From Maywood to Middleburg: Proviso East Students Given Star Treatment at Famous Alum’s Luxury Resort 

Isaih Brandon, a village trustee in Maywood and a proud alumnus of the village’s Proviso East High School, had been making the same call to the Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Va., for years. Several weeks ago, he finally got a response.

“I had been thinking about taking Proviso East culinary arts students to Salamander for some time, because it just made sense,” Brandon said in a recent interview. “The resort has so many opportunities and such a strong connection to the culinary arts sector.”

But that’s not the main reason Brandon had been reaching out. The resort has particular resonance for him because it’s owned by Maywood native, proud Proviso East alum, and billionaire businesswoman Sheila Johnson.

Johnson, along with her then-husband Robert L. Johnson, co-founded Black Entertainment Television (BET) in 1979. The pair sold the network to Viacom in 2001 for roughly $3 billion. Over the years, Johnson parlayed those resources into building a hospitality empire. In 2005, she founded Salamander Hotels & Resorts, and the following decade opened Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Virginia.

Her resort has grown into a signature property: a 340-acre estate with 168 rooms, a full-service spa, equestrian facilities, fine dining, and more — blending luxury with Virginia’s horse-country heritage.

After connecting with Salamander, Brandon moved quickly to launch an initiative he called Think Big Proviso. He fundraised from community donors, and the resort offered a discounted rate, paving the way for six Proviso East culinary arts students to make the trip.

Proviso East culinary arts instructors Ryan Thomas and Jasmine Morrow selected the students based on academic performance and attendance. The goal, Brandon said, was to give them a real-world view of luxury hospitality — exploring everything from fine dining kitchens to guest services, spa, equestrian operations, and resort management.

According to Brandon, Johnson personally welcomed the group — reportedly even singing the Proviso East fight song, “On Proviso” — and remained involved through the two-day stay. By the end of the weekend, he said, she expressed interest in continuing the program and possibly even modifying its name to reflect her partnership. 

When reached for comment, a Salamander representative emailed the following response:

“Welcoming these students and sharing a day in the life of hospitality reminded me that the future of our industry is bright,” he said. “This career has given me purpose, connection, and opportunity—and I’m grateful to see it inspire the next generation.”

Johnson’s Maywood ties and her vivid memories of her hometown are well-documented.

In her 2023 memoir, “Walk Through Fire: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Triumph,” Johnson writes vividly about her childhood in Maywood. Her family arrived there in 1959, when her father secured stable work as a physician at what is now the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital.

A Renaissance figure — Johnson’s paintings hang throughout Salamander, and as a movie producer (2013’s “The Butler” is among her many film credits) she’s hosted celebrities at the resort — the businesswoman began taking music lessons as a student at what was then Irving Elementary School in Maywood.

Johnson’s walk through fire

Johnson purchased the Middleburg property in 1996. As her memoir recounts, she learned it had once belonged to Bruce Sundlun, a World War II bomber pilot whose plane crashed behind enemy lines. After escaping across Nazi-occupied territory and joining the French Resistance, he was given the code name “Salamander.” According to legend, a salamander is the only animal that can walk through fire and survive.

When Johnson heard the full story, she understood instantly why the name resonated. In the years after her divorce, she had faced significant emotional and financial challenges. She writes that building Salamander was another walk through fire, as she was met with racial hostility and bureaucratic barriers throughout the process. Johnson eventually restored the historic name “Salamander Farm,” and later passed it to the resort and the company she formed.

Brandon said that, for the Proviso East students, seeing what Johnson built mattered much more when they understood what she had to go through to build it.

The trip left a lasting impact on 17-year-old senior Alexander Rivera, who plans to study art at Northeastern Illinois University in the fall.

“The food was great, and everything was so well put together,” he said. “For future generations who go on this trip, I really want them to know how lucky they are.”

Culinary arts teacher Jasmine Morrow, herself a Proviso East alumna, noted Johnson’s genuine pride in her roots.

“You could tell she wanted to give back,” Morrow said. “She kept saying, ‘I’m from Maywood, I went to Proviso East. Why wouldn’t I give back?’”

Morrow added that she was impressed by the resort’s design.

“You could see the resort was vintage but modern,” she added. “It smelled like home. It was very clean. My favorite part was the living room — fireplaces on both ends.”

District 209 Supt. Krish Mohip said the trip provided “an exceptional opportunity” for students to see firsthand how classroom learning can translate into high-end hospitality careers — especially significant given Johnson once walked the same hallways.

Brandon said he’s hoping Johnson can make a trip to Proviso East. If that happens, he said he plans to be just as gracious and hospitable as his fellow alum.

“We’ll be out in front of the school singing the fight song,” he said.