PVAMU Chief of Staff Kevin Hoffman is Men’s Breakfast speaker at St. Francis of Assisi

Mr. Kevin Hoffman,  the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President at Prairie View A&M University is the speaker for the Men’s Prayer Breakfast on June 17, 2023 at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 2000 Phillip and 205 Dooley Streets in Prairie View, Texas.   

The Free Breakfast is hosted by the men of St. Francis and all attendees are also asked to CONFIRM ATTENDANCE to 936-857-3272 or email to stfrancispv@sbcglobal.net.

Mr. Hoffman was appointed to the position in October 2021 by the President Ruth J. Simmons and continue to provide the services to new president Komikia LaGrande.  In his role he assists the president in overseeing various areas of university management and administrative reporting. He also serves as the chief strategist for the University, ensuring that the overall institutional goals are met.

Hoffman more than thirty years of management/executive experience in public administration & public Infrastructure and led strategic planning for numerous corporate and non-profit organizations, including the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation (NRG Park). During his extensive career as executive director for the organization, he staffed the board of directors, managed a variety of services, and oversaw operations and community engagement. Prior to NRG Park, he worked as a community liaison for the late Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee and as a special projects director for the Harris County Public Infrastructure Department.

Mr. Hoffman has served on a number of  governmental and non-profit boards, including the Waller County Economic Development Partnership. He also served as a member of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District Board and the Houston Independent School District, where he served as president.  Hoffman’s other engagement include serving as an ex-officio member for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four  Host Committee and the Houston Super Bowl Bid Committee, which brought international sports recognition and increased revenue to the City of Houston.

He is a member of the President’s Advisory Council and a Life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Hoffman received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science in 1989 and a  Master of Arts Degree in 1993 in public administration, organization and culture from Prairie View A&M University.

TSU Leadership Program Director Scroggins and PVAMU Acting President McFrazier are Men’s Breakfast speakers at St. Francis of Assisi

Mr. John Scroggins, Executive Director of the Future Bankers Leadership Program at the Jesse H Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University and Dr. Michael L. McFrazier is the acting President at Prairie View A&M University are the speakers for the Men’s Prayer Breakfast on May 20, 2023 at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 2000 Phillip and 205 Dooley Streets in Prairie View, Texas.

The Free Breakfast is hosted by the men of St. Francis and all attendees are also asked to CONFIRM ATTENDANCE to 936-857-3272 or email to stfrancispv@sbcglobal.net.

John has over 40 years of banking experience having served as President and CEO of Unity National Bank of Houston and senior and executive management positions with Allegiance Bank/Stellar Bank, Wells Fargo Bank, Prime Bank and First City National Bank of Houston.

Scroggins is most proud of his tenure as President of the Unity Bank beginning in 2008. Chairman Dr. Lee P. Brown commended Mr. Scoggins for his outstanding leadership, hard work and community focus which was very critical to the ongoing success and growth of the Bank.  

Mr. Scroggins earned his B.S. from Texas Southern University and received his MBA from Texas Southern University and University of Houston with a concentration in Banking and Finance. Mr. Scroggins is also a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at Southern Methodist University in Dallas.

Mr. Scroggins believes in service and devotes many hour to professional, civic and social organziations in and around Houston.  He currently serves as Chairman of the Future Bankers Advisory Committee, a member of the Jesse H. Jones School of Business Advisory Council at Texas Southern University and a member of the Board of Trustees of Huston Tillotson University.  John is also serves on the Board of Directors for the following organizations: Chairman of Trustees: First United Methodist Church, Urban Affairs Corporation dba Community Partners, Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, Houston Habitat for Humanity, Inc., Third Coast Community Development Corporation, Our Mother of Mercy Catholic School and the Rodeo Institute for Teacher Excellence (RITE).  Scroggins formerly served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC).  Mr. Scroggins is married to Geneva and they are the proud parents of five children.

McFrazier is the Dean of Prairie View A&M University’s Whitlowe R. Green College of Education and will serve until Dr. Tomikia P. LeGrande assumes leadership as the ninth President at Prairie View A&M University on June 1.

“Prairie View A&M University has an established legacy of achieving excellence in teaching, research, and service, and I will work assiduously to continue that legacy,” McFrazier said. “The importance of this job is humbling, and I am indeed honored to have been asked to serve.”

McFrazier was appointed as professor and dean of the Whitlowe Green College of Education at the university in 2019 by President Ruth J. Simmons.  He previously served as interim dean of the college of education for a year and held several senior administrative and leadership positions at PVAMU.

As Dean, McFrazier secured a $1.5 million grant from the Houston Endowment designed to enhance the quality and distinctiveness of educator preparation programs and services at Prairie View to best prepare students for careers as educational professionals. He also recently secured a $1.2 million grant from the Powell and Greater Texas Foundations to increase STEM teacher production.

McFrazier also partnered with the Aldine Independent School District to develop and open the Impact Leadership Academy at Wilson, the district’s first all-boys school in Fall 2022. The Impact Academy is designed to address academic achievement gaps and support social and emotional needs of young Black and Latino male students.

McFrazier began his professional career as a public-school teacher and administrator in the Waco Independent School District. He joined the faculty in the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education in 1998.

McFrazier is an alumnus of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Baylor University and Paris Junior College. His professional research interests include First Generation College Student Academic Self-Efficacy, Minority Male Academic Achievement and Mentorship, and Personality Inventories as Tools to Prepare Effective Educational Leaders.

PVAMU’s Dr. Fred Bonner is Men's Breakfast Speaker at St. Francis of Assisi

Dr. Fred A. Bonner, II, is the speaker for the Men's Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, December 17, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church, 204 Dooley Street in Prairie View.  The Free Breakfast is hosted by men of St. Francis.

In view of the increase in the flu and concerns of COVID-19, all attendees are required to wear masks.   Also, due to limited seating space, all attendees are asked to  CONFIRM ATTENDANCE to stfrancispv@sbcglobal.net.

Dr. Bonner is a professor and Endowed Chair in Educational Leadership and Counseling and Founding Executive Director of the Minority Achievement, Creativity and High-Ability (MACH-III) Center in the Whitlowe R. Green College of Education at Prairie View A&M University and Founder of FABII Consulting.   Bonner previously held the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Endowed Chair in Education at Rutgers’ Graduate School of Education; Professor of Education and Associate Dean of Faculties, Texas A&M University, College Station, Associate Professor, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Adjunct Professor, Owens Community College-Ohio, Assistant Professor, Bowling Green State University-Ohio and a Fellow with the American Council on Education (ACE), Norfolk, Virginia.  The MACH-III program is the recipient of  a $1.4 Million Dollar Grant from the W.K.Kellogg Foundation support the development of a framework that will increase the number of Black males in public schools who teach students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.

Bonner holds the Doctor of Education in Higher Education Administration and College Teaching from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Baylor University, Waco,

Texas and the Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry from the University of North Texas, Denton, Texas and the Certification of Educators in Texas.

Bonner is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Association for Higher Education Black Caucus Dissertation Award, the Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Foundation's Dissertation of the Year Award from the University Of Arkansas College Of Education, the Extraordinary Service Award from the Texas A&M University College of Education and Human Development, the Faculty Member of the Year and the Texas A&M University Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education (SAAHE) Cohort. 

He is the author several books including “Square Pegs & Round Hole,” "Diverse Millennial Students in College" and “Building on Resilience: Models and Frameworks of Black Male Success Across the P-20 Pipeline,” which highlights the experiences of postsecondary gifted African American male undergraduates in predominantly white and Historically Black college contexts (Academically Gifted African American Male College Students).  He also is the Founding Editor of the Journal of Minority Achievement, Creativity and Leadership (JMACL) with Penn State University Press and Editor of the Book Series–Diverse Faculty in the Academy with Routledge Press; and his research, manuscripts, monographs and journal articles have been featured in both national and international publications. 

Bonner has completed three summers as a research fellow with the Yale University Psychology Department (PACE Center) focusing on issues that impact academically gifted African American male college students. He spent several years as an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow in the Office of the President at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

Bonner holds and has held membership in several civic, social and professional organizations to include the American Association of Blacks in Higher Education, American College Personnel Association, Association for the Study of Higher Education, Texas Association of Black Personnel in Higher Education and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., to name a few.

Bonner’s service is guided by the Motto: “Go Forth and Do Great Things!”  He is well regarded in the educational community for his in-depth research studies and collaboration to improve the achievement and professional and educational development gap of African American males in the society.

Members of the community are also invited to attend the weekly Bible Study on Sundays at 9:30 a.m., followed by worship service at 10:30 a.m.

Members of the Men's Breakfast Team include Donald W. Sowell, Coordinator, Dr. Glenn S. Berry, Albert Garfield, Darryl S. Johnson, Charles Muse, Frederick V. Roberts, Seab A. Smith, Michael Sowell, William Sowell and Herbert R. Thomas.

Judge William E. B. Blackmon is Men's Breakfast Speaker at St. Francis of Assisi

Judge Willie E. B. Blackmon is the Men's Breakfast Speaker at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church on Saturday., November 19, 2022 at 8:30 a.m. in the Parish Hall of the church on 2000 Phillip Street. The breakfast is Free. The church is observing the COVID-19 and the Church's Protocol which requires attendees to wear masks.  Please call 936-857-3272 to confirm attendance as space is limited.

Judge Blackmon is a retired municipal court judge and currently serves as a lawyer for a military support group in Houston and College Station, in addition to being a substitute teacher where he provides guidance and mentoring for the students. He served as a 2^nd Lt. in the US Airforce, is the author of Integration in Aggie Athletics and was one of the first Black athletes and a track star at Texas A&M University.

Blackmon holds the Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas A&M University in 1973 and the Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) from Texas Southern University's Thurgood Marshall School of Law in 1982.  He is the founder of the Law Office of Willie E.B. Blackmon.  Blackmon was admitted to the Texas in 1989 and has appeared before the US Supreme Court; US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces; Michigan Eastern District Court; Texas Northern District Court; Texas Southern District/Bankruptcy Court; Michigan; Nebraska;. His practice areas include Municipal, Military, ADR, Criminal, Wills-Trusts-Probate, Arbitration, Criminal Defense, Estate Planning.

He has received numerous awards for his service and achievement over the years to include the National Bar Association’s Living Legend Award and the Texas Aggie Bar Association — Distinguished Lifetime Achievement Award.

Among his many honors from Texas A&M University are Athletic Hall of Fame, Co-founder of the TAM Lettermen's Association, Track & Field Officials Association Hall of Fame and the Distinguished Alumnus Award.  Additionally, his name is honored by inscriptions on the Distinguished Alumnus Monument in Aggie Park, honored with name recognitions in various buildings on Kyle Field, E.B. Cushing Track & Field Stadium, the Williams Texas A&M University Association of Former Students Building, and the Texas A&M Indoor Track Stadium. He is also a Member of Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame, African American Museum, a Recipient of Letter from Commander Air Force One for the 147‘^h Fighter wing's safeguarding the life of the President of the U.S. on 911 and listed on the Wheatley High School Wall of Honor.

He was one of the principal movants in the placement of the State Senator Matthew Gaines Statue on the A&M campus (Gaines co-authored the bill that created A&M and Prairie View).

Judge Blackmon pays homage to Curtis and Marvin Mills, Hugh McElroy, Emory Bellard, Pat Thomas, Carl Roaches and Bubba Bean, who all played a role and supported his tenure as an athlete at Texas A&M University. He also expresses thanks to Coach Pat Henry, President Gates and Porter Garner for their continued support and recognition of his service to the university.

Judge Blackmon speaks on Integration in Athletics at Texas A&M University

 

BISHOP DOYLE TO CELEBRATE EUCHARIST AT ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

The Rt. Reverend C. Andrew Doyle, Bishop Diocesan of the Diocese of Texas will celebrate the Eucharist at St. Francis of Assisi Episcopal Church on Sunday, October 23, 2022 at 10:30 a.m. at the church, 2000 Phillip and Dooley Streets, Prairie View, Texas.  Additionally, Bishop Doyle will administer baptism to  Master Daniel T. James and Ms. Bargavi Krishnan and reaffirmation to Mr. George U Ekechukwu.

The public is invited and masks are required for the service.

Bishop Doyle was consecrated the ninth Diocesan Bishop of Texas on June 7, 2009 at Christ Church Cathedral, Houston, following the retirement of the Rt. Rev. Don Wimberly.  Bishop Doyle describes his six-word autobiography as: “Met Jesus on pilgrimage, still walking.” Bishop Doyle received his M.Div. from  Virginia Theological Seminary after receiving a fine arts degree from the University of North Texas. 

Previous to his election in 2008, Bishop Doyle served for five years as Canon to the Ordinary. He also served churches in Temple and College Station, as well as being elected deputy to several General Conventions.  He most recently served on the Structure Committee and is currently president of the Compass Rose Society, a global group of patrons and leaders making a difference in the Anglican Communion.  

Bishop Doyle’s focus for ministry is service, evangelism and reconciliation, planting 15 new churches and more than 50 new “missional communities” in the next five years. An avid reader and fly fisherman, Bishop Doyle has written several books, often mixing references from pop culture's music and movies with the latest in secular leadership trends in order to reach the broadest spectrum of readers and challenge Episcopalians to move into their communities with the Gospel in word and action. His writings include: "Unabashedly Episcopalian: The Good News of the Episcopal Church", 2012; "Proudly Episcopal", 2015; "Church: A Generous Community Amplified for the Future", 2015; "A Generous Community: Being Church In A New Missionary Age", 2015; "Small Batch: Local, Organic, and Sustainable Church", 2016; "The Jesus Heist", 2017; "Vocātiō: Imaging a Visible Church", 2018; "Citizen: Faithful Discipleship in a Partisan World", 2020; "Embodied Liturgy: Virtual Reality and Liturgical Theology in Conversation", 2021.

Bishop Doyle’s ministry includes service as a deputy to General Convention in 2006 and 2009. He served on the Dispatch of Business committee in 2006 and as a legislative aide in 2000. Locally, Bishop Doyle’s ministry includes a broad range of experience on boards including the diocesan foundations, finance, and communication, Mission Funding, the diocesan Executive Board and the Hispanic Commission.

Bishop Doyle is a gifted and experienced teacher and preacher, and has a particular interest in reaching younger generations in order to partner with older and experienced church members to share wisdom across generations, invigorating growth and membership. He has training and expertise in mediation as well as multicultural ministry. Bishop Doyle is bilingual and looks forward to responding to an increasingly diverse population in the Diocese of Texas.

A published author and accomplished painter, Doyle and his wife JoAnne have two daughters, Zoë and Caisa.

St. Francis is in its 72nd year and commemorated the 48th anniversary of celebrating the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint for the church on October 4, 2022. The Reverend Rhonda Rogers is the Rector.