The Wakefield High School Education Foundation will induct its 10th Hall of Fame class comprising seven new members at a June 12 awards ceremony at the school.
“This year’s inductees cover a variety of professions, including education, medicine, business and art,” the organization noted.
Inductees were selected by a committee of alumni, retired staff, current staff and students from more than 20 nominees.
The new crop of nominees includes:
• Dave Bautista (Class of 1988): A world-champion professional wrestler and actor in TV and films, particularly as Drax the Destroyer in the popular “Guardians of the Galaxy” movie franchise.
• Robert Carpenter (1963): A leader and pioneer in the health-care and biotech industries, including Genzyme and Moderna, who has been awarded the National Medal of Technology.
• Tonya Chapman (1984): Starting as a police officer in Arlington, she later became the city manager of Portsmouth.
• Portia Clark (1977): A community leader and activist, longtime president of the Green Valley Civic Association and supporter of establishment of the Family Literacy Program and African American Museum.
• Ronald Heinemann (1957): A professor of American history at Hampden-Sydney College who wrote “Depression and the New Deal in Virginia” and “Harry Byrd of Virginia.”
• Karen Loucks Rinedollar (1981), who founded Project Linus and other community programs and who over the years has been honored as an NBC Hero of the Week, Outstanding Young American and Oprah’s Angel.
• Nancy Rexroth (1964): A photographic art pioneer whose work has been exhibited at the Cincinnati Art Museum, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Library of Congress and other venues.
Past inductees include Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams, founder of the Gesundheit Institute; Henry Hudson, a U.S. District Court Judge; William Newman Jr., chief judge of the Circuit Court of Arlington; Henry “Ric” Duques, chairman and CEO of First Data Corp.; Ron Terwilliger CEO at Trammell Crow; Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist Douglas Mills; Paul Ferguson, clerk of the Arlington Circuit Court; Maynard Haithcock, the coach who led Wakefield to a state basketball championship; Olympic medalist in judo Jim Bregman; artist “Big Al” Carter; and Bob O’Donnell, a Wakefield teacher and sportswriter.
The June 12 induction will take place in conjunction with the Student Honors Awards ceremony beginning at 7 p.m. in the auditorium. There will be a reception for inductees and guests prior to the ceremony, beginning at 6 p.m.
For information, see the Website at www.wakefieldalumni.org.
