies and transport medical staff. We are dedicated to helping Haiti rebuild.”
The company is supporting the use of both contemporary and sustainable building methods for the school that can withstand future earthquakes. In addition, workshops will be held for local builders to encourage their direct involvement in the construction and the longer-term rebuilding efforts in the region. These workshops will focus on education related to modern building standards and regulations, and environmentally-conscious construction options that can save the region both money and natural resources over time.
For more information, read the press release.
