Angela Avant served as Assistant Treasurer of the Girl Scouts National Capital Region Council and Treasurer of Mentors, Inc. She was a Partner in charge of diversity at KPMG LLP and led the KPMG's national human resources diversity team. Angela joined KPMG in 1999 and was named an Advisory Partner in 2004, responsible for business development and advisory services in KPMG's Mid-Atlantic area's state and local, non-profit, and higher education sectors. Prior to KPMG, Anglea was the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. As a certified public accountant, she is a lifetime member and three-term Past National President of the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA).
Known for his relentless drive and demanding expectations, Sam Chislom, VSU Class of 1965, is the former President and CEO of the Chisholm-Mingo Group (formerly The Mingo Group), one the largest advertising and public relations firm owned and operated by African Americans. At one point the Mingo Group was ranked No. 5 on the BE ADVERTISING AGENCIES list with $100 million in billings. Its major clients included Anheuser-Busch, the U.S. Census, Royal Caribbean International, Amtrak, and Texaco.
Earnest J. Edwards, VSU Class of 1961, retired after 34 years of service with Aluminum Company of America (ALCOA) as senior vice president and controller. ALCOA is the world's third largerst producer of aluminum. He also served on the Board of Trustees of LaRoche College and as a director of the Alcoa Foundation.
Reginald Lewis, VSU Class of 1965, was the richest African-American man in the 1980s. He won a football scholarship to VSU, graduating with a degree in economics. He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1968 and was the first African American to build a billion dollar company, Beatrice Foods. The Reginald F. Lewis College of Business at VSU is named in his honor. In addition, if you are ever in the Baltimore, MD area, the Reginald F. Lewis Musuem of Maryland African-American History and Culture is a must see.
Bernadine Gines, VSU Class of 1946, was the first African-American woman to become a Certified Public Accountant in New York. She graduated when New York became the first state to require four years of higher learning to take the CPA exam. Despite exceeding the qualifications, she struggled to find a position at a CPA firm due to adversity. Being among the first in her class to graduate from VSU and earn a MBA from NYU was not enough for Gines’ applications to be accepted. When she learned of a Black-owned CPA firm in Manhattan, her reality was intensified when she discovered they only hired men. But the rejections that blatantly stemmed from racism and sexism did not discourage her. After two years of rejection, Gines was accepted into a predominantly Jewish CPA firm. Her experiences during and before working at the firm prepared Gines to have a long and successful career with the City of New York Office of the Comptroller.
Vernard Henley, VSU Class of 1951, former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Consolidated Bank & Trust Co. in Richmond, once the oldest independent black-owned bank in America. During his 30-year tenure as president, he ambitiously oversaw the growth of the community bank from one branch in Richmond to seven branches in Richmond, Newport News and Hampton. The Korean War veteran also led the growth of deposits from million to 5 million. He won the respect of his peers and was the first African-American to serve as president of the Virginia Bankers Association.
Juanita R. Mitchell, VSU Class of 1969, was the Vice President of Human Resources for Volvo Cars of North America, LLC and a member of the Executive Management Group for Volvo Cars of NA. She also served as diversity executive for Ford Motor Company’s Premier Automotive Group (PAG) for European Brands, comprised of Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo Cars. In honor of her parents, she launched the Lousie and Ferdinand Ragland Scholarship Fund at VSU to provide financial assistance to underprivileged students.
An accomplished executive with 22 years of experience in the consulting engineering industry, Huron Winstead is the President of Winstead Management Group, LLC, headquartered in Richmond, VA, which provides construction management services operating in the US public and private infrastructure sectors. He has also served as the Vice President and Area Managing Principal for MWH Americas Inc., a global consulting engineering company where he was responsible for market development and operations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Huron has also served as Director of Government Relations for MWH in Los Angeles, California. In 2013, Huron was appointed to the VSU Board of Visitors by Virginia Govenor Bob McDonnell.
Rodney Ferguson, VSU Class of 1982, was named the Chief Executive Officer and general manager of the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino in 2017. Prior to that he served as the Milwaukee properity's chief operating officer. From 2013 to 2015, Ferguson served as Potawatomo Hotel & Casino's chief financial officer, and helped lead the planning and opening of the property's 381-room hotel.
Join the Virginia State University Credit Union by opening an account or applying for a car loan. Whether you're looking to purchase a newer car or refinance the one you have, let the credit union help you with your auto borrowing needs. There are only 11 HBCU-based credit unions in the country. Consider banking with an African-American financial institution today.
Click here to visit the VSU Credit Union
Check out the upcoming events hosted by the VSUAA Northern Virginia Chapter.
Join the VSUAA Richmond Metro Chapter at its next chapter meeting schedule for May 21, 2024. For more information please contact Chapter President, Holly Jackson-Conrad at
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