- Age: 41
- Team: Texas Instruments
- Years with Team: 19
- Years as a USCAA participant: 18
- Years with Company: 19
- Professional Position: Facilities Engineering Manager
This year’s sole inductee to the USCAA Hall of Fame is Paul Westbrook of Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI), who is perhaps the best described as a modern-day “Renaissance man”. Paul is recognized for his myriad accomplishments both on and off the track. He is a devoted family man, a successful engineer and manager, an impressive runner, an innovative team captain, an accomplished musician, a responsible civic leader, a practicing environmentalist, and the list goes on…what’s even more amazing is that he does it all so well.
At age 41, Paul is a native of New Orleans and a 1982 graduate of LSU with a BS in mechanical engineering. For the past 19 years, he has been employed by TI where he currently serves as a Facilities Engineering Manager on the Dallas campus. Paul and his wife, Elena, have been married for 11 years and are the proud parents of an 8 eight year old daughter, Kendall.
Before joining the TI track team I 1983, Paul had no previous track experience. Nevertheless, he quickly distinguished himself as a formidable sprinter. He has competed on the TI national team for the past 18 consecutive years. In national USCAA competitions, Paul has participated on four gold medal winning teams: 1) the 1990 4x200m relay, during which Paul ran a personal record (PR) in the anchor leg and the team set a USCAA record that stood for seven years; 2) the 2000 4x100m relay; 3) the 2001 4x100m relay, which set a new national record; and 4) the 2001 Sprint Relay Team. Listed respectively, Paul’s PR in the 100m, 200m, and 400m are 10.3 in the 4x100m relay at the 1985 Dallas regional meet, 22.19 in the 4x200m at the 1990 national meet, and 50.53 in the 4x400m relay at the 1985 Dallas regional meet.
No doubt, Paul’s athletic abilities are exemplary, and he has played a vital role in TI’s history of success in national corporate cup competition, but that’s just the beginning of the story. in 1998, when TI’s long-time team captain and past USCAA Hall of Fame Rio King retired from TI, Paul stepped up to assume the daunting responsibility of managing the team. In no time Paul distinguished himself by leading TI to Division IAA national championship titles in 2000 and 2001. More importantly, though, Paul implemented organizational changed that will sustain TI track Team’s vitality for years to come. Foremost in this regard, he secured a stable source of funding within TI’s Human Resources Department through its diversity initiative. So as to ensure a succession of future leaders and to reduce reliance on any single individual he created team officer positions and successfully recruited team members to serve in various planning and organizational roles (e.g. travel, coaching, recruiting, logistics, etc.). To enhance team communications, Paul established a website that enables all TIers worldwide to participate in the team selection process. In every aspect as team captain, Paul has exercised integrity and fairness. This quality of personal character ha earned him the trust and respect of teammates and all others within the ranks of the USCAA.
If Paul’s accomplishments were only limited to his work, family, and the track team, that would be impressive enough, but truly, the list goes on. As a musician, Paul is a founding member, president, and the lead alto-sax player in the TI Jazz Band, a 20 piece ensemble that has entertained audiences around the world. One of the neat things about having a musician as team captain is the musical tributes he composes and records to recognize the team’s accomplishments.. As a civic leader, Paul serves as the vice chairman of the Fairview Parks and Recreation Board. He is a strong advocate for the many residents who want more open space and hike/bike trails. Demonstrating his commitment to youth and education, Paul has volunteered for Junior Achievement’s Project Business at several Local middle schools, and coached a “Boosting Engineering Science and Technology (BEST)” team at the local high school. As a practicing environmentalist, Paul designed and built a passive solar home that won the 1996 National Association of Home Builders award for innovative design. In the spirit of technology transfer, Paul and Elena have opened their home to the National Tour of Solar Home and the Collin County Native Plant Tour. Over the past 5 years, more than 600 people have visited the Westbrook homestead. For more information on Paul’s varied interests, check out his personal website at www.enerjazz.com.
As further recognition of his contribution, Paul was selected to carry the Olympic Torch this past December for one segment of its journey through Houston as it made its way across the country to Salt Lake City for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. To earn that honor, Paul was chosen by his peers within TI as the employee who best exemplified the ideals of international Olympic, competition and community leadership. With such a distinguished record of self-sacrifice and achievements, it seems only fitting that Paul should be recognized by the USCAA through induction into the Hall of Fame in this year, the 25th anniversary of Corporate Cup competition.
