Newspaper executive Jean Boone was born on March 14, 1943 in Columbia, South Carolina to Helen Patterson and Daniel Patterson. Boone graduated from C.A. Johnson High School in Columbia in 1960, and went on to earn her B.A. degree in sociology and anthropology from Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1962. She then received her M.S. degree in social work in 1966 from Boston University.

After graduating from Boston University, Boone moved to Richmond, Virginia, where her husband, Raymond Boone, Sr., was editor of the Richmond Afro-American. She became an adjunct professor of education at Virginia Commonwealth University. She also worked as the associate director for housing and economic development for the Urban League of Richmond. In 1981, Boone joined the Children’s Defense Fund as the director of state and local affairs, serving until 1989. In 1988, Boone also served as the manager of community affairs and marketing for the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra. When Boone’s husband established Paradigm Communications, Inc. in 1991, Boone joined him as advertising director. The following year, Paradigm Communications, Inc. published the inaugural issue of the Richmond Free Press on January 16, 1992. Boone was named publisher of the Richmond Free Press in late June 2014 by the board of directors of Paradigm Communications, Inc. after her husband’s death.

Under the leadership of Boone and her late husband, the Richmond Free Press’ accomplishments were recognized by the Virginia Press Association, the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association, the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the NAACP and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. In 2001, the newspaper was the recipient of the Best in Commercial Renovation Award in recognition of its leadership during a downtown revitalization project. Boone was honored by the YWCA of Greater Richmond with the 2004 Outstanding Women in Communications Award and at Hattitude 2016: Hats Off to Women, which was hosted by the American Business Women’s Association. Boone served on the board of Housing Opportunities Made Equal of Virginia, Inc.

Learn more here: Jean Boone's Biography

Anna E. Powers, Vice President for Advancement at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, is a respected nonprofit leader with a proven record of driving transformative growth through multi-million-dollar campaigns, strategic planning, and audience engagement. She is a recognized thought leader in the museum and nonprofit sectors, bringing an entrepreneurial vision and operational discipline to guide organizations through change and opportunity. She brings 25+ years of experience to VMHC, defined by elevating mission-driven institutions at the intersection of strategy, philanthropy, and innovation—ensuring lasting relevance, resilience, and growth.

Dr. Teresa K. Anderson has devoted her career to enhancing student achievement, especially in urban areas. She has worked alongside teachers, parents, students, and district leaders to improve student outcomes in rural and urban school systems. Dr. Anderson was raised in a small agricultural town in North Carolina by a parent who was an educator. Her educational philosophy emphasizes offering opportunities that inspire students to pursue academic and professional goals beyond high school and their local communities.

The Carver Literacy Project is a flagship initiative of our Club, in partnership with George W. Carver Elementary School, dedicated to ensuring that every student achieves reading fluency by third grade. Dr. Anderson’s support has been a critical component to the current success of this project.

Learn More About Dr. Anderson.

Donate to the Carver Literacy Project.

Chris Beach is a husband of 23 years to his wife Alfreda and father of four boys ages 21, 19, 17 and 15. When not working, he can be found on a field or a court watching his boys or spending time loving his wife.

Professionally, he graduated from Longwood College and taught for 12 years at the elementary and middle school levels. As he taught, he went back to VCU and obtained his Masters degree in Educational Leadership. Realizing school administration was not about the kids anymore, he jumped into the nonprofit sector working at Big Brothers Big Sisters and FRIENDS Association for Children in Gilpin Court. He saw firsthand the need for men in the lives of children. 

He obtained his Certification in Executive Nonprofit Leadership from Duke University, has been recognized as one of STYLE Weekly's Top 40 Under 40, won the Wally Stetinius Nonprofit Leadership Award, and graduated from the Emergent Nonprofit Leaders Program and Leadership Metro Richmond. 

Chris is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Richmond, the Rotary Club of Richmond, a CEO member of C12 Business Forum, sits on the Virginia Coalition for Men and Boys and helped council Virginia's very first statewide fatherhood report funded by former Governor Youngkin's office. He uses these life experiences to guide him as the CEO of the Fatherhood Foundation of Virginia.

Learn more about the Fatherhood Foundation HERE.

Christa Donohue is the Chief Executive Officer of Read to Them, an organization that uses the power of reading aloud together to build connections across families, schools, and communities to cultivate students’ learning and success. Their vision is to create a culture of literacy in every community.

Read to Them programs show schools and families the wide array of benefits that come from reading aloud together. A child’s positive relationship with literacy provides the basis for a lifetime of learning. Their school-wide reading programs support reading together at home and learning together at school by providing schools with the necessary tools, resources, and guidance to create a culture of literacy in their community.

Since One School, One Book was launched in 2002, Read to Them family literacy programs have expanded to all 50 states, as well as six Canadian provinces and four U.S. Army bases overseas. 3.3K schools (and counting) have celebrated the joy of sharing a book and reading together as a community. Four million books have been added to home libraries after families have read together each night.

Read to Them has brought Dolly Parton’s “Imagination Library” to Central Virginia. Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland. Imagination Library has given 304,538,420 books to 3,197,250 children registered, worldwide.

Enjoy the Holiday!

Bruce Miller is a longstanding leader of professional theatre in Virginia.  In 1975, he co-founded Theatre IV with Phil Whiteway as Virginia’s first professional children’s theatre.  He served as Founding Artistic Director of Theatre IV from 1975 until 2012.  In 2001, Barksdale Theatre entered into strategic collaboration with Theatre IV, and Bruce assumed the Artistic Directorship of both companies.  In 2012, Theatre IV and Barksdale merged to form Virginia Repertory Theatre, with Bruce as Founding Artistic Director.  In 2016, at age 65, Bruce transitioned into the advisory role of Founding Producer.  In 2019, he left Virginia Rep to serve as Executive Director of the Perkinson Center for the Arts and Education in Chester, a position he held from ground breaking through completion of construction in August 2020.  In 2023, he joined the team that founded ATLAS Partnership as Senior Advisor. 

Bruce has authored 46 plays for young audiences, including Hugs and Kisses, which celebrated in 2023 its 40th year as Virginia’s principal child sexual abuse prevention/early intervention program.  He also wrote Buffalo Soldier, which was the first play in U. S. history to be presented professionally inside the Pentagon, as a morale booster after 9/11. 

In recognition of his work, Bruce has received:

• Virginia’s Governor’s Award for the Arts (Gov. Tim Kaine),

• the Commissioner’s Award from the U. S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (Sec. Donna Shalala),

• the first Excellence in Instruction Award from the Virginia Board of Education and the Virginia Commission for the Arts,

• the Voice of the University Award from The University of Richmond (his alma mater),

• the Together for Children Award from the Virginia Federation of Woman’s Clubs,

• the Certificate of Excellence from Richmond’s 15th Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration,

• the Theresa Pollack Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts,

• and Richmonder of the Year honors from the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In 2000, he was named one of “The 100 Most Influential Richmonders of the 20th Century” by STYLE Weekly. 

Bruce is married to acclaimed visual artist, Terrie Powers.  They are the proud parents of the Rev. Hannah Miller, Pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Colorado Springs, and Curtis Miller, a leading sound engineer on Broadway.  Bruce and Terrie live in Bon Air.

This Kiwanis Club of Richmond is visiting the Kiwanis Henrico Club on February 4 at 12 noon.

Interclub visits are opportunities to network with other Kiwanians and experience their Club culture.

Contact Bob Priddy to participate.

David J. Scott retired from the Federal Bureau of Investigation in May 2025 as the Assistant Director of the Counter terrorism Division, culminating a distinguished career marked by leadership in national security, criminal investigations, and cyber operations. 

Mr. Scott began his FBI service in 2003 as a Special Agent in Louisville, Kentucky, where he handled a wide range of criminal cases and served on the SWAT team. He later transferred to the Washington Field Office, gaining experience in complex investigations involving organized crime, public corruption, counter terrorism, and white-collar crime.  

He held several senior leadership positions throughout his career, including Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Counter terrorism for the Washington Field Office, Section Chief of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section, and Deputy Assistant Director for Operations for the Cyber Division. In the latter role, he also served as Director of the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, coordinating federal efforts against significant cyber threats. His final field assignment was as Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal/Cyber Division. 

Before joining the FBI, Mr. Scott served as an Infantry officer in the U.S. Army. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a master’s degree in administration of justice from the University of Louisville. 

Be safe and enjoy the snow day!

Enjoy the Holiday!

Bellemeade Park is far from your average outdoor public space. So, what makes it so special? People at the park would say the story begins with Mr. Bob.

Bob Argabright, a former Chesapeake Packaging Corp. executive, has made Bellemeade Park his calling since retirement a number of years ago. Eight acres of once-overgrown city property in the heart of Southside, the new park is next to Oak Grove-Bellemeade Elementary School, serving a disadvantaged population. The park provides a connection with nature that is otherwise unavailable to neighborhood children and adults. It hosts a bluebird trail, butterfly garden, rain garden, and acres of natural delights.

Joining Bob is Carolyn Schuyler, Visiting Scholar at UVA and founder of the Wildrock nature center in Crozet. She will provide research on the proven mental and physical benefits of connecting with nature, especially among today's urban and suburban children.

Together, they are bringing programs focused on creating joyous experiences for children and youth that promote learning and building skills in a beautiful and safe outdoor environment.

In 2026, events across the country will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. The Virginia Museum of History and Culture will headline observances here. Jamie Bosket, VMHC President and CEO, will highlight some of the exciting exhibits, speakers, and special programs ahead for us to enjoy in 2026. Jamie, a Kiwanis member, has led the VMHC since 2016 with vision, innovation, and success.

Enjoy the Holiday!

Enjoy the Holiday!

“This holiday season prompts many of us to acquire, and offer, gifts for others. Yet, have you stopped to ponder the reason why ‘gift-giving’ is an integral part of this season? Our holiday ‘meditation,’ for our club, this week, will seek to address that traditional question.”

Dr. Macaulay was the Director for Alumni Development for Union Presbyterian Seminary from 2016 to 2024. Before returning to Richmond in 2016, he served as a pastor in congregations for thirty years. The son of a Presbyterian minister, Clay spent his boyhood in North Carolina, born in Mooresville, and grew up in Asheboro.

Clay has a daughter and a son who live and work in North Carolina and in Texas. With his family, Clay has served pastorates in Hillsboro, West Virginia, Williamsburg, Virginia, Peoria, Illinois, and Weems, Virginia. He is a graduate of Davidson College (AB 1981), and Union Presbyterian Seminary (D.Min. 1985).

Clay’s interests include playing golf (though not very well!), walking, reading, viewing fine films, and following national and global news each day. He loves to travel, on occasion, and his favorite respite is a family mountain lake-house in upstate South Carolina.

This presentation will be rescheduled for a later date.

Exciting plans for future expansion are underway at Richmond’s gem, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Dr. Brian Trader, President and CEO, will provide an update on the Garden’s latest developments that will allow even more guests to enjoy nature’s beauty. He has served as its leader since early 2021 and believes in the healing power of gardens, as a place where we can come to be nurtured and restored.

Coming to Virginia with experience at Longwood Gardens and the Delaware Botanic Gardens, he earned his doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Virginia Tech and has also taught at Virginia Tech, Mississippi State University, and the University of Delaware.

Suzanne S. Youngkin, proudly serves as the First Lady of Virginia alongside her husband of 31 years, the 74th Governor. Dedicated to uplifting communities, she focuses on support for Virginia’s women and girls—improving wellbeing, promoting workforce readiness, educating Virginians on the dangers of fentanyl and connecting people to needed resources.

With a background in communications and a deep commitment to service, she highlights the good in the Commonwealth while advocating for the disenfranchised. She enjoys welcoming guests to Richmond’s Executive Mansion, working alongside the Administration’s Secretaries and Agency Heads and engaging with Virginians across the state.

A mother of four and an active supporter of youth, faith-based initiatives, education, the arts, and nature, Suzanne prioritizes service and hopes to leave a legacy of kindness and hope in Virginia.

For Amma Gatty, bridging cultures isn’t just a passion. It’s personal. Raised in Ghana and shaped by her journey to the U.S., she has spent her life using storytelling, food, and community events to bring people together.

She’s the kind of leader who makes space for real conversation and the voices that often go unheard. Her work connects people from around the world and longtime Virginia residents, turning everyday moments into opportunities for learning, connection, and belonging.

She launched Culture Encounters after realizing her community needed more than just multicultural events. It needed a space where people from all backgrounds could show up fully, without explanation. Amma also offers programs similar to Culture Encounters (Eat. Talk. Write. & CultureFest Fridays) for grade school students.

Based in Richmond, she continues to grow Culture Encounters and the school programs into a hub for connection and cultural equity. On any given day, she’s planning a community event, cooking dinner, or spending time with her family. Always building bridges. Always staying rooted.

Hampton Newsome is author of several books on the Civil War including Richmond Must Fall: The Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, October 1864, published by Kent State University Press  and recognized as a best book of the year by the Civil War Monitor magazine; as well as The Fight for the Old North State: The Civil War in North Carolina, January-May 1864, which received the Emerging Civil War Book Award and the book of the year by Civil War Books and Authors.

His most recent title is Gettysburg’s Southern Front: Opportunity and Failure at Richmond. Also published by University of Kansas Press, this book has received the Edwin C. Bearss Book Award for Outstanding Scholarship from the Chicago Civil War Roundtable as well as the Emerging Civil War 2023 Book of the Year award.

Recently retired from a career practicing consumer and environmental law, Newsome is a regular speaker at Civil War Round Tables and has led tours of sites around Richmond and Petersburg. He posts book-related information on Facebook at “Hampton Newsome – Author.” He is currently working on a book about the Appomattox Campaign.

Enjoy the Holiday!

Perhaps the most important role of a metropolitan newspaper is to cover the affairs of local and state government, warts and all.

Award-winning Richmond Times-Dispatch investigative reporter, Samuel Parker, is responsible for numerous well-researched, block-buster articles exposing malfeasance and inefficiency at Richmond City Hall. While most of these occurred under the previous administration, he continues to closely monitor activities of the new administration under Mayor Danny Avula.

A relatively new reporter (his first newspaper job), Parker has already garnered the Virginia Press Association Award for Government and Data Journalism, as well as the Open Government Award from the Virginia Coalition for Open Government.

His talk will review his groundbreaking stories as well as tools of the investigative reporter, including the oft-abused Freedom of Information law.

Angela Oakes serves as Vice President of Strategy for the Greater Richmond Partnership, where she leads strategic initiatives and fundraising efforts to position Greater Richmond as the premier mid-sized region for business investment. With a strong background in both public and private sectors, Angela brings deep expertise in economic development, marketing, and relationship-building to her role. She previously held key positions with the Henrico Economic Development Authority and the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, where she promoted the region to domestic and international companies considering expansion or relocation.

A lifelong resident of the area, Angela holds degrees from the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University. She will be joining us at Kiwanis to share timely updates on economic trends and opportunities shaping the Greater Richmond region.

Like communities across the country, the Richmond area faces a growing lack of affordable housing.

Marion Cake, Vice President of Affordable Housing at Project:HOMES, is responsible for the design and implementation of programs that foster affordable homeownership and rental opportunities in central Virginia.  Throughout his 24-year career, his approach has been to support homeowners in changing neighborhoods, while preserving their community’s unique character.  A native of Arlington, Virginia, he is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College. 

See more about his organization here.

We will have our tournament at the Dominion Club.

Registration at 11 a.m. - Lunch on Cart

12:30 p.m. Shotgun Start - Captain’s Choice

6:30 p.m. Presentation & Awards Dinner

Proceeds benefit our partner Fatherhood Foundation of Virginia.

Richmond CASA recruits, trains, and supervises volunteers who advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court proceedings. These volunteers serve as consistent, caring voices for children, helping to ensure they are placed in safe, permanent homes and that their needs are heard by decision-makers.

Sarah-Keel Crews has served as Greater Richmond Volunteer Coordinator for SCAN (Stop Child Abuse Now) for four years. She has almost a decade of non-profit work experience with some of Richmond’s most vulnerable communities. A Richmond native, she attended Douglas S. Freeman High School and James Madison University.

Starting a New Kiwanis Year!

Julie Bilodeau serves as the Chief Executive Officer of CrossOver Healthcare Ministry. She joined CrossOver in 2003 after a decade at Circuit City Stores. Under her leadership, CrossOver significantly expanded, opening a clinic on Quioccasin Road in Henrico County, establishing an in-house licensed pharmacy, and implementing electronic health records. Currently, she is leading a $9 Million capital campaign to improve facilities.

Julie holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of William and Mary and an MBA from the Darden School of Business. She is a 2017 graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond. She is president elect of the West Richmond Rotary Club and a member of River Road Church, Baptist.

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.

Kerwyn Phillip, MBA, is an author, small business consultant and financial literacy advocate. He recently released his first book, “Malik’s First Job: Financial Principles for Teens” about a young man who seeks financial advice from his father. Since the book’s release, Mr. Phillip has appeared on NBC-12 (Richmond), The Michael Colyar Show, Real Black News with Raqiyah Mays, Soul Logistics Radio and several other social media outlets.

A lifelong educator and financial literacy advocate, Mr. Phillip has taught Economics and Personal Finance in Henrico County Public Schools, and facilitated financial literacy workshops at Richmond Public Library, Henrico County Public Library and Chesterfield County Public Library. In 2016, his organization, The Ndugu Business & Leadership Academy, partnered with the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Department of African American Studies on their SWAGIFY Financial Literacy Research Project. Also in 2016, he received the Manny Award from My Brother’s Keeper of Greater Richmond for contributions to the community in Central Virginia. 

Kerwyn Phillip is a Brooklyn, New York native, who earned his undergraduate degree in Accounting from Morgan State University and his master’s degree in Business Administration from Averett University. His passion is teaching leadership, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy to youth in under-served communities.