The Charleston Rotary Board is closely monitoring the increase in cases of COVID-19 in WV and Kanawha County. The CDCs recommendation is to wear a mask for all indoor activities where cases are high. While masks are not yet required, the Board does recommend wearing a mask when not actively eating or drinking. As a reminder, virtual attendance is still available and you have received an invitation to register for that platform. We will continue to monitor the cases and make appropriate decisions to protect all Rotarians.
___________________________________________________
Hybrid Meeting
August 9, 2021 Rotary Club of Charleston Hybrid Meeting
Jina Belcher
Executive Director New River Gorge Regional Development Authority
Introduced by Mary Cook
Born and raised in Welch, WV, Jina was instilled with an entrepreneurial spirit at a young age. After starting her own business at 16 years old, Jina was the first student to receive the McKelvey Foundation Entrepreneurial Scholarship during their junior year of high school.
After graduating from Concord University in 2009 with a B.S. in Recreation and Tourism Management with an emphasis in Event Planning & Promotions, Jina returned home to assist her family in expanding the only non-profit food pantry in McDowell County. While there, Jina served as Trust Systems Administrator for 7 years at MCNB Bank and Trust Company.
In 2016, Jina followed the urge to leave the finance industry to fulfill her gut and help her community develop to its fullest potential. Working as Chief Business Officer with Coalfield Development, Jina worked closely with WV leaders and entrepreneurs to strengthen the substantiality of social enterprises across Appalachia. While there, Jina’s work in capital access and small business development organically crossed paths with NRGRDA and their great work being done in Southern WV.
In February 2019, Jina officially joined the NRGRDA as Director of Business Development. Combining her previous community development skills with her background in finance and social enterprise will allow her to provide the New River Gorge region with resources and expertise needed to grow the thriving economy of Southern WV.
August 16th
Martin Evans
Author
Murder on Staunton Road
Introduced by Bob Brunner
Charles M. “Mitch” Evans, CFP®, CFS®, CRPC® is a native of Clarksburg, West Virginia. He is a 1979 graduate of Clarksburg Washington Irving High School, and a 1983 graduate of West Virginia Wesleyan (BA, Sociology) where he studied Sociology, Psychology, Criminology, Religion, and Business Administration.
While always maintaining a keen eye toward the study of history and criminology, he followed his entrepreneurial and pastoral instincts and began his career in 1983 as a third generation financial planner practitioner in Charleston, WV (Certified Financial PlannerTM 11/22/1993) with IDS Financial Services Inc. and it successors (American Express Financial Advisors Inc. and Ameriprise Financial, Inc.) where he celebrated his 35th anniversary on October 12, 2018.
Mitch is one of six members of his family to serve in a financial planner capacity which accounts for over 192 years in collective experience.
Mitch splits time between his beloved West Virginia and his home on Hilton Head Island.
In Murder on Staunton Road, Mitch returns to his interest in History, Sociology, and Criminology. A review of the information surrounding the sale of The Charleston Daily Mail’s web domain name to the Daily Mail (UK) drew him into further study of the history of The Charleston Daily Mail, thus his engagement in this project.
Whether in West Virginia or on Hilton Head Island, you will find Mitch with his wife, Ann, as well as their two “West Virginia Brown Dogs” – “Sasha” and “Winston”.
Reminders:
- Masks are not required but recommended for those who feel more comfortable wearing one.
- Lunch will be served buffet style with plexi-glass guards in place.
- Hand sanitizer will be provided.
- Pay-at-the-door lunches are $11.00 and can be paid via cash, check or card.
Please direct all correspondence that would normally go to Deb Coffman to Mary Cook at rotarycwv@gmail.com.
Join Melissa Pemberton and Brian Sloan for dinner at The Pitch on Tuesday, August 24th at 5:30 If you know any potential Young Professional members, please connect them with Melissa and Brian. They will also discuss a new date for the Kanawha State Forest Hike.
2021-2022 Board of Directors:
Christy Elliott, President
Justin Southern, President- Elect, Program Committee Chair
Michelle Foster, Secretary, Community Investment Committee Chair
Harold Holstein, Treasurer
DF Mock, Club Director, Membership Chair
Brian Sloan, Club Director, Public Image / Technology Chair
Craig Glover, Club Director, Diversity and Inclusion Chair
Mike Fidler, Club Director, Fellowship Chair
Melissa Pemberton, Club Director, Young Professionals Membership
Allison Francis, Club Director, Program Committee Secretary
Bill Scharf, Club Director
JB Akers, Club Director
Bob Welty, Immediate Past President
Mary Cook, Interim Club Administrator
CELEBRATION STATION UPDATE-Under the leadership of Michelle Foster, chair of the Community Investment Committee, Rotary has been a key community player in the upgrade of this critical community park. We are working with the City of Charleston, Kanawha County Schools, Piedmont Elementary and their PTO, Childhood Language Center and the local community to make this dream a reality. We have raised $89,476 of our $100,000 goal and we need all Rotarians to help us get there. The West Virginia American Water Company Foundation recently donated $20,000 to this project. We were selected second out of nine projects submitted from a multi-state area. We have received generous donations from banks and other corporations involved with Rotary. We don’t have far to go. We hope you will agree to help us get there. All donations help! Click here to contribute!
MLK MURAL PROJECT Mike Fidler, chair of the Fellowship Committee, is planning a workshop day for Rotarians and their families to come together with the City’s Director of Public Art, Jeff Pierson, to make portraits for the mural project.
Our Rotary club is participating in a significant community project, under the direction of the City of Charleston Department of Public Art, to create a mural honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This mural will be fixed to an exterior wall of the Martin Luther King Center in Charleston. Our contribution will be the addition of individual self-portraits surrounding the main portrait of Dr. King. The portraits require no artistic talent but are instead fanciful, cartoonish, or as representative as your skills permit. The project should be fun and an opportunity for fellowship.
A workshop for the creation of these portraits will be scheduled in the coming weeks. Look for more details and make plans to participate along with spouse and family.
For more information, contact Mike Fidler, Fellowship Chair at: mofidler@suddenlink.net
Vaccines are encouraged! The Board of Directors is in full support of the Governor’s, as well as the Health Department’s, efforts to vaccinate the citizens of our great State and County. We encourage all members to support this effort and get vaccinated. If you are still in need of a vaccine, please go to www.vaccinefinder.org and locate a vaccine site near you. You can even make an appointment there. If you do not use the internet, you can also call the WV COVID Vaccine Hotline at 1-833-734-0965 and they will help you schedule an appointment.
LOCAL ROTARY CLUB MAKE-UP LOCATIONS
MONDAY
The Program Committee will resume weekly meetings at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center when in person meetings commence, directly after the regular scheduled meeting. Parking is free just let the parking attendant know you are with the Rotary Club of Charleston.
TUESDAY
Putnam Rotary Club Meeting begins at 12:00 noon at Area 34
7013, 971 WV-34 in Hurricane.
WEDNESDAY
Vandalia Club meets at Edgewood Country Club Wednesdays from 7:30am – 8:30am. The last Wednesday of month is a social or service project.
THURSDAY
St. Albans Rotary Club meets every Thursday at 12:00 noon in their new meeting location at City National Bank 560 4th Street, Saint Albans, WV 25177.
South Charleston Rotary Club meets on the 3rd Thursday of every month at 12:00 noon. Meetings are located at Little Creek Country Club, South Charleston, WV.
Other Ways to Make-up a Meeting:
1. The board unanimously approved another avenue to get additional credit for attendance. In addition to attending a committee meeting, doing an online make-up, or visiting another Rotary Club you can now get one meeting credit for every new member prospect/guest you bring to a regular Monday meeting. The credit will apply during the same quarter in which you bring the potential member/guest. This is a great way to both make up attendance and recruit new members into our club. Contact Paul White with questions.
2. To attend a make-up meeting on-line, click the link below: Rotary Club Online make-up location: http://www.rotaryeclubone.org/ The on-line system is set up to provide a written confirmation of the make-up to the person who actually did it. The member is then responsible for providing confirmation to their Rotary Club Administrator. Please forward a copy of your confirmation letter to rotarycwv@gmail.com to receive proper credit.