The Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley will host its annual Tribute Luncheon celebration of philanthropy on Tuesday, April 23 at 11:30 a.m. at the College Station Hilton. The luncheon is a day set aside by the Community Foundation to celebrate philanthropy and honor local community servants for their selfless service, giving hearts and generosity. This year’s honorees include John Anderson, Amber and Hunter Goodwin, and Lorraine and Chuck Hermann, who have all contributed tremendously to the local community and those within it.
The luncheon will also feature the recognition of Mark Sykes of Marks Sykes Photography as the 2024 Community Champion Award recipient, an additional award that celebrates community businesses, organizations and others who actively impact Brazos Valley nonprofits. Mark has continually given back to nonprofits throughout the Brazos Valley with his “behind the lens” including donating professional portraits of past 33 honorees for no compensation.
Luncheon guests will also have the opportunity to purchase raffle tickets for the chance to be deemed the third annual “Philanthropist of the Day” and will receive the honor of choosing a local nonprofit as the recipient of a “forever gift” of a $15,000 endowment at the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley. Raffle tickets will be available to purchase at the luncheon for $20 each or six for $100.
Tribute Luncheon reservations are available for purchase by contacting Patricia Gerling at (979) 589-4305 or email president@cfbv.org. The deadline for reservations is Friday, April 12.
About the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley
Established in 2003, the Community Foundation of the Brazos Valley serves as your trusted partner in philan- thropy. The Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life in the communities it serves by partnering with donors and businesses to establish charitable endowment funds that provide long-term support for nonprofit organizations and community needs. With over$12.8M+ in assets under management, the Foundation has invested more than $6.2M+ in grants and scholarships to support local causes that change lives and impact the communities it serves.
For more information, visit www.cfbv.org or call (979) 589-4305.
Meet the Honorees
John E. Anderson
John E. Anderson has spent his life supporting community endeavors. In 1968, he earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Texas at El Paso at which time he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Army. On active duty for six years, he served in Vietnam as an Army Aviation recon pilot and later as a flight instructor. In 1976, John was adopted into the Aggie family by members of the Class of 1958. In 2022, John earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Management and a Master of International Policy from the George H. W. Bush School of Government and Public Service.
John Anderson’s career at Merrill Lynch as a Wealth Management Advisor, Certified Retirement Planning Counselor and the Bryan/ College Station office manager spanned 45 years. He has served as a board member for the Armenian Agribusiness Education Fund, Boys & Girls Club of the Brazos Valley, Boys Scouts of America, Brazos County Industrial Foundation, Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation, Brazos Valley Veterans Memorial, the College Station Medical Center, Habitat for Humanity, Hope Pregnancy Center, MSC OPAS and United Way of the Brazos Valley.
John’s service spans the breadth of our community. He served as a volunteer for a reunion of his Vietnam aviation unit, President
George H. W. Bush’s 80th Birthday celebration and the celebration of the 20-year anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, among other events.
Anderson is a committed Bryan Rotary Club member and served as President, Rotary Youth Exchange counselor and Field of Valor fundraiser. He has served as a Board Member and member of the Legislative Affairs Committee for the Bryan/College Station Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber named John the 2016-2017 Citizen of the Year.
John Anderson and his wife, Ann, established an endowed scholarship through the Texas A&M Foundation benefiting students in the Corps of Cadets. John and Ann have two grown sons, who graduated from Texas A&M, ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. We celebrate John E. Anderson as a true public servant, who represents the best of the Brazos Valley, and pay tribute to him as a 2024 Community Foundation Tribute Luncheon honoree.
Amber & Hunter Goodwin
Amber and Hunter Goodwin met at Texas A&M in 1994. Since then, they have been a couple who made a difference in every community in which they lived. Amber graduated from Texas A&M in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a minor in English. She spent her early adulthood teaching elementary school. After she married Hunter, she tutored at-risk children in each city that Hunter’s job took them.
Hunter Goodwin was born in Bellville and quickly knew that athletics would be a large part of his life. He graduated from Texas A&M with a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Economics. He played left offensive tackle for the Fightin’ Texas Aggies and went on to have a successful NFL career, playing tight end over a span of nine years.
The Goodwins put their roots down in Bryan/College Station in 2004. Hunter is an owner of Oldham Goodwin, LLC and serves as President and COO. Hunter Goodwin’s community service has impacted numerous nonprofits in the Brazos Valley. Hunter served on the Scotty's House Foundation Board and as a board director. He has served as chair of the Brazos County Municipal Utility District No. 1, chair of the RELLIS External Academic Advisory Council, chair of the RELLIS Campus Construction Trades Task Committee and multiple volunteer positions for Texas A&M, including the Hall of Fame and the Lettermen’s Association. Hunter has also served the City of College Station as Chair of the Design Review Board and the Zoning Board of Adjustments.
Amber, along with her daughter, were active in the National Charity League for many years. Together, they worked at the Brazos Valley Food Bank, Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach, Bridge Food Pantry and Chrissy’s Closet, among other nonprofits. Amber’s heart for children shined in her commitment to Scotty’s House, where she served on the committee of their major fundraiser, Steak Out, for many years.
The Goodwins are a family of faith and commitment — to hard work, leadership and kindness. We celebrate their generous contribution of time and talents to our beloved community.
Lorraine & Chuck Hermann
Lorraine Eden and Chuck Hermann met at a Harvard program. Lorraine was an economics professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. Chuck, a political scientist, directed a national security center at Ohio State. Previously, while on the faculty at Princeton, he interned on the National Security Council staff under Henry Kissinger. In 1995, when Chuck was invited to be the founding director of the Bush School of Government and Public Service and Lorraine was offered a position in the Mays Business School, they married and put down roots in Bryan/College Station.
Chuck built the new Bush School. President Bush visited frequently and brought global leaders with him. Later, Chuck created a second degree in International Affairs and served as its department head. Lorraine founded the Transfer Pricing Aggies program, centered on a popular joint Bush/Mays course, which has placed hundreds of Aggies in international tax careers. The Bush School now has more than 2,000 alumni, primarily in the government and non
profit sectors. When Lorraine and Chuck retired, they endowed the Hermann Fellows program, providing scholarships for Bush School students.
While president of the Bryan Rotary Club, Chuck’s club, along with others, developed a park in Bryan. He served on the board and as president of OPAS. Chuck also has long served on Project Unity’s board. He has twice been president of the Brazos Valley Symphony Board, where he and Lorraine recently endowed a chair for its principal flutist. Lorraine was a founding member of two local women’s groups: Loose Leaves and the FUN Club. She has held multiple executive positions in the Academy of International Business. Currently, she serves as a member of the United Nations Subcommittee on Transfer Pricing.
The Hermanns have three children and three grandchildren.
