10 A W A R D R E C I P I E N T S
Dr . Al Motley
Isaiah Vansant Williamson Award
The board of trustees presents this award to a person who exemplifies in his or her life and work the ideals of school founder Isaiah V . Williamson .
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Dr . Al Motley , senior pastor at the Way Thru Christ Community Fellowship in Chester , Pa ., has been involved in the ministry most of his life .
He is known for his sense of humor , love for people , and his passion for teaching and preaching the gospel , and seeing others transformed by the power of God .
After being a pastor at several churches , in 1989 he was asked to start a church in Chester and was named senior pastor at the Way Thru Christ Community Fellowship . In addition to running the church and giving weekly sermons , he has done much to help those in need in his community . He provides counseling and food for people during the COVID-19 pandemic , helps people in recovery , and obtains employment for
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Dr . Al Motley
those seeking work .
Since 2009 , he has been a bishop for the Lancaster Mennonite Conference ( LMC ), which oversees several churches throughout Pennsylvania , New Jersey , and Delaware . LMC ’ s leaders are grounded in their understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and their mission is one of love , peace , and reconciliation that God has called them to .
From 1994-97 , he worked at Williamson College of the Trades as the assistant director of student affairs / admissions . He was very popular with the students and played a large role in developing diversity sensitivity . More recently , he has been providing cultural diversity seminars at Williamson ’ s First Year Experience , a program designed to help freshmen assimilate into the Williamson
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community . He also has served on Williamson ’ s Diversity Council for 26 years and recently joined the Chaplaincy Program Advisory Committee .
Earlier , he worked part-time for the Chester-Upland School District as supervisor of the maintenance department , substitute teacher , and counselor .
Motley grew up in Danville , Va ., and moved to Chester when he was 12 , graduating from Chester High School in 1975 . He first realized he would have a life in the ministry at the age of 15 . After graduating from high school , he served seven years in the Marines and then worked ten years at Witco Chemical Co .
He and his wife Maxine have been married 42 years and have two children , a son , Alvin C . Motley II , and a daughter
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, Taneera M . Motley , and also raised two nephews , Edward Stevenson and Edward Thompson . They have seven grandchildren . |
Christopher K . Goodman 0W9
C . W . Schrenk 4W9 Young Alumnus Award
The board of trustees presents this award to an alumnus of the last 15 years who has distinguished himself by making a substantial contribution to his profession and to society .
Christopher Goodman 0W9 knew at the age of 13 that he was going to be a carpenter . He had begun working parttime as a carpenter and loved it . By the time he was 15 , he was working every summer as a carpenter .
He grew up in Havertown , Pa ., and attended Haverford High School where he enrolled in a special evening program so he could earn his diploma while working full-time in carpentry during the day .
After graduating from high school , he tried to enroll in Williamson , but didn ’ t get in his first try . He spent that year working as a carpenter and succeeded in getting in his second attempt a year later . Choosing the carpentry program was an easy choice .
At Williamson , he played football his first year , his second and third years , he worked Wing Nights and was in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes . He became a Christian his freshman year . He said the daily chapels and Chaplain Mark Specht 7W7 played key roles . Another influence was meeting Melissa Wisneski , who invited him to attend church services with her one Sunday .
He and Melissa became good friends his junior year and soon became a couple . A Williamson student dating a girl is not unusual , but what made this relationship different was that Melissa ’ s father is Tom Wisneski , the vice president of education at the time . Another difficulty in their relationship was that Melissa was working part-time in the
Board of Trustees ’ Awards
The Board of Trustees present the C . W . Schrenk 4W9 Young Alumnus Award and the Isaiah V . Williamson Award at the Founder ’ s Day ceremony .
The I . V . Williamson Award is given to a person who exemplifies in his or her life and work , the ideals of school founder Isaiah V . Williamson .
The Young Alumnus Award is given to an alumnus of the last 15 years who has distinguished himself by making a substantial contribution to his profession and to society .
Nominations for both awards for 2023 are encouraged . Please send a biographical sketch of your candidate to : Office of Institutional Advancement , Williamson College of the Trades , 106 S . New Middletown Road , Media , PA 19063 . student affairs department . Goodman said their dating was a little awkward and he had to get permission from Paul Reid , the president at the time , who said it was OK for them to date since she was only working part-time .
Chris and Melissa got married in June 2010 in the Sabia Memorial Garden . They now live in Glen Mills and have three children : Christopher Jr ., 6 ; Quinn , 4 , and Elijah , one year . In 2006 , Goodman began a love of mission trips out of a desire to help others . In 2006 and 2007 , he went with a group of Williamson students and alumni to Mississippi to rebuild homes devastated by Hurricane Katrina . He enjoyed this work so much that his junior year , he spent two weeks in Uganda , Africa , building a school for orphans . The trip was funded by his church and he found it so rewarding he returned the next year .
Since graduating , he has gone on every Williamson mission trip and many on his own . He does at least one or two a year and once did four . He has gone on about 25 trips . Over the years , he has offered vital support to Williamson ’ s trips . His experience and construction skills are an enormous help and he takes much time to mentor the students and often speaks with them about their careers and faith issues . He not only takes a week off of his job to go on these trips , but raises his own funds .
His Williamson trips included many visits to Paraiso , Dominican Republic , to help build a hospital ; Puerto Rico , where he helped reframe a roof for a house damaged by a hurricane and helped a poor man rebuild his house in the mountains ; Lima , Peru , where he helped build a community center ; several trips to El Salvador to build a school ; and Houston , to tile a house that was damaged by a flood caused by Hurricane Harvey . After going to El Salvador with Williamson , he went back on his own with his wife .
After graduating from Williamson , he became the George Dorm manager . Living for free with few responsibilities , he realized it was a good time to take a chance and he formed C . Goodman Construction Co ., a general contracting company , in Media , Pa . His company is doing well and over the years he has hired Williamson students for full-time jobs and summer internships .
He fills much of his time with his family and works hard at growing his business and getting better at his job every day .
Christopher Goodman 0W9