Executive Committee
Simone Pollard (Engr ’94)
Chair & Ridley Representative to the UVA Alumni Association Board of Managers
Simone Pollard is a dynamic leader who leverages her lively personality, critical thinking and business acumen to make an impact. As the Senior Strategy Director for the AI Labs at Educational Testing Service (ETS), Ms. Pollard is responsible for co-creating the strategy for the newly launched innovation labs, as well as, working with organizational units to scale or commercialize next generation learning solutions. Additionally, Ms. Pollard has utilized her experience and training as a life-long dancer and wellness enthusiast to create The Stretch Room, a wellness practice featuring the ultimate stretching experience, birthed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic shut down.
Prior to her current tenure at ETS, Ms. Pollard was the Executive Director of Recruitment at Urban Teachers, where she was responsible for developing and implementing data driven national and regional recruitment strategies, with the goal of identifying high caliber participants to join Urban Teachers’ four-year teacher residency program; a program offered in partnership with Johns Hopkins University. Prior, Ms. Pollard was the Senior Director of Business Development within the Global Education Division at Educational Testing Service (ETS), where she led business development initiatives for the GRE business and managed teams in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Ms. Pollard has a keen interest in applying strategy to drive results and, in turn, has established herself as a change agent in higher education where she was the Assistant Dean of Graduate Business Programs at the Villanova School of Business and, under her leadership, boosted applications, attracted higher quality candidates and secured a #11 national ranking by Bloomberg BusinessWeek. Ms. Pollard earned an MBA degree from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Virginia, where she was a Ridley Scholar, among other distinctions.
Rashida MacMurray-Abdullah (Arch ’95, Engr ’97)
First Vice Chair
Rashida MacMurray-Abdullah earned her Bachelor of Science in Architecture and a Master of Engineering in Civil Engineering from UVA. During her time at the University, she was a member of the Women’s Track and Field Team, served as a peer advisor for the Office of African-American Affairs, and a member of the Kappa Rho Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
She obtained her Juris Doctor from Rutgers University and Certificate with Distinction from Harvard Business Analytics Program. Rashida is Wiley Rein LLP’s first Chief Diversity Officer and is responsible for translating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies into pragmatic plans and initiatives to achieve the firm’s strategic goals. In this capacity, she serves as the firm’s thought leader in the marketplace where she focuses on external diversity commitments and other calls to action. In addition to her service to Ridley, she serves as the Vice-Chair of the Executive Committee for the Commercial Law Section of the National Bar Association and the Secretary for the Board of Directors for the Campaign for Fair Sentencing of Youth. Rashida resides in Washington, D.C. with her husband and their miniature poodle, Clicquot.
Stacy Hawkins (Col ’93)
Second Vice Chair
Stacy Hawkins graduated from UVA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in rhetoric & communication studies. While at the University, Stacy was a member of Black Enterprisers, volunteered with the local Charlottesville chapter of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and served as a Resident Assistant. She then went on to earn her Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center.
Currently, Stacy is an award-winning scholar and Vice Dean and Professor of Law at Rutgers Law School. Prior to this, she spent more than a decade in private practice. She served as Special Diversity Counsel to Holland & Knight, LLP and was the first Diversity Director for Ballard Spahr, LLP. Stacy has held or holds a number of professional and civic appointments, including as a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Diversity, Inclusion & Community Engagement, as an Advisory Board Member of the Public Interest Law Center, and as an inaugural member of the Pennsylvania Bar Association Diversity Team.
Chris Ford (Engr ’87)
Treasurer
Chris Ford graduated from the University of Virginia in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering. While at UVA, Chris was an active member of the Eta Sigma Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc, the Black Engineering Society and Air Force ROTC. After working for a few years on Wall Street, Chris returned to school and received his Doctor of Laws from Emory University School of Law.
Since graduating from law school, Chris has practiced as a commercial transactions lawyer, representing some of the world’s largest companies in their business-critical technology, financial services and sourcing deals. A partner in major law firms since 2001, Chris has been consistently ranked by such organizations as Best Lawyers, Chambers USA, Chambers Global and Legal 500.
Married to a UVA alumna and the father of three (one a 2015 UVA grad), Chris is active in a number of community and professional organizations and his church, where he serves as a Bible teacher.
Board Members
Tyler Ambrose (Col ’18)
Tyler Ambrose was a Flagship Ridley Scholar and Echols Scholar at the University of Virginia. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Politics Honors and a minor in History. While at the University, Tyler was Co-Chair of the Housing and Residence Life Program, President of the Black Male Initiative, and King of the IMP Society.
Following graduation, Tyler worked as Assistant to the Dean for Special Projects at UVA’s School of Law and joined the Gamma Alpha Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Tyler earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School, where he served as Chair of the Social and Cultural Affairs Committee of the Black Law Students Association. Currently, Tyler is a general corporate associate at Kirkland & Ellis, LLP in Houston, TX.
Dr. Eugene L. Anderson (Arch ’98, Educ ’01)
Eugene L. Anderson, Ph.D., currently works at Columbia University in the Office of Alumni and Development as the first Assistant Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer. This new role provides leadership across the university’s alumni and development staff by working internally to increase staff diversity at all levels and make the Alumni and Development teams across Columbia more inclusive for persons from all backgrounds.
Most recently, Eugene served as the first Director of Development for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in University Advancement at the University of Virginia. Before taking on that role, he spent twenty years as a leader and researcher at higher education associations, including Vice President for External Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU). Eugene led APLU’s efforts to engage and support 230 large public research universities in all aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion and collaborated with presidents and chancellors of the nineteen historically Black land-grant universities.
Eugene earned his master’s degree in urban and environmental planning from UVA’s School of Architecture in 1998 and his doctorate in education policy from UVA in 2001. While at the University, Eugene worked as a mentor with UVA’s Athletic Department’s Academic Affairs office and was a leader in what is now known as the Black Graduate and Professional Student Organization (BGPSO). Eugene was also a volunteer mentor and coach with the Charlottesville High School football team.
Eugene holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania and is married to Gasa (Grimes) Anderson (Col ’97, Educ ’98).
Dr. Paula Anderson (Col ’94)
Dr. Anderson is the founder, president, and CEO of PACE Consulting, an award-winning behavioral health counseling and organizational development consulting firm headquartered in the Washington, DC area. As an organizational psychologist/therapist and consultant, Dr. Anderson provides clinical counseling services and consults in the areas of workplace wellness, stress management, organizational culture, change management, and diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Anderson and her team also facilitate team retreats for organizations looking to build team wellbeing and cohesion.
Dr. Anderson most recently served as a board member and chair of the DEIB Committee at The Field School in Washington DC. She is the current Vice President and a board member at The Renew and Revitalize Marriage and Family Institute and serves as a Board member for the DEIB Alumnae Board at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City. She is also an active member of the Iota Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated.
Dr. Anderson lives in Maryland and enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.
Miles Braxton (Col ’18)
Miles Braxton is a clean energy enthusiast with over five years of professional experience working in solar development and asset management. He currently serves as the Director of Risk Management at Summit Ridge Energy, managing the company’s insurance program and analyzing corporate and solar asset risks.
Miles is a former associate at Goldman Sachs Renewable Power and Sol Systems, where he cemented his passion for equitable clean energy distribution. He started his sustainability career formulating energy mass balance equations/stoichiometry and managing project milestones to convert chicken manure into electricity through anaerobic digestion.
He is a co-founder of the BlackOak Collective, a network of Black professionals and students dedicated to sustainability. He served as BlackOak’s Director of Partnerships until the end of 2022 and launched the Green Gateways Initiative, in which BlackOak representatives speak to students at universities and HBCUs how to launch their environmental careers. Miles now sits on BlackOak’s Advisory Board while leading another entrepreneurial team in the clean energy space.
Miles graduated from the University of Virginia in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science as a Rodman Scholar, minoring in technology leadership. The Richmond native has received several accolades for his work, including GreenBiz 30 Under 30; Rising Star: Gold (Cleanie Awards); Leadership in Green Power Education (EPA and CRS); and JEDI Champion (CELI).
Tony Covington (Col ’90)
Tony Covington graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in rhetoric and communications studies. While at Virginia, he earned All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-American Honors in football. After college, Tony was drafted by the National Football League’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers where he earned All-Rookie Honors in his first season. He played for the Buccaneers for four seasons before finishing his NFL career with the Seattle Seahawks.
Tony has spent the last 20+ years affecting change with established non-profit organizations such as the Special Olympics, the United Negro College Fund, etc., and now serves as the Vice President of Business Development of TalentED, powered by CUES. Tony is still very active at the University where he serves as the radio color commentator for Virginia Football and is co-host of the podcast, The Lockdown. Tony is an author, mentor, motivational speaker and a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Tony is a proud husband and father and currently resides in Maryland.
Kelly Garnes-Pages (Col ’03)
Kelly Garnes grew up in Brooklyn, New York and is the proud daughter of immigrants. She graduated from UVA with a BA in History and a minor in African American Studies. She is a proud alumna of the Theta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. At the University, Kelly served as a leader on UVA’s Resident Staff and a mentor to children through organizations such as the Girl Scouts. Kelly then went on to earn her Ed.M. in administration, planning and social policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She served in various roles in education ranging from classroom teacher to Director of College and Career Services at KIPP. Kelly earned an MBA from Columbia Business School. During business school, Kelly served as Co-President of Columbia Women in Business, the school’s largest student run organization. After business school, Kelly joined Citibank where she helped to provide analytics and financial modeling to help expand various business lines including consumer credit, commercial banking, and mortgages.
Kelly decided to merge her passion for education and business by taking on various c-level positions at educational organizations. She is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, New Jersey. In this role she leads the school’s finance, real estate, human resources, risk management, technology, health and safety divisions. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three young children.
Sherlonda Goode-Jones (Com ’95, Darden ’01)
She also leads teams that provide advisory services to federal agencies and commercial financial institutions involved in housing finance, financial stabilization, mortgage servicing, and credit operations. She has helped to transform the service operations of some of the largest federal credit programs, while providing transaction services to billion-dollar portfolios for housing and small business loans.
Goode-Jones is a board member of the Boys and Girls Club of Washington DC, the Maret School Board of Trustees, and the University of Virginia Ridley Scholars Program; serves in various roles with the Washington DC Chapter of Jack and Jill of the America, Metropolitan DC Chapter of the Links, Incorporated; and is a member of 2020 class of Leadership Greater Washington. In March 2021, she was a Washington Business Journal Diversity in Business Award honoree. In March 2022, she received a Global Leader in Consulting Award from Consulting Magazine.
Goode-Jones received her MBA from the Darden School of Business (2001), UVA, where she completed international business studies at the International University of Japan, and her BS in Finance and Marketing from the McIntire School of Commerce, UVA (Com ’95).
Shavonne Gordon (Engr ’95)
Shavonne Gordon graduated from UVA with a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Engineering. She started her career as a Systems Analyst in manufacturing before joining Capital One, where she worked for 21 years. She spent much of time at Capital One in the Technology department before joining HR in 2014 to follow her passion for recruiting and supporting diverse talent. As Head of Diversity Talent Acquisition, she had a tremendous impact across the company through her focus on attracting and developing leaders and mentoring associates – in particular, lending her counsel and insights to advance the growth and development of Black associates. In June of 2022, Shavonne joined Morgan Stanley as the Global Head of Diversity for Technology, Operations, and Firm Resiliency, continuing to focus on the diversity work that is both her passion and purpose.
In 2019, Shavonne was recognized as one of Savoy’s Most Influential Women in Corporate America. She is the President and CEO of the CALIBR Global Leadership Network, and in 2020 was appointed by VA Governor Ralph Northam to the Board of Visitors for Virginia State University, a 138-year-old HBCU in Ettrick, VA. She resides in Glen Allen, VA with her 13-year-old daughter, Simone, and her 17 year old daughter, Kennedy, who is a member of UVA’s Class of 2026!
Colette Gresham (Col ’93)
Colette R. Gresham graduated from UVA with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in Government. While at the University, Colette was an active member of the Theta Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity, the Black Student Alliance, and a Peer Advisor for the Office of African-American Affairs’ Peer Advisor Program. After graduation, she earned her Juris Doctor from William and Mary School of Law.
Currently, Colette is the Associate Council Administrator for the Prince George’s County Council in Maryland. She began her legal career as a Judicial Law Clerk for the Honorable Sheila R. Tillerson Adams, Prince George’s County Circuit Court, 7th Judicial Circuit and later served as Assistant Legal Counsel to Maryland Governor Parris N. Glendening in the Office of Legal Counsel and Regulatory Affairs. Dedicated to community service, Colette served on the Board of Directors for Imagine Foundations Public Charter Schools from 2013-2016 and is currently on the Board of Directors for Ardmore Enterprises, Incorporated. She is an active member of the Iota Gamma Omega Chapter, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the National Harbor Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, the Willow Oak (MD) Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and Leadership Greater Washington. Born and raised in Hampton, Virginia, Colette has been a resident of Prince George’s County, Maryland since 1996. She currently resides in Upper Marlboro with her husband, Dr. Doran V. Gresham (Col ’94), and their two daughters, Madison and Nina.
Dr. Dexter Love (Col ’97)
Dexter Love was a Jerome Holland Scholar at the University of Virginia and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in biology with highest distinction. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and was also a Distinguished Military Graduate of the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps, receiving the commission of Second Lieutenant.
Dexter earned the title of Doctor of Medicine from The Johns Hopkins University and completed a residency program in orthopedic surgery at Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC. He entered active duty in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Joint Base Andrews, MD, and in 2008 he deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He was promoted to the rank of Major and served as a White House Military Social Aide in support of the Obama Administration while continuing to practice medicine.
In 2011, Dexter left military service and now practices medicine at Colquitt Regional Medical Center in Moultrie, GA. He remains a strong supporter of Virginia women’s soccer and softball.
Dr. Francine Olds (Nurs ’79)
Dr. Francine Olds is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, a member of the American Medical Association, the National Medical Association, the Virginia Beach Medical Society, and the Howard Kelly Society of the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Olds is commonly known as the “go-to” M.D. who makes each patient’s concerns a priority with the confidence and confidentiality of both a physician and “a girl’s best friend.”
She received the title of Doctor of Medicine from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was awarded a coveted internship and residency in gynecology and obstetrics at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
Dr. Olds has lived most of her life in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. After graduating from Indian River High School with the highest honors, she went on the earn a Bachelor of Science with distinction in nursing from the University of Virginia in 1979. She then worked for three years as a gynecologic oncology nurse and Duke University Hospital. It was there that she realized that her calling was to a higher and greater service as a physician and as an advocate and provider for women’s general and reproductive health.
Kazz Pinkard (Col ’00)
Kazz Alexander Pinkard is an experienced non-profit executive with a demonstrated history of enhancing programs and student experiences in the youth development sector, and in leading training and professional development for capacity building not-for-profits. Kazz has twenty years of experience as an educator in New York City, Newark, NJ, and Washington, DC. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Hit the Books, Harlem’s first non-profit dedicated to enhancing the experiences of youth by combining the pillars of mixed martial arts with academic enrichment.
Before joining Hit The Books, Kazz most recently served as the Chief Program Officer at The Boys’ Club of New York, and as Deputy Director at Ramapo For Children, where he has led over 100 training sessions for non-profit organizations, childcare centers and schools.
Kazz holds a B.A. in history from the University of Virginia, as well post-graduate certificates from Fordham University (Executive Education), Baruch College (Non-Profit Management) and NYU (Diversity and Inclusion). As an independent consultant, Kazz founded Teachable NYC, to help support the mission of creating diverse and inclusive programs for children, and specifically to help other non-profit professionals design safe spaces for boys of color. Kazz is a native New Yorker, member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, and also serves as the Community Relations Director and member of the Board of Directors at NYC Pride, advancing LBGTQIA+ community causes and organization partnerships throughout the New York metropolitan area.
While at the University of Virginia, Kazz served as the President of Black Student Alliance and as a weekly opinion columnist at the Cavalier Daily.
Darrick Robinson (Com ’96)
Darrick Robinson graduated from UVA with a Bachelor of Science from the McIntire School of Commerce, concentrating in Finance and Marketing. While at the University, Darrick was a Navy ROTC midshipman, an active member of the University’s Diversity Committee, and a volunteer with the Madison House Big Sibling program. Additionally, he was Vice Chair of the Student Council Appropriations Committee and Chapter President of the Lambda Zeta Chapter of The Omega Phi Psi Service Fraternity, Inc.
After spending 20 years in the finance sector, Darrick was the head of investor relations for a private equity fund, and currently works in business development for an IT healthcare consulting firm, specializing in data analytics/AI. Outside of work, he’s mentored youth at New Heights Youth (sports and education), and Boy’s Town (for neglected and underserved youth) and volunteered with Sponsors for Educational Opportunity (internship program).
Dr. Barbara Savage (Col ’74)
Dr. Barbara Savage is a native Virginian and a member of the first class of women. She was a Resident Adviser, Student Council member, Lawn resident, and a spirited but mediocre trumpet player in the Pep Band, among other activities. After UVA, she received a J. D. from Georgetown (1977), and much later, a Ph. D. in history from Yale (1995). She was among the group of Black alumni who helped found the Ridley Fund and also spent two terms on the Alumni Association Board of Managers. Her prior experience also includes service on the Board of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research (2008-2020).
From 1995-2020, she was at the University of Pennsylvania where she was Geraldine R. Segal Professor of American Social Thought, specializing in twentieth century African American history. She also was Vyvyan Harmsworth Professor of American History at the University of Oxford (2018-2019). She has written two award-winning books [Your Spirits Walk Beside Us: The Politics of Black Religion (Harvard, 2008) and Broadcasting Freedom: Radio, War, and the Politics of Race, 1938-1948 (UNC, 1999)] and co-edited two others [Toward an Intellectual History of Black Women (UNC, 2015) and Women and Religion in the African Diaspora (Johns Hopkins, 2006)]. Her current project is an intellectual biography of Merze Tate (1905-1996), a path blazing black woman diplomatic historian at Howard University.
Sherry Thompson (Engr ’94)
Sherry Thompson is an engineer turned marketer, who lives and works in her purpose zone, which is to help people live their best, healthiest life. In 2020, Sherry started Thompson Marketing Solutions (TMS), LLC, where she consults for corporate, philanthropic, and faith-based clients in the health & wellness space, with a special emphasis on developing and executing marketing and social impact strategies for Communities of Color.
Prior to TMS, Sherry served in two different capacities for WW (formerly Weight Watchers) — Senior Vice President of Diverse Community Engagement & Activation where she developed and executed the company’s strategy to reach diverse communities and helped launch the first ever national tour with Oprah Winfrey – WW Presents Oprah’s 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus. Sherry also served as the Senior Vice President of the U.S. Marketing team, where she was responsible for advertising, social media, public relations, brand influencers, CRM, and promotions. Prior to WW, Sherry spent 17 years in the beauty care industry, working at Johnson & Johnson® Consumer Products Company, Elizabeth Arden®, and Revlon® in a variety of marketing leadership roles.
Sherry received her MBA, with a Marketing focus, from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, which has been a great complement to her Systems Engineering degree from the University of Virginia. While at UVA she was very active in the community with Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE). Sherry’s commitment to the community continues — she enjoys giving back and is very active in the church community on a variety of health & wellness initiatives. Sherry’s personal interests include baking, running half marathons and spending time with family and friends. The biggest joy she has is being a voice of encouragement wherever she goes.
Quentin Washington (Engr ’04)
Quentin D. Washington is an award-winning engineer, digital strategist, and mentor with experience in the government, entertainment, and media industries. He is currently the senior director of project management at Dotdash Meredith, where he leads the product design and development of Consumer Products and Engagement. He also leads the company’s accessibility program, ensuring that its digital content and technology are accessible for people with all spectrums of ability and access.
Quentin began his career at Northrop Grumman as a mechanical design engineer, supporting the nuclear aircraft carrier program. He moved on to become a program manager at Comcast, which he managed the launch of Xfinity TV and the digital experience for the 2012 and 2014 Olympic Games. Before joining Dotdash, Quentin was the Head of Product at ESSENCE Magazine, where he successfully relaunched essence.com and developed a new digital product strategy for the magazine and the popular ESSENCE Festival, which is the largest African-American culture and music event in the country.
Quentin received his Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering from the University of Virginia and his Master of Science in engineering management from The George Washington University. While at UVA, he was a member of Residence Staff and served in multiple leadership roles with National Society of Black Engineers. After graduation, Quentin served on the Young Alumni Council and other committees that serve the wellbeing and progression of the UVA community.
Aaron Wilson (Com ’12, Darden ’20)
Aaron Wilson graduated from UVA with a Bachelor of Science in business from the McIntire School of Commerce. While at the University, Aaron was a member of the Varsity UVA Football Team, elected first year student council representative, Vice President of the Lambda Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., and an active Madison House volunteer.
Following undergrad, Aaron has gone on to manage the Capital One, Call of Duty Black Ops III, Levi’s and Dockers, and Sony Pictures brands. He directed the brand marketing and marketing analytic campaigns for these companies at both a national and global scale. Most recently, Aaron graduated from the UVA Darden School of Business in 2020 with his M.B.A, in which he served as Vice President of the Black Business Student Association and Darden’s Consortium cohort. Aaron currently serves as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, based out of the office in Atlanta, GA.
Ex Officio
Lily West (Darden ’12)
President and CEO, UVA Alumni Association
Lily has built a career scaling and repositioning organizations in both the public and private sectors. Prior to becoming the President/CEO the University of Virginia’s Alumni Association, Lily ran a national franchise and worked at Bain & Company, where she advised Fortune 500 companies. Lily started her career with the 2008 Obama campaign, where she delivered a historic victory in a battleground state before joining the Administration.
Lily received her B.A. from the University of North Carolina and her M.B.A from UVA’s Darden School of Business. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, UNC’s Order of The Golden Fleece, and UVA’s Raven Society. She is also a recipient of UNC’s Jane Craige Gray Memorial Award and Darden’s Michael Shermet Award and C. Sheppard Distinguished Service Award.
Honorary Board Members
- Dr. Walter N. Ridley (Educ ’53), 1910-1996
- John F. Merchant, Esq. (Law ’58), Founder, 1933-2020
- James M. Trice, Jr. (Engr ’63), Chairman Emeritus