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August 2025

Volume 25 Issue 8

"Give Me Liberty or give me death!"

Join us at Historic St. Johns Church on Sunday, August 10^th at 1:30 pm. Professional actors portray nine delegates, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who engage in the arguments of the Second Virginia Convention of March 1775, leading to Patrick Henry’s immortal words "Give me liberty or give me death!"

Make sure to purchase your tickets here: https://www.historicstjohnschurch.org/home.

Satellite Club Meeting

Satellite Club is going strong. All are welcome to join a service project and upcoming meeting and social scheduled for Monday, August 11th, 5:00 - 8:00 PM (The Doorways) and Wednesday, August 13th, 5:30 pm Meeting (Best Cafe in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts) and 6:30 pm Social (Sculpture Garden at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts). 

ALL are welcome! Email rotarysatelliteclubrichmond@gmail.com with questions!

Hammer & Ales

Make plants to join Dale Fater and fellow Rotarians for Hammers & Ales on Friday, September 12th with the Richmond Tool Bank. Dale Fater is leading a group of 7-8 Rotarians for this fun and engaging event the club is helping sponsor. We are building two benches for deserving community projects in the Richmond area. Please reach Dale by email to reserve your spot: dale.fater@gmail.com.

Crab Festival

Registration and Sponsorship are now OPEN for the 2025 Crab Festival on September 13, 2025 at the fabulous ChildSavers on lookout point in Church Hill. The Rotary Club of Richmond will have the Wybros play some blues, fresh steamed on site spiced crabs, and shrimp, beer, wine, and games for the kids! For non seafood eaters, we will have offerings for you too! Don't forget about the amazing selection of silent auction offerings. We look forward to seeing you there!

Click HERE for more information.

Sign up to volunteer HERE!

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Tuesday, August 5

Carl Gupton, CEO & President, Greenswell Growers

"The Greenswell Story. The Future of Indoor Farming"

The “lettuce connoisseurs” at Greenswell Growers in Goochland, as CEO Carl Gupton has dubbed himself and his team, produce about 700,000 pounds of lettuce a year—all out of an acre-and-a-half streamlined greenhouse facility. There, the plants grow from seed to salad-ready without any human hands. Traditional field farming techniques might require an area more than 20 times larger to yield the same amount.

It’s Carl’s job to lead the Greenswell Growers team and operationalize the business model with ‘plants first’ at all times. He has a commitment to innovative technology and sustainable practices, and a passion for local involvement.

Carl has a BA in business and economics from Randolph-Macon and holds an MBA from VCU – School of Business and. He previously served as vice president/general manager at Pohlig Packaging. He also served as vice president at Commonwealth Packaging Corp. Carl ensures that Greenswell large-scale indoor growing facility is as sustainable as it is productive at all times.

Tuesday, August 12

Eric Shoemaker, EVP, Performance Foodservice/Performance Food Group

"Leading in a Changing Global Food Landscape"

Eric Shoemaker is EVP of Performance Foodservice, Corporate, where he oversees a wide range of strategic and operational areas including Procurement, Finance, HR, IT, Marketing, Sales training and Tools, National Accounts, Specialty Meat Processing, and AFFLINK, Performance Food Group’s (PFG) non-foods company.

Eric has been with PFG for more than 23 years. He began his career in the food industry in Pittsburgh, PA, where he co-owned a pizza shop and later a bakery and specialty food retail store. He went on to serve as GM of Ziegler Meat Company and held key roles at Alliant Foodservice. He then joined US Foods as GM of their Greensburg, PA meat processing facility.

In 2004, Eric was named President, Performance Foodservice – Virginia and later became President of IFH following its acquisition by PFG. He became Regional President in 2012 with responsibility for 15 operating companies. His leadership and experience earned him a position as EVP at the corporate level, where his scope continues to expand.

Eric received a degree in Business Management from the University of Pittsburgh. He and his wife Cheryl have been married for 34 years and have 4 daughters and 1 grandchild. He is a past board member of FeedMore. 



A 2003 alum of Saint Joseph’s with a bachelor’s degree in marketing, Martelli was a four-year player for the Hawks and a member of the teams that made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2001 and 2003.

Martelli and his wife Meghan have three children - a daughter, Marra, and sons Philip and Nathan.

Tuesday, August 19

Anthony J. Romanello, Exec Director, Henrico Economic Development Authority

"Henrico County Economic Development Update"

Anthony Romanello has served Virginia local governments since 1992: as Assistant to the City Manager in Richmond, Town Manager of West Point, County Administrator, Deputy County Administrator of Stafford, and Deputy County Manager in Henrico. In 2019, he became Executive Director of the Henrico Economic Development Authority.

He graduated from Hermitage High School and has a BA in History and American Government from UVA and a master’s in public administration from VCU. He is a credentialed manager through the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).

Anthony is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School’s Senior Executives in State & Local Government, the UVA Senior Executive Institute, and Leadership Metro Richmond. He is an adjunct instructor in Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration.

Anthony is the author of Random Thoughts: Reflections on Public Service, Fatherhood, and Middle Age and the children’s book The Girl Who Lived on the Third Floor.

Anthony and his wife Diane live in Glen Allen and have five children, 2 daughters-in-law, and 2 granddaughters. Every chance he has, Anthony plays bad ping pong and even worse golf!

Tuesday, August 26

Kevin J. Vonck, Director, RVA Department of Planning & Development Review

"Richmond Diamond District & Mayo Island Projects"

Kevin J. Vonck currently serves as the Director for the Department of Planning and Development Review for the City of Richmond (Virginia), which directs and regulates long-range planning, land use, zoning, historic preservation, site and building plan review, permitting, inspections, and code enforcement within the City. He became Director in January 2021, after joining the City as a Deputy Director in August 2020.

Prior to joining the City, Kevin served as the Director of the Department of Community and Economic Development for the City of Green Bay (Wisconsin). He has also worked as local economic development coordinator, university extension agent, independent consultant, and adjunct college lecturer. While in graduate school, Kevin became the first college student elected to the Newark (Delaware) City Council!

He earned a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs and Public Policy from the University of Delaware. He has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Delaware and a BA in Geography and History from the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Thank you to Phil Martelli, Jr., VCU Men's Basketball Head Coach and Jesse Pellet-Rosa, VCU Basketball Standout, for visiting with The Rotary Club of Richmond.

We enjoyed the remarks of Colonel Matthew D. Hanley at The Rotary Club of Richmond. 

We extend our thanks to Kym Grinnage, Regional VP of Gray Television, VP/GM of WWBT/12 On Your Side and WUPV/CW RICHMOND, for speaking to The Rotary Club of Richmond.

Welcome Amanda Dillion and Trace Richburg to The Rotary Club of Richmond!

Whether you are relatively new to the club or a long-serving member, the Rotary Club of Richmond has been serving Richmond for more than a century; do you have your copy of this history? Copies are now available; $20 soft copies; $30 hard copies.

Let's wish our fellow Rotarians Happy Birthday and congratulations on their Rotary Anniversary!