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January 2025

Volume 25 Issue 1

SALVATION ARMY CHRISTMAS CENTER RIBBON CUTTING

Rotary Club of Richmond member Major Samuel Kim welcomes participants to the new Salvation Army Christmas Center.

Father Christmas Party

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Project Warm

We have lots of wood ready to be split at the wood lot to prepare when the weather turns really cold weather and we deliver wood to individuals who depend on wood only for their heat source.

Join us Saturday mornings at 9am for splitting and delivery. The woodlot is located at a city-owned maintenance lot behind John Marshall High School off Chamberlayne & North Avenues, 608 Forest Lawn Drive. 

Contact Joe Kelleher via email with questions!

Tuesday, January 7, 2025 Feedmore

We will have our Tuesday, January 7th meeting, at FeedMore (8020 Villa Park Drive), where we'll have a box lunch delivered and a tour from 1-1:30. The meeting will start at the regular time, 12:30, and feel free to come as early as 12:00pm. Box lunches at Sally Bell's Kitchen are $11.99 which includes sandwich, side, cupcake, deviled egg and cheese cracker. We'll order tea and water.  Consider your cost $16 for the meal to include delivery, tax and drinks. Let Pam know if you will be attending and please send her your lunch order (choose sandwich and side) by 1/3/24 on which date Pam will be giving a head count to FeedMore.

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Nadia O’Dea, Senior Director, Corporate Real Estate & Facilities at CoStar,

"CoStar and the $460 million Richmond Campus Investment!"

CoStar Group is a leading global provider of commercial and residential real estate information, analytics, and online marketplaces. Included in the S&P 500 Index and the NASDAQ 100, CoStar Group is on a mission to digitize the world’s real estate, empowering all people to discover properties, insights and connections that improve their businesses and lives. From offices, hospitality and industrial properties, to apartments, residential and retail, to land and businesses for sale, CoStar Group products and online marketplaces cover all aspects of real estate.

In late 2022, CoStar Group formally broke ground on an expanded research and technology campus overlooking the James River in Richmond launching a $460 million project that promises to bring more than 2,000 new employees to the state capital and triple the company’s office footprint here. Nadia O’Dea serves as the Senior Director of Corporate Real Estate at CoStar Group, where she leads the strategic planning and development of the company’s 750,000 square foot campus expansion in Richmond.

In her role, she oversees leasing and construction management across the company’s extensive portfolio, ensuring alignment with corporate goals and operational efficiency. Since joining CoStar Group in 2005, she has managed 2 million square feet of space and has been instrumental in driving national expansion initiatives.

Her recent accomplishments include the successful acquisition of significant properties such as 600 Tredegar Street, 501 S 5th Street, and 901 Semmes Ave. in Richmond, as well as collaboration on the acquisition of 1201 Wilson Blvd in Arlington, VA. With a background in retail leasing and construction management, Ms. Nadia also co-owned a disaster restoration company in Maryland, further enhancing her leadership and operational expertise. She holds a degree in Business from George Mason University.

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Tracey Gendron, MS, Ph.D., VCU Chair and Professor, Dept of Gerontology,

"Ageism Unmasked: Exploring Age Bias and How to End It"

With over 25 years of experience as a grant-funded researcher and a nationally recognized speaker, Dr. Tracey Gendron has spoken about ageism in forums across America and has also appeared on numerous podcasts and video productions, particularly highlighting those understudied and underrepresented groups at increased risk of adverse health outcomes based on discrimination.

Dr. Gendron has a master’s degree in Gerontology, a master’s degree in psychology, and a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology. She serves as Chair for the VCU Department of Gerontology and Executive Director of the Virginia Center on Aging.

With over 25 years of experience as a gerontologist, she has authored and co-authored over 30 manuscripts and 7 book chapters on ageism and aging-related topics. She is frequently quoted

In popular media outlets including the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and U.S. News and World Report. Dr. Gendron has spoken about ageism in forums across American and can also be seen and heard as a guest speaker on numerous podcasts and video productions. 

Dr. Gendron takes an all-inclusive approach to teaching about aging, particularly highlighting those understudied and underrepresented groups at increased risk of adverse health outcomes based on discrimination. Her personal and progressional goal is to raise awareness of Elderhood as the solution to the deeply embedded ageism pervasive within all cultures, settings, and individuals.

Tuesday, January 28, 2025

Jay Brown, President and CEO of Commonwealth Catholic Charities,

“Our Richmond Unhoused. The challenge and the opportunity”

Jay Brown is the current CEO at Commonwealth Catholic Charities. Prior to this position, Jay served as the Director of the Office of Justice and Peace at Commonwealth Catholic Charities from February 2010 to June 2013. In this role, Jay was responsible for developing and administering programs and services that engaged the Catholic Community in the Diocese of Richmond in understanding and alleviating human suffering. Jay also provided leadership and direction to six Diocesan priority areas: Catholic Social Teaching Education, Pro Life Ministry, Domestic Poverty Alleviation and Migrant Farm Worker Ministry, Global Solidarity and Haiti Ministry, Prison Ministry and Southwest Virginia Ministries.

From January 2008 to January 2010, Jay served as the Parish Partners Program Manager at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington. In this role, Jay was responsible for coordinating support for parishes in need throughout the archdiocese.

Jay began their career at Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington in June 2007 as the Parish Support Coordinator. In this role, Jay was responsible for providing support to parishes in need throughout the archdiocese.

Jay Brown has an Executive MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University, an MTS in Theology from Washington Theological Union, and a BA in Philosophy, Peace & Justice from Villanova University.

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!