      
Board of DirectorsThe Rawlings Quarry Diving Company Board of Directors is responsible for the management and oversight of the operation at Lake Rawlings. The background and qualification of our board members combine to form the optimal blend of business savvy and diving expertise. Chairman of the Board, and President/Chief Executive Officer Vice-Chairman and Financial Secretary of the Board, and Vice-President for Business Affairs Board Member Board Member Treasurer of the Board Board Member Board Member  Back row, L-R: Directors Chip Earle, Errol Duplessis (Chairman), Arem Duplessis, and Jim McNeal. Front row, L-R: Directors Madeliene Dobbins, Ivar Browne, and Laurel Duplessis. Errol DuplessisPresident, CEO, Chairman of the Board  Errol Duplessis is the chief architect, and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Lake Rawlings. With his leadership and vision, and the help of a very savvy Board of Directors, Lake Rawlings was transformed from a hole in the ground into the most viable inland diving facility in the region. Errol, with his lovely wife, Laurel, and several relatives and friends, planned and started a company in 1994 to provide services to scuba divers in Virginia. Little did they know that the company would become the premier inland diving facility in the mid-Atlantic region! Last year, the company served over 15,000 divers at its location, primarily from a six-state area, to include Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Washington, DC, Delaware and West Virginia. However, the company is not limited to a regional perspective. Many divers from other states and Europe also came to Lake Rawlings last year to enjoy the facility. When asked about the popularity and success of the business, Errol said, "Sometimes it's hard to believe what we have been able to accomplish over the years. There were naysayers who said it could not be done; but we did not believe them, we believed in ourselves. We were able to transform a hole-in-the-ground with water into a viable scuba diving park. The rest speaks for itself. In 2008, we constructed a $250,000 bathroom facility for the comfort and enjoyment of our customers, the divers. The facility features seven private bathrooms that are climate controlled year-round. And, of course, each bathroom has a shower, toilet and urinal, face bowl, mirror, bench seat, etc. I have a prospectus for a private offering of Lake Rawlings stock, and have a few remaining shares for purchase. We believe it is a good investment in us, our cause, and that the investor will receive a decent return on investment for the shareholder." Errol's accomplishments do not begin nor end with Lake Rawlings. He enjoyed 21 "glorious years" at Hampton University as director of the aquatics program. As such, he was able to expand the level of professional aquatic courses, and also started a scuba diving club called the Underwater Explorers (but dubbed by the students as the Kaos Krew) in 1983. He stated they scheduled scuba diving trips to the Florida Keys and springs, or Bimini in the Bahamas, for their annual spring break trip. Errol's last spring break trip to Bimini with students from Hampton University was with Blackbeard's Cruises in March 2003, the year he retired. There are many stories to tell. But the fondest memories are the "first" events: the first scuba diving trip to the Florida Springs and Keys in 1984; the first North Carolinia wreck diving trip in 1989; and the first Bimini liveaboard trip in 1991. Errol is a certified PADI Master Scuba Diver Trainer. He has taught scuba diving since 1978, and has been with the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) since 1995. Prior to his affiliation with PADI, he was sanctioned to teach scuba diving with the National Association of Underwater Instructors (NAUI) and Scuba Schools International (SSI). He is also an Oxygen First Aid Administration Instructor with the Divers Alert Network (DAN), and a former Water Safety Instructor-Trainer, Lifeguarding Instructor-Trainer, and CPR/First Aid Instructor-Trainer with the American Red Cross. By circumstance and opportunity, Errol is believed to have introduced and or certified more African-American men and women into scuba diving than any scuba instructor, active or inactive, in the United States of America. Errol's academic background includes an M.A. in leisure studies from New York University, and a B.S. in recreation from Southern University (LA). He is an active member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and the Les Hommes Civic and Social Club of Hampton, VA. He is involved with the Brunswick County Chamber of Commerce, the South Hill Chamber of Commerce, and the Loyal order of Moose, Lodge #1872, in South Hill, Virginia. He also serves on the Board of Trustees as a treasurer for Unity Renaissance of Chesapeake, Virginia. Back to top Ivar F. BrowneVice-Chairman and Financial Secretary of the Board, and Vice-President for Business Affairs  Ivar Browne is Vice President of Business Affairs and the Financial Secretary for Lake Rawlings. He is a former officer of SYSTRON Corporation, a consulting firm, located in Hampton, VA. Ivar retired as a U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, with extensive experience in planning, programming and policy development at key organizational levels. His expertise is managing material, financial, and personnel resources, including 12 years of executive leadership positions in logistics and security assistance programs at various Air Force installations in the continental United States and Brazil. During his military career, Ivar also served as visiting lecturer on international logistics and security assistance planning at the Graduate School of the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. While at SYSTRON Corporation, he utilized his military background to design, develop, coordinate, and conduct numerous workshops, seminars, and conferences. These programs included seminars in public relations, small (minority) business development and retirement seminars, workshops for the National Technical Association, Federal Highway Administration, and potential state lottery vendors as well as training vehicles for low to moderate income housing developments and Federal and State employees. Ivar has twice been president of the Tidewater Chapter of the distinguished Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. (1986 and 1990) and is Secretary of the Board of Directors of Les Hommes Civic and Social Club in Hampton, VA. He is a 50-Year member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. where he served as President of the Zeta Lambda Chapter in Newport News, VA (1992-95), District Director of Virginia (1999-2003), and is the Senior Advisor to the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Other Affiliations include life memberships in the Air Force Association, Military Officers Association of America, and the Lincoln University Alumni Association. Ivar Browne's academic background includes an MBA in corporate policy and labor relations from Columbia University, graduate study in history at DePauw University, and a B.A. in history from Lincoln University (Pa.). He is a graduate of the National Defense University's National Security Management Course, the Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management, and the Air Force Command and Staff College. He also completed numerous advanced Department of Defense and Air Force logistics courses. Back to top Madeliene H. DobbinsBoard Member  Madeliene Dobbins is the director and chief administrative officer for the Delta Research and Educational Foundation in Washington, DC. She is an attorney with an extensive professional background, having served in senior executive roles in the public and the private sectors. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was the director of legal affairs/general counsel for a 6,000 member mega-church in Washington, DC; the Director of the District of Columbia Office of Zoning; and enjoyed a private law practice assisting her clients with land use, zoning and other real estate matters. Madeliene counts scuba diving chief amongst her hobbies. She is a certified PADI divemaster, and has been diving since 1996. She is an active member of the Underwater Adventure Seekers (UAS) scuba diving club in Washington, DC. She has traveled to many wonderful places to scuba dive, including Mexico, Central and South America, most of the Caribbean, the Galapagos Islands, the Philippines, and other islands of the South Pacific. She lives in Upper Marlboro, MD, with her husband Albert, who is also an avid scuba diver and amateur underwater photographer. Some of her affiliations include the Alabama Bar, the Maryland Bar, the Maryland State Bar Association, the NAACP, Association Foundation Group, ASAE, and the Association of Black Foundation Executives. Her diving affiliations include membership in the PADI Diving Society, and a lifetime membership in the National Association of Black Scuba Divers (NABS). Madeliene Dobbins has a B.S. degree in Sociology from Tuskegee University (Alabama), and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from Howard University. She received her juris doctorate degree from the Catholic University of America. Madeliene was born to dive, and her enthusiasm for the sport she enjoys so much speaks well for herself and for our company. Back to top Arem DuplessisBoard Member  Arem Duplessis was born in Boston, Mass., in 1971. After attending college at Hampton University (B.A., Graphic Design, '93) he moved to New York City to pursue a graduate degree at Pratt Institute (M.S. Communication Design, '96). Arem is currently the Design Director of The New York Times Magazine Division. He has held design-director and art-director positions at various titles, including Spin, GQ and Blaze magazines. His work has been recognized by the Society of Publication Designers (Multiple Gold Awards), The Art Directors Club (Design Team of the Year), The Type Directors Club, The American Institute of Graphic Arts, Print Magazine, American Photography, American Illustration, Communication Arts Magazine and Photo District News. He was nominated for a National Magazine Award in Design from the American Society of Magazine Editors in 2004 while working for Spin Magazine. Arem has judged and captained competitions for The Art Directors Club, Applied Arts, The Advertising and Design Club of Canada, American Illustration and The Society of Publication Designers, where he also served as a board member ('03-'07). Arem is an Instructor at The School of Visual Arts (SVA) and teaches a yearly design workshop at The Danish Design School in Copenhagen. He has lectured in Scandinavia (Oslo and Copenhagen), Los Angeles, Louisville, Washington D.C., and New York. He has published work in; AREA 2, 100 Graphic Designers, 10 Curators, Magazine Design That Works by Stacey King, 100 Habits of Successful Publication Designers by Laurel Saville among others. Arem serves as the INTERNET and Media Relations advisor to the Rawlings Quarry Diving Company Board of Directors. He has been actively involved in numerous aspects of aquatics since the age of 10. He was the co-captain of his high school's swim team and the head life guard at Hampton University during his senior year. He has been scuba diving for over 25 years and is a certified PADI advanced plus scuba diver, having dived throughout Florida, Hawaii, the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Belize, Bonaire, off-shore North Carolina wrecks, Pennsylvania, and the Bonne Terre Mines in Missouri. He is also certified in CPR, First Aid, Life Guarding, LGI and Water Safety Instruction. Arem brings a vibrant and dynamic marketing perspective attuned to the youthful segment of the scuba diving community to the Board. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He resides in Brooklyn, NY with his wife Wendi and their two children, Remmi and Luke. Back to top Laurel DuplessisBoard Member  Laurel Duplessis was the Curator of the Art and Artifacts Division of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture from January 1993 until her retirement in March 1996. She is also an artist whose primary medium is printmaking. Laurel was born and raised in New York City and attended public schools there. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Massachusetts College of Arts and holds a Masters in Museum and Archival Administration from Hampton University. Laurel Duplessis has taught art humanities and art history at Hampton University and Norfolk State University. For many years, she was the Curator of Art at the Hampton University Museum. She has traveled extensively to Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and Mexico. She has shown her paintings and prints in many national exhibits including the Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC; the Harrison Heritage Museum in Roanoke, VA; the Amber Gallery in Richmond, VA; and the Hampton University Museum. Her trained eye has provided aesthetic creativity and artistic detail in the media packaging of Lake Rawlings. In July of 2008, Laurel was honored by her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., as the recipient of the prestigious “Keeper of the Flame” Award, which is awarded every two years to a “person who significantly contributes to expanding the growth and culture of the African American experience through the arts and sciences”. Laurel wrote a booklet titled Basic Ideas for Collecting African-American Art while when was recovering from a heart transplant on Easter Sunday in 2006. She uses her art as a vehicle to raise money for many causes, most recently for transplant patients’ anti-rejection medication. She is an inspiration to us all, and a positive role model for transplant patients in need of hope and encouragement. Laurel is also a life member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and serves as an advisor to her sorority’s National Board of Directors on art acquisitions. Back to top Chip EarleBoard Member  PADI Master Instructor #95297 Chip became interested in the ocean environment shortly after being certified as a scuba diver in 1987. Fully bitten by the bug, Chip founded a local travel and dive club, SeaDevil Divers, in 1997 and subsequently in 1998 opened Dive Connections, a PADI 5 Star scuba facility serving the Central Virginia area. He is a PADI Master Instructor, both a Scuba Diving International and Technical Diving International Instructor, and a “way cool” Scuba for KIDS Instructor. He is probably the most proud of the last designation because he thoroughly enjoys introducing people, especially young folks, to the world of scuba diving. Chip teaches and leads trips through out the Caribbean. His PADI specialty designations are: Emergency First Responder Instructor, Altitude, Boat, Coral Reef Conservation, Deep Diver, Equipment Specialist, Fish Identification, Multilevel, Naturalist, Photography, Project Aware, Search & Recovery, Wreck Diver, Dry Suit, Drift Diving, Enriched Air, Navigation, Night Diver and Peak Buoyancy. In addition, he is also an SDI/TDI Draeger Rebreather and Solo Diving scuba instruction; and a DAN Oxygen First Aid (Scuba) and Advanced 02 (Scuba) Hazardous Marine Life instructor. Back to top James R. McNealBoard Member  Jim is the owner/manager of The Dive Shop in Richmond, VA. His dive shop, a PADI 5-Star Instructor Development Center, is the oldest in Richmond. Jim has been a certified scuba instructor since 1973. He started his teaching career with the YMCA, eventually becoming a master scuba instructor with that agency. In 1982, he crossed-over to the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) and opened The Dive Shop that same year. Jim has certified over 6,000 scuba divers and has enjoyed scuba diving as a recreational diver since 1961. In addition to the classes Jim teaches at The Dive Shop, he also teaches scuba diving at both Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of William & Mary. Jim not only teaches what he loves to do, but loves to teach and share his passion for our underwater world. Jim has led dive travel groups around the world from destinations such as the Bahamas, Galapagos, Cocos, Palau, Truk Lagoon, Cayman Islands, Bonaire, Roatan and Utila Honduras, Belize, Cozumel, Fiji, Hawaii, Florida (Panhandle, Springs, Palm Beach and the Keys), to destinations closer to home including the Louisiana oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, shipwrecks and artificial reefs off of the coast of North Carolina and Virginia, as well as the Chesapeake Bay and most of it’s tributary rivers., Virginia. Jim’s academic background includes a B.S. degree in Biology from Tulane University and an M.S. degree in Biology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Prior to devoting his full time to The Dive Shop, Jim worked for the Virginia State Water Control Board as an Ecologist, Water Pollution Biologist and Ichthyologist. He was a certified Fisheries Scientist with the American Fisheries Society from 1973 to 1984. His passion as a Biologist was finding the sources of toxic discharges, particularly those that resulted in fish kills. Jim is a member and contributor to the Divers Alert Network (DAN) at Duke University Medical Center in Raleigh, NC. Jim’s lifelong devotion to diving and his extensive background in the dive business, coupled with his Biologist/Ichthyologist experience brings a unique resource and perspective to Lake Rawlings’ Board of Directors. Back to top |
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