Editor,

What an honor it is to endorse Wilbert M. “Esau” Dean as a candidate for Buckingham District 3 Board of Supervisors. One of his distinguishing achievement for the citizens of Buckingham is the conversion of the Buckingham Training School 9.24 Acre Campus from an abandoned trash collection site to the prestigious Ellis Acres Park. This was a daunting task that many doubted successful completion. As the lead volunteer for the project, Wilbert created a team of individuals, businesses, universities, foundations and local, state and federal government entities to ensure success. The park was officially opened to the public four years later in 2011 debt free with capital improvements approaching one-half million dollars. This project was completed with virtually no direct taxpayer dollars. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the Department of National Resources.

Another successful endeavor marked by his leadership and desire to serve is “The Leadership for Tomorrow” mentoring team formed in 2018 focusing on the young individuals in the age range of 15 to 25. I am confident that the positive impacts of Dean’s leadership representing the citizens in District #3 will be most advantageous for the growth and development of Buckingham. His leadership displayed on national and international levels dealings with large volume, high impact businesses projects and enterprises is evident by the advancements and achievement in the United States Army.

During my lifetime in Buckingham as a student, as an educator and as a community activist I have not seen such a person with the foresight and vision to develop and implement actions. The Buckingham Chamber of Commerce awarded Dean its prestigious LifeTime Achievement Award in 2012 recognizing his outstanding leadership and contributions to Buckingham County.

Joyce Wilson Booker

Buckingham