The 10th Annual WHRO Pioneer Awards

The WHRO Board of Directors invites you to join them on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center
as they honor Jack Ezzell, Jo Ann & Robert G. "Buzzy" Hofheimer, Jr., pioneers in public broadcasting.

6:00pm – Cocktails & Silent Auction
7:00pm – Dinner
8:00pm – Awards Presentation
9:00pm – Reception with Dancing and Entertainment

Cocktail Attire

WHRO invites you to join us for the 10th Annual Pioneer Awards as they honor Jack Ezzell and Jo Ann and Robert G. “Buzzy” Hofheimer, Jr., pioneers in public broadcasting. Jack is the Founder and CEO of Zel Technologies. Jo Ann has been an active volunteer with a number of community organizations. Buzzy is manager of BridgeTrust Title Company (formerly Pioneer Title). These individuals embody the true spirit of the Pioneer Awards - they lead by excellent example and have been long-time supporters throughout the Hampton Roads community, notably in public broadcasting, the arts, and education.  Their outstanding leadership spreads across a diverse group of organizations, including WHRO.
 
Jack is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Zel Technologies, LLC (ZELTECH), one of the nation’s premier professional services and engineering firms. He is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel who was recognized as a leader in applying advanced technology solutions to critical defense problems. Mr. Ezzell has served as a two-term Rector of the Norfolk State University Board of Visitors, Chairman of the NSU E2F Foundation, Chairman of the Hampton Roads Partnership, Chairman of the Hampton Industrial Development Authority, Chairman of the CIVIC Leadership Institute, Vice Chairman of WHRO, and Vice Chairman of the Jamestown/Yorktown Foundation. He currently serves on the boards of several public and private sector enterprises and is the chair for the Virginia Peninsula ARC.

Jo Ann was the founding president of Buy Fresh Buy Local Hampton Roads, where she continues to serve on the Board and twice co-chaired Farm to Fork. Jo Ann holds an MA in Humanities and has been a contributing writer for Virginia Living, Virginian-Pilot, PortFolio Weekly, and Hampton Roads Magazine. She is a former president of The Norfolk Forum, Irene Leache Memorial Foundation, and Friends of the Norfolk Public Library, and former Vice-Chair of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities. She served on the boards of Norfolk Academy, Virginia Center for the Book, and the WHRO Foundation. She was co-founder of Prince Books, and now volunteers as a Master Gardener and on the board of Old Beach Farmers Market.

Buzzy is a manager of BridgeTrust Title Group (formerly Pioneer Title). He is also Vice President, BB&T Insurance Services, Inc., and President of Independent Trustees, Inc. Buzzy is a former Vice-Chairman of the Virginia Public Broadcasting Board and chaired WHRO’s 8th Annual Pioneer Awards. He is past President of the Virginia Land Title Association, served on the City of Norfolk Energy Task Force, and the boards of Ohef Sholom Temple and The Norfolk Forum. He is also a founding member of Virginians Against Handgun Violence. Buzzy is a graduate of the University of Virginia. He and Jo Ann have been married for 44 years.

The Pioneer Awards will take place on Saturday, April 20, 2013 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center and will include cocktails and a silent auction, a seated dinner, an awards presentation, musical entertainment and dancing.

Community leaders Conway Sheild and Guy Tower co-chair the event. Task force members include Mike Barrett, Nancy Branch, Kathryn Copeland, Evan Curbeam, Phil Hatchett, Kirkland Kelley, Tom Mountjoy, John Overton, Barry Pollara, Rik Rikkola and Leonard Sledge.

We hope you will join us for this worthwhile evening. All proceeds benefit WHRO and are dedicated to ensuring the longevity of public broadcasting and education initiatives in Hampton Roads. Corporate and individual sponsorships are available with a variety of benefits starting at $500. Corporate and congratulatory event program ads are also available for sale. Individual tickets are $150. For more information visit the Pioneer Awards website, or contact Laura Payne, Special Events Manager, at (757) 889-9419 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.