MMHMF Honoree

Joyce M. H. Dial is a woman of faith, a life-long learner, community volunteer, and political activist, lover of The Arts, motivational speaker, journalist, and educator with over 55 years of diverse classroom and administrative teaching experience in civilian, military, public and private elementary, middle schools, high schools, colleges and universities across the United States and globally in Europe and Asia. When this Chesterfield County resident walks into local businesses, schools, churches, sporting events, social events, community and government events, she is welcomed and recognized for her professionalism, positive attitude, her words of encouragement, her respect for each individual, and for her unselfish generosity. Businesses, her former and current private students colleagues, neighbors, family, and friends call her: “The Yes, How Can I Help You Little Bald Lady”, ”Mz. Dial”, “Professor Dial”, “Momma Dial”, “Auntie” and “That little lady with a warm smile, and a warm hug who wants to cook you a meal.”

One of 13 children reared on a working farm in rural Southern Louisiana, and the first female in her family to graduate college, Joyce values and is passionate about education, believing that every child and every student (no matter how old) has value, promise and potential, and will grow and flourish when placed in a nurturing environment where they can be seen, heard and encouraged to “dream big and dream in color”

During COVID, Mrs. Dial personally prepared PPE’s and full boxed meals throughout 2020, 2021, and 2022 for local UPS workers, Post Office workers, and staff of 2 local nursing homes. Those meals contained personalized inspirational messages, and even today, she remembers holidays, and special events in the lives of these dedicated public servants and delivers cards, letters, and small packages to brighten their lives.

When the Martha Mason Foundation needed a family to sponsor a newly arrived Chesterfield family in need, for almost 2 years, Mrs. Dial and her husband came to the assistance of a 32-year-old mother of 8 children (ages 4 to 17) and took family members on numerous shopping monthly trips to purchase food, clothing, school supplies, as well as providing transportation to doctor’s appointments, registering children in various elementary, middle and high schools, doing tutoring, researching and encouraging job searches, and assisting the family financially when it became difficult for them to manage.

As a professor with the VSU English Department and the Mass Communications Departments, Joyce and the “DIAL VILLAGE” have a long established “open-door policy” of welcoming into their home out-of-state VSU students when those students cannot afford to go home for school breaks or holidays. Along with that open door, comes mentoring, life-lessons, free tutoring, and time management sessions.

Joyce Dial is a seasoned English professor and educator with diverse civilian and military teaching experience having taught at 18 different colleges and universities at the undergraduate and graduate levels throughout the United States and globally. In addition to English, she has taught Mass Communication Masters and Doctoral students at VSU, has been a GS Education Specialist, specializes in ESL, Reading, Business Writing, Tutoring, College and Graduate Prep, and is currently a Freelance Documents and Literary Editor

Always believing in the need for community and academic collaborations, Joyce fosters relationships with local businesses including them as part of her Speaker’s Bureau where local business owners speak to students and provide qualified students with internships and job placements.

As a servant-leader, volunteerism remains essential to her commitment of “caring for, growing, and sustaining community action.” She continues to serve and empower individuals through her participation in diverse school programs to include: Chesterfield County Public Schools as Reading, Writing, and ESL volunteer; Chesterfield PTO and Prom Chaperone, long after her 2 children graduated; Chesterfield Library System’s “Storytelling and Reading to Children Program; ” Mega Mentor’s Program (Meadowbrook, Thomas Dale, Carver Academy); reading to students at Harrogate Middle School; delivering books to middle schools as part of Martha Mason’s Middle School “New Book Loan and Read Program;” buying and donating books from her home library to underserved county school and church programs; providing FREE private tutoring for students in reading, ESL, writing, math, history, and science; conducting student community workshops and seminars on educational opportunities, job searches with schools, churches, and businesses; conducting classes on college prep, placement, scholarship, and internship opportunities; Middle School Arts Program (Music and Symphony); and has served as a Girl Scouts Crafts Resource Assistant.

Mrs. Dial’s entire life reflects her dedication to recognizing, empowering, and reminding young minds and senior citizens that they make a difference and have treasures and experiences worth sharing. Joyce is active in the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc with its breakfast bags, school back-packs, sneaker, new coats, gloves, hats, and socks programs as well as being active in the Red Hat Chapter’s back to school back-pack drive.

Mrs. Dial has volunteered with the Christmas Mother Program; Chesterfield Food Pantry; Home Meal Delivery to the Homebound; Homeless Shelter Volunteer; Job Search Advocate and Resource; Big Brothers, Big Sisters volunteer; Special Olympics volunteer; YMCA Resource; Youth Sports Program (VSU); Ride Share for Seniors; Retired Military Wives Support Group; volunteered with McGuire Veteran’s Hospital (reading and storytelling, recording their stories); Habitat for Humanity volunteer; she is a Soles4Souls Virginia Ambassador, providing shoes for families in need; she serves as job search and internship consultant with youth, Teen, HS, College, and Senior Citizens; Conducts LGBTQIA+ workshops as a motivational speaker, and is a dedicated political volunteer, poll watcher, door-to-door, and phone canvasser.

Mrs. Joyce M.H. Dial provides a nurturing, living and learning environment where all members of “Joyce’s Village” are not only welcomed, but know that they are valued. She is a dedicated member of Tabernacle Baptist Church, Petersburg, Virginia.

Mrs. Dial is a graduate of Spelman College, University of Michigan, and centered her earlier doctoral studies at University of Chicago on “Post Modernism and the Need for Cultural Relevance in Children’s Literature and Storytelling.” In 2021, Joyce received the Women of Excellence Award for Community Leadership, Academic Achievement, Volunteerism, and Entrepreneurialism from Spelman College’s Louisiana Alumni Association.

A seasoned military spouse, Joyce has been married for over 50 years to Colonel (R), Dr. Cortez K. Dial, and is mother of two children: daughter, Dr. Shaashawn Shawndra Dial, Vice-President of Education, The Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, and son, Dr. Nathan Eugene Dial, U.S. Airforce Pilot, Major (P).