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July 2025

Volume 25 Issue 7

The Rotary Club of Richmond is proud to support Project Homes.

Here volunteers complete Ramp #88!

Volunteers from The Rotary Club of Richmond worked with Capital Trees at Hotchkiss Green.

Members of The Rotary Club of Richmond are finding Magic All Around at the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Canada. 

Rotary District Awards and Change of Leadership Celebration

The deadline is July 3rd to register for the July 12 Rotary District Awards and Change of Leadership Celebration in Williamsburg. Seats are going quickly! The Rotary Club of Richmond has applied for to win 12 of the available 13 awards. Join us for a fun celebration!

Satellite Club Meeting

Satellite Club is going strong. All are welcome to join upcoming meetings scheduled for July 9th at The Veil (Forest Hill Avenue) and August 13th (TBD). 

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.

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Tuesday, July 8

Jayme Swain, President & CEO. VPM and the Virginia Foundation for Public Media

“Public Radio. More Important than Ever”

Jayme Swain is President & CEO of VPM and the Virginia Foundation for Public Media where she oversees VPM, a network of PBS and NPR stations across Central Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley that connects nearly 2 million people to programming in arts and culture, history, science, news and education.

Under her leadership, VPM has strengthened its position as a trusted source of information for Virginians and distributor of multiplatform, award-winning content.

As leader of the Virginia Foundation for Public Media, she manages the stewardship and advancement of an endowment to support VPM’s mission and vision, ensuring the future of public media in Virginia for generations to come.

Swain is a media executive with over 20 years of experience in broadcast, print and digital media. Prior to joining VPM in January 2019, she served as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations at PBS where she led strategic planning, managed organization-wide projects and developed solutions on behalf of the entire public broadcasting system.

Swain has developed content, products and strategies for top brands such as PBS, CNN, FOX Sports, U.S. News & World Report and Revolution Health.

She is a graduate of the University of Virginia and currently serves on the Board of the Richmond Performing Arts Alliance and co-chairs the Organization for State Broadcasting Executives. 

Tuesday, July 15

Phil Martelli Jr., Head Coach, VCU Men's Basketball

"A New Era for VCU Rams Men’s Basketball"

Phil Martelli Jr. was named the 14th head coach in VCU Men’s Basketball history on March 26, 2025. Martelli assumed the reigns at VCU after leading Bryant to America East regular season and tournament championships in 2024-25.

He joined Bryant in 2018-19 as an assistant coach and was promoted to associate head coach in 2020.

Prior to Bryant Martelli spent the 2017-18 season at his alma mater, Saint Joseph’s, as director of program administration.  Previously Martelli coached for five seasons on the staff at the University of Delaware, where he helped the Blue Hens to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014. The Blue Hens set a program-best mark for conference wins over a five-year stretch (55) and placed eight players on All-CAA teams, along with two all-rookie, two all-defensive and four all-academic team honorees.

From 2006-11, he was an assistant coach at Niagara, helping the Purple Eagles to a 95-69 record in his five years. He also served in the same position at Manhattan in 2005-06. Martelli began his career in 2003 at the age of 22 with Central Connecticut as the youngest full-time assistant coach in Division I at that time.

He is the son of former longtime Saint Joseph’s Head Coach Phil Martelli and the brother of Jimmy Martelli who has returned to VCU as associate head coach in April of this year.

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, July 22

Colonel Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent, Virginia State Police

"Protecting Our State: Modern Challenges, Modern Strategies"

Colonel Matthew Hanley has been a member of the Virginia State Police since 1993. On February 26, 2025, he was formally appointed Superintendent of the Virginia State Police by Governor Youngkin. As the agency head for the largest police department in the Commonwealth of Virginia, he leads a diverse staff of over 3000 sworn and professional personnel assigned to the Bureau of Criminal Investigations, Bureau of Field Operations, Bureau of Administrative and Support Services, Bureau of Strategic Governance, Public Relations Office, and the Executive Protection Division. Colonel Hanley is responsible for developing and implementing statewide law enforcement strategies for approximately 8.8 million people across 95 counties and 38 independent cities.

Prior positions within the Virginia State Police include Director of the Bureau of Field Operations, Director of the Office of Performance Management and Internal Controls, Training Officer, Assistant Division Commander, Area Commander, Sergeant, and Trooper.

Colonel Hanley has a master’s degree from the Naval Postgraduate School (Center for Homeland Defense and Security), a bachelor’s degree from Norwich University, and is a graduate of the University of Virginia’s National Criminal Justice Command College and the FBI National Executive Institute. He is a member of the International Association of Chiefs Police, the Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Board of Advisors for the Virginia Public Safety Innovation Center.

Tuesday, July 29

Kym Grinnage, Regional VP of Gray Television, VP/GM of WWBT/12 On Your Side.

"Navigating the Future of TV News"

Kym Grinnage is a Regional VP with Gray Television and VP/General Manager of NBC12 and WUPV/CW Richmond. Prior to his appointment as General Manager, he was Station Manager/General Sales Manager. Kym joined the station in 1990 as a Sales Account Executive followed by appointments as National Sales Manager, Local Sales Manager and General Sales Manager. Before coming to Richmond from New York, he was a sales account executive with CBS and held positions in sales and Affiliate Relations with NBC starting in 1979.

He is the recipient of four Associated Press Awards for “Best Editorial”, the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities: “2018 Humanitarian Award”, Inducted into the “Virginia Communications Hall of Fame” and is an Emmy nominee for “Best News Operation”.

In 2024, Kym was honored by Virginia Business as a distinguished leader from across the commonwealth in their second annual Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards. He is currently Chair of the Virginia Association of Broadcasters Board of Directors.

He received a BS Degree in Broadcast Communications from St. John’s University. He resides in Chesterfield County with his wife Kyle Grinnage, and they have two adult daughters. Kym enjoys spending time with his family, a good book, a good movie, a good conversation and certainly, a good day on the golf course.  

Tuesday, July 29

Ross Wood, /PhD. Public Policy Candidate St. John's College - University of Oxford

"10 Minute Update from Rotary District 7600 Global Grant Scholar at Oxford"

Thank you to John Rutledge, COO, and Richard Greatti, Director of Finance, for visiting with The Rotary Club of Richmond.

We enjoyed a delightful visit with Annie Tobey, RVA Author of the 2023 book “100 Things to Do in Richmond Before You Die.” 

We extend our thanks to Stephen Wilson, Executive Director, St. John's Church Foundation, for presenting to The Rotary Club of Richmond.

Welcome John Ritenour 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!