Goochland County’s Central High School Committee and associated work on the Central High Cultural and Educational Complex were recognized on April 11, 2019 with a 2019 Excellence in Virginia Government Award for Community Enhancement from Virginia Commonwealth University’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs.
The Excellence in Virginia Government Awards (EVGA) celebrate people and organizations in the public and private sectors who have made significant contributions to the practice of government and the well-being of their communities and citizens. Specifically, the Community Enhancement Award recognizes outstanding commitment to improving the quality of community life in Virginia including a discernible, sustainable positive impact on the quality of community life applicable to other public service areas and communities.
Manuel Alvarez, Jr., Chair of the Goochland County Board of Supervisors and Gloria Turner, Chair of the Goochland Central High School Committee (center) received the award on behalf of the county and the committee from Dr. Susan Gooden, Interim Dean of the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs (left) and Dr. Bob Holsworth, VCU Board of Visitors member and EVGA Committee Chairman (right).
Once a building many thought would be torn down, Goochland’s Central High School Cultural and Educational Complex now stands as a community resource providing a facility for a variety of programs and activities as well as a museum and conference space. The award recognizes the Goochland Central High School Committee, which was formed by the Goochland County Board of Supervisors in 2013 to help determine the building’s future. Central High School served as the African-American High School from 1938-1969 until Goochland Schools were desegregated and later served as a middle school.
All the programs offered at Central go through an extensive review process to ensure that their design and implementation meet the needs of the Goochland community and fulfill the desired goals of the Central High Committee.
“Thanks to the heartfelt vision of the Central High School Committee and the hard work of county staff, Goochland is experiencing a previously unmatched standard of living,” remarked John A. Budesky, Goochland County Administrator.
Central High School is bringing new life to Goochland County in ways that very few thought possible. The School, once a symbol of division, has become a beacon for community unity.
For more information on the Excellence in Virginia Government Awards and a full list of honorees, visit https://wilder.vcu.edu/news-and-events/excellence-in-virginia-government/. For more information on the Central High Cultural and Educational Complex contact Goochland County Parks and Recreation at (804) 556-5854.
Watch the video story highlighting Goochland County's Central High School Committee and the Central High Cultural and Educational Complex at https://youtu.be/DaCdH2cDSZE.
2019 EVGA award honorees pose with (center) Dr. Bob Holsworth, VCU Board of Visitors member and EVGA Committee Chairman; Dr. Susan Gooden, Interim Dean of the VCU L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs; and Dr. Michael Rao, President of VCU.
