Bill Text: VA HJR817 | 2013 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Walter Segaloff.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 2-1)
Status: (Passed) 2013-02-14 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ817ER) [HJR817 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2013-HJR817-Enrolled.html
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WHEREAS, Walter Segaloff, a Newport News businessman and founder of An Achievable Dream, has been named by the Virginia Press Association as the Virginian of the Year for 2013; and WHEREAS, each year, the Virginia Press Association accepts nominations from newspapers across the state for its prestigious Virginian of the Year award; and WHEREAS, a native of Ohio, Walter Segaloff moved to Newport News as a teenager when his father purchased the woman's clothing store, La Vogue; and WHEREAS, Walter Segaloff graduated from Newport News High School and earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan before returning to Newport News to join the family business; and WHEREAS, an astute businessman, Walter Segaloff built on his father's legacy, eventually serving as president of Virginia Specialty Stores, Inc., a woman's clothing chain of 107 stores in the eastern United States that he sold in 1992; and WHEREAS, a noted civic, business, and community leader, Walter Segaloff decided after selling the family business to help the disadvantaged youth of Newport News, founding An Achievable Dream as a summer and after-school tennis and tutoring program for 95 rising fourth graders in 1992; and WHEREAS, driven by the belief that students from all socioeconomic environments can learn and succeed, Walter Segaloff joined with other dreamers in the community to forge the partnership between the nonprofit of the same name and Newport News Public Schools that today prepares 1,200 students in grades K-12 for their futures; and WHEREAS, An Achievable Dream Academy at Dunbar-Erwin lays the foundation of education and etiquette for kindergarten through fifth grade with students wearing uniforms, learning to introduce themselves by shaking hands, developing conflict resolution skills and healthy living behaviors, advancing to their appropriate reading levels by third grade, and learning important skills through the game of tennis; and WHEREAS, An Achievable Dream Academy Middle and High School, which opened in 2007, builds on the basic citizenship and behavior traits already learned and incorporates financial basics, ethics, and corporate etiquette into a rigorous year-round academic curriculum; and WHEREAS, An Achievable Dream also offers a Saturday School to raise reading levels and partners with Thomas Nelson Community College to offer college courses for parents of An Achievable Dream students and other community members; and WHEREAS, Walter Segaloff has reached out to others to create a collaborative community dedicated to providing An Achievable Dream students with role models and enhanced opportunities and instruction; and WHEREAS, Walter Segaloff has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades, but his greatest reward and legacy resides in the hearts and minds of students who now see the possibilities of their own talents, hopes, and dreams and face their futures with the education, training, and life skills needed to succeed; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Walter Segaloff on his selection by the Virginia Press Association as the Virginian of the Year for 2013; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Walter Segaloff as an expression of the General Assembly's congratulations and admiration for his commitment to the young people of Newport News. |
