Contact Information

Tulane University
Managing Partner, Channel ZerO Group; Former Associate Professor of Engineering, Tulane University

cmackie@channelzro.com
http://www.channelzro.com
New Orleans LA 70118

Biography

A lifelong resident of New Orleans, Dr. Mackie graduated from high school with low SAT scores requiring him to undertake special remedial classes before he was admitted to Morehouse College. He completed his degree in Mathematics, graduating Magna Cum Laude and a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. He was simultaneously awarded a Bachelors degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he subsequently earned his Master and Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering.

While pursuing his doctorate degree, he served as an instructor of mathematics at Morehouse College. Following graduation he joined the faculty at Tulane University, where he researched heat transfer, fluid dynamics, energy efficiency, and renewable energy. In 2002, he was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Mackie's eleven year academic career ended in June 2007, when Tulane University disbanded the engineering school in response to financial hardship induced by Hurricane Katrina. During 2004 and 2005, Mackie was a visiting professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, where he performed research on fuel processors for PEM fuel cells. He enjoyed a respected academic career, before refocusing on consulting and professional speaking.

Mackie has won numerous awards including, in a White House ceremony, the 2003 Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, in 2002 the Black Engineer of the Year Award for College Level Educator, the 2002 New Orleans Data News Weekly Trailblazer Award, and the Pi Tau Sigma/ASME Excellence in Teaching Award in Mechanical Engineering for 2000 and 2002. Always harboring a passion for engineering, Mackie was awarded a patent on a device to retrofit luggage stowbins on 737 and 757 Boeing commercial airliners.

Following the catastrophic Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco appointed Dr. Mackie to the thirty-three member board of the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA), the guiding agency to lead the state's rebuilding efforts. Possessing instant social, political, cultural, and technical credibility, Mackie was featured prominently in Spike Lee's HBO Katrina documentary, When The Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Parts (HBO 2006)and it's successor If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise (HBO 2010). He has since appeared on numerous national and local news shows including the PBS News Hour with Jim Lehrer, and The Tom Joyner Morning Show. Mackie received international acclaim during a visit to Kuwait as an ambassador of the LRA and the guest of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, appearing on Good Morning Kuwait and in numerous international Arab newspapers.

In 2008, Dr. Mackie was accepted into the inaugural class of Fellows in the Effective Leadership Program at Duke University and the College of Business of Southern University (Baton Rouge). The program focuses on the theory and personal application of transformative leadership principles and the premise that effective leadership is a product of the disciplined application of universal moral principles to leadership thought and behaviors. The fellows study under the tutelage of James A. Joseph, former United States Ambassador to the Republic of South Africa (1996-2000). Among other things, Mackie participated in a leadership retreat in Cape Town, South Africa, and experienced a year-long personal executive coaching and training through public policy advocacy planning projects.

In 2009, Louisiana Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu appointed Dr. Mackie to the Louisiana Council on the Social Status of Black Boys and Black Men. The board elected Mackie to chair position and he is leading the state's effort to create policy and programs to positively impact the quality of life for black males and families in the state of Louisiana. Committed to community service, Mackie is an active member of the National Speaker Association and the 100 Black Men of Metro New Orleans.

Mackie is currently a partner in Golden Leaf Energy (GLE) www.GoldenLeafEnergy.com. GLE promotes and distributes the ethanol fuel blend E85, which is comprised of 85% ethanol and 15% regular gasoline. E85 is a clean energy that protects America's long-term environmental and economic interests. In most of the country, E85 is difficult to find, primarily because of the lack of stations that carry it.? E85 requires separate infrastructure, (pumps, tanks, etc.). By addressing the infrastructure problem, GLE gains access to fuel markets as a distributor.?GLE also produces biodiesel from waste and yellow grease, and distributes to numerous commercial clients. In the near future, GLE will be producing ethanol from waste sugar and alcohol products. The company is reducing waste in landfills while providing clean biofuels for the nation. Presently, Golden Leaf Energy is the exclusive alternative fuel supplier for the federal fleet cars in the state of Louisiana.

Mackie continues in his role as Managing Partner of Channel ZerO Group LLC, an educational and motivational consulting company he co-founded in 1992. He has presented to numerous civic and educational institutions, government entities, professional associations, and businesses of every size and industrial focus.? Through his travels and online mentoring presence, Mackie reaches millions of students and professionals annually.

Dr. Mackie's inspirational memoir A View from the Roof: Lessons for Life and Business has been adopted as educational course material by numerous secondary and college teachers throughout the country. His newest book Grandma's Hands: Cherished Moments of Faith and Wisdom will publish in 2011, followed by When Oil and Water Mix: Leadership in the Wake of Catastrophe.

[REF: http://www.channelzro.com/about.htm ]