Chesterfield Education Foundation Announces 2022 Bravo! Awards Recipients for Outstanding Alumni
July 7, 2022
CHESTERFIELD, VA. (June 2022) – The Chesterfield Education Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2022 Bravo! Awards, recognizing outstanding professional and community achievements of Chesterfield County Public Schools’ alumni. During the past twelve years, recipients have ranged from professional athletes, musicians, and doctors to entrepreneurs and business leaders who have made an exceptional impact on their professions and community. On Thursday, November 17, 2022, a gala combining virtual aspects as well as in-person will be held to honor our 2022 recipients.
Recipients to be honored at the 2022 Bravo! Awards are:
Bill Bevins
Meadowbrook High School 1969
Richmond Broadcasting Legend, WTVR CBS 6
Bill Bevins graduated from Meadowbrook 1969 and went on to a Broadcasting school in Washington D.C in the fall, but dropped out in February of 1970 to start as a DJ at WSVS in Crewe, Va. He worked through the 1970s at WSVS and at WHAP in Hopewell, WRNL and WRXL in Richmond and in 1982 joined a new station WEZS EZ104 which became WMXB B103. In 1991, he joined another new station WTVR Lite 98. Throughout his career, Bevins has earned numerous awards including Broadcaster of The Year from the Richmond Broadcaster Hall of Fame in 1996, Lifetime Achievement Award from Richmond Broadcaster Hall of Fame in 1998, and was voted Best Broadcaster, Best Voice, and Best Morning Show by the readers of Richmond Magazine from 1992 through 2014. In 2014, he was inducted into the VCU Communications Hall of Fame. Bevins is most proud of his work with the community. He was awarded the Louis Micheaux Award for Service to the Disabled from Central VA Easter Seals, awarded the 7 Seals Award for Support of our Armed Service, and awarded the Hometown Hero Award from the American Red Cross for his work during Hurricane Isabel. His broadcasting career has spanned 52 years and still continues today at WTVR CBS 6 on Virginia This Morning.
Tanya M. Gonzalez, MPA
Midlothian High School 1990
Executive Director, Sacred Heart Center
Tanya M. González holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Latin American Studies from Brown University and a Master’s in Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. González joined the Sacred Heart Center as the Executive Director in July 2016. She grew up on the Texas-Mexican border and has lived in Richmond for twenty-six years. She is a proud graduate of Chesterfield County Public Schools. She is active in the community, serving on several Boards as well as volunteering. She has almost 20 years’ experience in working with and for Richmond’s Latino community. González is a graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond and the Connecting Communities Fellowship Program, as well as the Minority Political Leadership Institute. She was previously the recipient of the Ohtli award, given by the Mexican government to recognize individuals for their service to the Mexican community in the United States. González was also recognized as one of “Richmond’s Top 40 under 40” by Style Magazine in 2005, which highlights young leaders who are successful, talented and giving back to their community. In May 2015, González received the Leadership Metro Richmond Ukrop Community Vision Award. In 2018 she received the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Award, and in 2020 she was recognized as a Richmond History Maker by the Valentine Museum. In 2021 she was recognized as a VCU Alumni Top 10 under 10 Award. In her free time, she coordinates a dance group at the Sacred Heart Center that performs traditional Latin American and Spanish dance in the Richmond area.
James A. Jackson
George W. Carver 1961
Retired NASA Aerospace Engineer
James A. Jackson was born as the second of 10 children in October 1942 to John and Mary Jackson in Winterpock, Virginia in Chesterfield County; attended Winterpock Elementary School and George W. Carver High School in Chester; graduated as Salutatorian in June 1961; was a member of the Tabernacle Baptist Church and active in the County’s 4-H Clubs. Jackson attended Virginia Union University (VUU) from 1961-1965 with a National Defense Student Loan where he graduated as Valedictorian. Jackson participated in a Junior Year Abroad Program at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, West Africa. He earned a Master’s Degree in Mathematics under a National Science Foundation Graduate Traineeship at Howard University in Washington, DC. Jackson was a Mathematician/Data Analyst at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD where he was recognized for his contributions to America’s success of the Apollo 11 Moon Landing Mission. He wrote a mathematical algorithm, which helped to verify NASA’s capability to navigate from Earth a lunar landing between two craters on the moon. Jackson received three NASA Exceptional Service Awards for Apollo-Soyuz Mission and NASA’s Tracking Data Relay Satellite Systems, he was an Honoree at the STS-5 Launch at the Kennedy Space in Florida and was an Aerospace Engineering Supervisor. Jackson collaborated with a US Air Force Lt. Colonel on a memorandum of understanding for NASA access to AF tracking data for NASA support of Small Explorer Spacecraft. Additionally, he was the Center’s Minority University Program Manager and reported to the White House and the President on the Center’s activities with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutes, and Tribal Colleges from 1999-2001 and was the Engineering Liaison to the Education Office. Jackson currently lives in Bowie, Maryland where he continues his faith growth and service. He served as Sunday School Director for 6-plus years at the Largo Community and has taught high school classes for more than 30 years with tutoring, mentoring, and training new teen converts for presentations. He is a registered Math tutor with over 800 hours with Wyzant. Jackson is married with 3 adult children and 8 grandchildren.
Nick Patel
LC Bird High School 1987
Owner and President of Kalyan Hospitality
Nick Patel is the owner and President of Kalyan Hospitality. He was born in West Bromwich, England but relocated to the United States in 1982. Patel was raised with a strong work ethic and a forward-thinking outlook. He finished his higher education at the Virginia Commonwealth School of Pharmacy but always possessed an entrepreneurial spirit. In 1997, he made a bold move with the support of his parents and embarked on his first project, the Sleep Inn hotel located in Richmond, Virginia. The development of the 51room hotel would lay the roots for what would become one of the most respected hospitality development and management companies in the state of Virginia. His company continues to grow on two founding principles: Honesty & Integrity. Through his hard work, discipline, and strategic plan for growth, Kalyan Hospitality now owns and operates premier hotel brands throughout the United States, along with upscale multifamily developments.
Javaid Siddiqi, Ph. D.
Matoaca High School 1995
President and CEO of The Hunt Institute
Former Virginia Secretary of Education Dr. Javaid Siddiqi is the President and CEO of The Hunt Institute. During his tenure, The Institute has expanded its scope of work beyond K-12 to include the entire education continuum from early childhood to postsecondary and the workforce. Siddiqi works with the leadership team to guide the strategic planning for The Institute and develops The Institute’s relationships with partners and funders across the nation. He works with senior-level elected officials across the political aisle to help design strategy, shape policy, and drive educational improvements on the national and state levels. His career spans more than 20 years in education and education reform and policy. He began his professional career as a high school teacher, assistant principal, and as a principal in Chesterfield, Virginia, where he led the implementation of Expeditionary Learning – a nationally recognized school reform model. As secretary of education in Governor Bob McDonnell’s Cabinet, Siddiqi assisted in the development and implementation of the Commonwealth’s education policy; and provided guidance to 16 public universities, the Virginia Community College System, five higher education and research centers, the Department of Education, and state-supported museums. Prior to his appointment, he served as deputy secretary of education where he focused his efforts on teacher quality and improving educational outcomes for all students. In addition to an extensive history of leadership service, Siddiqi continues to actively serve his community and state. He is an Aspen Institute Fellow, former Vice-Rector of the Radford University Board of Visitors, and a former member of the Chesterfield County School Board. He currently serves on the Elevate Early Education board and the National Center for Teacher Residencies board. Siddiqi is a graduate of Richard Bland College, Virginia State University, and Virginia Commonwealth University where he received both his undergraduate degree and doctorate in educational leadership.
Katherine Williams
Thomas Dale High School 1996
Senior Project Manager for construction at Georgetown University
Katherine Williams, AIA, NOMA, LEED AP is a licensed architect in Northern Virginia and currently a Senior Project Manager for construction at Georgetown University. Her career path includes work in traditional architecture firms, community development, and managing commercial construction for a general contractor. She restarted the Black Women in Architecture brunch in DC, an annual networking event, co-founded the Desiree Cooper ARE Scholarship, and is a founding panelist for Riding the Vortex. Williams has written about architecture and development and served as editor for multiple publications. She was the NOMA magazine editor from 2009-2014. In 2020, Katherine published Melvin Mitchell’s book African American Architects: Embracing Culture and Building Urban Communities. She served as chair of the AIA Housing and Community Development KC advisory group and currently serves on the AIA Continuing Education Committee. She is a board member of the Village of Love and Resistance (VOLAR) working to build co-operative community in east Baltimore. Williams was an Enterprise Rose Architectural Fellow in San Francisco. She received the 2016 AIA Virginia Emerging Professionals award and the 2013 National Organization of Minority Architects President’s Award. She writes at katherinerw.com and is publisher/editor for archstories.com and bwa-network.com.
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The Chesterfield Education Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing equitable educational opportunities and increasing classroom innovation for Chesterfield County Public Schools’ students. For more information or to donate visit CEFVA.org.
