“The greatest skill Soldiers have is talent and education. You’re teaching people and changing people’s behavior and I think that’s very important. People understand it’s a rough world out there and if you get in any environment, regardless of what it is from business to education, you have to be disciplined and focused on your goals and objectives,” said Beech.
Beech has been an entrepreneur for most of his professional career. His business ventures have included food service management and publishing. Recently, he was named Director of the Cultural Heritage Museum in Kinston, N.C. The museum has received national recognition from the Association of African American Museum through selection as a participant in the Leadership Initiative museum training program. Also, the National Trust for Historic Preservation selected Cultural Heritage Museum to participate in their Diversity Scholar program for training in historic preservation and ‘green’ environmental development.
“In 2008 we really crossed a major threshold and there are no excuses for African Americans at this point to not believe they cannot achieve anything,” said Beech. “We’re not dealing with these African American entrepreneurs’ in a box. You have to sell your goods and services to everyone; you can’t just stick with one particular racial niche market and expect to make it.”
Beech is also a Civil War re-enactor and is the founding president of the Cultural Heritage Museum as well as the 37th U.S. Colored Troops Regiment.
“In the military you have a mission statement. In business it’s the same thing, you have to have a mission, vision, goals and objectives. You have to know what you’re doing because you have limited resources. In the military you have been able to focus a lot better than most groups.”
Beech is also a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Colored Troops Living History Association. The board has planned and presented six different symposiums on the history of African American participation in the Civil War in the past six years.
After Beech finished his closing remarks, Maj. Gen. James B. Mallory III, commanding general, 108th Training Command (IET) presented Beech with a Department of the Army Certificate of Appreciation and Commander’s Coin.
“As you go forward I commend Mr. Beech’s remarks about setting the example, don’t just keep your light under the bushel. We have to get out and interact with young people to show them there is a different way to live their lives,” said Mallory.