Mr. Neil Faulkner, age 56, died suddenly on Thursday, July 16, 2009 at his home in Wasington, DC.  Born in DC, Neil graduated from Calvin Coolidge High School in 1971 and attended Washington Technical Institute, Charles County Community College and the old Federal City College.  He was a life member of the Boy Scouts and a member of its honorary society, Order of the Arrow. Neil volunteered more than 500 hours as a teenager with the Hospital for Sick Children and was a long time blood donor.

Neil worked for 37 years as a journeyman electrician technician for the Department of the Navy at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, (NSWCCD), retiring in the fall of 2008.  Through his EEO efforts, minority candidates for the NSWCCD Diversification Program were hired and matriculated through the four year process.

Neil brokered the initial partnership agreement between NSWCCD and Calvin Coolidge High School in 2001.  The relationship allowed participation in Career Fairs, SEAP hiring opportunities, Ground Hog Shadowing Day, base tours, and engineering show and tell opportunities.

An advocate of sports, Neil coached at Coolidge and at McKinley HS.  Additionally, Neil served as a mentor for more than 15 years with Mentors, Inc., winning its 2007 award for outstanding community service.

Neil served and supported Blacks in Government (BIG) at the chapter, regional and national levels holding regional council representative positions, chapter officer, regional committee chair though the course of his lifetime membership.