Green Tie Bash Fundraiser Presented by Aerojet Rocketdyne

Community Fundraiser held at the Davidson Center at the Space and Rocket Center.

The Green Tie Bash is by far the largest fundraising event we put on. This year we hosted the event at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center’s Davidson Center in conjunction with the Energy Huntsville Rocket City Summit.

Guest mingle around auction items.

Auction Item: Masters Legends Photo Display

Signed by Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer.

Davidson Center at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center

Mr. Brooks, our Comfort Project Champion of Energy

Emcee, Megan Brantley

Keynote Speaker, Mohammed Khan

Chad Wright, Project Manager presents Champion of Energy Award

John Pospicil was our Contractor Champion of Energy

Ann Anderson of CASA

Ruchi accepts AEE Award

AEE presents Ruchi Singhal with a "Leadership in Energy Awareness and Implementation of Energy Improvements for Low Income Homes in North Alabama

At the registration table with Joshlyne VIllano, Office Manager at Nexus Energy Center

Auction Item: NFL Running Back Hall of Fame Helmet

Auction Item: Wonder Woman Movie Poster

Donation Item donated by Neville Simpson, donate to receive 0 Fine Arts Session

The Presenting Sponsor

Our presenting sponsor this year is Aerojet Rocketdyne , an aerospace and defense company that has been a part of the Huntsville community for over fifty years. They recently broke ground for a new facility that is projected to bring 800 new jobs to the area.

Aerojet Rocketdyne’s own Mohammed Khan Jr., Senior Vice President of the company’s Defense Business Unit, was the keynote speaker for the night. He was energetic and entertaining as he cracked a joke that he would be “speaking for the next 90 minutes”. He informed the crowd about Aerojet Rocketdyne’s successes and plans for the future and told his inspiring past.

Mr. Khan has a rich history of service as the executive interface with the department of defense, all Armed Services, other U.S, Government Agencies, and domestic and international companies. His most recent position was as the vice president for Government, Commercial and International Initiatives for the Orbital ATK Space Systems Group.

Mr. Khan served in the U.S. Air Force for 21 years in various leadership positions before retiring in 2010 as a Colonel. He has a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from California Lutheran University, a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Master of Science in Strategic Studies from the National Defense University.

Mr. Khan and his wife, Lisa, have two sons, Captain Mohammed A. Khan III (U.S. Army) and Second Lieutenant Simeon K. Khan (U.S. Army) and a daughter-in-law Mrs. Lydia Khan. They are proud Grandparents to Soraya Mae Khan.

Other Sponsors of the Night

We are blessed to have such amazing and supportive people in our network. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center continues to support us with office space and allowing us to host our event in their exceptional Davidson Center. Energy Huntsville was gracious enough to allow our event to coincide with their Rocket City Summit.

Other sponsors of the night include CFDRC, who also donated a week stay at their company condo in Destin, Florida as an auction item. Redstone Federal Credit Union sponsored not only our Green Tie Bash, but also our Fall Farm to Table! Servis 1^st Bank continues to sponsor us year after year and hold a seat on our board. Avion Solutions, INC. has also sponsored multiple years of our Green Tie Bash and we always enjoy seeing them at our events!

Our Champions of Energy

We presented two individuals with our Champion of Energy Award. Mr. and Mrs. William Brooks were our Comfort Project Awardees. They allowed us to come into their home and create a more energy efficient space and a more comfortable space. They have been saving fifty percent on their utility costs and reduced their energy consumption by over 25%. We thank Mr. and Mrs. Brooks for allowing us to help them make their homes more efficient.

Our second awardee is an individual that has been mentoring Chad Wright, the Program Manager, in HVAC. John Pospicil is the owner of Air Comfort Control and has graciously donated hours to assisting and consulting with Chad on projects.

Time to Sponsor a Comfort Project

The goal of the Green Tie Bash is to raise funds to continue our Comfort Project and continue educating the community about energy awareness. We can only accomplish this with the help of sponsors, grants, and philanthropy efforts from large corporations like Toyota Manufacturing, and our fundraising events. We raised an astonishing amount at this Fourth Annual Green Tie Bash and will assist another three Comfort Project homes thanks to the support of our sponsors and donors of auction items and funds.

We were able to get our hands on some amazing auction items this year. Some of which were donated to us by local companies! You can find the website for these companies on Page 4. Be sure to show them support!

Our items included a week stay at CFDRC’s condo in Destin, Florida and a week stay at the Firefly Hollow Cabin in Pigeon Forge donated by our very own, Keith and Edie Lowhorne. Camp Skyline in Mentone, AL and Pine Ridge Day Camp in Somerville, AL donated a weeklong camp. Dr. Neena James with 20/20 Eye Care in Huntsville donated a paid of RayBan glasses ready for prescription lenses. We had a delectable gluten-free baked goods basket from local bakery, Mason Dixon. The Huntsville Botanical Gardens donated a year pass to the gardens. We collected many fun items for a date night package that included a Connor’s gift card, a Panera Bread gift card, a Cabela’s card, Monaco movie tickets, and complimentary nights at the Hampton Inn.

We also had some fun autographed memorabilia from Charity Fundraising, an organization that provides autographed memorabilia for charitable auctions. We had a Wonder Woman poster, a Star Wars poster, and a Masters Legends photo display with Palmer, Player, and Nicklaus. The biggest item of the night was the NFL Running Back Helmet. As we mentioned, Aerojet Rocketdyne purchased the helmet, donated it back to Nexus Energy Center to raffle, and raised us an additional $1,800.

Thank you.

As you can see, we had a successful night. Not only did we raise more funds for the Comfort Project, but we also gain friendships and partnerships that are invaluable.

So, we want to say thank you to those that sponsored, donated, attended, or lends their time to help Nexus Energy Center to be successful in building an energy smart community.

About Nexus Energy Center

Nexus Energy Center is a 501 (c) 3 located in Madison. We have been creating energy efficient homes for homes in need since 2010. Our goal is to create an energy smart community that is concerned for the environmental impact of our daily household energy use. We attend many events through out the year to educate companies and individuals. We work hard to make an impact in the lives of everyone we touch. With the help of you, we can make homes comfortable and energy efficient throughout the North Alabama region.

How do we do this? We perform a whole home energy audit that shows where the home is performing poorly. We provide a permanent fix to those problems to save the homeowner money and help them to be comfortable in their own home.

How can you help? We can make your home energy efficient too! We are HVAC licensed and BPI Certified. Call us today if you have high utility bills. We can save YOU money. You have the added benefit of knowing your payment helps another home as well as it helps Nexus Energy Center continue the vital work!

www.nexusenergycenter.org – josh@nexusenergycenter.org -256-426-6941