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We are so grateful for our volunteer instructors who give graciously of their time to provide courses for LLI. If you're interested in joining our volunteer faculty, click the button below to let us know!
Robert Abbott has lived in Midlothian since 1993. Since 2014, Robert has hiked the Caminos de Santiago in Spain, France and Portugal covering five different Caminos and over 1,300 miles. He is interested in sharing the background and history of the Camino as well as the personal reasons that one goes on these hikes.
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Melissa Ackley LCSW, is Prevention Services Manager at Chesterfield Mental Health Support Services and co-chair of the Chesterfield Suicide Awareness and Prevention Coalition.
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Kenneth Alford is an LLI member, frequent historical consultant for television productions, and a contributor to news articles involving looted Nazi Treasures. He is the author of The Spoils of World War II, Great Treasure Stories of World War II, Allied Looting in World War II, Hermann Goering and the Nazi Art Collection, Sacking Aladdin's Cave, American Crimes and the Liberation of Paris, Monetary Men, and co-authored Nazi Millionaires.
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Mary Kay Anderson has always loved crafting and has taught scrapbooking for 20 years. Some of her other interests include cross stitch, embroidery, card making, diamond art, sewing, cartonnage, jewelry making, and making things with the Cricut, but what she enjoys most is doing projects with friends. Mary Kay has been an LLI member since 2024.
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Diane Andrews is a licensed Real Estate Agent who specializes in working with senior adults looking to downsize and make a lifestyle change. She is a designated Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES,) and focuses on how to “age in place” by making your home safe and accessible. Diane is also a certified stager who assists in decluttering and setting up homes in preparation for sale. She has been an LLI member since 2021.
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Daniel Arkin will someday figure out what he wants to be when he grows up. His experiences to date include landscape architecture, regional planning, non-profits, flying, welding, fixing, adventuring, and advocating for the role of technology in our lives. He is best known as a storytelling technology educator, having presented cutting edge topics at conferences and classrooms, encouraging adult learners on anything and everything. Nowadays, he splits his energy between evolving outdoor spaces on his three-acre property in the suburbs of Chester and teaching courses which address an ever-growing collection of topics. His classes are always packed with valuable information sandwiched between a healthy amount of humor and sarcasm. Danny has been an LLI member since 2018.
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Cindy Arnold is a librarian at the Chesterfield County Public Library Midlothian branch. She has a Masters in Library Science from Louisiana State University and has worked as a librarian since 2001 both in public and school libraries. Cindy enjoys assisting people as they pursue their learning goals. She has lived in Midlothian since 2003 and likes exploring all that Virginia has to offer.
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Charles Barron is a retired US Army Officer, holds a BS in Business Administration from Jacksonville State University and an MS in Logistics Management from Florida Institution of Technology. He also holds a certificate for teaching English as a second language. Charles has 10 years of experience working with and training members of the Saudi Arabian military in logistics and cultural awareness. As a United States military contractor, working in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, he taught American workers and third country nationals (TCNs) Cultural Awareness, simple Arabic script (Arabic letters, Arabic phonetics recognizing/reading English words written in Arabic Script) and most useful basic spoken Arabic words and phrases.
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Reamey Belski is a certified End of Life Doula (EOLD) and Advanced Care Consultant with Crossover Doula Services. She received her EOLD training through Doulagivers Institute and is a Qualified Advance Directive Facilitator through the VA Department of Health. She holds a bachelor's in hospitality management from Johnson & Wales University. Reamey’s work with Crossover Doula Services began when she helped care for her aging grandmother during the last few years of her life. Crossover Doula Services allows her the platform to provide tailored support to those in her community who are at the end of life or who want to plan for the future. From legacy projects to vigil planning, to post-death bereavement support, she is committed to creating a peaceful and dignified experience for those navigating this profound transition, and a comforting space for those left behind. She works with clients in the greater Richmond area, and often hosts public events and Death Cafes focused on positive end of life conversations and the importance of planning. A Richmond native, Reamey enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking the Buttermilk trail, and exploring new restaurants in the city. She is a mom to two black rescue cats and a dog.
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Pamela Biasca Losada MS, PCC-ICF has worked directly with clients for over 20 years and has been a psychologist, business owner, coach, speaker, author, and immersive guided meditation facilitator. Pamela helps clients overcome things like chronic stress, people-pleasing, and perfectionism, so they can lead lives of ultimate joy, wellness, and fulfillment. Additionally, she provides coaching at multiple companies, facilitates workshops, and seminars, and has been a guest on several podcasts.
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Sorana Blackfoot moved to the U.S. from Romania in 2002 and built a successful career in the financial industry to make it worth the sacrifice of uprooting herself. During her 15-year career in finance, she learned that a lot of women are uncomfortable with their finances and therefore, are left in a very precarious situation if/when they are alone due to divorce or widowhood. In January 2018, Sorana published her first Amazon best-seller, “New World, New Dreams: My Money Story,” sharing the money lessons she learned by living on two continents and through three different regimes. Sorana is a prosperity mentor who teaches women to create, preserve, and transfer their wealth by building better relationships with their money. She put this passion into a second best-seller, “Money Mindset Makeover” – a 21-day challenge to help people improve their understanding of how money really works.
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Mary Bradstock is a native Virginian—born in Richmond and raised in Chesterfield County. She is a member of The Country Style Dancers of Richmond and has been dancing at LLI since 2009 and teaching since 2012.
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James Brookes serves as the Melanie Trent De Schutter Library Director at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture. He holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD in American studies and history from the University of Nottingham (UK). He is a historian of nineteenth-century America, with a focus on conflict and visual culture. His research is supported with long-term fellowships at the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and, more recently, at the Newberry Library in Chicago. He has published research articles in the Journal of American Studies and Civil War History. He is currently revising his PhD thesis into a book manuscript, tentatively titled “The Soldier’s Gaze: Rank and File Visual Culture of the Civil War.”
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Tracey Brooks was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps Reserves. She has various Aerobics and Fitness Association of America Group Exercise & Personal Trainer Certifications, including Kickboxing (IFTA), Zumba and Yoga. Tracey has been teaching and training since 2002. She is energetic and knowledgeable! She also has the ability to motivate and inspire clients regardless of physical fitness level and encourages habits that are life changing.
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Liz Brown has a passion for analytics, wealth management, and financial education. Liz earned her BS in commerce from the University of Virginia and her MBA with honors from the University of Chicago. In January of 2022, after spending seven years at Altria, where she served in brand management roles and gained valuable knowledge of finance, business strategy, and communication plan development, she joined Davenport & Company. Using her experience with customer behavior studies and analyzing data, Liz offers her clients a detailed analytical approach to investment and financial planning, working with them to develop personalized plans that help them to meet their goals and needs. In her free time, Liz is a member of the Junior League and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, and she and her husband, Patrick, stay active with their son, David.
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Sherella Brown is a certified Jazzercise fitness instructor who specializes in combining dance and exercise in her work with active adults.
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Susan Campbell has worked with seniors and their families during difficult transitions for 25 years. She is a pioneer in the senior move management industry and now uses her compassion and training to work with families and professionals during end-of-life celebrations and transitions.
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Ken Carlson is a former electrical engineer with an enthusiasm for music, the dramatic arts, and group participation. He joined LLI in 2019 and enjoys playing tuba and string bass with several bands and ensembles, including the LLI Lifelong Musicians group.
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Karyn Carpenter learned tap dancing, through classes at LLI and elsewhere. During that time, she discovered a love for helping new tappers learn the steps. Karyn has been an LLI member since 2019.
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J. Diane Carter is an experienced bridge player and encourages people who have not been regular players to join the fun bridge group. She has been an LLI member since 2017.
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Joseph Casey has been the Chesterfield County Administrator since July 2016. Dr. Casey holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Richmond, a master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in Public Policy and Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is a certified public accountant who started his career with KPMG accounting firm. Dr. Casey also participates in many community projects and mission-based work through his church. He and his wife, Suzanne, have three children.
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Hal Cauthen retired from the Navy and then from private industry (Defense Electronics). He enjoys traveling, drawing, sketching, painting, writing, dancing, and interacting with others to share ideas and techniques. Hal started sketching and painting as a kid and filled numerous sketch pads with line drawings, most often of horses and cowboys. Later, Hal took lessons from Ellie Cox. He has since led classes at LLI and at Stonebridge. He has been a member of LLI since 2016.
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Marlene Cauthen enjoys traveling, drawing, sketching, painting, writing, dancing and interacting with others to share ideas and techniques. Marlene and her husband joined LLI in 2016.
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Keith Chambers is a lifelong resident of Chesterfield County and has worked for Chesterfield Fire and EMS for over three decades where he currently serves as the Assistant Chief of Community Risk Reduction. In this position, he provides strategic oversight and daily management of the Fire Marshal's Office, Chesterfield County Emergency Management, and Public Information where they use engineering, education, enforcement, economic incentives, and emergency response to plan, mitigate, respond to, and recover from all types of emergency events and natural or man-made disasters. Keith has been enjoying the outdoors with his wife, Jane, since 1989.
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Anne Clendenin is a member of LLI who enjoys dancing and has been playing Spades for years. She wants to continue sharing her love for Spades with other members at LLI!
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Poly Cline renewed her interest in painting in 2019. She took it up for stress relief and loved it! Since Poly recently learned the techniques for successfully accomplishing watercolors, she can break down the steps to help others enjoy painting as much as she does. Poly became an LLI member in 2019.
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Barbara Clinedinst has a minor in physical education and taught PE and Heath to elementary and middle school students in Augusta County for several years. She worked three summers each for the Staunton Recreation Department and the Augusta County Recreation Department. For the last decade, Barbara has participated in chair volleyball in Chesterfield County. Her class will focus on the main rules and the venues where you can participate in this fast-growing sport for seniors. If you try it, she believes you will both enjoy it and get a great low-impact workout. Barbara has been an LLI member since 2023.
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Susan Coffey has been a member of LLI since 2009 and has taught various communication-type courses over the years. She has a doctorate in Communication Studies from UVA. She loves taking art and craft classes, including jewelry making, oil painting, watercolors, acrylics, and sketching.
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Sabrina Cohen is a medical Speech-Language Pathologist who provides skilled treatment for individuals living with acquired cognitive, language, voice, and swallowing disorders. Sabrina started her own private practice in 2021, and is able to provide virtual and in-person services to those in need. Sabrina enjoys seeing her patients meet their personal goals, communicate better and with more ease, and feel more confident in completing their daily tasks. In her leisure time, Sabrina enjoys spending time with her family, going thrift shopping, baking, and listening to music and podcasts.
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Richard Commander earned his MS in chemical engineering from VA Tech in 1965. In 2001, he retired after 30 years of working as a chemical engineer at Hercules. Dick has been a resident of Chesterfield County (Enon) since 1979 and has served as Chairman of the Board for the Hopewell Food Pantry for 15 years. He has 35 years of experience making presentations on budgeting and is currently presenting for the Caritas Works Program. He has also presented various classes in Armstrong HS, as well as the Henrico County and Chesterfield County adult night school. Dick’s favorite topics to teach are money management and self-esteem, and his hobby is eBay.
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Kate Conn joined LLI in 2018 after retiring from Chesterfield County Public Schools. She has many interests and hobbies. Kate gets much joy from playing banjo, autoharp, and the "Limberjack" with the Company's Coming band. She loves to sing harmony.
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Lauren Cook is a nurse practitioner at Virginia Physicians for Women. She is passionate about helping women through every stage of life, providing better clinical care, as well as patient education and counseling. An L.C. Bird graduate, Lauren hails from Chester, Virginia. She met her husband at Shenandoah University in Winchester where they were both college athletes (softball and football). During graduate school at the University of Alabama Birmingham, she earned a dual degree in Women’s Health and Adult-Gerontology Primary Care and is board-certified as a nurse practitioner in both fields. While completing her graduate studies, Lauren worked several clinical rotations with VPFW, and realized that working there would be a dream come true. Lauren now sees patients at VPFW’s Koger Center and Prince George offices, and she loves working with her more seasoned patients!
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Maggie Creech currently serves as Director of Education at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, overseeing a talented staff focused on in-person and virtual student learning experiences, community-based public programming, and teacher outreach. She has more than a decade of experience in public history, archaeology, and education and is passionate about the power of places and objects to create past-present connections and build empathy. In 2024, Maggie won the Virginia Council for Social Studies “Friend of Education” Award.
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Wanda Cutchins is an artist with over thirty years’ experience in oil painting. She is a retired teacher and completed her career as an educational technology director. Wanda enjoys being a master gardener as well as a Virginia Master Naturalist. She has been an LLI member since 2017.
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Roy Dahlquist recently retired from the Virginia Economic Development Partnership in 2015. He was an economic advisor to Governors Kaine, McDonnell and McAuliffe on issues related to Asian business opportunities and challenges, serving as Managing Director, International Business Development - Asia. He met with high level government and business leaders throughout Asia. Roy first retired from Alcoa/Reynolds Metals Company in 2006 with 30 years of global and domestic service. He was Managing Director of Food Packaging Operations in China and Director of International Business Development for the Food Packaging Division, overseeing operations worldwide. He traveled to over 60 different countries developing global business relationships and opportunities. He met with international, federal, state and local government officials including governors and federal agency heads. Roy currently serves as Vice President of the Madison Village Homeowners Association located in Charter Colony and serves on the Board of Directors for the Salisbury Country Club Senior Men’s Association. He has a BS degree from Saint Joseph University in Philadelphia and has been an LLI member since 2016.
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Billie Darlington is a Mobility Coordinator for Chesterfield County. A mother of three and a grandmother of nine, Billie loves helping the community through her job. Knowing that she’s helping people makes her work rewarding!
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Beverly Davidson is a retired elementary school teacher and an avid crafter who has dabbled in many different mediums over the years. While continuing to take classes herself, Bev has taught crafts to other adults and children and has participated in craft shows as a vendor. She has been an LLI member since 2019.
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James Davidson is a Vice President of Investments for Davenport & Company and Certified Financial Planner™ practitioner with more than 18 years of industry experience. He currently serves as an Ex-Officio member on the LLI Board of Directors and manages the LLI Endowment Fund.
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Susan Davies is helping out in the oil painting workshop. She has been painting for five years and is still a rookie but loves the fun of it. She taught elementary school in three states for 40 years before retiring and joining LLI in 2017.
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Jennifer DeRusha has been a member of LLI since 2015 and has 38 years of teaching experience including Chesterfield Adult Education, Allbrands, Collegiate Cougar after-school program for children, and the YMCA. She was past president, vice president, secretary and founding member of Hospitality Quilters Chapter, Richmond Quilters Guild. Jennifer is a member of and Membership Chairman of the Richmond Central VA Chapter of the American Sewing Guild. She has 50 years of sewing experience, including her own line of reversible clothing for children, has completed 100+ quilts and featured three quilt shows of her own work. Jennifer is a juried artist in watercolor, colored pencil, pastel and mixed media, and is a member of Bon Air Artist Association as well as the MidAtlantic Pastel Society. She graduated from VCU in 1969 with a degree in science and has been tap dancing at LLI for four years.
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Shawn Doran is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones in Midlothian. He focuses on helping people with navigating investments, saving on taxes, important estate planning items, long term care planning, creating income in retirement, and making sure they have a solid plan. Shawn and his wife, Lisa, enjoy spending their free time with their seven children, playing sports and enjoying the outdoors.
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Meika Downey received her B.A. in history and political science from Hollins University and an M.A. in history and public history from Virginia Commonwealth University before joining Preservation Virginia's John Marshall House as the organization's first Education Manager. As the Education Manager, Meika is responsible for creating and then implementing a wide variety of K-12 and adult educational programs, tours, and materials.
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Lydia English is a native of Colombia and came to the United States to improve her English language skills in preparation for her future aspirations in her home country after earning her master's degree from Complutense University of Madrid in Spain after a scholarship opportunity. Throughout her professional career, Lydia has been dedicated to serving disadvantaged communities, working in roles such as a community outreach worker, interpreter, and volunteer. She has actively supported a variety of community initiatives and has utilized radio programs to educate the public on Hispanic culture and economic contributions in Virginia through the Community Network TV program "Hablemos/Let's Talk," which she established. In addition to her community involvement, Lydia is a disability rights advocate, providing training, education, and resources to families while advocating for equity and diversity. She volunteers her time to promote the Arts within the Hispanic community and organizes events to distribute free books to underserved Hispanic children. In her free time, Lydia enjoys reading, traveling, visiting museums, attending cultural events, and socializing with friends. She firmly believes in the healing power of laughter for personal well-being.
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Kimberly Felder is a Hearing Instrument Specialist. She founded Clarity Hearing in 2018 with the belief that everyone should be able to afford hearing. Originally from Upstate NY, she came from a large farm family with eight siblings and cherished the time she spent growing up in a small country setting in the Mohawk Valley. In 1990, Kimberly started working for the audiologist who became her mentor and who inspired her to work with the hearing impaired. For over 30 years, she has helped the hearing impaired understand their hearing loss and find the solution to understanding speech again. Continuing education is an important part of keeping up with this industry, and Kimberly makes it a top priority as the technology available is changing all the time. She has been an LLI member since 2022.
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Bob Ferguson has been an active member of LLI since 2008 and has served on the LLI Board of Directors since 2015. He has a Ph.D. in Chemistry and worked at NIH before moving to Richmond. For 38 years he worked in various capacities at Philip Morris/Altria prior to retiring in 2012. Bob has varied interests including Science, History, Literature, and Theater. He has performed with LLI’s Readers Theater group, Bifocals, Huguenot Community Players, and River City Community Players. He writes plays (with Vic Thompson) and acts with LLI’s own Young at Heart Actors (YAHA).
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Kim Fisher is a native of upstate New York and received her master’s degree from the University at Buffalo. Kim has been practicing audiology in Richmond since 2000 and has a special interest in hearing aids and tinnitus. She is licensed by the state of Virginia as an audiologist and as a hearing aid specialist. Kim is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology. She is married and enjoys spending her free time with her two daughters.
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Valerie Fowlkes is a Sr. Clinician and Prevention Consultant for Chesterfield County Mental Health Prevention Services. As a preventionist, Valerie wears many hats. Valerie provides parent education, leads prevention programming in elementary schools, and facilitates suicide awareness and prevention programs for middle and high school students. Driven by being of service to others, she takes pride in providing the best training possible as an ACE Interface Presenter, a Mental Health First Aid Adult Instructor, self-care and wellness advocate, and as a committee member of the Trauma Informed Leadership Team (TILT) and the Diversity and Inclusion Team (DAIT). Valerie uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to promote mental wellness, trauma-informed care, and wellness, as well as to encourage others to overcome their challenges by building resilience. Valerie is inspired by her husband and their two daughters. In her free time, Valerie likes to spend time with family and friends, plan events, and travel to new and interesting destinations.
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Marti Franks loves Watercolors! She has been painting since 1997, starting out with Ellie Cox and continuing with Sarah Hoyle, Chris Wynn, and Susan Stuller. She has participated in many workshops with nationally known artists, including John Salamien, Mary Whyte, Ted Andrews, Alvaro Cassinett, Tony Van Hassett, Frank Webb, and Jean Spicer. Marti is a past president of the Bon Air Artists Association and has served as a co-chair of its events, Art Affair and Artful Healing. She exhibits at Crossroads Art Center and at various venues with the Bon Air Artist Association.
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Martha Frickert is retired and now serving as community advocate on several boards. She previously served as a member and president on the LLI Board of Directors.
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Brandi Friday grew up near the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia and spent summers visiting her grandparents in rural West Virginia, where she accompanied her grandad on daily visits to the local nursing home, and as he drove neighbors to medical appointments. Brandi’s grandfather taught her the importance of lending a hand, being a friend, and giving back to the community. After he passed away from Alzheimer's in 2010, she reflected on her grandparents’ struggle to find services and good medical care where they lived. This inspired her to find work where she could make a difference, so she started volunteering at a local hospice and became a paid caregiver to older adults at a group home. She spent the next 13 years working in aging services, and in 2015, she completed her master’s in Aging Service Management at the University of Southern California. Her goal is to advocate for and empower clients to make informed choices regarding the aging process. She lives with her husband, cat, and dog in beautiful Hanover County, Virginia.
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Gerry Germond is retired from the U.S. Army and Capital One. He now spends his time playing with history by reading, attending lectures (guess where!), going to historical sites, listening to classical, traditional, and military music, war gaming, fooling with genealogy, and spending Fridays at the Chesterfield Historical Society's Trinity Museum. Gerry has been a LLI member since 2014.
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Carolyn Goble has been an LLI member since 2019 and enjoys playing games and cycling.
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Arthur Goldberg is a semi-retired CPA from the Bronx who moved to Virginia after living and working in Miami for 40 years. He and his wife, Arlene, enjoy the scenery and climate in Virginia and the friendly people they’ve met at LLI. Arthur plays Bingo, Mah Jongg, and Hand and Foot, and he excels at jigsaw puzzles.
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Bill Good participated in Civil War reenactments for 10 years as an infantryman and in the ambulance corps. He has a wealth of knowledge about the Civil War. He has been a member of LLI since 2007 and enjoys history, genealogy and woodcarving.
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Mark Grubbs is originally from and grew up in Richmond, VA. He has lived in several states and in South Korea. He has a B.S. in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech, and an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. Mark has worked with computers for the last 35+ years in several occupations: engineering, aircraft piloting, teaching in universities abroad, and in vocational ministry. In 2016, he began his own business, Mark’s Help LLC, in which he helps people in their homes with their technology, mostly computers and smart phones. Mark began teaching at LLI in 2015 and hopes to continue into the foreseeable future.
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Matthew Guillen is the Research Library Reference Coordinator at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, where he has served since 2014. Previously, he worked in Randolph-Macon College’s Special Collections Library. His research interests include Virginia and Richmond history, foodways, and LGBT history.
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Mary Gutberlet has been interested in meditative and positive energy practices for physical and spiritual health since she was in graduate school. She attended Tai Chi classes elsewhere in the Richmond area in the late 1990s. After retiring, she joined LLI in 2015, primarily because Tai Chi instruction was offered. She has been a student in Damir Strmel's Tai Chi classes since the Fall of 2016. Mary has bachelor's and master's degrees in general and special education. During her 37.5 years in Education, she taught in two Virginia public school divisions as well as in the Hospital Education Program at what is now known as Children's Hospital at VCU. She eventually became an outpatient Educational Consultant. In this role, she served as an advocate for her patients and as the liaison between various medical teams and the school teams of her patients. Mary enjoys going to museums, plays, concerts, and movies. She likes to travel, is an avid reader, loves the beach and the mountains, and very much enjoys walking and hiking.
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Jess Harshbarger is the branch manager of Chesterfield County Public Library’s Midlothian location. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mary Washington and a Master of Library and Information Science from Kent State University. She has worked in public libraries since 2006, has worked at Chesterfield County Public Library since 2012, and has been the branch manager of Midlothian Library since 2015. She lives in Brandermill with her husband, two children and three dogs. In her free time, she enjoys listening to live music, acrylic painting, and reading.
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Ted Heck grew up in Richmond, VA and graduated from Open High in the mid-1980s. His master’s thesis was on services for victims of hate crimes against LGBTQ people. This led him to help found the Virginia Anti-Violence Project where he served on the board as treasurer and then president. Ted has volunteered with many other organizations, including the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and Side by Side. He works in HIV prevention at the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), where he serves as Transgender Health Services Specialist. He often facilitates the Richmond Transformers transmasculine support group as a peer member. Finally, Ted is a Quaker who is active in Richmond Friends Meeting. He and his spouse live in the Blackwell section of Richmond with their two cats. For this workshop, he is NOT representing VDH.
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Bernard Henderson is the President Emeritus and Funeral Celebrant for Woody and Nelsen Funeral Homes. He worked as Legislative Assistant in the Virginia General Assembly; Assistant Tally Clerk of the U. S. House of Representatives; Assistant to the Commissioners of the Virginia State Corporation Commission; Administrator for the Virginia Bureau of Insurance; director of the Virginia Department of Commerce and the Virginia Department of Health Professions; and Senior Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth with Cabinet-rank during the Warner and Kaine administrations. He serves on the boards of the Sheperd’s Center of Richmond, the Capital Area Agency on Aging, and the Virginia Holocaust Museum. Bernie was educated at Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Old Dominion University, Loewen University, and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Bernie and his wife, Marie, have two daughters and four grandchildren.
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Shawn Hicks works for Genworth Financial on Care Management initiatives. Shawn has her Masters in Rehab Counseling. She is also a wife and mom to two young girls. In her free time, she enjoys practicing the art of macrame. Shawn has made gorgeous macrame pieces to include wall hangings and curtains. She is excited about this class to blend her love of working with older adults and macrame.
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Diana Hinman has a lifelong love of the arts. She loves experimenting with all mediums, and particularly loves colored pencils. Her first colored pencil class was taught by Laura Evans and she has since taken LLI Art classes led by Brian Austin, Hal Cauthen, Marti Franks, Bev Perdue, Patrice Reese, Sandy Schimmel Gold, and others. She has been a member of LLI since 2015 and enjoys traveling, hiking, camping, gardening, and playing with her grandkids.
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Deb Hood is a retired professor from John Tyler Community College where she taught Information Technology and mathematics classes in person and online for 22 years. She has an MA in Counseling and Guidance from Western Kentucky University and an MS in Computer Technology in Education from Nova Southeastern University. Deb’s favorite pastimes are reading banned books and ballroom dancing with her husband, Mike Recant.
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Darnell Hoose spent her career working in graduate business programs, but was always interested in art. She took courses at the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, VA, the Workhouse in Lorton, the Art Haus Visual Arts Studio in Midlothian, the VMFA in Richmond, the Lifelong Learning Institute in Chesterfield, through Fairfax and Chesterfield County recreation programs, and online. She has studied figure drawing, pastels, colored pencils, oil, and watercolor, but her favorite mediums are colored pencil and watercolor. Darnell has been a member of LLI since 2013.
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Beckey Huddleston is a trauma-informed advocate with over three decades of experience guiding families in navigating complex legal and housing systems. She has dedicated her career to serving the community by empowering people with tools to build strength and foster independence. She’s been married to her best friend, who is a Navy veteran, for nearly 30 years and is the mother to one adult son. Beckey's passion for helping families is now shared with her husband full-time after joining his financial services practice in 2023 as an independent insurance agent.
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Patricia Jackson has a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu style Karate and many years of experience teaching and performing Qigong. Together with her daughter and grandkids, she lives in a big wooden house in the Brandermill woods.
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Walter Jackson has been a practitioner of Tai Chi and Qigong since he took his first classes in 1964. Since then, he has earned a sixth-degree black belt in Jiu Jitsu and has become fully accredited in Tai Chi and Acupressure (Shiatsu). Over the last 50 years, he has taught hundreds of classes for his San Diego organization, the Walking Tiger Tai Chi Club. After retiring from a career as an electrical engineer and a video producer, Walter and his wife moved to Richmond to help raise their two grandchildren. They live with their daughter, her husband, and their two grandkids in a big wooden house in Brandermill.
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B. Ellen Johnson PhD, holds two degrees in nuclear engineering and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering. She studied and performed research in the energy field for over twenty years before switching careers to teach and tutor high school math and physics. Dr. Johnson strives to make math, physics, and engineering engaging and understandable to students at all levels.
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Peppy Jones was born and raised in Midlothian, Virginia and graduated from Midlothian High School. Peppy is a graduate of University of Richmond and worked in the construction industry for 40 years. Since 2011, he has been the Director of Mid-Lothian Mines and Railroads Foundation and is a member of the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia.
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Frances Judd is a Jersey Girl who used her nursing education to travel to Minnesota, Texas, and Virginia. After retiring, she became involved in the Salisbury Garden Club. Fran joined LLI after hearing about the Institute during a pedicure. She has two sons. One lives in Lexington, KY which is great for the races, and one lives in Minneapolis which is great for everything else. Her four grandchildren live in Kentucky.
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Rick Kaerwer was born and raised outside of Boston and has lived in Chesterfield County for over 30 years. He is happily married with grown twin sons. A big fan of ukuleles, Rick has been playing since 2018 and has been singing since he was a wee lad. From 1976 to 1979 Rick played the guitar and he currently enjoys playing in the LLI Lifelong Musicians group. Rick has been an LLI instructor since 2022.
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Randall Kaker was born and raised in Wisconsin (Go Pack!) and got his degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He moved to Virginia in 1980 and taught Math and Statistics for Chesterfield Schools from 1980 until he retired in 2011. Randall has been very happily married since 1975 and has two children who live nearby. He has been playing the guitar since 1961 and truly enjoys the Lifelong Musicians group and all the friends he has made there.
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Mel Kauffman spent 35 years with the CIA dealing with communications, networking, and security. He holds ISCET certifications in Electronics/Radio/Computers and NRI certification in computers. Mel has been using computers since 1984.
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Dorota Kawka E-RYT 200, took her first yoga class in 1996 while pregnant with her first child and instantly fell in love with it. She was certified to teach yoga in 2008 and has been teaching ever since. Dorota especially enjoys working with older adults, teaching a variety of Chair Yoga, Senior Yoga and Gentle Yoga classes at different locations in the Richmond area. She is delighted to be able to share her practice with the LLI family.
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Suzanne Kelly is a retired Chesterfield County teacher with degrees in business education and English. She taught for 47 years in North Carolina and in various county junior and senior high schools. In 2001, she and Dr. Sarah Mansfield created Teachers for Tomorrow, a program for juniors and seniors interested in becoming teachers. The program has been used at James River and Midlothian High Schools since then. Suzanne began her teaching career in Chesterfield in the LLI building in 1969 and returned as a member in 2015.
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Linda Kerman earned her master’s degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. She taught literature courses in high school and community college, frequently moderating class discussions, and now assists students who are composing essays as they apply for college and specialty programs. Linda has one adult son and three grandchildren, all of whom are bookworms. An LLI member since 2016, she enjoys reading and playing with her two pet birds.
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Rick Kinnaird has been interested in ancient places since the fourth grade, maybe earlier. He has travelled the world investigating ancient places and sometimes flying kites (another passion.) He follows oftentimes in the footsteps of his childhood hero, Richard Halliburton, who along with Amelia Earhardt and Charles Lindburgh, were the most famous people in America in the 1930s. Halliburton called his travels and adventures “Romance.” Fascinated by ancient places and cultures, Mr. Kinnaird has gone to see for himself and to learn what has been discovered since Halliburton ventured out into the world.
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James Knego is a retired hippie with degrees in philosophy, political science, and executive leadership. He spent over 30 years working in the communications industry managing large sales organizations in VP and Executive Director roles. It is his belief that our individual lives have purpose and meaning with unlimited possibilities. Jim has been an LLI member since 2022.
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Christopher Kolakowski is the Director of the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and former Director of the MacArthur Memorial. He has written and spoken extensively on military history.
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Bette Kot MLIS, is a retired librarian whose passion is genealogy. She has been looking for her children's ancestors for about fifty years with some interesting results and many questions still remaining. Bette welcomes others with the same interest to join her classes for adventures into the past.
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John Krug has a personal reason for becoming an Oasis Senior Advisors owner- his parents. John and his family went through the process alone and endured four separate assisted living presentations while searching for the right home for them. When he saw the exponentially more pleasant experience his brother-in-law had while using a senior placement service, he knew the benefits that this could bring to families searching for the right senior living solution.
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Steve Kunnmann has been an LLI member since 2013. He also serves as Treasurer on the LLI Board of Directors. Steve has degrees in Electrical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey.
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Randall Lanning has a passion for aviation history and enjoys sharing it with others. He was commissioned through the Air Force ROTC program at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he graduated with a BA in history in 1973. He earned an MA in history from Central Missouri State University in 1977. His 30-year Air Force career encompassed 12 assignments, which included nine years in Europe, a tour at the Pentagon, and a residency at the Air War College. His assignments were divided into four broad areas: guided missile operations, political-military affairs, academia, and command. He retired from active duty in 2003, and entered the Air Force Junior ROTC program, teaching at high schools in NJ and IL. He completed this 14-year "second career" with full retirement in 2017. Randy is a recently retired docent at the National Museum of the USAF and is currently a volunteer docent at both the Virginia War Memorial and Virginia Holocaust Museum.
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Rachel Lawson is the Program Manager for the Alzheimer’s Association supporting the Greater Richmond Chapter. She has been with the Alzheimer’s Association since July 2018 after completing her internship with the association in the Spring of 2018. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Promotions and a Master of Science in Public Health, both from Lynchburg College. Prior to the Alzheimer’s Association, she worked in medical office administration and non-profit health organizations. Rachel always strives to bring education and awareness to those impacted by all forms of dementia through the services and support of the association.
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John Lemza graduated the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1976. He served over 20 years in the Army with more than eight years abroad in Asia and Europe. His last assignment was at the Pentagon. He graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with an MA in History and from George Mason University with a PhD in History. His research interests are post-1945 America, the Cold War, the history of immigration, consumerism, and military history. John currently teaches history at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has been a member of the LLI teaching faculty since 2005. He is a member of the LLI, sits on the Board of Directors, and currently serves as President. He has published three books, American Military Communities in West Germany: Life in the Cold War Badlands, 1945-1990 (2016); The Big Picture: The Cold War on the Small Screen (2021); and Charles A. Willoughby and the Anti-Communist Crusade (2024).
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Juana Levi is a retired registered nurse who studied Art History at the University of Maryland. She is a mother of two daughters, who are both teachers, and a grandmother of four. She and her husband have been LLI members since 2013.
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Eric Levitan is the founder and CEO of Vivo. After witnessing the decline of his parents’ quality of life, he realized he wanted to better understand the aging process so that he could help them. That’s why he started Vivo – a safe, engaging, and impactful program to guide older adults to a safer and healthier life. More information on the research he found and the solution he recommends is available at www.teamvivo.com/.
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Annebel Lewis is a Socio-Cultural Anthropologist whose primary research is in ritual, belief systems, and mythology. She is retired from California State University Fullerton and from Southern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Group. She appeared in Who's Who in American Women in 91-92 and has been published in various professional journals. Annebel has been a faculty member of LLI since 2007 and serves on the Board of Directors.
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Herbert Loveless worked for over two decades in clinical pharmacology in the biopharmaceutical industry. He holds a BA with honors from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. In addition, he is board certified in FDA Regulatory Affairs. Herbert has been an LLI instructor since 2021.
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Joanna Lurie has a master’s degree in health administration, a Bachelor of Science in Medical Biology, and is a certified Medical Technologist by the American Society for Clinical Pathology at a master’s level. She is also certified in database designs. Joanna was the chemistry laboratory supervisor for 20 years in a major Long Island hospital. In addition, she worked as the Laboratory Information Systems Coordinator for six years. She taught Clinical Chemistry as an adjunct professor for the State University of NY at Farmingdale, New York. At St. Gabriel’s Parish, Joanna is a lector, serves on the Adult Faith Formation ministry, is a member of Women in God’s Spirit (WINGS) group, a member of the book club, and a member of a Bible study group since 2007, and has taken over 50 Bible study classes. She has served on the LLI faculty since 2006.
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Sharon Macauley joined the LLI in 2009 when she took her first line dance class. It’s been a passion ever since then. Now she enjoys sharing this fun and social activity with newcomers.
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Virginia Maloney has been an LLI member since 2021 and enjoys playing games.
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Marilyn Mare is a retired Chesterfield County teacher who taught at J. B. Watkins Elementary School. She joined LLI in 2007 and is an active member who volunteers whenever needed. She also enjoys teaching Mah Jongg to fellow LLI students!
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Karen Masley comes from a creative family and has been drawing and painting since she was very young. Having no formal art education, she began to take art more seriously in her thirties when, as a member of various art groups, she was mentored by well-known artists in Texas and Florida. Now at LLI, Karen has enjoyed classes with Brian Austin, Marti Franks, and Hal Cauthen. Karen loves to look for inspiration in nature, capturing vivid colors and textures in her work and bringing her interpretation of the beauty and gloriousness of God's creation. Though she occasionally works in other mediums. Karen's favorites are watercolor and colored pencil. Karen has been an LLI member since 2017.
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Sarah Matthews taught elementary art for 34 years in Chesterfield County. She won numerous local, state, and national awards, including Art Educator of the Year for the State of Virginia. Sarah published magazine articles and taught dozens of workshops. She loved teaching others how to teach and mentored over 25 student teachers and currently supervises student teachers for VCU. Sarah appreciates how they keep her on her toes and teach her new things all the time. She was a mural painter for 20 years and has worked in schools, daycare centers, and private homes. Since retiring, she has begun selling smaller-scale work at art shows and boutiques, working in mixed media, mainly acrylics. Sarah is passionate about bringing the joy of art to all and believes anyone can learn the basics and find joy in the process.
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Anne McAneny is a lifelong pianist who is more technician than musician. She finally taught herself to play boogie-woogie and LOVES it, which is why she wants to share it with you! In her real life, she writes twisty fiction, edits, and is currently forming a nonprofit organization in Greenville, South Carolina that places painted public pianos throughout the city. She recently moved there from Virginia and believes that no city is complete until it's got a few public pianos available for everyone to play!
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Alan McCrea is a transplant from the Philadelphia suburbs with some South Carolina heritage. He studied mechanical engineering at Cornell and did graduate study in control theory in Aachen, Germany. Alan also worked for industrial companies there and in Austria. In 1967 Robertshaw Controls Company hired him in Richmond to develop what was probably the world's first computerized energy management system for commercial buildings. Early projects included the International Monetary Fund headquarters in Washington and the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. After fourteen years, Alan began consulting in control and microprocessor applications and now has fun publishing word puzzles. He's enjoyed being a member of LLI since 2012.
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Linda McDorman Linda McDorman has been in the fitness industry since 1990 and is certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Group Fitness Instructor, AFAA for Personal Training, Yoga Alliance RYT200 for many yoga formats, Stott Pilates, and Mad Dogg Spinning for cycling. In 2024, she obtained her Barre Above certification. Her passion is helping others become healthier and stronger through exercise.
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Beth Mercer taught choral music in Chesterfield County for 33 years and retired in 2012. She has spent the last 40 years working in musical theater where she has directed and choreographed numerous shows for various schools, local churches and community theater. She is currently working with "Broken Leg Theater." Beth is so happy to be a member of LLI and this community since 2018.
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Anne Moderegger and her family relocated to the United States in 1988. After the move, she focused on art and gained experience with pottery in classes at the Handwork Shop Richmond, the Richmond Pottery, and through self-training. She participated in Arts Fest (Petersburg), Arts around the Lake, Arts in the Park, the Virginia Falls Foliage Festival, Carolina Craftsmen, and the Bizarre Bazaar. Anne loves to create all kinds of art including painting, quilting, collages, and knitting. She also enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures. Anne enjoys teaching and empowering her pupils with art. She has been an LLI member since 2010.
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Dorothy Moses has been an LLI member since 2008. She’s an aspiring writer and has participated in several critique groups.
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Jennifer Moss has served as the Outreach and Education Director for Bliley’s Funeral Home in Richmond, Virginia since 2016, providing End of Life Care education to groups around the Commonwealth. Jennifer serves on the leadership of the Central Virginia Bereavement Coalition and the RVA Better Aging Forum, and as the president of the Richmond Senior Network. Prior to employment at Bliley’s, she served as a community outreach liaison for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Victim Compensation Program where she provided education on victim’s rights in the criminal justice field for over 15 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
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Mary Jane Murphy has a BS in Home Economics Education and a B.A. in Studio Art. She brings 25 years teaching experience to LLI and has been a member at Chesterfield LLI since 2010.
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Thomas Neviaser is a retired orthopedic surgeon of 33 years who specialized in knee and shoulder conditions. He has written or co-written over 40 peer review articles, presented many papers and instruction courses, and developed surgical procedures for the knee, elbow, and shoulder. He is an emeritus member of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons and a founding member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. Tom has been an LLI member since 2023.
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Debra Ogilvie is with Richmond Hearing Doctors, is a Virginia native, and grew up in Hampton. She received her Bachelor's degree from James Madison University, her Master's degree from The George Washington University in Washington, DC, and her Doctorate of Audiology degree from Salus University in Pennsylvania. Debra has been practicing Audiology since 1995, coming to Richmond in 1999. She spent 12 years working in a local private practice until deciding to become an owner herself. She has always appreciated both the technical and personal sides to Audiology – finding the best hearing solution for each individual person. Debra is a fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, a fellow of the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, and is a Board Member of the Virginia Board for Hearing Aid Specialists and Opticians. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their son, daughter, and extended family.
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Judith Onesty has been making art and advocating for a healthy diet her whole life. She loves making jewelry out of materials such as metal, wire, and clay. In the 1990s, Judith began creating recipes that follow her mantra of “tasty, healthy, and quick.” She has been an LLI instructor since 2018 and has been offering cooking classes since 2020.
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Timothy Pace received a Juris Doctorate degree from Creighton University in 1972, and was a senior adviser to the Board of Veterans Appeals from 1972 to 1990. After presidential appointment, Timothy served as Administrative Law judge for the Social Security Administration from 1990 to 2014 handling primarily Medicare cases and Disability claims. In that capacity, he presided in various courtroom proceedings along the east coast at hearing sites in eight states and in the District of Columbia. From time to time, he was called upon to lecture to fellow judges and administrative personnel on the nuances of ever-changing laws governing the administration on Social Security benefits. He has been a member of LLI since 2014.
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Mike Pagel taught high school physics and chemistry in public and private schools for 40 years before retiring in 2013. He has been a student and teacher of the Bible since college. In his church he has taught two-year overviews of the Bible, in depth studies of individual books, and courses in creative Bible teaching techniques. He has been involved in the leadership of the Bible Discussion class since becoming an LLI member in 2017.
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Conner Parrish owns Blossoming Roots Farm and Supply in Ashland, Virginia. They are a local cut flower farm with a mission to protect and nurture the environment. Connor has been a nature lover since the sudden loss of his father at an early age, when he quickly realized that nature grounded him. After becoming a beekeeper in college, he began to understand the therapeutic benefits of the natural world. Flower farming entered the picture as he was planting flowers to feed his bees. Today, Blossoming Roots donates a portion of its profits to pollinator conservation each month and Conner is living his dream to help the world become a better place.
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Kathy Parrish is the Adult and College Group Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
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John Partridge retired from a 43-year practice as an OB-GYN in Central Virginia and a position as an adjunct clinical professor with MCV/VCU, and began pursuing his lifelong interests in history, archeology, and art. In 2019, Dr. Partridge served as expedition artist and photographer for a National Geographic expedition excavating a royal tomb under a pyramid in Sudan. He has continued to build his knowledge and skills in watercolor, acrylic, and oil painting through self-study and the great courses at LLI. Passionate about teaching, he has taught courses at LLI highlighting ancient civilizations and the archeologists who brought them to light. Through his teaching, Dr. Partridge hopes to spark in others enthusiasm and joy in learning.
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Paula Peaden began her professional career as a registered nurse after receiving her Bachelor of Science degree from Mount St. Mary’s College. She received her legal education from Antonin Scalia Law School. Currently, she is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Special Needs Alliance and Estate Planning Council of Richmond. Paula practices law in Trust and Estate Planning, Trust and Estate Administration, Elder Law, Long Term Care & Disability Planning, Special Needs Trusts, and Guardianships. She was named the best Elder Lawyer in Richmond in the Best Lawyers in America® and was voted by Peer Recognition as 2022 Virginia Lawyer of the Year as published by Best Lawyers®. Her knowledge and professionalism are evidenced by other accolades, including her appointment to the Virginia Business Legal Elite and the Class of Leaders in the Law, Best Lawyers in America® for Trusts and Estate, Virginia Super Lawyers for Trusts and Estates and Elder Law and AV-rated by Martindale Hubbell Preeminent Women Lawyers.
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Kira Peikoff is the author of “Mother Knows Best,” “Living Proof,” “No Time to Die,” and “Die Again Tomorrow.” She has a degree in journalism from New York University and a master's in bioethics from Columbia. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, and other outlets. She now works in biotech communications, helping spread the word about transformative developments in the life sciences. Peikoff is a proud member of the Authors Guild, International Thriller Writers, and Mystery Writers of America. She lives in New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Her latest thriller, “BABY X” will be released in March 2024.
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Robert Perkins graduated from Middlebury College in 1954 and from the University of Vermont College of Medicine 1958. He completed his residency in OB-GYN in 1962 at the National Naval Center and served in the US Navy Medical Corp from 1958 to 1965. After leaving the service, Dr. Perkins had a private practice in Attleboro, MA for 30 and was the Chief of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Sturdy Memorial Hospital. He has been a medical consultant to Hospice and a Compassion and Choices member since 2015.
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Ryan Poland is a Certified Financial Planner® and Associate Vice President of Investments at Davenport & Company. He specializes in wholistic financial planning and wealth management.
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Anita Prince is a native Virginian and a 44-year resident of Chesterfield County. She retired in 2018 after 44 years of service to the Commonwealth in five different agencies, including Social Services, the Department for Children, the Department of Education, the Department of Correctional Education, and the Department of Corrections. A member of faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University in the School of Social Work and the School of Education, she received her undergraduate degree in Psychology/Biology from Radford College and her masters degree and Doctorate in Adult Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She currently volunteers at Joy House working with homeless women, on the African American Committee of the Chesterfield Historical Society, and more recently with the Lifelong Learning Institute. Anita has been an LLI member since 2022.
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Lucas Ramirez is the son of Rachel Ramirez, Executive Director at LLI in Chesterfield. He is an avid reader, and he loves learning, dinosaurs, robots, puzzles, playing on playgrounds, riding his bike, and playing anything with his father, Luis, and his little brother, Levi. Since he was born in 2018, Lucas has spent countless hours at LLI and loves seeing members and making them laugh with stories and jokes. Lucas is homeschooled and is a student at the Classical Conversations Charter Colony community that meets one half-day weekly during the school year.
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Rachel Ramirez has been the Executive Director at LLI in Chesterfield since March 2014. She previously worked for four years in IT and as a Financial Team Manager for a nonprofit in Mechanicsville. Before that she was an Assistant Branch Manager with First Market Bank in Richmond and a Store Manager at Starbucks Coffee Company. Rachel has enjoyed attending and serving with Clover Hill Church since 2003 and is grateful for the opportunities she has had to work with Give Hope 2 Kids, a children's home in the mountains of Honduras. Rachel earned a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Regent University in 2006 and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration with a Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management from VCU in 2018. Rachel and her husband, Luis, love spending time with their two boys, their family and friends, as well as biking, hiking, and traveling!
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Waite Rawls retired at the end of 2019. He previously served as the President of the American Civil War Museum Foundation. He received a B.A. at Virginia Military Institute and was awarded an M.B.A. and J. D. by the University of Virginia. Some of the positions he held in the banking, investment, and money markets fields were: Managing Director, Chemical Bank, New York; Vice Chairman, Continental Bank, Chicago; Executive Vice President, The Chicago Corporation; and Chief Operating Officer of Ferrell Capital Management, Greenwich, Conn. He also led a start-up technology company and has been a visiting or adjunct professor at University of Virginia's Darden Graduate School of Business Administration and Illinois Institute of Technology.
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Michael Recant has been active in the field of LGBTQ justice since the mid-2000s. As head of the First Unitarian Universalist Church LGBTQ-Straight Alliance committee, he helped to establish the first ROSMY Alternative Prom for LGBTQ+ High Schoolers in the RVA area. Mr. Recant is a trained Sexuality Educator in the "Our Whole Lives" curriculum jointly developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association and the United Church of Christ. The Our Whole Lives program operates under the idea that well informed youth, young adults, and adults make better, healthier decisions about sexuality than those without complete information. OWL strives to be unbiased and teaches about heterosexual, bisexual, homosexual, non-binary, and transgender sexual health.
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David Reynolds earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Lynchburg in 2016. He now manages the CORA Physical Therapy in Midlothian, VA where he specializes in the treatment of patients with musculoskeletal and neuromuscular disorders. David believes in leveraging the body's natural healing processes through movement and encouraging patients to manage their impairments with less reliance on medications and surgeries. On several occasions, David has done medical missions as a physical therapist in North Africa, including mentoring and teaching local providers and taking PT students from various universities on clinical rotations.
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Katie Reynolds is the Manager of Tour Services at Agecroft Hall and Gardens. She has been working at the museum since 2004 and holds a B.A. degree in history. She looks forward to welcoming LLI students to learn about the unique historic home, British history, and the gardens.
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Kimberly Rideout is a Fire and Life Safety Educator for Chesterfield Fire and EMS in Virginia. She has been serving in career and volunteer roles in public safety since 2000. Kimberly is a graduate of the Southside Regional Fire Academy, has attended the National Fire Academy, holds multiple degrees from Radford University, and has a Master of Public Administration from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
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Audrey Ross is a native of Midlothian, Virginia. She attended Midlothian Elementary School, and graduated from Carver High School in Chester, Virginia in 1968. Then, she attended N.C. Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, NC, earning a BS in Professional Biology in 1972, and later, a Master of Public Health from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine focusing in Occupational and Environmental Public Health. Audrey has worked as a Microbiologist; Quality Assurance Specialist; Regulatory Affairs Professional; Safety and Public Health Professional; and retired as a Scientist Sr. from the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2009. In retirement, she occasionally substitutes for Chesterfield County Public Schools, and enjoys gardening, fishing, photography, participating in church and community activities and events, and researching the “Rich History” of African Americans in Midlothian and Chesterfield County. Audrey is a member and historian of the Historic First Baptist Church of Midlothian; a member of the Chesterfield Historical Society of Virginia’s African American History Committee; and member of the Board of Directors for the Midlothian Mines and Railroad Foundation. Audrey also serves on the Midlothian Implementation Team, and in 2023, was inducted into the Chesterfield County Senior Volunteer Hall of Fame.
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Tara Ruth is a native of West Virginia and earned her Bachelor of Science in Speech Pathology and Audiology from West Virginia University. She went on to receive her PhD in audiology from James Madison University. Dr. Ruth is a Fellow of the American Academy of Audiology, holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, and is licensed by the Commonwealth of Virginia as an audiologist and hearing aid specialist. Since 2005, Dr. Ruth has been practicing audiology in Richmond. She is married with two children and enjoys traveling and watching sports, especially college football and professional hockey. Her favorite teams are the West Virginia Mountaineers, James Madison Dukes, and the Washington Capitals.
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Patricia Ryther is retired from a career in banking and insurance. In retirement, she’s enjoyed studying 19th century American History, and teaching classes on notable environmental figures from that era. She has a degree in English Literature and has taught at the community college level. Pat has been an LLI member since 2018.
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Les Schaffer is a veteran LLI instructor who listens to, tells, and teaches about stories and storytelling in theater, therapeutic, library, classroom, and workshop settings. A founding member of the Tell Tale Hearts Storyteller’s Theater and TwoTellersTelling Tandem Storytelling Troupe, Les writes and tells stories that help heal, teach and bring a laugh or a tear (often in the same story). His telling and teaching have been described as, “…like scenes from a Christopher Walken film." He fully believes storytelling can save the world and that a good story will get you out of just about anything.
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Crsyt'l Scheer is a NEDA proficient end-of-life doula (EOLD) and small business owner who supports end-of-life education and community outreach. She has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Oregon State University, professional training through Peaceful Presence in Bend, Oregon, and her EOLD Professional Certificate through the University of Vermont’s Larner School of Medicine. Cryst’l sees clients in the Williamsburg area and provides remote and in-person presentations, training, and workshops. Trained as a Qualified Advance Directive Facilitator Cryst’l believes it is never too early to start preparing for a thoughtful and intentional final stage of life. She is also a certified Guided Autobiography instructor through the Birren Center for Autobiographical Studies, and a certified Legacy Navigator through Living Wisely. A native Oregonian, Cryst'l enjoys spending time with her family, road trips, hazelnut lattes, and Halloween.
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Bonnie Scimone serves as the Lead Community Outreach and Marketing Specialist for The VirginiaNavigator Family of Websites. Bonnie has been with the organization since 2006. She graduated from Longwood University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics and received her Elementary Education Teaching Certificate from Virginia Commonwealth University. Bonnie has one son in Georgia, one daughter in Chesterfield and five grandchildren. Bonnie resides in Chesterfield County and serves Central Virginia and Tidewater.
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Tom Seaborn is a native of Newport News, Virginia and holds a BS in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. After serving three years as a company grade officer in the Army Medical Service Corps, he started his career in Consulting Engineering and Construction Management. In 1998, he became the design manager of semiconductor wafer fabrication plants for Motorola and Siemens. Tom has been a member of LLI since 2018 and has been active in the genealogy and memoir writing classes.
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Matthew Simpson is the Director of Guest Services for the VA Holocaust Museum.
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Kevin Skellett is a pastor at Southside Church, founder of Love Never Ends ministry, and a member of the Chesterfield Suicide Awareness and Prevention Coalition.
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Jaime Smiley , MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist who serves as a healthcare consultant, educator, and Aging in Place consultant. Jaime is a 2001 graduate of VCU's occupational therapy program. She has over 22 years of experience in senior care as a therapist, director, clinical educator, and vice president of therapy services. Jaime is also an adjunct instructor in VCU's Department of Occupational Therapy and South University's Occupational Therapy Assistant Program. Her passion lies in helping the aging population secure healthy lifestyle options, as well as providing training to encourage seniors to become educated consumers of services.
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Shelvey Smith has been involved with doing handwork since she was young. Shelvey began cross stitching, then crocheting, and at the beginning of 2022, learned to knit at LLI. It has been very enjoyable! She has met a lot of nice people willing to share their knowledge and friendship, and she hopes others will come join the Needleworkers United group. Shelvey has been an LLI member since 2019.
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Fred Soltow retired after serving for 45 years as clergy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America at churches in West Virginia, Arizona, and Virginia. Fred became an advocate for End-of Life planning after losing three grandparents in one year and watching the tension that the absence of preplanning caused in his family. Since 1975, he has taught classes, lectured, and been part of task forces advocating for advanced planning and end of life issues. Currently, Fred serves as a volunteer for Compassion & Choices and works to support Medical Aid in Dying (MAID) legislation in the State of Virginia.
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Katie Starr PhD, RD, is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke University School of Medicine and Research Health Scientist at Durham VA Medical Center. Dr. Starr is also Co-Director of the Duke Center for Aging Clinical Nutrition Laboratory, and her research and professional experience focuses on understudied, older adult populations at high risk for chronic health conditions and functional disability. She is also the Chief Scientific Advisor for Vivo.
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Kendalle Stock has been in the field of insurance in Chesterfield since 1985. A graduate of High Point University, Kendalle also earned her Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation in 1999. She has owned her own multi-line insurance agency, worked in the long-term care (LTC) insurance field, and in group benefits. In 2013, she decided to make Medicare her primary focus, realizing how so many people were overwhelmed and confused by this program. Her passion is to help educate her clients so they understand the options well enough to make informed decisions about this important part of retirement. More information can be found on her website: CommonwealthMedicareAdvisors.com
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Damir Strmel has been practicing Tai Chi since 2000 and has been sharing his Tai Chi journey with the LLI community since 2016. In 2021, Damir began sharing his longstanding interest in ethnomusicology by offering Cuban and Brazilian percussion classes in which students learn the fundamentals of polyrhythmic drumming. His third love is developing and employing quantitative investment strategies. He occasionally shares his insights with workshops that focus on his current research and development.
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Wayne Swatlowski began his adult career as a catholic priest and served for 15 years in various areas of Appalachia. After resigning and marrying, he worked with various non-profit homeless and low-income housing organizations. Wayne graduated Summa Cum Laude from Clown College at John Tyler Community College, has been clowning around for about 15 years with Clowns of America International and local Virginia Clown Alley #3. He retired three years ago and is now enjoying volunteer activities, reading, and watching birds and Netflix movies from his recliner. He continues to use bubbles, rocket balloons, and perform a little magic as Basa (his clown alter-ego) and loves the opportunity it provides him to be with kids and the young at heart. Wayne has been an LLI member since 2019.
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Nicole Thomas-Jackson EdD, has been in the fitness industry for over 20 years. A certified fitness instructor since 2001, Nicole has taught group fitness classes in a variety of settings, including high and low impact aerobics, lite physical fitness, and senior fitness. Nicole has also taught elementary physical fitness and currently holds an elementary teaching certificate and administrative endorsement.
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Donna Tolliver has always been interested in the liberal arts and the social sciences, earning her BA in English literature and psychology, and her MS and PhD in clinical psychology. In more recent decades, she has been enjoying country life on a horse (and dog, cat, and parrot) farm in rural Virginia, while also loving the rich history and vibrant cultural arts scene of our region. Donna has performed in local theater productions with Southside Area Community Theater, Bifocals at CAT, and LLI's own Advanced Readers Theater.
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Mary Jane Tolly earned her bachelor’s degree at James Madison University and her master's at the University of Virginia. During her career as an English and creative writing teacher, she sponsored the school’s literary/art magazine, developed an "Essentials of Writing" curriculum for creative writing in Henrico County high schools, taught classes in the Virginia High School League (VHSL) Workshop for Literary Publications, was a judge for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) Magazine Contest, and participated in writing workshops and seminars. In 1993, she received the Virginia Gazette Award for significant contribution and, in 1994, her writing classes were selected to host novelist/poet James Dickey as a guest lecturer. Mary Jane recently took supplemental retirement to pursue her own writing and will serve as an adjunct professor at a community college. Currently, she works as writer-in-residence for Henrico County high schools. Her poems have appeared in several volumes of Virginia Writing Magazine. She has been an LLI instructor since 2024.
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James Triesler has been educating and entertaining students of all ages for over thirty years. He currently serves as the Director of Education at the Virginia War Memorial and as Historian for the National Battle of the Bulge Association. Jim has a BA in political science from East Carolina University and a MEd from Virginia Commonwealth University. For twenty years he taught social studies at Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County. He and his students were the recipients of a Save Our History Award, from the History Channel, for their class project on WWII. Jim has been the Chesterfield County Teacher of the Year and the Virginia Region One Teacher of the Year. He loves learning and teaching about history!
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Julia Van Buskirk enjoys dancing, cooking, sewing, knitting, and spending time with her family. She is happy to have been an LLI member since 2018.
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Ann-Marie Walsh is a retired design and construction professional and a former caregiver who advocates for design for lifelong housing (aging-in-place.). She holds a BFA in interior design from the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia and participated in the Cortana Studies Abroad Program 1978.
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Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, the Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and the Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. Her short stories appear in the Virginia is for Mysteries series, 50 Shades of Cabernet, Deadly Southern Charm, and Murder by the Glass, and she has non-fiction pieces in “Promophobia” and “The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.” She is a member of Sisters in Crime National, Central Virginia, Chessie, and Guppies, and the Grand Canyon Writers, International Thriller Writers, and James River Writers. Heather blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill and lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a pair of Jack Russell terriers.
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Donna Whitfield is a current member of LLI. She is a former English teacher with Chesterfield County. She started beading in 1998 and specializes in bead weaving. Donna enjoys playing Mah Jongg and Triple Play with her friends.
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Amanda Williams is the Director of the MacArthur Memorial. Amanda graduated from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College with a B.A. in History & Art History and later earned her M.A. in History from Old Dominion University. She began her career as an Archaeologist at Historic Jamestowne before serving as Education Manager for the MacArthur Memorial. She specializes in military history and women’s history and is the host of the MacArthur Memorial and the World War I podcasts.
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Scott Williams is a Geographic Information Systems Analyst with Chesterfield County Environmental Engineering where he has worked since 1996. During that time, he has been active in helping to preserve, interpret, and maintain Civil War sites in the county. He has contributed maps to several books including “The Bermuda Hundred Campaign Tour Guide,” “The Seventh South Carolina Cavalry: to the Defense of Richmond,” and "Our Brave Boys, a History of the 21st North Carolina Infantry." Scott is on the Board of the Richmond Battlefields Association and the Petersburg Battlefields Foundation. He is currently the President of the Chesterfield Historical Society. Scott is a 1986 graduate of Old Dominion University with a BA in Geography.
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Lee Winne grew up on his parents’ guest ranch near Reno, Nevada. He attended local public schools, graduating from the University of Nevada, Reno with a B.A. in Journalism. For three years during college, Lee worked as a photographer and reporter for the local afternoon newspaper. Following college, he was commissioned an officer in the U.S. Army where he was assigned as a public information officer and troop commander in the Transportation Corps. After the military, Lee attended law school, graduating with a Juris Doctorate degree from the California Western School of Law in San Diego, and was admitted to the State Bar of California. Lee then enjoyed a 40-year career in contract management with the engineering and construction industry. His work included assignments on oil, gas, petrochemical, power generation, and nuclear projects in the USA, as well as more than 10 years on work assignments in the Middle East, Asia, Canada, and Puerto Rico. Lee is now retired and spends his time on church activities, reading, and taking classes at LLI Chesterfield, where he has been an active member since 2022.
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Alan Winter graduated with honors in history from Rutgers, studied creative writing at Columbia’s Graduate School of General Studies, and earned advanced degrees from NYU and Columbia. Winter has authored six novels including “Wolf” and “Sins of the Fathers,” which he co-authored with Herbert J. Stern. Both of these books challenge the historiography of Hitler’s early years and the Nazi rise to power by incorporating primary resources into historical novels. His novel “Savior’s Day” was selected as a Kirkus Best Book Selection of 2013 and of which Kirkus said, "Winter’s command of his historical material is impressive, as is his skill at shaping his characters.”
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Michael Wriston has been an adjunct member of the faculty at the University of Richmond for over 25 years and is the founder and president of The Reinvention Factory and The Competitive Edge. An established and published expert on leadership development and the creation of high-performance teams and cultures, Dr. Wriston has most recently developed broad and practical expertise on the development of talent, nurturing personal resiliency and enabling people to discover their gifts, their story and their life's purpose to ensure that they're able to fulfill their destiny. A native Vermonter and guardian of the environment, Dr. Wriston is a long-time soccer coach and the proud father of four remarkable sons.
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