Faculty Profile

Beverly Davis

In September 2021 Reynolds Associate Professor, Marketing, Business and Management, Beverly Davis was honored at the Ruth Cole Harris Annual Leadership Institute Luncheon. Her award profile - shown at the end of this post - tells the story of her accomplishments and why she was honored.

The Ruth Coles Harris Leadership Institute is part of Virginia Union University's Sydney Lewis School of Business. The Institute offers students a lecture series, and workshops and seminars for the community.  

The Ruth Coles Harris Leadership Institute offers leadership lecture series to students, workshops for professionals, certificate programs for professionals, and seminars to the community at-large. It is intended to deepen participants understanding of leadership, administration, business, entrepreneurship, and to strengthen leadership skills which embrace service to others. “The Leadership Institute is a special offering for our students so they can learn from accomplished professionals first hand,” said Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, President & CEO of Virginia Union University.

Beverly recently took time to field a few interview questions about her award and her work.

You were recently honored at the Ruth Coles Harris Leadership Institute luncheon. Please tell us about the Institute and the honor you are receiving. 

With the leadership award, the Institute honors people who are making a difference both professionally and in the community. The Ruth Coles Harris Leadership Institute shines a light on individuals who are wonderful role models for VUU students.

How are you affiliated with VUU and the Institute?

I received my Bachelor’s degree in Business from VUU in 1973.  I was nominated by Dr. Ruth Coles Harris for this award.  

How long have you been an Associate Professor at Reynolds? And tell us about the courses you teach.

I was hired as an adjunct faculty the summer of 1973 and offered a full-time position that Fall semester. I have been employed at Reynolds since that time. I teach classes in marketing, business and retail.

In addition to being an Associate Professor you are COO of Davis Brothers Construction Company. Please tell about your role in the company. 

I serve on the Board of Directors for DBCC and advise my husband and board members on marketing and business practices.  My son and two daughters have VP positions and oversee the day to day operations of the business. Davis Brothers Construction Company, Inc. is a multi-generational family business founded in 1908.

Please tell us about Dr. Ruth Coles Harris?

While attending VUU I was a work-study student for Dr. Harris. I worked for her during the four years I was enrolled at the college. She was Dean of the School of Business. She was an outstanding mentor and role model. Dr. Harris guided me with her knowledge, experience, and expertise. She always reminded me to keep an open mind, to have patience, tenacity, and to have a vision. 

She wanted me to always see the big picture and to understand what it takes for me to achieve my goals.

She stressed to me the importance of developing leadership skills and emphasized that I should always be my own person. 

You are a very busy woman. What do you like to do outside of your work?  

I am very active in politics and in community service organizations.  And of course, I enjoy spending time with my children and grandchildren.

 

Advising

Welcome to your new roles!

Dr. Ronda Bond, Elizabeth Roerink, and Ashley King have moved into their new G3 Advising Coordinator Roles!

G3 Advising Coordinators provide holistic advising support to students in G3 programs. They also provide supportive leadership in a content area and serve as a resource to assist individuals in overcoming non-academic barriers that may affect their ability to complete their educational goals successfully.

Dr. Ronda Bond - G3 Advising Coordinator of First-Year Success PRC & DTC

Ronda Bond is a native of Tennessee and has served in higher education since 2001. Until joining Reynolds in 2019 as a part-time Early Alert Coach, much of her career had been with 4-year institutions. Ronda has a wealth of experience that ranges from Admission, Enrollment, Retention, and Advising. During the pandemic, and defended her dissertation: Developing a Sustainable Model for Impactful Academic Advising, earned her Doctor of Education at Virginia Commonwealth University,  and was hired as a Career Advisor for Advising Services.  Ronda is a proud alumnus of the University of Memphis (Go Tigers), an expert Golden Girls Fan, and a wife and mother to the best Marvel-loving humans.

Elizabeth H. Roerink, M.S - Advising Coordinator for Career Services PRC & DTC

Elizabeth Roerink served for five years as a Reynolds Career coach.  Before serving as a career coach, she was a high school counselor and admissions counselor at The University of Memphis. Elizabeth earned her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from James Madison University and her Master’s degree in Counseling & Personnel Services from The University of Memphis. Elizabeth lives in Hanover County with her husband, two sons, and two rescue dogs who rule the house. She is passionate about working with all students and assisting them in reaching their academic and career goals. She is eager to serve Reynolds students in her new role. 

Ashley King - Advising Coordinator for the Parham Road (PRC) Campus

Ashley King is a graduate of Norfolk State University; she has achieved a B.A. in Sociology and minored in Criminal Justice. After graduating college, Ashley launched her career at Reynolds, a loyal employee for the past eight years. While working in Higher Education, Ashley actively engaged in many committees, completed a Career Coaching certification through the Virginia Community College System, and serves as a Women in Search of Excellence Mentor (WISE). Ashley lives in Hanover with her husband and bonus son. She is excited about her new role at Reynolds and cannot wait to collaborate with other offices to assist students with reaching their goals. 

Horticulture

from The Goochland Gazette / September 16, 2021

 

Faculty Profile

Meet Michael Beamer
Co-Program Head & Assistant Professor | ESL 
Reynolds Community College | School of Humanities & Social Sciences 

Michael Beamer doesn't just dream about travel. He travels. He has travelled and lived all around the US, the UK, and Japan before settling here in Mechanicsville and teaching ESL at Reynolds.

Michael came to Reynolds in January 2021 at the height of the pandemic. He had taught online in grad school, but the spring semester would be his first fully online experience.

But, like any world traveler, Michael is flexible, and he adapted quickly and easily to his changing scenario. He's ready for the fall semester, and he and his family are looking forward to more adventures in the Richmond area as life moves in the direction of normal.

You are a native of Bethlehem, PA. What was it like growing up there?

Growing up in Bethlehem was pretty cool. Definitely not as bad as Billy Joel made the area out to be ("Allentown" is about the general area, as there were no steel mills in Allentown--only in Bethlehem😊). My family was in the suburbs and it actually was a pretty idyllic life looking back on it (and comparing it to other places I've lived). By the time Bethlehem Steel shut down, a lot of other industries had moved into the area so the economy was fine. Also, there's a great 10-day music festival in the area that's been going on since 1984.

How did you get from Bethlehem to JMU where you earned your BA in English? 

My oldest brother went to Bridgewater and the middle brother went to William and Mary. I got used to coming to Virginia and I liked JMU (it was also the quickest application of all the schools I applied to--no essay!). I did get into University of Richmond as well, but it was a bit expensive. I didn't want to go to Penn State as it seemed like half my high school went there. Only one other student from my class went to JMU and I don't remember even seeing her once. I guess I wanted to leave the nest as much as possible.

Please tell us a little about your background and travels.

When I was younger, my family would take vacations to different places like Assateague and Chincoteague Islands, Maine, Canada, South Carolina, etc. So I started to enjoy traveling and learning about new places, food and people from a young age (although I was not the most adventurous eater until I got to college). Also, when I was very young, my oldest brother got me interested in The Beatles, which in turn got me interested in England. I can still do several British accents fairly well. Anyway, when I was at JMU I was accepted to the Semester Abroad program and went to London, which turned out to be one of those life transforming experiences. I absolutely loved my time there and it was then that the international travel bug had bit me. After graduation, I dreamed of living and teaching in Japan (see below), but I had to put it off for various reasons. However, in 1997 I left for Japan to teach in an English conversation school for two years. At the end of that time, I wasn't sure of what I was going to do, but the reactions from my students at my going away party overwhelmed me, and I realized I must have done something right, so I decided to go to grad school for teaching ESL. I was accepted to three grad schools, but I chose University of Hawaii because it was (is) the best program, it gave me the best financial deal, and I got to go study in Hawaii (Duh! What would you choose?). I was there for almost three years, but I had a dream to teach in higher ed in Japan, so I was able to get a job at Nihon University (which at the time had about five people from UH) in Shizuoka. On a good day, you could see Mt. Fuji from the school. They limited international faculty to three-year contracts, so after that I went to a small two-year college in Yokohama. I was there for four years and during that time I met my yet-to-become wife and we had a long-distance relationship between Osaka and Yokohama. I had got a job in Osaka and had planned to move there when I saw an ad for a job as Director of the Intensive English Program in at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. I probably wouldn't have looked much further, but my parents had actually gone there and met there, so I knew about it. I asked my then fiancé if she thought it was OK if I applied to a job in the US. She said yes, but later told me she thought I wouldn't get it! After I did get the job, we had to get married very quickly as a spouse visa is much easier to get than a fiancé visa. While at Juniata, my wife took ESL classes in my program (but not my classes as the other students might have wondered how she really got her A, hehe) and eventually earned her BS in Educational Studies (in between, our son was born!). She had agreed to move to the US and support me to further my career. After her graduation, she had received a job offer in California, so I wanted to support her. Luckily, I was able to find the job at USC after we arrived in CA. While we were able to save money (even with the outrageous rent), but we both eventually realized we are east coast people. So when I saw the ad for the job at Reynolds I applied right away. We have since bought a house in Mechanicsville, have two young puppies, Cody is now seven and starting second grade!

You have lived in Japan, in the US in Hawaii, California, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and in the UK. What is your favorite place to live and why?

So far, Hawaii has been my favorite place to live, even though I was living on a Graduate Assistant's pay. It is very cosmopolitan, which I really enjoy. The people are very friendly, the food is great, and the natural features are incredible. There's actually a lot you can do there that doesn't cost a lot (as long as you're willing to live in a smaller place than you would be able to get for the same price as in Richmond). It's not perfect, by a long shot, but it was a great place to live. I would absolutely love to retire there as it would fit my wife like a glove with all the Asian food and culture.

You’ve been working in ESL for about 25 years. What got you interested in ESL?

When I was an undergrad at JMU, I had applied to join the Peace Corps and went to an informational meeting. I wasn't accepted because I didn't have a teaching degree/experience and the recruiter told me they had English teachers coming out their ears. He told me I should study ESL and look into getting experience in the field. I took a class to finish my last three credits at JMU in an ESL teaching methodology course and got interested in it. I was hired by Eastern Mennonite College (in the same town as JMU) to teach two ESL classes. Almost all the students were Japanese and that got me interested in teaching in Japan. I wonder if I could get into the Peace Corps today?!

How have you seen the study of ESL change over 25 years?

That's an interesting question. There's been a (good) shift in using more and more advancing/emerging technology in and out of the classroom. Some people (students and teachers) are reluctant to use it, which is a shame, in my opinion, because they could expand either their learning opportunities for students or their teaching repertoires for the instructors. Of course, as with any field, weeding through so many websites/programs to find the gems can be daunting, so I understand some of the reluctance. Also, institutions must be willing to support instructors in terms of using technology, both in terms of hardware/software and training. 

What was the most challenging aspect of teaching ESL online during the pandemic? What did you find most rewarding?

I was a full-time administrator in California, so I wasn't teaching there. My first online teaching experience during the pandemic (I had taught online during grad school) was in Spring 2021 for Reynolds. I think the most difficult thing was I had several lower-level classes and I think many of those students didn't have as much exposure to technology previously, so that limited what I could do in the classes as far as fully utilizing the available technology. I admire them greatly for working their jobs, raising kids, and taking classes (often at the same time) to learn English. I also felt disjointed from them as they were "boxes" on my computer. I hope they come by my office and say hello (a few have).  The most rewarding thing is basically the same as F2F classes--seeing your students achieve their goals, realizing they can do something they thought they couldn't, and seeing those "light bulb" moments. 

You, your wife Megumi, and your seven year old son were looking forward to exploring Richmond when you moved here. In spite of covid restrictions, have you been able to discover some interesting spots around Richmond?

We've seen some of Richmond, but we'll be happy to see more. We did enjoy going to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm in CA, so we got passes for King's Dominion (which is owned by the same company as Knott's Berry Farm). We're looking forward to getting our son involved in some organized activities like sports so we can meet more people through that. Of course, my wife has found the Asian supermarkets and just found one with what she considers the best kimchi she's had in a while, so that makes her happy. I have been golfing a couple times. I still play horribly, but I enjoy it. Cody has made a lot of new friends in our new neighborhood and we're sure he'll make more when he starts school in person.

Student Profile

 We find our way when we least expect it . . .

Looking for deaf man with two senior Dachshunds. Hi all, A couple of months ago I met a deaf man at Barker Field. He looked to be about 50-60. He was there with 2 senior long-haired Dachshunds (they were 18 years old). We were able to communicate a little bit by drawing in the dirt, but you can imagine it was frustrating to not be able to talk about anything. I've always loved the idea of learning ASL, and meeting this man was just the thing I needed, during these pandemic days, to do it. I'm 60 now, but I've enrolled in Reynolds Community College to get a certificate in ASL. I start next week with 2 classes and hope to be done in a couple of years. If any of you know this man, please thank him for me. He was the person I needed to meet at that moment, at that place, to turn my 60s into a new exiting time. Take care, Susan

This post was found by Cory Walter, Administrative Support in Dr. Pando’s office. The post was on Cory's Neighborhood site. 

Cory was so moved by the message that she took her own time to track down the poster to share her story with Reynolds faculty and staff. 

The “Susan” who posted on Cory's Neighborhood site is Susan Sabo, and she is now a few weeks into her studies at Reynolds.

Susan Sabo wanted to know more about the deaf man she met. In turn, we want to know more about her. Get to know Susan in this blog profile . . . . 

Susan, where did you grow up and what was it like?

I grew up in Los Angeles and lived there most of my life. 

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I started my career without college, as a secretary and receptionist. I've been an editor, writer, publisher, and now a photographer. I’m also a lifelong dog person and was a single mom at age 20. My body says I’m 60, but my brain says I’m 19, so I’m going with that. I dress like a 15 year old boy. I may age, but I will never grow up :) 

What brought you to Reynolds?

I was looking for a comprehensive ASL course, not just an app or a couple of basic lessons. I really want to learn not just the language but also the culture. This is something to which I’ve never been exposed, so I’m looking forward to learning as much as I can. 

What got you interested in learning ASL?

Learning ASL is different from learning, say Spanish or Russian. If you remove sound, hearing, from a language it really becomes a different world. It’s like suddenly noticing a door that has been there the whole time, but never opened. 

What spurred me to actually sign up was a chance meeting with a man at a local dog park. Although the park was crowded, he was sitting by himself at one end, and had two senior Dachshunds with him. I walked over and immediately tried to start communicating. We drew in the dirt with a stick and through body language, facial expressions, and some writing, were able to trade a little bit of information about our dogs. After he left, I couldn’t get him out of my mind and I kept thinking about how much I just really wanted to be able to talk to him about his dogs. I learned they were 18 years old, but I didn’t even get their names. And I’m huge on the dog’s names. (I keep a running list of all the dogs we meet at the park.) 

That meeting led me to download a few apps, which I found were really superficial. I did a quick search online, and that’s how I found Reynolds. I was thrilled to find they have a program for learning ASL, so I enrolled right away, just in time for the fall semester. 

What are your goals after finishing the program?

A lot of my work has been volunteer work; I’ve worked with MHA and a lot of dog shelters and rescues. In the past few years I’ve narrowed my photography down to dogs and volunteer work, and I don’t know yet how I’m going to merge those interests with ASL, but I’m eager to find a way. 

You are a photographer. How does ASL relate to photography?

I honestly can’t say, I’ve just started to ask those questions. I’ve found some amazing deaf photographers through google searches, and I’m really anxious to learn more and maybe meet some of those photographers. I’d love to know their process and how differently they may work from a hearing photographer. I imagine some of the differences, and advantages, are profound.