Celebrate Black History Month: Clark Team Members Shaping Our Business and Communities

February is Black History Month, which celebrates the contributions of Black people of all backgrounds throughout our country's history.

Over the years, countless Black employees and business partners have helped to shape Clark's history and success.

In celebration of Black History Month, we’re kicking off the month by spotlighting a few of the long-tenured talented men and women at Clark who have made a positive impact on the Clark organization and our communities.

Jamie Buck is a concrete finisher foreman at Clark Concrete, a division within Clark that performs structural concrete work in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Jamie currently oversees a team of 15 concrete finishers that place, finish, protect, and repair concrete to ultimately ensure the quality of the concrete being set on Metropolitan Park Phase 7/8/9, the future home of Amazon’s Arlington headquarters.

Jamie, who started out at Clark over three decades ago as a carpenter helper, has played a major role in shaping and providing quality control on some of Clark’s most notable projects in the Mid-Atlantic region including Capital One Arena, Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, and Walter E. Washington Convention Center. 

For Jamie, Black History Month represents excellence. It represents the hardworking and dedicated people in the Black community who came before him - both notable Black figures and unsung heroes.

When asked what he wants his legacy to be, Jamie reflects on his passion for providing opportunities for the next generation of construction professionals.

“There’s no greater feeling than taking a young man or woman under your wing, who might not have any previous construction experience, and seeing them grow into their role,” says Jamie. “I love creating opportunities for others and seeing them thrive.”

Ekua Gilbert-Baffoe is a project executive at S2N Technology Group, a technology systems contractor and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Clark. In her role, Ekua oversees the company’s operations, providing technical and strategic leadership to ensure the technology solutions S2N is deploying on-site are delivered on time and within budget, while also exceeding clients’ expectations.

Ekua views Black History Month as an opportunity to “recognize, honor, and celebrate the accomplishments and contributions of the African diaspora, both nationally and globally.”

Throughout her 17-year tenure with the Clark organization, Ekua has played a critical role in delivering robust technology solutions on projects of varying types including hospitals, cancer treatment centers, and museums.

Ekua says that the most rewarding part of her job is "the sense of fulfillment that comes with completing projects that positively impact the community.” 

Vancine Hall is a regional business manager in Clark’s Mid-Atlantic region. In her role, Vancine oversees a team of business managers across the region that provide compliance and financial support to internal and external project stakeholders.

Since joining the company 21 years ago, Vancine has contributed to the success of many projects that are critical to the region’s infrastructure including Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant Headworks and Wet Weather Equalization Facilities Improvements, WMATA Orange & Blue Line Rehabilitation, and Intercounty Connector, Contract C.

Vancine says that “February provides an opportunity to celebrate Black History Month and reflect on the life-changing contributions that those of African descent have made to our country and the world.”

When asked about her legacy, Vancine says she wants to be known as a “straight shooter.”

“I pride myself on being honest and straightforward with people, as well as being a woman of my word.  If I say I am going to do it, I will.”

Lenox Gay is a QC manager in Clark’s Mid-Atlantic region where he is currently managing Clark’s specialty trade partners and coordinating the medical equipment at the MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Medical/Surgical Pavilion project, a new state-of-the-art hospital in Washington, DC. 

Lenox cites his role in helping to deliver facilities that improve the area’s healthcare infrastructure as being among his top professional achievements.

Since joining Clark in 1998, Lenox has worked on a variety of healthcare projects including the Inova Women's Hospital & Children's Hospital, Johns Hopkins Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center, Inova Schar Cancer Institute, and Children's National Medical Center - East Wing.

“While delivering any project is exciting, there is something special about being part of a team working to deliver a project that improves the level of healthcare that families and individuals will receive,” says Lenox. “It’s extremely fulfilling.”

When asked what Black History Month means to him, Lenox says the first word to come to mind is “greatness.” 

“Black History Month is a time for me to celebrate the strength, greatness, and lives of every individual whose sacrifices made my ability to get where I am today possible,” says Lenox. “It’s an opportunity for me to recommit to strive for greatness in all that I do and not take the opportunities I’ve been provided for granted.” 

Pam Jones-Morris serves as the senior office coordinator in Clark’s San Francisco office, overseeing its day-to-day operations. From supporting Clark’s project development teams and assisting with human resources initiatives to organizing executive schedules and planning regional meetings, Pam ensures Clark’s San Francisco office runs, in her words, “like a well-oiled machine.” 

Pam, who joined Clark in 1999 and is the second-longest tenured employee in the San Francisco office, is an active member of her religious congregation in the Bay Area and is passionate about helping families and individuals better themselves for their communities.

For Pam, Black History Month means “taking the time to look back on the struggles Black individuals have lived through past and present, but also celebrating the successes we have had as a people.”

Pam says she hopes to be remembered for leaving Clark a better place than she found it, and that people remember her for being a kind, compassionate person that was dedicated to keeping the ‘trains on the tracks’ with a smile on her face!