Jesse and Veretta, their daughter Tonia Rider Bickman, and their grandson Kenneth Bickman at the groundbreaking ceremony and community awards program dedicating the Veretta and Jesse Rider Fine and Performing Arts Center at the Texas African American Museum (TAAM) in Tyler on Dec. 12. 

A new fine and performing arts center located in North Tyler has been announced.

East Texas residents attended a groundbreaking ceremony and community awards program Tuesday dedicating the Veretta and Jesse Rider Fine and Performing Arts Center at the Texas African American Museum (TAAM) at 309 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Tyler.

The museum’s parent nonprofit, Empowerment Community Development Corporation (CDC), hosted the event inside the complex, which was filled with friends and community members. Namesakes Jesse and Veretta sat at the forefront alongside their daughter Tonia Rider Bickman.

Attendees enjoyed food and drinks as speakers acknowledged sponsors, introduced the Riders and presented 10 honorees with the Veretta and Jesse E. Rider Sr. Leadership Awards for Community Impact.

“We are surrounded by royalty today,” Smith County Judge Neal Franklin said. “The Riders are very well known throughout the community, and every time their name is mentioned, everybody smiles.”

Jesse is the owner of Rider Homes and Construction in Tyler. He started his career in public education in 1962 as the industrial arts and shop teacher at Dogan Jr. High. Jesse also taught science and social studies and was a vocational counselor. In 2000, he retired as a lead councilor at the former Robert E. Lee High School.

Since then, he’s held positions on numerous boards and committees, served as chairman and president of organizations, held memberships of several clubs and organizations, and was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve on the Industrial Building Code Board for the State of Texas.

Verretta grew up in Tyler and graduated from Texas College. She has held many community positions and memberships. Her true calling has been helping single mothers and their children through anonymous contributions. She is married to Jesse, and the couple have four children, six grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

“These are two inspiring African American individuals in the community,” said Gloria Washington, TAAM executive director.

The Riders were honored for their unwavering dedication, vision and commitment to making North Tyler communities a better place, said Donnie Howard, Empowerment CDC vice president.

“Words can’t express how thankful I am that they decided to honor them,” said Bickman, who was also an award recipient of the Leadership for Community Impact Award. “I know how great they are, and for other people to hear part of their story, it has been great.”

The other nine award recipients include David Coble, Sarah Cumming, Terosa Jones, Ebb Torres, LaToyia Jordan, Scott Martinez, Lisa Walsworth, Ivette Zavarce, and Laura Zorn. The recipients of the leadership awards were chosen based on their inspiring accomplishments and contributions to the community.

Jones, who works in the community as a Realtor, said she was humbled to accept the award.

“I know Mr. Rider due to my grandfather being a builder as well, so I look up to him and then when they asked me to accept an award in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Rider and this complex, I couldn’t say no,” Jones said. “This is really a big deal being in North Tyler.”

The complex will be a hub for fine and performing arts in Tyler. The Empowerment CDC is currently raising funds to help renovate the center, which was formerly the bay area of the fire station before the building was donated to the CDC to house the Texas African American Museum.

“This is a very groundbreaking situation. You are now on the only property of the Empowerment Community Development Complex, which has the Texas African American Museum. Now we have this segment,” Empowerment CDC president Stanley Cofer said.

The center is now open for small performing arts programs such as dance, music, and theatrical performances. Cofer also mentioned plans for future growth.

Tuesday’s event was part of an ongoing fundraiser by the ECDC. Phase 1 entails raising funds for the Texas African American Museum, which operates under the auspice of ECDC, for its maintenance, operational budget, intellectual property, artifacts and exhibit collections. The fundraising goal for Phase 1 is $100,000.

Funds raised for Phase 2 will support the new Veretta and Jesse E. Rider Fine and Performing Arts Center, which is housed inside the museum. Plans include tinted modern glass and aluminum garage doors, fine wood, interior walls, central heating and air conditioning and installation, flooring, and two parking lots on the east and north sides. There will also be a 4-foot black aluminum pressed spear design fence that will cover the 1.8 acres with three electric fences on the south, east and west side, and build out. Multimedia equipment, pipes and drapes, chairs and table linens are also included in the plans. This portion of Phase 2 is projected to cost $380,000.

An additional $100,000 is being raised to operate yearly maintenance, operational and production performance, and a budget for entertainment and guest speakers.

The total fundraising goal is $580,000.

To support this fundraiser, checks can be made out to the Empowerment Community Development Corporation, P.O. Box 131301, Tyler, Texas 75713. Donors can also text “empowerus” to 44-321 to give by phone.

About the award recipients

Bickham is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse E. Rider. She attended schools in Tyler ISD, has an AA in business from TJC, attended UT Tyler, and has a BS in business from Texas College. She is involved in various community organizations including Tyler Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Leadership Tyler Class 32, Tyler ISD Foundation Board, Keep Tyler Beautiful, North Tyler Day Nursery, and Go Red for Women ELT. She is married to Kenneth Bickham Sr. and they have a son Kenneth “KJ” Bickham Jr.

Coble is the fire chief of the Tyler Fire Department. He started his professional fire service career in 1984 in Fort Worth. He has served the Tyler department since 2016. He also gives back to his community by serving on several community organization boards throughout East Texas.

Cumming is the founder and head of school at Promise Academy in Tyler. A graduate of Letourneau University, She has spent 20 years in Christ-centered education in a variety of schools and now serves over 150 families and their kindergarten through fifth grade students for the last nine years.

Torres is an East Texas native who graduated from Chapel Hill High School in 1998 then earned a bachelors in music in 2004 from Stephen F. Austin. He is the owner of D&N Grocery in Tyler, which he has owned since 2016. Torres is a strong advocate for community service, currently serving the East Texas Leadership Summit presented by the Hispanic Professionals Association of Tyler, along with serving on the boards of PATH, Mosaic Counseling Centers of East Texas, Literacy Council of Tyler, Red Cross and East Texas Symphony Orchestra.

Walsworth is a Tyler native who graduated from John Tyler High School then enrolled in Tyler Junior College, soon starting her career in the banking industry. She has worked at Cadence Bank for 15 years. She has served on multiple nonprofit boards and currently serves as board secretary for the Christian Women Job Corps, where she also volunteers. She is married to Destry Walsworth and together they have two children, Dakotah and Lexi.

Zavarce, a Venezuela native, came to Tyler 16 years ago with her husband and two children. She attended the Central University of Venezuela and earned a bachelors in journalism. Her professional experience is in marketing, advertising, and media. Since starting a new life in the U.S., Zavarce worked as the multicultural marketing coordinator for Brookshire’s and has worked in several nonprofits including Smith County Children’s Advocacy Center and The Mentoring Alliance. Since 2020, she has worked for Fuzion Radio which is part of Encouragement Media Group. She has been married for 31 years and has two grandchildren.

Zorn is a Smith County native with family who worked as original rose growers from the start of the industry in Tyler. Her great-aunt served as the first Duchess of the Rose Growers in the inaugural Texas Rose Festival in 1933. Zorn started school in the Winona area of Smith County and eventually moved into Tyler ISD, graduating from the former Robert E. Lee High School. She continued her education at Tyler Junior College and Southern Methodist University, earning a degree in real estate and marketing. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Tyler and the Women’s Symphony League, a nd a member of the Women’s Fund of Smith County. She has previously served as a board member on the American Heart Association, Smith County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Smith County Women Republican Club, and UT Tyler Patriot Golf Classic. She is also a former TJC Apache Belle.

Jones has 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, with the last five as a Realtor, successfully facilitating countless transactions. She is committed to giving back to her community, participating in local charity initiatives, volunteering with local organizations and supporting community causes. She is a member of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, National Association of Realtors, GTAR, LAAR, MTAR, child advocate of CASA for Kids of East Texas, and serves on the board of Empowerment Neighborhood Development Services. Jones is a wife, mother of five, and has one granddaughter.

Jordan is an East Texas native and media personality. She is also a visibility advisor and advocate for girls’ empowerment, notably as the founder of the I Am Beautiful Movement, Thriving Daily Media and Talking with Toyia podcast. She has a passion for educating girls about self-confidence and inner beauty. She also assists small businesses and nonprofits in gaining media exposure. She has been recognized with local and national awards and was featured in Black Enterprise. She is actively involved in numerous community organizations and is a part of Leadership Tyler Class 34.

Martinez is the president and CEO of the Tyler Economic Development Council and CEO of the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. He is a native of Laurel, Mississippi, and has worked in economic development leadership in three states. He has a bachelors from Ole Miss and a masters in economic development from the University of Southern Mississippi. He has earned the certified economic developer designation from the International Economic Development Council and serves on its board of directors. He is also active in the Tyler community, serving on the board for Bethesda Clinic and East Texas Symphony Orchestra. He and his wife have a teenage daughter, Riley.