Spencer Rakes is the Chief Executive Officer of Flagstop Car Wash, a Richmond, Virginia–based company that has proudly served its communities for more than 40 years. Under Spencer’s leadership, Flagstop is experiencing accelerated growth with a strong focus on operational excellence, guest experience, and meaningful local connection. 

Since joining Flagstop in 2024 and stepping into the CEO role in 2025, Spencer has led strategic initiatives that strengthen team culture, enhance financial and operational performance, and deepen the brand’s ties to the communities it serves. Flagstop’s commitment to local impact is reflected through partnerships with VCU Athletics, the University of Richmond, and the Richmond Flying Squirrels, as well as support for grassroots organizations. In the past 2 years, Flagstop has partnered with more than 70 local organizations through fundraising initiatives. 

Spencer brings more than 30 years of leadership experience across multi-unit operations, process improvement, and financial performance. Prior to Flagstop, he held senior leadership roles at Pilot Company, overseeing large, multi-state operations focused on customer experience, new store development, labor optimization, safety, and revenue growth. 

Known for his collaborative, people-first leadership style, Spencer excels at building high-performing teams and scalable systems that support sustainable growth. He believes that strong community connections and empowered teams are essential to long-term success—a philosophy that aligns directly with his presentation, “Close to Home: How Flagstop Invests in Young People, Clean Water & the Community.” 

Join the East End group for their first Thursday meeting—held in person at the East End library every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Can’t join in person? Attend via Zoom HERE!

See you next week!

Weekly lunch meetings are not always convenient for busy professionals. So, we formed the Wine Down Wednesday Club Satellite, which meets at 6 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Mekong Restaurant, 6004 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230, for fellowship and planning service projects. Members of this more intimate group may also attend Monday speaker meetings as their schedule allows and are considered full-fledged members of the Club.

When Taylor Keeney was cleaning out her son’s closet in preparation for her second child, she wanted a meaningful place to donate his hand-me-downs. Not finding an organization with this specific purpose, she decided to start her own. She soon began gathering supplies from friends and donating them out of her Goochland garage, and Little Hands Virginia was born.

Five years later, the nonprofit isn’t so little anymore. Keeney recently moved the organization’s operations into a 6,500-square-foot warehouse near Bryan Park to accommodate pallets of diapers and other critical supplies intended for babies up to 3 years old, such as gently used clothing, portable play yards, high chairs, blankets and toys.

Learn more about Little Hands Virginia HERE.

Join the East End group for their third Wednesday meeting—held virtually via Zoom every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Click HERE to join!

In 2016, Chesterfield County Sheriff Karl Leonard launched the Heroin Addiction Recovery Program (HARP) in response to the county’s alarming rate of overdose death. By 2018, the program expanded beyond heroin addiction to address all forms of substance use disorders and was renamed Helping Addicts Recover Progressively (HARP).

HARP stands out due to its holistic, peer-to-peer recovery model, and its unique focus on providing inmates autonomy during their treatment. The program’s mission is to break the cycle of incarceration and recidivism among substance users in the United States. Rather than focusing solely on punishment, HARP tackles the root causes of addiction, offering comprehensive support through trauma treatment, peer-led support groups, and spiritual and mental health counseling. Participants also benefit from alternative therapies such as canine therapy, music therapy, and trauma tapping therapy, which have proven to be effective.

Learn more about the HARP program HERE.

Weekly lunch meetings are not always convenient for busy professionals. So, we formed the Wine Down Wednesday Club Satellite, which meets at 6 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Mekong Restaurant, 6004 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230, for fellowship and planning service projects. Members of this more intimate group may also attend Monday speaker meetings as their schedule allows and are considered full-fledged members of the Club.

Peter Aiken, PhD is an acknowledged Data Management (DM) authority, an Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, President of DAMA International, and Associate Director of the MIT International Society of Chief Data Officers. For more than 35 years, Peter has learned from working with hundreds of data management practices in 30 countries including some of the world's most important. Among his 12 books are the first on CDOs (the case for data leadership), focusing on data monetization, on modern strategic data thinking and objectively specifying what it means to be data literate. International recognition has resulted in an intensive schedule of events worldwide (pre-Covid). Peter also hosts the longest running data management webinar series hosted by our partners at Dataversity. Starting before Google, before data was big, and before data science, Peter has founded several organizations that have helped more than 200 organizations leverage data–specific savings have been measured at more than $1.5B USD. His latest is Anything Awesome.

Learn more HERE.

Join the East End group for their first Thursday meeting—held in person at the East End library every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Can’t join in person? Attend via Zoom HERE!

See you next week!

Pamela “Pam” Seay became President of the Virginia War Memorial Foundation in December 2019, bringing over thirty years of experience in non-profit administration to the organization. She has focused expertise in board development and fundraising.

Pam recently retired from the Virginia Historical Society after nearly three decades, the last ten of which she served as the Senior Vice President for Advancement. During her tenure she worked with a committed team of professional staffers and volunteers to raise more than $150 million for capital projects, annual support, the organization’s endowment, and special programs.

She is widely-known and regarded across Virginia and within museum circles and is frequently asked to consult, lead workshops, and to speak to non-profit professionals on emerging fund-raising issues and trends.

Learn more HERE.

Join the East End group for their third Wednesday meeting—held virtually via Zoom every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Click HERE to join!

Dr. Danny Avula took office as the 81st Mayor of the City of Richmond on January 1, 2025.

Before his election to public office, Danny served the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts for 12 years, including 6 years as its Director. There, he championed efforts to increase access to care for the most vulnerable residents of our community, prioritized the voices of those with lived experience, lifted up the intersection of housing and health, and addressed the root causes that shape health outcomes-especially poverty and race.

In January 2021, Governor Northam appointed Danny to lead Virginia's COVID-19 vaccination effort. He jumpstarted a struggling vaccine rollout and elevated the Commonwealth from 50th to one of the top 10 most-vaccinated states in the country. As Virginia emerged from the pandemic, Danny was then appointed as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services by Governor Youngkin, where he led significant transformational work to support families and to create more sustainable pathways out of poverty.

Danny is a pediatrician and works as a hospitalist at Chippenham Hospital.

Born in Hyderabad, India, he immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1979. A father of five, Danny and his wife, Mary Kay, have lived in Richmond's East End for over 20 years. Mary Kay is a teacher with Richmond Public Schools.

Danny holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Johns Hopkins. He was named one of Richmond's "Top Docs" each year from 2013-2022, a Richmond Times-Dispatch Person of the Year in 2019, and Style Weekly's Richmonder of the Year in 2020. In 2017, he won the Dancing With the Richmond Stars contest.

Learn more HERE.

Weekly lunch meetings are not always convenient for busy professionals. So, we formed the Wine Down Wednesday Club Satellite, which meets at 6 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Mekong Restaurant, 6004 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230, for fellowship and planning service projects. Members of this more intimate group may also attend Monday speaker meetings as their schedule allows and are considered full-fledged members of the Club.

Today we celebrate the installation of newly appointed officers with the Kiwanis Club of Richmond. Join us for a marvelous ceremony and the beginning of a new Club year.

Join the East End group for their first Thursday meeting—held in person at the East End library every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Can’t join in person? Attend via Zoom HERE!

The Kiwanis Club of Richmond will be hosting the 25th Annual Reaves Louthan Memorial Invitational Kiwanis Cup Golf Tournament!

Date: Monday, October 5, 2026

Location: The Dominion Club, 6000 Dominion Club Dr. Glen Allen, VA 23059

See the Event Flyer under the Tournament Info header for more info.

Interested in joining? Register HERE!

Please email Laura Robidoux at info@richmondkiwanis.org with any questions.

Sam Asher brings more than four decades of distinguished leadership in Jewish communal service to his role as Executive Director of the Virginia Holocaust Museum in Richmond. His career spans major executive positions across North America, where he led transformative fundraising campaigns—including a $23 million capital initiative in Delaware—expanded endowment growth, strengthened community planning, and revitalized outreach and educational programming. From his early work in Ottawa to senior leadership roles in Kansas City, Hartford, St. Paul, Delaware, and Richmond, Asher has consistently advanced mission‑driven initiatives that deepen community engagement and support. Today, he applies this extensive experience to guide the Virginia Holocaust Museum’s educational, historical, and remembrance efforts, ensuring its programs continue to honor survivors, preserve history, and inspire future generations.

Betsy has dedicated her career to serving our community. In addition to serving as a delegate, Betsy served for 16 years as outreach director at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in downtown Richmond. She is a founder and past director of the Micah Initiative, which involves over 120 faith communities in partnerships with twenty-five city elementary schools, providing 1,700 mentors, tutors, and volunteers.

Betsy ran for the Richmond School Board because she knows that a strong public education is the road to success. After serving on the School Board, she realized she could have a greater impact and make a bigger difference to improve lives by serving in the General Assembly. She then ran for the House of Delegates so she could make a difference in schools, in health care, in criminal justice reform, in combating climate change, and creating fairness and justice for all.

Delegate Betsy B. Carr, a proud Democrat, represents the 78th district in the House of Delegates, serving portions of the City of Richmond and a small part of Midlothian.

Join the East End group for their third Wednesday meeting—held virtually via Zoom every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Click HERE to join!

Thomas C. Gutenberger is a seasoned advancement leader with nearly three decades of experience guiding major fundraising initiatives in higher education and nonprofit institutions. Now serving as the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation’s Deputy Director for Advancement, he brings a proven record of strategic vision, donor engagement, and campaign success to one of the nation’s premier art museums. Prior to joining VMFA, Gutenberger spent ten years as Vice President of Advancement at the University of Richmond, where he led an 80‑member team to exceed a $150 million campaign goal by raising $172 million and significantly expanding alumni participation. His earlier roles at Cornell University, San Diego State University, George Mason University, and Union College further demonstrate his expertise in building integrated development programs and leading transformative capital campaigns. At VMFA, Gutenberger now directs a 33‑person advancement team, supporting statewide initiatives, special projects, and the museum’s long‑term strategic growth—helping ensure that VMFA continues to thrive as a cultural, educational, and artistic cornerstone for Virginia.

Weekly lunch meetings are not always convenient for busy professionals. So, we formed the Wine Down Wednesday Club Satellite, which meets at 6 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Mekong Restaurant, 6004 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230, for fellowship and planning service projects. Members of this more intimate group may also attend Monday speaker meetings as their schedule allows and are considered full-fledged members of the Club.

Join the East End group for their first Thursday meeting—held in person at the East End library every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Can’t join in person? Attend via Zoom HERE!

Join the East End group for their third Wednesday meeting—held virtually via Zoom every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Click HERE to join!

Weekly lunch meetings are not always convenient for busy professionals. So, we formed the Wine Down Wednesday Club Satellite, which meets at 6 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Mekong Restaurant, 6004 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230, for fellowship and planning service projects. Members of this more intimate group may also attend Monday speaker meetings as their schedule allows and are considered full-fledged members of the Club.

Dr. Brittany Lopes serves as the Executive Director and Head of Rise Academy. Founded in 2003 as a front-porch after school program, Rise Academy (formerly Church Hill Activities & Tutoring) has grown into a fully accredited high school for students in grades 9–12.

Lopes, who has extensive experience in secondary education and administration, holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Virginia Tech, a master’s in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Richmond, and a bachelor’s in history and secondary education from Randolph-Macon College.

Before her appointment, Lopes served as principal of Rise Academy from July 2023 to November 2024. She previously held various roles within Chesterfield County Public Schools, including associate principal, assistant principal, dean of students, and civics and economics teacher, from 2011 to 2023. She also is a member of the Rho Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Since 2003, Rise Richmond (formerly CHAT) has partnered with families in Richmond’s East End to create access to educational opportunities. Rise’s independent high school, Rise Academy, offers a supportive environment that fosters students’ academic and personal success.

Learn more about The Rise Academy HERE.

Join the East End group for their first Thursday meeting—held in person at the East End library every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Can’t join in person? Attend via Zoom HERE!

Kiwanis is joining the Salvation Army to volunteer on behalf of their Red Kettle Campaign. Bell Ringers serve two-hour shifts on Friday, December 11, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Each year, The Salvation Army will serve more than 25 million people across America – including many here in your community. That means 55+ million meals for the hungry, 10+ million nights of shelter for the homeless, and countless Christmas gifts for children who may otherwise go without.

So truly, you can make a difference with every ring. The funds you raise as a Salvation Army bell ringer will make a year-round impact in your community through social services assistance, homeless shelters, disaster relief, children’s programs, rehabilitation services, anti-human trafficking, and more.

Donations in the red kettle stay local – directly impacting the lives of your neighbors by helping them in their time of need. When you ring the bell, you’re making change happen.

Interested in participating? Contact Dick Rheutan to sign up.

Kiwanis is joining the Salvation Army to volunteer on behalf of their Red Kettle Campaign. Bell Ringers serve two-hour shifts on Friday, December 11, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. and Saturday, December 12, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Each year, The Salvation Army will serve more than 25 million people across America – including many here in your community. That means 55+ million meals for the hungry, 10+ million nights of shelter for the homeless, and countless Christmas gifts for children who may otherwise go without.

So truly, you can make a difference with every ring. The funds you raise as a Salvation Army bell ringer will make a year-round impact in your community through social services assistance, homeless shelters, disaster relief, children’s programs, rehabilitation services, anti-human trafficking, and more.

Donations in the red kettle stay local – directly impacting the lives of your neighbors by helping them in their time of need. When you ring the bell, you’re making change happen.

Interested in participating? Contact Dick Rheutan to sign up.

Join the East End group for their third Wednesday meeting—held virtually via Zoom every month. Come discuss volunteerism opportunities, upcoming events, and other Kiwanis membership updates.

Click HERE to join!

Weekly lunch meetings are not always convenient for busy professionals. So, we formed the Wine Down Wednesday Club Satellite, which meets at 6 pm every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Mekong Restaurant, 6004 W Broad St, Richmond, VA 23230, for fellowship and planning service projects. Members of this more intimate group may also attend Monday speaker meetings as their schedule allows and are considered full-fledged members of the Club.