VCC Magazine Spring 2020

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S pring 2020 22 A ssociations AARPVirginia –804.344.3059 David DeBiasi, ddebiasi@aarp.org Alliance for Construction Excellence (ACE) J. T. Thomas, Chairman , 703.658.4383 Fraternal Order of Police, VA State Lodge John Ohrnberger, johrnb@aol.com Speech-Language-HearingAssociation ofVirginia (SHAV) Renee Garrett, President • www.shav.org Virginia Association for Career and Technical Education Dr. Brenda D. Long, Executive Director , 540.760.250 Virginia Association for Marriage and Family Therapy www.vamft.org Virginia Association of Realtors Terri Suit, CEO , o) 804.249.5702 c) 804.381.1222 Martin Johnson, Senior VP of Gov. Relations , c) 804.514.9830 Anthony Reedy, VP of Political Operations , 804.249.5719 Mary Lawson, Vice-President of Legislative Affairs , 540.230.6310 Erin Barton, Deputy Legislative Counsel , 804.249.5033 Virginia Cable Telecommunications Association Ray LaMura, President , 804.780.1776 Virginia Coalition of Police and Deputy Sheriffs Chip Condon, President , 1.800.913.2727 Virginia Education Association –804.648.5801 Jim Livingston, President Kathy Burcher, Government Relations Virginia Motorcoach Association, Inc. Doug Douglas, Government Affairs , 434.376.1150 Virginia Fire Chiefs Association David Hutcheson, President , 757.651.7641 Virginia Professional Fire Fighters Robert Bragg, President , 434.882.8238 Virginia School Counselor Association Emily Goodman-Scott, Chair ; Julia Taylor, Assistant Chair www.vsca.org Virginia State Firefighters Association Ken Brown, President , 804.971.7983 Voter Registrars Association of Virginia Allison Robbins, President , 276.328.8331 E ateries Rueger’s Restaurant & Bar 901 Bank Street, Richmond • 804.343.7300 (Inside The Commonwealth) S ervices Gus’s Shoe Repair 528 East Main Street, Richmond • 804.782.6959 www.shoerepairrichmond.com H otels Berkeley Hotel (Per diem rates offered, restrictions apply) 804.780.1300 • 1200 East Cary Street, Richmond The Commonwealth (Per diem rates offered, restrictions apply) 804.343.7300 • 901 Bank Street, Richmond Adjacent to General Assembly  Delta Hotels by Marriott Richmond Downtown (Special Session rates available) 804.788.0900 • 555 East Canal Street, Richmond Linden Row Inn (Special Session rates available) 804.225.5841 • 100 East Franklin Street, Richmond The First Citizen Award By Ken Jessup While working in my coffee shop at the Norfolk VA Federal Building a long, long time ago…okay, 1993, I received a phone call from a member of the Virginia Beach Rotary Club. Seems they give an award each year called the First Citizen of Virginia Beach Award. I checked it out and saw an impressive list of recipients. Now the organization wants to add to the annual award by including a “handicapped” citizen of the year award. I will leave the term “handicapped” alone, discussion will be for a different setting…I digress!! Yes I accepted!! In less than a week I was the honored guest of the Virginia Beach Rotary Club dinner meeting. My wife and I were on the dais with the organization’s officers. I looked past the table and saw a room full of people as well as TV cameras. A gentleman sitting to my right leaned over and said that after my introduction I would have 4 or 5 minutes to speak. After dessert was served, the head table was introduced and the speeches began. Before I knew it, the person at the microphone was talking about me, listing my background and accomplishments, I was impressed!! Suddenly the words stopped, people were applauding, the speaker nodded to me and up to the podium I went. Silence engulfed the room, I saw the plaque which I was about to receive, I leaned to the microphone and informed all in attendance that I was told I could speak for 45 minutes!! I should have recorded the sound of a collective sigh. Ken Jessup is chairman of the Department for the Blind and Vision Impaired, a member of the State Rehabilitation Council, and the Statewide Independent Living Council. B ENNETT F UNERAL H OME Charles D. Morehead, Sr. Funeral Director & General Manager 3215 Cutshaw Avenue Richmond, Virginia 23221 (804) 359-4481 V The Legislative Staff Directory is coming in the Summer 2020 issue of Virginia Capitol Connections Quarterly Magazine.