Business

Carver Shareholders Elect Two New Directors

THE SAVANNAH TRIBUNE — During their annual meeting held April 16, 2019, the shareholders of Carver Financial Corporation elected Cathy P. Hill and Reverend Da’Henri Thurmond to the corporation’s Board of Directors. Carver Financial Corporation is the bank holding company that owns Carver State Bank.

Published

7 years ago

May 7, 2019

Oakland Post

By The Savannah Tribune

During their annual meeting held April 16, 2019, the shareholders of Carver Financial Corporation elected Cathy P. Hill and Reverend Da’Henri Thurmond to the corporation’s Board of Directors. Carver Financial Corporation is the bank holding company that owns Carver State Bank.

Reverend Thurmond is currently the Senior Pastor of St. Paul C. M. E. Church in Savannah, Georgia. In July 2008, Rev. Thurmond was appointed Pastor in Charge at St. Paul where, at that time, Rev. Dr. Henry R. Delaney was the Senior Pastor. In July 2009, Rev. Thurmond was became the Senior Pastor at St. Paul.

Prior to becoming accepting the call to become a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Reverend Thurmond was employed as a Respiratory Therapy Supervisor and a Senior Clinical Oncology Specialist in pharmaceutical and biologic sales For four years, he served under Rev. Dr. Donald Jordan, pastor of the Trinity C. M. E. Church in Augusta, Georgia. In 2005, he was appointed pastor of the Rock of Ages C. M. E. Church of Augusta.

A native of Augusta, Reverend Thurmond, Sr. is the third of four children born to the late Mr. Earl H. Thurmond, Sr. and the late Maxine Thurmond. He received his early education in the Richmond County, Georgia school system and is a graduate of Westside Comprehensive High School. He graduated from Georgia Southern University where he was inducted into the Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society. He is a magna cum laude graduate of the Medical College of Georgia where he was inducted into the IMHOTEP society as well as Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities with a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy. He is a 2015 magna cum laude graduate of the Interdenominational Theological Center, Phillips School of Theology with a Masters in Divinity, where he received the Bishop Thomas L. Hoyt Scholarship and the Isaac B. Clark Preaching Award. He is currently pursuing the Doctor of Ministry designation from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Rev. Thurmond currently serves as the Chairman for the Joint Board of Finance for the Central Georgia Region and a member of the General Connectional Board of the C. M. E. Church. He was a delegate to the 2010, 2014 and 2018 C. M. E. General Conferences and the World Methodist Conference in Durban, South Africa. He serves on the Board of Directors of Step Up Savannah and is a member of the the African American Ministers Leadership Coalition, the Savannah Alliance of Pastors and a mentor at Otis Brock Elementary. He is a proud life member of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.

Rev. Thurmond and his wife, Antionette Johnson Thurmond, are the parents of a son, D. Ramsey, Jr., and a daughter, Barbara Maxine.

Cathy Hill is Founder and President of The Plummer – Hill Group, LLC providing professional services that include business development and strategic planning. She is also a Managing Director with Golden Seeds, Inc., a discerning network of investors, seeking and funding high-potential, women-led businesses. Hill retired from Georgia Power after 33 years having held management positions in real estate, transportation fleet operations, engineering, power delivery, customer service, external affairs and assistant to the president & CEO.

As Georgia Power’s Land vice president, Hill led efforts to acquire, protect and manage the company’s real estate assets that included 85,000 acres of land, 60,000 acres of water, 4,000 leased lake front properties and six full-service campgrounds. She oversaw the company’s largest real estate sale, acquisition of properties for critical service lines, timber harvesting, reforestation and wildlife enhancement efforts, as well as land engineering, record services, and Georgia Power archives.

Hill also served as vice president of Coastal Region from 2008 to 2016. In Coastal Region, which includes Savannah, she provided overall leadership for engineering, construction, sales, customer service, economic development, governmental relations and community development. Under her leadership, more than $450 million in capital investments were made to upgrade UD network, distribution and transmission systems in coastal Georgia.

Hill received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and a Master of Business Administration degree from Georgia State University. She completed the executive management program at Harvard University. As a 2010 fellow of the International Women’s Forum, she studied at the prestigious Judge School of Business at Cambridge University. Hill is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, the Regional Leadership Institute and Leadership Atlanta.

Hill is currently a member of the Savannah State University Foundation. She is a past-chairman of the Board of Directors of Armstrong State University, Armstrong State University

Educational Properties Foundation, Creative Coast, and United Way of the Coastal Empire. In addition to serving on the board of directors for 8 years, she served as vice-chairman of the Savannah Economic Development Authority. Hill also served on the board of directors for the Georgia Natural Resources Foundation, Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, Savannah Technical College, Georgia Tech – Savannah, Ossabaw Island Foundation, Step Up Savannah, Memorial Medical Health Foundation, MDC, Inc. and SunTrust Bank – Savannah. She currently serves on the Board of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association and Georgia’s WIN List.

Governor Nathan Deal issued a resolution in 2017 and the state of Georgia’s House and Senate issued 2009 resolutions commending Hill for her professional and civic work. She was honored as 2017 Woman of the Year by the United Way of the Coastal Empire’s Women’s Legacy Council. In 2015, the King Tisdale Cottage Foundation presented Hill with the Reverend James M. Simms Public Service Award. She was awarded the “2014 Community Star” by Georgia Ports Authority, 2014 “Woman of Distinction” by Girl Scouts of the Coastal Empire and 2014 “Hero” by the American Red Cross for lifetime professional and community achievements.

Hill and her husband, Mitchell, reside in McDonough, Georgia with their two children Mitchell, Jr. and Candace.

Chartered on February 23, 1927, Carver is the oldest bank headquartered in Savannah. Only 21 of the almost 5000 banks in the United States are owned by African Americans and Carver is one of the older of these institutions. Most of the other banks that are owned by African Americans are located in much larger metropolitan areas.

The other Carver Directors who were reelected are Robert E. James, E. Bruce Adams, E. G. Miller, William E. Stiles, Sr. and Robert E. James, II.

This article originally appeared in The Savannah Tribune.

Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Up Next

Norton’s Congressional Bill Ensures U.S. Government Includes Black and Women-Owned Media in Advertising Contracts

Don't Miss

Bernetta Lanier Announces For 1st Aldermanic District Seat

Oakland Post

Click to comment

Business

From Historic Memories to New Possibilities: Oakland Celebrates Coliseum 60

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, September 18, for Coliseum 60, an event marking six decades of sports, entertainment, employment, and community memories at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex. Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum first opened, the celebration featured cultural performances and a mini-documentary highlighting its history. Speakers reflected on the venue’s significant role in the community and its future possibilities. Read more to learn about the individuals and stories honored during this special event.

Published

3 days ago

September 27, 2026

Post News Group

Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE moderates a panel discussion at the Coliseum 60 celebration at Youth UpRising featuring Keith Brown, a member of IATSE Local 107; author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; and African American Sports and Entertainment Group President Ray Bobbitt.

By Carla Thomas

More than 75 people gathered at Youth UpRising in East Oakland on Friday, Sept. 18, for Coliseum 60, a celebration honoring six decades of sports, entertainment, employment and community memories connected to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Complex.

Held 60 years to the day after the Coliseum opened, the event carried the theme, “One Community. One Legacy. One Future. Forward Together.”

The celebration opened with the national anthem performed by sisters Anese Jade, Amina Benjamin and Zaza Benjamin. Diamano Coura West African Dance Company contributed African dance and drumming, bringing movement, rhythm and cultural expression to the program.

A mini documentary highlighted the Coliseum’s sports history and its broader role as an entertainment destination. Archival material recalled performances by Prince and Tina Turner, along with memorable games featuring the Warriors, Oakland A’s and Raiders.

“The Coliseum 60 is about much more than celebrating a building or looking back at 60 years of history,” said event organizer Quixote Atkins of VillageGIVE.

“It’s about the people who made that history possible: the families, workers, athletes, artists, community leaders, fans and generations who gathered there and created memories together.”

A panel exploring that history featured author, historian and former Black Panther Party member Tareka Lewis; stagehand and union representative Keith Brown; and Ray Bobbitt, president of the African American Sports and Entertainment Group AASEG. Lewis described her family as fourth-generation Bay Area pioneers.

“My family and Black families who arrived even earlier helped build the Bay Area, grew businesses and established culture here,” Lewis said. “This should be taught in the public schools.”

Lewis recalled Oakland’s influence on sports, music and literature, from the Raiders’ beginnings at Laney College to stars such as The Pointer Sisters and Rickey Henderson who attended Oakland public schools. She also advocated for school museums, historical timelines, entrepreneurship training and investments benefiting corridors such as Bancroft Avenue and High Street.

Keith Brown, a member of Local 107 of the International Alliance of Theater and Stage Employees (IATSE) who began working at the Coliseum in 2011, remembered the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, the Ice Capades, baseball bat giveaways and Nelson Mandela’s 1990 appearance.

“The special events are amazing, but it’s the workers that make the memories real for everyone,” Brown said. “They make the magic happen at the Coliseum.”

The program recognized longtime workers, including beer-stand manager Robert Preston, who served for 40 years, and Kenyatta Gentry, who worked as a vendor for 24 years and used her earnings to purchase her first apartment. Union workers Jose Gonzales and Carmen Sandoval were also honored. Speakers emphasized that Coliseum employment provided generations of residents with union wages and benefits.

Dr. Denise Saddler, the superintendent of the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) was also honored. Saddler shared her family’s history of working at the Coliseum.

District 7 Oakland City Councilmember Ken Houston discussed the complex ownership arrangements involving the city, county and private interests.

“This was the most complex deal of its kind in the country,” Houston said.

Prior to moving from the East Coast, Alameda County Supervisor and Coliseum Joint Powers Authority Chair Nate Miley recalled learning about Oakland through its three professional sports teams. As an elected official and public servant, Miley fought hard to keep the Golden State Warriors, Oakland As, and the Raiders, but he is hopeful for the future.

“The story is not over for the Coliseum,” Miley said. “We’re entering a new chapter.”

Bobbitt said the departure of three teams had once seemed unimaginable, but he maintained that Oakland’s future remains bright.

“Oakland is a cultural superpower worldwide,” Bobbitt said. “We’re going to write the future where we participate and drive the redevelopment.”

Bobbitt highlighted AASEG’s four-year partnership with Castlemont High School’s architecture program, which engages students in reimagining and creating redevelopment concepts for the Coliseum property. “The youth will always move us forward. They are the future.”

In closing, Atkins said, “September 18 is the celebration, but what we build together afterward is the legacy.”

Post News Group

Posts by Post News Group

Business

County Office of Education Says OUSD Finances Are Getting Healthier, Materially Stronger

The Oakland Unified School District’s recent budget submission has been deemed “materially stronger” by the Alameda County Office of Education, reflecting deliberate work by the new board and superintendent. Despite needing further cuts in the coming years, the district is progressing toward financial health, according to ACOE Superintendent Alysse Castro. This assessment counters critics who suggest a dire financial outlook for Oakland schools, acknowledging the district has made significant reductions and adopted a plan to address structural challenges. The ACOE commended the district’s efforts to get its financial house in order. Read more to learn about the details of these financial improvements.

Published

3 days ago

September 27, 2026

Post News Group

ACOE Supt. Alysse Castro; OUSD Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. File photos.

By Ken Epstein

County’s letter counters critics who offer Doomsday scenarios for Oakland schools

The Oakland Unified School District, under the leadership of a new board majority and new superintendent, recently submitted a budget to the county “that is a materially stronger submission than the district has filed in recent years, (which) reflects difficult and deliberate work,” according to a letter to the district from Supt. Alysse Castro of the Alameda County Office of Education.

While OUSD still must make more budget cuts in the next two years, the district is on the road to financial health, according to a Sept. 15 letter from Castro to the district.

Under the California Education Code, Alameda County and other county offices of education (COEs) have the legal responsibility to review, approve, conditionally approve, or disapprove local school district annual budgets and interim financial reports.

“The Alameda County Office of Education wants to acknowledge that the district has submitted a budget that shows a positive fund balance, meets the state minimum reserve for economic uncertainty in each year of the multiyear project and is accompanied by a board-adopted commitment to close the remaining structural challenges,” the letter said.

“After two decades of state receivership and significant changes in OUSD’s budgeting practices,” it is understandable that there may be “considerable confusion” in the public about the district’s current financial condition, according to the letter.

However, the district’s current fiscal position and practices are “materially” better than prior years, though they “do not yet eliminate underlying structural challenges,” the letter continued.

Castro also commended the board and staff for working to get their financial house in order.

“There are three essential parts to addressing a structural deficit: staff must identify and bring

forward hard choices; the governing board must make those choices; and staff must follow

through and implement them,” she wrote.

“All three appear to be happening in OUSD, and that represents meaningful progress,” she wrote. “The district has made significant reductions to ongoing expenditures, increased its use of available restricted resources, and adopted a plan to address the remaining gap.”

According to the County, the district already has approved budget cuts of about $30 million in the current year. Additional reductions of about $30 million will be necessary next year, and another $11 million the following year.

These cuts are necessary, the county says, because “the district is still operating at a structural

deficit, meaning spending more every year than it brings in.”

In a statement released earlier this month, the district announced it had “finished the year with $170.1 million in its General Fund and an unrestricted reserve of $32.3 million, finishing $16.4 million ahead of what the district projected in March.”

The budget reflects progress toward putting the district in a stronger financial position to better serve students and families, said district leaders, while also acknowledging the need for significant reductions across the board.

“This turnaround happened because our board was willing to make difficult decisions rather than pass them along, and because our staff did the work,” said Supt. Dr. Denise Saddler. “None of this came easily, and there is more ahead of us. What these closed books show is that the direction is right.”

In October 2025, the board directed staff to prepare budget scenarios totaling $100 million in adjustments. In December, presented with a choice between borrowing to bridge the gap and making the reductions directly, the board chose the latter, the district statement said. As part of the reduction plan, the board approved cuts to more than 400 certificated and classified positions, along with a retirement incentive that converted some layoffs into voluntary departures.

“Closing our books is not the same as finishing the work, and we are not stopping here,” said Tara Gard,deputy superintendent of Business and Operations. “We will continue with the actions in our Financial Stabilization Plan because of where they lead.”

In a statement released on social media, Oakland Education Association (OEA) President

Kampala Taiz-Rancifer strongly criticized those who allege the district is collapsing and supported members of the school board majority who are working hard to stabilize the district’s finances while minimizing disruption for schools and employees.

Jennifer Brouhard (D2) and Valarie Bachelor (D6), who are running for reelection, “are moving the district toward a ‘materially stronger’ financial position than we’ve seen in recent years—all while investing in school sites and the employees who serve Oakland students,” she wrote.

“For years, we’ve heard billionaire-backed board members say they had to make ‘tough choices’ to balance the budget,” she continued. “Those choices almost always caused disruption and instability for our schools and communities. This is a different approach: financial stability alongside investments in students, schools, and workers. All in the effort to improve student outcomes.”

“The real hard work is tuning out the rage bait, the chaos agents, the attacks on unions and workers, and ignoring the loud corporate profiteers—and staying focused on what matters: improving outcomes for students while creating stable teaching and learning conditions,” said Taiz-Rancifer.

“Let’s not go backward into the days of manufactured panic.”