COL CHRISTOPHER P. COSTA, USA, (Ret) 

Mr. Costa was appointed as the Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the White House, 2017-18.  Costa’s 35-year U.S. government career included 25-years in counterintelligence, human intelligence and with special operations forces (SOF) in the United States Army, in Central America, Europe, and throughout the Middle East.  He ran a wide range of intelligence and sensitive operations in Panama, Bosnia, the first and second Iraq wars, and Afghanistan.  Colonel Costa earned two Bronze stars for sensitive human intelligence work in Afghanistan. In 2013, Costa was inducted into the United States Special Operation’s Commando Hall of Honor for lifetime service to US Special Operations.  

Costa has been a Senior Adjunct Instructor with Norwich University's Bachelor of Science in Strategic Studies and Defense Analysis Program.  In addition, he has taught terrorism-related courses at Eckerd College, ECPI University and Schenectady Community College.  He is currently an Adjunct Associate Professor for the Georgetown University Security Studies Program – Walsh School of Foreign Studies, since 2021.  He has published articles in, Terrorism and Political Violence, and terrorism-related opinion pieces in the New York Times, Washington Post, Politico, Defense One, The Hill and the Washington Examiner.  He has been interviewed as a subject matter expert on terrorism and intelligence by CNN, BBC, ABC and Fox News.  He holds an M.A. in Strategic Intelligence from American Military University, and an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College.  He earned a B.A. from Norwich University.  

Costa has been the executive director of the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC, since 2018. 

Enjoy the Holiday!

Thomas S. Gayner has served as CEO of Markel Group since the start of 2023 and was co-CEO from 2016 through 2022. Markel is a holding company with operations in insurance, services and industrial operations.

Gayner joined Markel in 1990 to form Markel Gayner Asset Management, which provided equity investment counsel for Markel as well as outside clients. Prior to Markel, Gayner held roles with Davenport & Co. and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.

Gayner currently serves as chairman of the board of the Davis Series Mutual Funds and on the boards of Coca Cola, Graham Holdings and Markel. He previously served on the boards of Cable One and Colfax Corp. He is a member of the Investment Advisory Committee of the Virginia Retirement System.

Gayner earned a bachelor of science degree in commerce from the University of Virginia.

Help fill 1,000 backpacks for needy children!

Jamie Bosket, President and CEO of the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC) will preview the museum’s engaging programs planned in observance of the 250 th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. One of those initiatives, “Civics Connects,” is designed to address America’s high rate of illiteracy about the fundamentals of our government and the nation’s important early founding history. “Civics Connects” is a signature project of the VMHC’s John Marshall Center and will be outlined by Joni Albrecht, Director of the Center.

Enjoy the Holidays!

Enjoy the Holidays!

Help bring a smile to recipients of the gifts collected. Your heart will be changed forever!

Rodney Willett

County of Henrico (part), District 58th

David Owen

Counties of Goochland (part) and Henrico (part), District 57

Help bring a smile to recipients of the gifts collected. Your heart will be changed forever!

Help bring a smile to recipients of the gifts collected. Your heart will be changed forever!

Newly minted Majors Samuel and Christine Kim are in their 15th year of service with The Salvation Army. Though they were commissioned in 2008 as part of the God's Fellow Workers session, they were no strangers to the Army and "Doing The Most Good." Both hold degrees from the Korea Baptist Theological University -- he a Master of Divinity and she a Bachelor in Social Welfare -- and began Doing The Most Good as a Youth Director and Sunday School volunteer respectively in 2003 at the Landmark Corps in Alexandria, VA. Their first three appointments were in Florida as Corps Officers / Pastors, beginning with Hernando County, then Venice, and ending with Martin County. Following Florida, they served as Divisional Youth Secretaries for the Potomac Division before serving as Corps Officers in Spartanburg, SC. On June 19, 2023, they began their appointment as Area Commanders in Richmond, VA.

In addition to The Salvation Army School for Officers Training and their degrees from Korea Baptist Theological University, Major Christine pursued and received her Master in Pastoral Counseling from Liberty University in 2015. Major Samuel obtained his Doctor of Ministry from the Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2020. 

They have two adult children: Joseph graduated from the University of South Florida nursing program in May 2023 and currently works as an RN at Tampa General Hospital. Sarah attends Virginia Commonwealth University and is expected to graduate in May 2024 from their art program.

Major Samuel owns a few hand saws; however, they are for honing his musical talents, not woodworking skills. this unique and beautiful sound comes from the musical saw -- nicknamed the Singing Saw -- and Major Samuel always has his musical saw in tow and plays it wherever he goes to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Brenda B Davis, CDP, has extensive experience in community outreach, event coordination, and education. Currently serving as the Community Outreach Coordinator for Lakewood at Home since May 2019, Brenda manages special events and represents the program at various networking opportunities. Previous roles include Assistant Activities Coordinator in Assisted Living, and Area Representative for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, where Brenda engaged coaches and athletes at multiple educational levels. Brenda's background also encompasses claims examination and customer service roles at Allianz Global Assistance, marketing direction for Chick-fil-A, and teaching in various capacities, including home schooling. Brenda holds a Bachelor of Education degree from Radford University, further demonstrating a commitment to education and community service.

Help fill 1,000 backpacks for needy children!

Rev. Courtney Allen Crump serves as senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church, a unique community of God’s people practicing authentic welcome in Richmond, Virginia. Prior to being called in July 2015 to serve as Grace’s 21st pastor and second female senior pastor in the church’s 190-plus year history, Courtney served as Minister of Community Ministry and Missions at First Baptist Church of Dalton, Georgia. She’s a native Mississippian, and she’s been shaped by serving in the Mississippi Delta and as Katrina Rebuilding Coordinator for several years after Hurricane Katrina. Her experiences in the aftermath of Katrina helped her articulate a call to ministry, which then led her to the Wake Forest University School of Divinity where she received a Master of Divinity. Courtney is passionate about connecting the gifts of God’s people to the assets of the surrounding community for the sake of God’s good in the world. She’s a graduate of Vanderbilt University and received a Doctor of Ministry in congregational development focusing on vital practices for recognizing abundance and cultivating generosity in the 21st century church. Courtney is married to Josh, a city planner, and they have a toddler, Kennedy.

Emily has been with Cedarfield since August 2022 and enthusiastically shares what makes the community the "Cadillac" of Richmond senior living. Before her time at Cedarfield, Emily worked in marketing for nonprofits in the creative arts, most notably Signature Theatre, a Tony Award-winning theater company in Washington, DC. Emily lives in Richmond with her husband, their dog Lolly and the seven chickens that came with their house.

We need volunteers to man the water stop. Come when you can between 5:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. We need help setting up, passing out water, and breaking down after the event is over.

Help fill 1,000 backpacks for needy children!

Enjoy Veterans Day!

A native of a small historic courthouse town outside of Cleveland, Ohio, Julie Langan fell in love with Virginia while pursuing an MA degree in Architectural History at UVA. At the time of her graduation, preservation jobs were scarce, so she launched her career in Arkansas. As the only architectural historian in the state historic preservation office (SHPO), she was exposed to the full range of the state and federal preservation programs and was named Acting SHPO by then Governor Bill Clinton. After five years, an opportunity at the Department of Historic Resources (DHR) was too enticing to pass up and she returned to Virginia.

Julie’s 26 years at DHR was interrupted by a 10-year stint in Cleveland where she held leadership positions with a regional nonprofit and founded and directed a local organization. She returned to DHR in 2007 with the intent to finish out her career in Virginia. First appointed Director in 2014,  Julie has served four Governors.  She is passionate about historic architecture and the impact of preservation on the economy and a community’s sense of place.

Our Annual Fundraiser. This year we are raising funds for ChildSavers and Henrico CASA and join our Kiwanis members of the Tuckahoe Club.

Tom Barkin is the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. He has held this position since 2018.

Tom serves as a voting member on the Fed’s chief monetary policy body, the Federal Open Market Committee, and is also responsible for the Richmond Fed’s bank supervision and the Federal Reserve’s technology organization. He is “on the ground” continually in the Fed’s Fifth District, which covers South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, D.C., West Virginia and Maryland. His engagement in the region has brought real attention to areas facing economic challenges.

 Prior to joining the Richmond Fed, Tom was a senior partner and CFO at McKinsey & Company, a worldwide management consulting firm, where he also oversaw McKinsey’s offices in the southern United States.

Tom earned his bachelor’s, MBA and law degrees from Harvard University.

Jeff E. Schapiro, politics columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, has covered campaigns and government in Virginia for nearly 45 years.

He was the State Capitol reporter for United Press International and Virginia Business magazine before joining the Times-Dispatch in 1987.

His column appears in the Times-Dispatch and many of its sibling newspapers across the state twice a week. Schapiro’s video column is posted Tuesdays on the Times-Dispatch website, timesdispatch.com. He can be followed on X, formerly Twitter, and Facebook.

A native of New York City – and the husband of Clare Osdene Schapiro, food columnist for the Times-Dispatch lifestyles magazine, En Forme  – Schapiro has been honored by the Virginia Press Association for his coverage of politics and policy.

 Schapiro, who was graduated from Georgetown University with a bachelor’s degree in history, is also an inductee of the Virginia Commonwealth University Mass Communications Hall of Fame and the Virginia Capitol Correspondents Association Hall of Fame.

Jason Kamras currently serves as the Superintendent of Richmond Public Schools (RPS). Mr. Kamras views public education as a means of promoting equity and justice for all children in the United States. In his various roles, he has advocated for policies to eliminate the “opportunity gap” that disadvantages many low-income children and children of color, and he has led efforts to dismantle institutionalized racism in public schools. 

Before coming to RPS in 2018, Mr. Kamras served in numerous senior leadership roles at District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). In these roles, he led the design and implementation of a number of key initiatives focused on ensuring excellent instruction in every classroom across the district.

Mr. Kamras began his career in education in 1996 as a mathematics teacher at John Philip Sousa Middle School in Washington DC. In 2005, he was named the United States National Teacher of the Year.

Mr. Kamras earned his bachelor's degree from Princeton University and his master's in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

His wife Miwa also works in the field of public education, and he has two sons, both of whom attend RPS.