Awards of Distinction Recipients
The Richard Bland College Foundation has announced the new Awards of Distinction’s inaugural honorees. The Honorable M. Kirkland Cox ’81 received the Distinguished Alumni Award; Jerome Goehing ’09 was presented with the Young Alumni Award; and the Richard Bland Award was bestowed upon the Marjorie Solenberger Family.
The Distinguished Alumni Award is the most prestigious honor presented by Richard Bland College of William & Mary to its alumni. The award recognizes outstanding professional accomplishments, leadership and distinguished service to the community. After graduating from Richard Bland College of William & Mary in 1981, Delegate Kirk Cox earned his BS degree from James Madison University. He was first elected to the House of Delegates in 1989, and in 2010 the House Republican Caucus elected him House Majority Leader. “With so many deserving graduates from Richard Bland College, I am deeply humbled and honored to be the first recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award,” said Cox. “Richard Bland will always hold a special place in my heart.”
The Richard Bland Award recognizes a member of the Richard Bland family, not necessarily an alumnus or alumna, for exemplary service to the College. The Marjorie Solenberger Family, represented by her sons, Dr. John Solenberger and Dr. Thomas Solenberger, has contributed significantly to the College for most of its history. The late Marjorie Solenberger served as Public Relations Specialist at RBC for 28 years and was an RBC Foundation Board Member from 1997-2002. Her late husband Captain Earl “Gus” Solenberger was a professor of math and business at the College from 1967-71. “As a branch of William & Mary, Richard Bland College provides students something they can’t get anywhere else, an affordable, well marked pathway to a highly reputable degree,” said Dr. John Solenberger. “That’s why our family remains dedicated to the College and its mission.”
The Young Alumni Award acknowledges exceptional service to community and country. Award winner, Jerome Goehring, earned his AS degree from Richard Bland College of William & Mary in 2009, and a BA degree from William & Mary in 2011. Goehring currently serves as a Senior Program Analyst for the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction, a key initiative in improving reconstruction growth in Afghanistan. “Richard Bland College put me on the path to finding a career that I truly love,” said Goehring. “My memories of being on campus are ones that will last me a lifetime.”
The awards were recently presented at the Annual Richard Bland College Foundation Scholarship Gala.
(L-R): Jermone Goehring, John Solenberger, Tom Solenberger, Kirkland Cox, Richard Bland College President Dr. Debbie L. Sydow.
