Every weekday morning for almost 20 years, Joanne Pineno reported to her classroom at R.C. Longan Elementary School in Henrico’s Brookland neighborhood. There, with patience and good humor, she taught hundreds of eager first- and third-graders. When she retired from teaching in 2006, she still showed up, helping other teachers perform their duties and, as the years went by, greeting the children of those she had taught when she first arrived in Henrico County in 1970.
So, when, in January 2009, the mother of two children and grandmother of three died at the age of 65, her survivors included a simple but—they agreed—appropriate request at the end of her obituary. “In lieu of flowers,” the obit read, “contributions can be made to the Henrico Education Foundation, P.O. Box 23120, Henrico, Va. 23223-0420.”
“Given that Joanne spent so much of her life in the classroom and was so dedicated to her students, it seemed like the natural thing to do,” says Frank Pineno, her husband of 42 years and President of Pineno, Levin and Ford Asset Management. “We just felt it was a fitting tribute to her legacy.”
Fitting it might have been, but the request also came as a complete surprise to the Henrico Edu-cation Foundation (HEF) itself. “We were of course delighted,” says Susan Stanley, the foundation’s executive director. “This was the first time we had ever been named in this way, and the response has been unbelievably gratifying.”
The gifts will be used by the foun-dation to establish an annual grant program at Longan Elementary. “The principal will be allowed to direct money to teachers so they can purchase supplies, books, charts and other teaching aids, instead of having to pay for these items out of pocket,” Pineno says.
The request has also made more people aware of the HEF, a private, nonprofit organization established in 1997 to support public education in the county. This its contributors have done with dedication and to remarkable effect. In its first decade of existence, the foundation raised $1 million for the county’s students, teachers and educational programs. More than 80,000 students in 69 schools have seen their lives improved.
Continuing this tradition should be easier now that Stanley has help. Early last summer, the foundation hired its first program manager, Paula Roop, which will free Stanley herself to focus more on fundraising. “Until Paula came on board,” Stanley says, “I spent 85 percent of my time on programs and only 15 percent on fundraising. Now, for the first time, I have been able to devote 85 percent of my energies to developing the kind of relationships that are essential for this organization to accomplish its mission.”
And that’s happening. Through the generosity of such corporate donors as Capital One, The Brink’s Company and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, for example, 13,000 students in 2007-2008 alone benefited from $52,255 in instructional grants to 62 different educators. At last count, nearly 40 Henrico-area businesses have contributed. In October, thanks to sponsor Moseley Architects, the foundation’s annual “Tee Off for Education” golf tournament raised more than $53,000.
Of course, the economic downturn means that fund-raising for nonprofits has slowed. “So I’m taking this as an opportunity to build our brand and to educate—in some cases, re-educate—corporate donors about what HEF is and who Henrico County is,” Stanley says. “A lot of people are surprised.”
Few realize, she explains, that only 47.8
percent of the students in Henrico public schools are white. “We now have a 52 percent ‘minority majority’ population in our schools,” Stanley notes. In many cases, the influx of new residents of diverse backgrounds has made the county’s schools more middle-class than ever. “We have a growing number of children of Indian background from highly educated families,” she says. “These families really did their homework before moving here. They researched the area and knew exactly where they wanted to live—in the Twin Hickory area—largely for its schools.”
The growing diversity of the county represents an educational plus. “We think it is a good thing for our kids to go to schools that are a snapshot of the workplace of tomorrow,” Stanley says. “And of course, the quality of schools is a huge consideration whenever businesses are considering relocation. Business leaders want to know that their children will be going to good schools, and that the labor pool of an area is an educated one. That’s our goal.”
“Education in the 21st century is designed to create citizens and students who are prepared to lead a country and world by seeing past the traditional curriculum,” says Andy Armstrong, principal at Rolfe Middle School. “HEF is a conduit to making education a more ‘whole’ experience that will help to groom students to become leaders.”
This commitment to encouraging leadership qualities is one that business leaders have no trouble understanding. “Our schools are one of the most visible, engaging and formative fibers in the fabric of our community,” says Dean Jarrett, senior vice president of The Martin Agency and an HEF board member.
“In Henrico, we are blessed to have outstanding public schools. But sometimes public funding can’t do all that needs to be done. When businesses support the Henrico Education Foundation, they’re helping to ensure that teachers and students have what they need to succeed. From funding innovative learning programs submitted by teachers to funding field trips for students who otherwise might not be able to afford them, HEF helps make the great schools all over Henrico County even better.”
Or, as Frank Pineno says, “It’s about supporting teachers and improving the learning experience for children.”
