ANNOUNCEMENTS
County departments win environmental awards

Miles

The county's Parks and Recreation Department and the Waste and Resource Recovery Division have received separate environmental recognitions. The parks department earned the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001 registration, becoming the first department nationwide to obtain this distinction. ISO is a global environmental quality standard.

Waste and recovery has been accepted into the Environmental Protection Agency's Performance Track Program, becoming the first solid waste department in the nation to be accepted. That program encourages environmental excellence through management systems, outreach and measurable results.

Both departments were recently congratulated by the board of supervisors.

"You are the leading local government in Virginia in regard to environmental stewardship," Bob Herbert, senior fellow at Virginia Tech's Center for Organization and Technological Advancement, told the board last month.

In other announcements: Chesterfield resident and author Maarea Miles has released a new romance fiction nationwide titled, "Hiatus of the Heart: Autumn," published by Tate Publishing & Enterprises. The book tells the story of how a ghost of the past interferes with a bright future and is available from orders@tatepublishing.com.

Virginia State

University (VSU) celebrated the 126th anniversary of its founding on Mar. 6. Angela L. Avant, a VSU alumna and a partner in KPMG LLC's Advisory Services practice in Washington, D.C., was the keynote speaker. Alfred W. Harris founded VSU in 1882. It was then known as Virginia Normal and Collegiate Institute, the nation's first fully state-assisted college for blacks. Today, more than 5,000 students attend VSU.

Boyd and Susan Allison, owners of Bexhill Realty & Auction, recently affiliated with United Country Real Estate in Midlothian. Their office will be known as United Country - Bexhill Realty & Auction, and they will serve Chesterfield, Henrico, Powhatan and Goochland counties and the surrounding areas. The team also includes broker John Remington.

Goodman & Company has promoted CPA Jessica S. Michael to supervisor and CPA Monique A. Salmon-Shepard to senior associate in its Chester office. Michael is a graduate of the College of William & Mary with a bachelor's degree in accounting and fi- nance. Salmon-Shepard graduated magna cum laude in 2005 from Virginia Commonwealth University where she earned her bachelor's degree in accounting.

Local residents and Defense Supply Center Richmond (DSCR) employees recently helped brighten the walls and morale of veterans at Hunter Holmes McGuire Veterans Medical Center by remembering them with store-bought and handmade valentines. During the Valentines for Veterans project, more than 1,000 cards were collected from Chesterfield schools, Richmond's Winchester Greens Community Center, the Bettye Ackerman Cobb Child Development Center, center employees and other organizations. DSCR employees Marva Clarke, Carolyn Fleischer, Angel Torres, Mona Murphy, Billie Motley, Orvella McWilliams and Joseph Abbey volunteered their time to fill seven wall display boards with the colorful pictures and cards. Three county schools participated in the program, including Meadowbrook High School and Bellwood and Bensley elementary schools.

Virginia State University (VSU) has received a pledge of $100,000 from Ivor Massey Jr. of Richmond to establish an endowed scholarship in his wife's name. The Maureen Denlea Massey Endowed Scholarship will go to a student graduating from a Richmond public school who chooses to attend VSU.

Announcements can be e-mailed to news@chesterfieldobserver.com, faxed to 744-3269chesterfieldobserver.com or mailed to Chesterfield Observer, Attn: Announcements, P.O. Box 1616, Midlothian, VA 23113.