Richmond counsel and former office managing partner George Keith Martin was honored by the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities (VCIC) at its 62nd annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner for his decades of service to the community. He was one of six honorees recognized at the Oct. 29, 2024, event.
The Humanitarian Award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated a personal commitment to the promotion of respect and understanding among people of diverse racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds.
“I am honored to receive this award in the company of leaders whose contributions made a great difference to the Richmond community,” Martin said. “I am proud that our firm supports the mission of this organization, which has done great work to promote inclusiveness in our businesses, schools and other areas.”
Firm Chairman Jonathan Harmon attended the event, along with Richmond office managing partner Janet Peyton, partners Jackie Stone, a former honoree and the founding chair of McGuireWoods’ Diversity & Inclusion Committee, and Candace Ali Blydenburgh, a member of the VCIC board, and numerous clients and friends of the firm.
Martin — born at Fort Lee (now Fort Gregg-Adams), Virginia, and raised in Richmond and Washington, D.C. — earned his J.D. from Howard University School of Law. He has served on the boards of James Madison University, Regent University School of Law and the University of Virginia, where he became the first African American to serve as rector. His community service includes roles with the University of Virginia Miller Center, where he is chair of the Governing Council, the Virginia Board of Bar Examiners and the Council for America’s First Freedom.
Martin’s numerous honors include a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Raven Society at UVA and the trailblazer awards from Richmond’s Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church and the Walter N. Ridley Scholarship Fund. He continues to impact the community through his professional and philanthropic efforts.