12
April 1, 2012
Five Decades of Distinction
Broadcasting Student Saw Endless Possibilities By Lisa Garrett | Tri-County Technical College
V
irginia Holland-Davis’s life has been full of opportunities. She’s had a career in College. I carried the title with great pride. I think being Miss TEC also played a part in radio and television broadcasting that has spanned three decades and included opening up opportunities for me through exposure,” she said. meeting and interviewing such giants as Minister Farrakhan, Dizzy Gillespie, There have been other firsts since she graduated and began working in the field Bill Cosby, Roy Ayers, Miss Universe, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Shirley Caesar, Smokey of communications. She became the first black female DJ in this market and in the Robinson and dozens more. Southeast in 1977 when she joined WXYZ, a 100-watt R & B AM radio station, where Over the years, she’s been a DJ, news anchor, writer, program director, music director, she stayed two years doing the news, spinning records and producing her own shows. promotions director and talk show host at some of the largest Southeastern radio and Before relocating to Atlanta in 1985, she and Tri-County instructor Ron Talley had a television stations. She’s interviewed and dined with “the great” Muhammad Ali, Bill graphic arts and publishing business named Holland Davis, Talley. “We published some Cosby, Ralph Nader, Shirley Chisholm, Maya early generation black greeting cards that were Angelou, Michael Forbes and other political, very successful and we partnered on a local financial and cultural leaders in America. She magazine, News and Views (I was editor-inalso has worked with many major record artists chief and he was photographer) out of Greenand their promoters. ville. We did some milestone stories including A professional highlight includes being the an exclusive with Homer Jordan, then a star only black reporter/talk show host in the 1980s quarterback with University of Georgia and to interview Dr. Bob Jones, Sr. during the height astronaut Charles Bolden, the first black astroof his controversial book tour promoting segnaut who was a featured guest at Tri-County regation. “All of these opportunities stemmed during a special event,” she remembered. She from my roots in Tri-County Technical College’s also was editor-in-chief of a regional newspaRadio and TV Broadcasting (RTV) program,” per, The Palmetto Leader, located in Greenville, said the 1977 graduate. “Once that seed was and also reported for another local newspaper, sewn back in the 70s while at Tri-County, I saw Focus News in Greenville. endless possibilities,” she said. She moved to Columbia in 1977 when she “Tri-County’s RTV department really prewas recruited by some scouts in the area covpared me for everything. I’ve done a lot of differering a Clemson football game. She went to ent work but the jobs all relate like pieces to one WOIC radio where she was a popular DJ, news big puzzle. The puzzle has been completed and anchor and live talk show producer. She also now I want to return one day to Tri-County as an produced gospel and jazz shows. She contininstructor to show others that with passion and ued her professional voice talent work, writplanning and opportunity and perseverance, ing for television, producing commercials and Virginia Holland, second from left, was crowned Miss Tri-County TEC November 13, 1975. Pictured there’s nothing you can’t do,” says Holland-Dahosting talk shows, such as Live at the Sanctuwith her from left are Joan Forshee, second runner-up; Linda McCall, first runner-up; and Madeline vis, who has worked and lived in Atlanta for the ary, a Christian entertainment production that Timmons, third runner-up. last 27 years. she owns. The Seneca native always wanted to be a professional writer. After graduating from When she moved to Atlanta, she welcomed another opportunity to work for Random Seneca High School in 1974, she received a journalism scholarship to Clark College in House publishers She re-started her business under V. Holland-Davis Company, a Atlanta. Two weeks prior to beginning her freshman year, she learned she had lost her media management and public relations company where she represented clients like room assignment, thwarting her plans because although the scholarship was in place, Bronner Brothers hair products and Hollywood celebrity J. Anthony Brown. She’s been the housing was not. “I had to rethink this,” she said. “I went to Columbia Commercial published in magazines such as ShopTalk, a hair industry magazine, served as editorCollege, a private business school, for a year and was not happy. I called my father, and in-chief of Gospel Music and Ministry Connection (GMMC), an international gospel musaid I’ve made a decision. I finished the semester but left the college. I realized I didn’t sic and ministry magazine, and was part-owner/writer/ photographer for Fast Forward want to take dictation. I wanted to give it,” she says, laughing. for Atlantans on the Move magazine, an international cultural and lifestyle magazine. Tri-County was close to her home so she entered the university transfer program at She also served as managing editor of Smart Shopper (predecessor for Upscale magafirst but then strategized a “fast track” way to move ahead with her career. She switched zine) and was a music reviewer for Charisma (gospel lifestyle and ministry) magazine. to the RTV program. “This was an opportunity. I loved it. It really worked to my advanToday she still works in communications and currently owns V. Holland-Davis Comtage. Former Department Head Charlie Jordan offered me my first opportunity when he pany, LLC, Urban Global Missionary, Inc., a social enterprise with ministerial focus, and sent my tape to the owner of WXYZ in Greenville and asked me to go see him. The job 7Twelve Marketing, a division of V. Holland-Davis Company. “I have in development was mine when I got there. Charlie handpicked me and I appreciated that. That first job a College Prep Project where I, along with other associates, assist traditional and nonstarted my career,” said Holland-Davis, who married 1976 Tri-County graduate Quinton traditional students in preparation for entry or re-entry into college. I currently mentor E. Davis of Anderson. They have a son, Quinton Anthony Holland Davis, 25, who like and tutor grad students from different colleges and universities engaged in the classhis mother is a photographer and works in video production. room or using online modalities.” Recently Holland-Davis, accompanied by her father, Warren Holland, of Seneca, visWhile battling breast cancer and enduring more than 20 surgeries that stemmed ited the campus where 35 years ago she was named the editor of the student newspaper, from complications associated with her cancer, Holland-Davis earned a double bachThe Prism, and was crowned the first black Miss TEC. elor’s in Urban Global Economic Development and Bible Education with certification “I loved representing Tri County. I was proud to be a student. I was humbled and as a Christian Education teacher and graduated magna cum laude from Beulah Heights honored that my peers had chosen me to represent them. I had won the Miss Senconian University. She also has an MBA and a Master of Science in Psychology from the Uniand many other pageants in the past, but being Miss TEC was special. First, it awarded versity of Phoenix. She is currently working towards a Psy. D. at the University of the me a full-ride scholarship. It exposed me to more responsibilities directly tied to the Rockies in Colorado Springs, CO, and is working on a doctorate in divinity.