Thomas E. Daniels and Maxine Loreat (Harris) Daniels July 2012 Unheard Voices Pioneers

We continue to look at Unheard Voices Pioneers past and present and how they have made an impact on the world around us.

This month focuses on individuals who have spent their whole life serving the country and the community.

The President always talked about how we need more role models and the necessity for people of color to study science and engineer.

Also the need for women to be more vocal in what they believe in and to continue to play active roles in getting women voices heard.

Unheard Voices is proud and exciting to share the accomplishments of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Daniels.

The Daniels exemplifies what an American family is all about. Not only have they given their heart and soul to the community but have dedicated their whole life to raising their close knit family.

When I first met the Daniels family it was in the seventies in New Jersey.

Their family reminded me of  The Huxtable’s before the show was thought of. To me, it was very nice to see a family living the American dream with successful parents and children.

Mrs. Maxine Lorest (Harris) Daniels retired in 1986 from some 30 years of being actively involved in careers and community activities.

After retirement, and now approaching 86, Maxine has changed her focus from that of being actively involved in working a career and attending the many organizations meetings where she spent some 30 years, to now counseling and influencing her grandchildren, family, and friends, of all ages, with what they are presently doing or what they should be doing.

She is encouraging and challenging each member to stay involved with current issues of life.

As a member of Asbury Park-Neptune NAACP, she was actively involved; participating in the branch’s civil and human rights endeavors, locally and statewide.

She served, for a period of time as 1st Vice President of the Branch. Maxine initiated the Branch “Save Our Children Program.”

This program was a broad based community effort to empower and strengthen the African American Family and Children.

Mr. Thomas Daniels retired from the the Department of the Army, at the Pentagon in Washington DC, as a Space Technology executive after 38 years of exceptional meritorious service.

Thirty five years of this time was spent at Camp Evans, Fort Monmouth, New Jersey.

Dr. Daniels was the Deputy Director and the Director of the Combat Surveillance and Target Acquisition laboratory.

He was a recognized technical and management expert with expertise in System development, system integration, digital computers, electronic warfare systems, navigation systems, satellite systems, Ground Surveillance Radars, Nuclear Detection, identification friend-or-foe Equipment and meteorology Data Systems.

He served for many years as his accomplishments are far and many. Mr. Daniels earned his MBA from Monmouth University.

He served as the chairman of the Labor and Industry Committee of the Asbury Park NAACP and other committees in Ocean Township, New Jersey.

I first had the honor to meet Mr. Daniels when he served as the Director of the Combat Surveillance and Target Acquisition laboratory.

As a young computer scientist, I was honored and amazed to see a strong black man heading up a major military installation.

He was my mentor and role model working in a scientific department where minority representation was very low.

He made me feel at ease and he also immediately got me involved in new community and academic programs.

In 1985 Mr. Daniels founded the Program for acceleration for Computer Science Careers at Monmouth University, where I worked under Mr. Daniels tutelage and learned how to give back to the community.

The PAC program has been running for nearly 25 years at Monmouth and Mr. Daniels today still encourages parents to bring their children out to the free program that will give your kids the jump start that they need to be successful working in an engineering environment.

Mr. Daniels accomplishments can be seen at The InfoAge Science History Learning Center and Museum in Wall Township, New Jersey. Click InfoAge

Unheard Voices is also very proud to say that the CEO of Unheard Voices was also mentored through the PAC program developed by Mr. Daniels and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc.

Unheard Voices is extremely proud of Maxine and Tom Daniels for representing in July 2012 Issue of Unheard Voices Networks.  True Pioneers at their best!