Club History - 2023-2024 Elizabeth

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Below is a record of the first Rotary year of President Elizabeth McCoury, 2023-2024.

If you would like to go in chronological order, start at the bottom and scroll your way up.

On July 10th the 2024-2025 Board of Officers and Directors were sworn in by Joy Kline, District Governor for 2024-2025.  This was followed by the swearing in of Elizabeth McCoury, who extends her presidency into the 2024-2025 Rotary year.

On the 19th of June Jimmie Wideman, Chief of Police for the City of Hampton, talked about some of the changes that have come to the art of urban policing.

In the spring of 2024, programs not discussed elsewhere included Robert Pollard talking about the current political furor over menhaden fisheries; Rick Correa discussing upcoming HOV highway lanes; Bob Estrema talking about literacy; Conover Hunt taking us back to the Kennedy assassination; Tina Hawley-Blount explaining how to help those who are blind; and Brantley Bissette discussing new developments in the treatment of sewage.

Our big fundraiser for the year: the Virginia Peninsula Rotary Club's Casino Night, March 13th: how to have the fun of a casino without the risk.

In February and early March we heard from Sarah Navarre discussing the Safe House Project; Jay Grant, executive director of LISC Hampton Roads; Bill Pollard talking about a unique physical workout organization; and Adam Duncan conducting a Club Assembly going onto the finer points of the planning for Casino Night.

Our Charter Night celebration this year was held at the home of Amy and Bill Ziglar, and that large abode was bursting at the seams with Peninsula Club Rotarians.

Early in the calendar year we heard from Michelle Mitchell, Superintendent of Newport News Public Schools; Past District Governor Stephen Beer talking about The Rotary Foundation; Karen Joyner,CEO of the Virginia Peninsula Food Bank; and Adam Hess talking about Drug Interdiction Measures of the Peninsula Health District.

To start the new calendar year, our club participated in a five-club social to celebrate a completed joint project at THRIVE, a local organization that supports those in the community experiencing hardships.  The five clubs involved in this project were the Warwick at City Center Club, the Peninsula Cub, the Yorktown Club, the Newport News Club, and the Oyster Point Club.

Under the glare of an unusually bright sun, on December 20th the Peninsula Club worked shifts to man the kettle for The Salvation Army all day long at the Newport News Sam's Club entrance.  On the left are Steve Adams and Ray Spencer; on the right are Adam Duncan and James Hicks.

On the evening of December 9th at the home of Bill and Amy Ziglar, we had our holiday party.  The environment was excellent, the conversation was enjoyable, the food was exceptional, the beverages were good and plentiful--even the weather was cooperative.

Local media personality (and now CEO of a public relations firm) Joel Rubin entertained and informed the club at the November 15th meeting.

November 9th was the date for the 2022-2023 District Foundation Awards Banquet in Williamsburg.  Kevin Yeargin was honored with the prestigious James Pierce Foundation Leadership Award.  Shown here with Kevin are Suki Pierce, who gives out the award, Kenny Janes, 2022-2023 District Governor, and Larry A. Lunsford, Rotary International Trustee and keynote speaker for the evening.

On November 8th District Governor Rudy Garcia addresses the club during his official visit.

As Peninsula Club Foundation Chair Kevin Yeargin looks on, District Foundation Chair John Padgett welcomed President Elizabeth as a member of the Paul Harris Society.

October 25th found the club visiting the Virginia Living Museum, where Executive Director Rebecca Kleinhample gave us a view into what was happening at the museum, and we made the acquaintence of Moe the elderly otter.

October 13th through 15th saw the 2023 District Conference of our District 7600.  The venue was the nearby Newport News Marriott at City Center.  Our own PDG Diane Hagemann was the co-chair of the conference and played a central role in the organization and running of the event.  Ray Spencer, with help from Kevin Yeargin, presented the club's recently-completed Global Grant at two different breakout sessions.  And half of the Sergeant-at-Arms crew was from the Peninsula Club.  Shown in the Sergeant-at-Arms photo above are (left to right) Kevin Yeargin of the Peninsula Club, Mike Jallo of the Historic Triangle Club, John Frantz of the Peninsula Club, Joe Hansley of the Churchland Club, Ron Lynde of the James City County Club, and Bill Ziglar of the Peninsula Club.

Speakers in late summer included Bob McKenna of the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, Liz Wolfson of Langley Federal Credit Union, Lisa Howard of E3 (Elevate Early Education), Ray Spencer talking about the Club's recent trip to Costa Rica, and Jody Lassiter of CSX Transportation, Inc.

The 30th of August found us enjoying a pleasant, interesting, and tasteful ice cream social in Poquoson.

Speakers in early summer not described elsewhere included our own Mike Salka discussing his nonprofit helping veterans when they buy a home, Diane Hartley of the Peninsula Agency on Aging describing the dementia-friendly community, Derek Perry of the Newport News Department of Development describing happenings in the City, Kathryn Nemeth of CHKD discussing the psychiatry pavilion at CHKD, and J. B. Crowley of Historic Hilton Village.

In mid-August we took a trip to Costa Rica, joining the Heredia Rotary Club of Costa Rica to look at potential projects.  Three members of the Virginia Peninsula Club, plus two spouses, were joined by three members of the Warwick at City Center Club, plus a niece.  Shown here at the building of the Centro Agricola Cantonal in Santa Barbara on the central plateau of Costa Rica are (third from the left) Jennifer Daknis of the Warwick at City Center Club, (seventh from left) Leslie Borwick of the W@CC Club, (eighth) Kevin Yeargin of the Peninsula Club, (ninth) Ray Spencer of the Peninsula Club, (tenth) Holly Kidd of the W@CC Club, (eleventh) future Rotarian Rebecca Robinson, and (fourteenth) Bill Blanchard of the Peninsula Club.  Others in the photo are members of the Heredia Rotary Club and staff of the Centro Agricola Cantonal.

On the 19th of July we were joined by Steve Drew, Chief of the Newport News Police Department.  He gave us an interesting, informative, and sometimes moving talk.

On July 12th the incoming president, Elizabeth McCoury, was sworn in by Past District Governor Diane Hagemann.  Her Board of Directors was sworn in immediately after.

Below is a record of the second Rotary year of President Elizabeth McCoury, 2022-2023.