QRC Link

On Saturday 21st May 2011 a memorial service was held at the All Saints Church in Port-of -Spain at 4 p.m. to commemorate the untimely death of Victor Lawford Selman.

Mr. Selman’s sudden death at age 64 occurred on the 22nd May 2010 as a result of cardiovascular disease.  At the time of his death he lived in Washington D.C where he had resided for several years.  The “Vic” as he was affectionately called by many was the third of eleven children born to Mr. Vivian (deceased) and Mrs. Ruth Selman. He attended Queen’s Royal College and was one of the institution’s premiere athletes establishing an unbroken record in the 440 yards race.

After his illustrious days at QRC, Mr. Selman went on to work for Shell Oil before migrating to the United States in 1970 to further his education.  He attended Howard University and graduated in 1974 with a degree in Economics and Finance.  He then continued to pursue graduate studies at the prestigious Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania where he earned an MBA in Finance.

In 1983 after declining several corporate job offers he began what became an exemplary career in Washington DC with the Government of the District of Columbia.  The Washington Post reported that as an Economic Development Specialist at the Office of Business and Economic Development (OBED), Mr. Selman is credited with making a measurable difference to the City.  The Post also reported that he had helped numerous businesses, underwrote and closed over $100 million in Community Development Block Grants which led to over $600 million of mixed income and affordable housing projects for City residents.  His work advanced the preservation of affordable housing and the growth of economic opportunities in Washington D.C.  It is understood that to honour Trinidad born Victor Lawford Selman, a proposal to designate a building that will bear his name in Washington D.C. is under consideration.

Mr. Selman’s outstanding work continued when his agency, OBED, was absorbed by the Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and in January 2007, he was then Mayor Adrian Fenty’s first cabinet appointment, designated to serve as Interim Director of the Department. When a new Director was secured Mr. Selman served as the Chief Operating Officer of the agency, a position he held until his death.  He was also the recipient of several awards including Shell Oil Company’s Fellowship and the Wharton School of Business Leonard Zeidman Fellowship.

His passing came as a shock to his family, friends and co-workers as he was perceived to be a person full of life, laughter and vigor.  He was close to his family and is survived by his wife Kathleen, daughter Crystal, son David and grandson Julian.  He will also be missed by his mother Mrs. Ruth Selman, sisters Patricia, Janice, Yolande, Merle and Jean and brothers Leon, Lance, Vivian, Jr, Trevor, Terrence, Ronald, Peter and David.

The “Vic” may have gone too soon but his legacy lives on.

This entry was posted on Sunday, May 22nd, 2011 at 4:42 am and is filed under ALUMNI, Distinguished Alumni Series. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.