FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:Malcolm Holmes
Phone: (804) 523-5230
E-Mail: mholmes@reynolds.edu

Faculty member pledges more than $1 million to Educational Foundation

RICHMOND, VA (February 20, 2007) – Dimitri Georgiadis leads by example. He recently pledged more than $1 million to J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College to fund scholarships for at-risk youth in the Richmond area, providing access to higher education for those who need it most.

After leading several international companies, including Shering-Plough Corporation and Productos Del Monte, a former subsidiary of R.J. Reynolds Industries based in Mexico City, Georgiadis settled in Richmond, Virginia in 1994. His passion for photography soon lead him to take a class at J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. He never left. In addition to donating equipment to the program and establishing the Maggie & Dimitri Georgiadis Scholarship, he has shared his knowledge of photography with students as a pro-bono faculty member and as program head for more than 13 years.

Born in Greece, Georgiadis came to America in 1947 in search of the American dream. He soon discovered that for him the dream would begin with a college education. He attended New York University where he earned a B.S. in International Trade in 1951—the same year he became a U.S. citizen. From there, he studied at the graduate level at the University of Illinois while serving in the U.S. Air Force before beginning his career in the pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries.

On April 2 at 4:30 p.m., Reynolds will recognize the commitment and generosity of the Georgiadises through the naming of “Georgiadis Hall” on the Parham Road Campus. For more information, contact Bess Littlefield, vice president for institutional advancement, at 804-523-5181.

Serving over 17,000 students annually, J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College is the youngest and third largest of 23 community colleges in Virginia. The College operates three campuses serving residents in the City of Richmond and the counties of Henrico, Hanover, Goochland, Powhatan and Louisa.

###