From friendship to love

Shavonda and Errol were leaders dedicated to serving the community, but not each other. Despite crossing paths often in their community, they never exchanged words.

They first met at United Nations Church in Richmond 15 years ago. Shavonda, a single mother of two and a first-generation college graduate, was a dedicated community leader engaged in outreach and mentoring underprivileged youths. Errol, a father of five, was an Army veteran and a police officer.

Two decades later, they unexpectedly crossed paths again at a courthouse. Shavonda was dropping off paperwork, while Errol was working on the opposite side of the building. It only took Errol one look when he held the door for Shavonda as she walked out. From there, a connection grew from a deep friendship into love.

For Shavonda, falling in love later in life was “a breath of fresh air” and she says Errol “courted me with every sense of the word.” Being the gentleman that Errol was, he took Shavonda on a date to an upscale dinner at Morton’s The Steakhouse — then located in Shockoe Slip’s Turning Basin Building — after leaving a wedding at Main Street Station early.

They exchanged vows on July 13, 2024, surrounded by close friends and family.

Though she waited until after their wedding to tell him, Shavonda knew Errol was the one the moment they met again at the courthouse.

Shavonda says she couldn’t explain how she knew, but she believed “it would happen in God’s timing.”

Shavonda Fernandez is chairwoman and 9th District representative for the Richmond School Board. Errol Fernandez is a Richmond Police officer.

 Micheal Sparks and Richard Brown
 

An instant connection

On a casual night out while on vacation in New York, I walked into a bar in the Chelsea neighborhood and met Richard, the man who would become my husband. We spent the entire night together bar-hopping, and it was an absolute blast!

The next day, on a phone call with my sister, I couldn’t stop talking about this doctor I met. She invited me for dinner and said, “Bring him, too.”

That was in 2005, and we’ve been together ever since. I was living in Madrid then, working for Loewe, the Spanish luxury fashion house that’s part of Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy. It was a “big job,” but I quit over the phone and never returned to Spain because of that life-altering night.

We had a wonderful life in New York, but in 2009, Richard got a job offer from Virginia Commonwealth University. As we settled into our home in the Museum District, we found ourselves in a community where we knew no one. To break the ice, I decided to host New York-style dinner parties, and to my surprise, they were a huge hit. It was the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey in food.

Our 20 years together have been a wonderful fusion of Australian and African American cultures. I’ve had the privilege of sharing the history of the Tuskegee Experiment with Richard, helping him understand its impact on the African American community’s relationship with health care. This shared knowledge has deepened our connection and also supported his important work at VCU’s Massey Cancer Center, where he is focused on improving communication and reducing stress between cancer patients and their doctors.

Micheal Sparks is the CEO of The Underground Kitchen, an experiential dining company and director of UGK Community First, a nonprofit fighting food insecurity. Richard Brown is an associate professor of social and behavioral sciences at VCU’s School of Public Health.

 Taylor and Tom Pitera
 

True high school sweethearts

Who’s the new guy on the block?

That would be Tom Pitera, fresh from Long Island, N.Y., and settling into young Taylor Hatfield’s neighborhood.

Taylor first heard about the new guy from a friend’s mom, the realtor handling Tom’s family’s move. She described him as tall, dark and handsome — an Italian boy who immediately caught 14-year-old Taylor’s interest. Naturally, she called dibs.

Eager to make friends before the school year began, Tom met Taylor at her front door, and sparks flew instantly. The two started seeing each other right away.

But the romance didn’t last long. Just a week into school, Tom told Taylor he loved her. Taylor’s response? “You don’t even know me. You don’t love me.”

What followed were awkward “hi-and-bye” encounters in the high school hallways for over a year. Yet, something about the summer air at a mutual friend’s beach kickback brought the two back together before their junior year.

The young couple stayed together through all the ups and downs — navigating their college years at Virginia Commonwealth University, with Tom helping Taylor move to New York to pursue her fashion career after graduation. They began a tough long distance relationship, each focused on their careers.

Taylor struggled to make it in the city, working a job she hated, while Tom, frustrated after one of her difficult days, told her, “If you’re always going to be this negative and down, don’t call me anymore.”

Yet, despite the odds, the couple remained together. Tom proposed to Taylor once she moved back to Virginia. Tom became Taylor’s biggest rock when she founded her first e-commerce retail business, Tailor, networking with Richmond Fashion Week and becoming a local fashion influencer.

They married in 2014 and welcomed their sons, Luca in 2019 and Micah in 2022. The couple celebrated 10 years of marriage last September.

Maybe, the new guy who told 14-year-old Taylor he loved her after just a week of school knew something she didn’t — that she was the one.

Taylor Pitera is the co-founder of a local nonprofit fashion organization, WearRVA. Tom Pitera works in IT sales.