The 63rd annual Richmond Humanitarian Awards Dinner takes place on Tuesday, October 28, 2025.
2025 HONOREES
Gary S. Creditor
Greta J. Harris
Deborah Jewell-Sherman
Jennifer McClellan
Pam Mines
Paula P. Pando
The Humanitarian Award of the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities is presented to those individuals who have demonstrated a personal commitment to the promotion of respect and understanding among people of diverse racial, ethnic, and religious backgrounds. On occasion, the organization may bestow the Jeffrey B. Spence Award for Interfaith Understanding to individuals who have conducted exceptional work in the area of interfaith understanding. On the rarest occasion, the Distinguished Virginian Award is presented individuals who reside in one location but whose reach in the promotion of understanding and respect is statewide. The Distinguished Merit Award recognizes corporations or community organizations for their humanitarian work.
2025 Honorees
Humanitarian Award Honoree
Gary S. Creditor
Learn More About Gary
Gary S. Creditor was named Rabbi Emeritus upon his retirement from Temple Beth-El in 2014, concluding a forty-year career in the pulpit Rabbinate. Rabbi Creditor has served on the Boards of the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond, the Richmond Rabbinic Association and the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy, among other affiliations. At the Virginia Interfaith Center, he chaired of the Living Wage Certification Program. Rabbi Creditor participated with Governor Tim Kaine in a memorial program for students and faculty who died at Virginia Tech, and he participated in many interreligious programs held around Richmond following September 11th, 2001. After retiring from the congregational rabbinate, Rabbi Creditor joined Heartland Hospice and served for seven years as a hospice chaplain supporting patients and families of all faith traditions.
Humanitarian Award Honoree
Greta J. Harris
Learn More About Greta
Greta J. Harris is President and CEO of the Better Housing Coalition (BHC). For more than two decades, she has worked across the country in emerging markets and creatively financed and/or developed $1 billion of environmentally supportive residential investments, creating good places to call home and helping unleash potential in modest-income communities to become more sustainable. Ms. Harris has been highlighted in podcasts and documentaries and has testified before Congressional committees regarding the importance of a strong community development industry. She is an Independent Director for the Markel Group, a global publicly traded Fortune 300 company, and serves on the boards of Housing Partnership Network, Greater Washington Partnership, Virginia Housing Minority Business Council, and The Richmonder.
Humanitarian Award Honoree
Deborah Jewell-Sherman
Learn More About Deborah
Deborah Jewell-Sherman is the former superintendent of Richmond Public Schools, serving from 2002 – 2008. She was the first woman professor of practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE). Dr. Jewell-Sherman built a reputation as one of the most successful urban district superintendents in the country and led Richmond Public Schools to exceed federal and state accreditation benchmarks under incredibly challenging educational, managerial, and political conditions. In addition to her work nationally with educational leaders and her yearly chairing of Institutes through Programs in Professional Education, Dr. Jewell-Sherman completed extensive work in South Africa as the principal investigator for an initiative between HGSE faculty and the University of Johannesburg. She also collaborated with the Qatar Education Foundation on leadership, communication, and strategic planning.
Humanitarian Award Honoree
Jennifer McClellan
Learn More About Jennifer
Jennifer McClellan entered the U.S. Congress in 2023. She has served the greater Richmond area in elected office for nearly twenty years. Congresswoman McClellan was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2005 and served in that post until she was elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2017. In the current 119th Congress, she sits on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. In the 118th Congress, she sat on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. Congresswoman McClellan has intentionally worked to ensure Virginians’ voices are heard in government. Throughout her eighteen sessions in the Virginia General Assembly, she passed over 370 pieces of legislation, including landmark bills to protect and expand voting rights and enhance workers’ protections and labor rights.
Humanitarian Award Honoree
Pam Mines
Learn More About Pam
Pam Mines is a wife, mother, advocate, author, and community builder. After her son, James Perry (JP), was diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disabilities, Ms. Mines chose to advocate for him and for all families navigating life with special needs. In 2013, she founded the JP JumPers Foundation, a community-rooted organization dedicated to uplifting and celebrating individuals with special needs who often go unnoticed. In 2014, she partnered with the late Congressman Donald McEachin to champion JP’s Law in Virginia, legislation that helps create safer, more informed interactions between law enforcement, other first responders, and individuals with Autism and/or Intellectual Disabilities. Her work has been recognized through numerous awards and platforms, from being a TEDxRVA speaker and awards from The Valentine, YWCA Richmond, and BLK RVA.
Humanitarian Award Honoree
Paula P. Pando
Learn More About Paula
Paula P. Pando serves as the fourth president of J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, where she has led bold, student-centered initiatives to strengthen outcomes, expand access, and position the college as a vital force for growth. For more than 30 years, she has worked to ensure that education opens doors, strengthens communities, and serves as a catalyst for individual and collective advancement. Nationally recognized for driving transformational change, Dr. Pando is a two-time Aspen Presidential Fellow and she serves on the Board of Directors for the American Association of Community Colleges. Among her many local affiliations, Dr. Pando serves as a Trustee for the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, sits on the Bon Secours Mercy Health Richmond Board, and is Vice Chair of the Venture Richmond Board.
Thank you to the 2025 Humanitarian Award Dinner Supporters:
Humanitarian Level Supporters
Benefactor Level Supporters
Corporate Level Supporter
Table Level Supporters
Past Humanitarian Awards
Past Honorees
a listing of all past honorees with Biographies (as available)
Past Dinner Chairs
a listing of all past dinner chairs
RESERVATIONS
To make a reservation:
- By check or invoice: complete all information on the Reply Card and mail it to VCIC (address on reverse of reply card)
- By credit card: Use the form below. Note: all fees are passed on to registrant
Accessibility
The Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities strives to make the Humanitarian Awards as accessible and inclusive as possible while acknowledging the existence of external barriers that may prevent 100% accessibility. VCIC leans into our core values of integrity and openness as we work to provide the most accessible experience for all, while welcoming feedback about what we can do better.
Upon request made at least two (2) weeks before the event, VCIC commits to:
-
- Provide venue layout information including nearest parking and accessible entrances.
- Arrange for ASL interpretation, Spanish language interpretation, CART, and/or large print programs.
- Offer a meal accommodating dietary restrictions.
Contact LaTina at [email protected] or 804-515-7950 if you have any access needs,
comments, or questions.
