Amelia Ross-Hammond-Incumbent District 4
City website Biography:
Councilmember Dr. Amelia Ross-Hammond was elected in the November 2022 election to represent District 4. She previously served as a member of City Council from 2012 to 2016. Amelia has been appointed to the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission and the Transportation District Commission of Hampton Roads (HRT). She is now a liaison to the 2040 Vision to Action Community Coalition, the Atlantic Park Community Development Authority, the Housing Advisory Board, the Minority Business Council, the Central Business District and the Something in the Water Festival.
Amelia is a high-school graduate of Moreton Hall in Shropshire, England. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Ithaca College, New York; a master’s in music education from the College of New Jersey; and a doctorate in education leadership, curriculum and instructions with a minor in ethnomusicology from the University of Denver. She is a graduate of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership program from the University of Virginia. She also retired from Norfolk State University as distinguished professor emerita and has served as the chair for the Virginia Music Educators Conference Multicultural Awareness Committee.
Politically, Amelia has received several gubernatorial appointments, including the Council on the Status of Women by Gov. Kaine, the Community Services State Board by Gov. McDonnell and the Hampton Roads Transit Commission by Gov. McAuliffe. Additionally, Amelia was reappointed to HRT by Gov. Northam. She currently chairs the Mayor’s IDEA Commission for inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility.
A servant leader in the community, Dr. Ross-Hammond is the founder and chairman of the Virginia African American Cultural Center, Inc. Under her leadership, the VAACC was recently awarded a $1 million grant from the Virginia Tourism Corporation to expand its current educational activities by providing African American historical and cultural programs across the Commonwealth.
Amelia currently serves as chair for the Hampton Roads Transit Commission and was elected as vice president for the Virginia Transit Association in spring of 2023. She has also served on multiple boards including the United Way of South Hampton Roads Minority Advisory Council and the Elizabeth River Project, and she served as president emerita of Arts for Learning Virginia. She is the immediate past president of the Virginia Beach Beautification Commission, the current secretary of the Vibe Creative District and a board member of the Hospice House of Hampton Roads. Amelia is a founding member of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation’s Visionaries for Change, the Virginia College Affordability Policy Council and National Black Women for Positive Change.
Dr. Ross-Hammond has received numerous awards, including the Meyera E. Oberndorf Human Rights Achievement in Government Award from the Human Rights Commission, the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission Resolution of Recognition from the City of Virginia Beach, the “Impacting Lives Award” from the New Journal and Guide, 2021 Servant Leader and a letter of commendation for her community service, which was read at the U.S. Capitol by Congresswoman Elaine Luria. She is also the first recipient of the Dr. Christine Mann Darden Outstanding Public Employee in Hampton Roads Award, given for the first year in 2023 by the Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration.
info provided by vbgov.com