Our Board of Directors

Dr. Eric W. Claville is a political and legal analyst. He educates the public on areas of law, policy, politics and education. He is lauded for his accurate political predictions, economic and legal analysis, knowledge and advisement. As a professor, he has taught Constitutional Law and Civil Rights, and courses in politics and public policy. His areas of interests are in laws and public policy during the time period of slavery, reconstruction, segregation, and Jim Crow and increasing the numbers of underrepresented groups into the fields of law and public policy. 

He is also the creator and co-host of the award-winning radio commentary, The Claville Report on WHRO/WHRV 89.5 FM Another View with Barbara Hamm Lee and the creator and host of State of the Water on Norfolk State University's own, WNSB 91.1FM.

Dr. Claville is a 2000 graduate of the Southern University Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, and a 2006 cum laude honors graduate of Southern University Law Center where he received his Juris Doctorate. He is also a 2009 graduate of Louisiana State University with a Masters of Library and Information Science.

Dr. Colita Nichols Fairfax, President, and Co-Founder, is Tenured Professor, Robert C. Nusbaum Honors College Senior Faculty Fellow, and Inaugural faculty scholar in the Center for African American Public Policy at Norfolk State University. She has written several articles, reviews, chapters, and the following books, Hampton, Virginia, (2005), Timeless History and Service: The Iota Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, 1922-To Our Time (2017); edited two books, Social Work, Marriage and Ethnicity: Policy and Practice (2016), and The African Experience in Colonial Virginia: Essays on the 1619 Arrival and Legacy of Slavery  (2021). She wrote the Foreword for A Guidebook to Virginia’s African American Historical Markers (2019).  A native of Richmond, VA, Dr. Fairfax earned the Doctor of Philosophy and the Master of Arts in African American Studies from Temple University; the Master of Social Work from Rutgers University and, the Bachelor of Social Work from Howard University.

Dr. Mary T. Christian was Dr. Fairfax’s mentor and they began working together to create the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation in 2014. Dr. Fairfax was a leader in the Commonwealth of Virginia with the 1619 -  2019 recognition of the landing of African people at Point Comfort (present day Hampton). She was appointed to the city of Hampton’s 400^th Commemorative Commission in 2010, where she contributed to documenting African American contributions on several historic markers, and articulated how the African figure of the tri-cultural anniversary statute on Settlers Landing Road in Hampton should be depicted.

Dr. Fairfax served as co-chairman of the city of Hampton’s 2019 Commemorative Commission, tasked with planning activities commemorating the arrival of African people in English North America, Point Comfort (present-day Hampton) in 1619.  Former VA Governor Terry McAuliffe appointed her to the State Board of Historic Resources in 2016, of which she served as Vice-Chairman (2018-2019) and Chairman (2019-2021). Governor Ralph Northam re-appointed her to that board, and to the Commission for Historic Statues in the United States Capitol, tasked with removing and replacing the Robert E. Lee Statue in the U.S. Capitol in 2020.

Dr. Angela Goodloe is Vice-President of the Board. She is passionate about sustainable quality education for all learners. She is an assistant professor at Norfolk State University, School of Education in Norfolk, Virginia where she teaches pedagogical philosophy and theories in educational leadership. Dr. Goodloe supervises program evaluations and promotes community development for quality educational programs.

Dr. Goodloe’s research interests include educational leadership, educational equity, urban education, global education, and strategies that advance education leadership in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). She founded AERO, an after-school lyceum with the goal to promote an early introduction to aviation, engineering and information technology, and robotic opportunities.

As a talk show host and producer of “The Talking Teacher” with WHOV-FM 88.1, the platform for the show consisted of interviews and call-ins from the Hampton Roads community regarding educational policies and procedures. She has over twenty years of experience in public and private educational institutions across the United States of America and internationally.

She is a member of Kappa Delta Pi, an international education honors society, and a certificated on-line instructor with a Doctorate Degree in Education Leadership. Dr. Goodloe consistently uses her talents in pursuit of educational research projects that advance leadership and learning.

Dr. Ralph ‘Butch’ Heath has been a resident of Hampton for over 40 years, coming to Hampton on assignment with the U. S. Air force. Since being assigned to the Headquarters at Langley Air Force Base (LAFB), he has given back to LAFB and the surrounding community by actively participating in activities he believed would improve the community for all residents. During his time at Langley, he coached youth basketball and volunteered as an Equal Opportunity Employment representative, subsequently serving as Chief of the Equal Opportunity Employment representatives.

After retirement from the Air Force, Dr. Heath continued volunteering his time and skills to serve in the community. He served on the Board of Directors of Y. H. Thomas youth center, Hampton Equal Opportunity Commission, and the Hampton Planning Commission. Dr. Heath currently serves as the Chair of the Hampton Redevelopment and Housing Authority. He also continued his pursuit of education, earning a BA degree from Saint Leo College, an MBA from Hampton University, and a DBA from Walden University.

Dr. Heath managed and advised several successful Hampton City Council candidates and two State Delegate campaigns, including the founder of the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation--The Honorable Dr. Mary T. Christian (deceased). Dr. Heath is married to Sylvia. They have three adult children and three grandsons.

Mr. Lloyd Seay, Advisor to the Foundation, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Norfolk State College, now NSU.  He also studied in the Guidance and Counseling curriculum at Hampton Institute, now HU, in their Master’s Program.  He worked for the Federal Government Postal Division in Financial Planning and Budgeting.  He was promoted to a diverse range of management positions in the Richmond division office.  Last serving as the Assistant Director of Planning in the Philadelphia Eastern region, and responsible for financial planning encompassing 15 states.   While working for the Federal Government he was elected to leadership positions in Labor and secured the top-level position of the State of Virginia President.

Mr. Seay retired from the Federal Government and set up a small real estate development company focusing on affordable housing and community development.  He is a strong advocate for education and community services.  He has volunteered to work with many political leader’s campaigns, senators, mayors, councilpersons and others.  He managed Delegate Jeion Ward’s campaign and worked for her at the General Assembly.  Currently, he has volunteered to work with former Delegate Mary T. Christian on the Barrett-Peake Heritage Foundation project creating an education and cultural center.  He serves as Co-Chair for the Capital Fund Campaign.

No biography currently available.

Dr. Vanessa D. Thaxton-Ward is Director of the Hampton University Museum.  Previously, she was Director of the York Bailey Museum, at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, South Carolina.

As Director, she has secured funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Save America’s Treasures, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Luce Foundation, Art Bridges Foundation, and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, in partnership with the Chrysler Museum of Art.  She is publisher of the International Review of African American Art, has curated exhibitions with various artists from Hampton’s collection like Margo Humphrey, Elizabeth Catlett, John Biggers, and has served as organizer and curator of the biennial National Juried Exhibition: New Power Generation, for emerging artists of African descent.  In 2018, Thaxton-Ward and the museum hosted the Association of African American Museum’s 40th Conference. Thaxton-Ward is also on the board of Arts for Learning and previously served on the Virginia Association of Museums board and the Commission on African American History Education in the Commonwealth, appointed by Governor Ralph Northam.

She received her Ph.D. in American Studies, concentrating in African American Material Culture, from the College of William and Mary and Master of Arts in Museum and Archival Studies from Hampton University.

No biography currently available.

Mr. Erik T. Wilson serves as the Academy Coach for the Academies of Hampton with Hampton City Schools.  As an Academy Coach he provides leadership and administrative support for career academies and serves as a liaison between the school and the business partner community to develop influential and purposeful occupational experiential learning opportunities for students in Hampton City Schools.  Wilson has served as a secondary history teacher at both Bethel High School and Hampton High School.  He has more than 17 years of service with Hampton City Schools and was recognized as city-wide Teacher of the Year for Hampton City Schools in 2020-2021.

A native of Hampton, Wilson earned a bachelor's degree in history from Howard University, a master's degree in elementary education with a focus in urban education from The Ohio State University, and a master's degree in educational policy, planning and leadership from The College of William and Mary.