Betty Hubbard Rivers: Her many hats include First Lady

Betty Rivers

By Dorothy Inman-Johnson
Special to the Outlook

Betty Rivers has been a resident of Tallahassee for 44 years, and married to Dr. Larry Eugene Rivers for 38 of those years. They are the proud parents of two sons, Larry Omar Rivers, an assistant professor of history at the University of West Georgia, and Linje Eugene Rivers, an attorney with the Knowles and Randolph Law Firm. Betty is a native of Twiggs County, Georgia and moved to Tallahassee in 1973 after graduating from Fort Valley State University with her bachelor degree. Her first job upon moving to Tallahassee was secretary in the Florida A&M University President’s Office. She completed her Master of Science degree at Florida State University. Betty began her upwardly mobile career at the City of Tallahassee in 1986 in increasingly higher level secretarial positions; but quickly moved up the ranks to Administrative Supervisor, Human Services Administrator, Interim Director of the Department of Community Improvement, and finally becoming the Business Manager for the Tallahassee Regional Airport, now called the Tallahassee International Airport, where she currently volunteers as an Airport Ambassador.

 
Betty retired from the City of Tallahassee after 30 years of loyal service when her husband left his position at FAMU to accept the Georgia Board of Regents’ appointment to become Fort Valley State University’s eighth president. She and Larry first met as students at the university where he became President and Betty served as First Lady for seven  years. They maintained their residence in Tallahassee while serving in Fort Valley. Betty is proud of her achievement as author of Ladies First, Please! “Celebrating First Ladies who served with principals and presidents in the Valley 1895-2013”. President Rivers stepped down as president of Fort Valley in 2013, and he and Betty again became full-time residents of Tallahassee.

 
Betty has always been very involved in community service as her record of volunteerism shows. Her past service includes a Meals on Wheels volunteer for 20 years, mentor for students at Bellevue Middle School and Caroline Brevard Elementary School, Board Member for the Tallahassee/ Leon County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and member of the Capital City Chamber of Commerce. Her current volunteer service includes the Delta Kappa Omega Homework Assistance Program at the Providence Community Center, Spring Break and summer camps operated at the center, Reading and Math tutor at the Dr. B.L. Perry Branch Library, and the Women History Month Program committee at the Bethel Christian Academy.  She is, also,  dedicated to service with ministries at her church, Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority incorporated, and very passionate about personal fitness and maintaining good health. She walks miles in her neighborhood daily.

 
We are happy to welcome the former Fort Valley President and First Lady back home. We are equally happy to recognize Betty Hubbard Rivers as the Capital Outlook Newspaper’s Person of the Week.

 
Please send your recommendations for Person of the Week to dotinman-johnson@hotmail.com.