Phil Harvatine, Marcia Swenck and Ratha Ramasamy, members of Toastmasters International Power Lunch Expressions Club No. 1024785, recently earned communication and leadership awards within the last educational program year. Harvatine and Swenck qualified as Competent Communicators; Swenck also achieved Competent Leader recognition. Ramasamy earned the Advanced Communicator Bronze Award. The club also recently achieved Select Distinguished Club status for Toastmasters International calendar year ending June 30. This is the second highest honor bestowed to clubs by the national office and is the highest achievement by Power Lunch Expressions since its charter in April 2007. Newly installed officers include: President – Phil Harvatine, AECOM; VP Education – Marcia Swenk, Coventry Health Care; VP Membership – John Goldhamer, AECOM; VP Public Relations – Gay Rudis, IT project consultant; Secretary – Ratha Ramasamy, Acision; Treasurer – Keech LeGrand, independent consultant; and Sargeant at Arms – Nathaniel McKinnon, AECOM. The club meets on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the AECOM Innsbrook office, 4840 Cox Rd. For details, call 307-9437 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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Bridget Murrell, of Glen Allen; Kim Rood, of Mechanicsville; and Ashley Kadash, of Richmond, recently became independent consultants with Tastefully Simple, Inc., a national direct-sales company featuring more than 60 easy-to-prepare foods. Consultants offer home taste-testing parties, along with easy ideas for everyday meals, recipes and serving suggestions. All of Tastefully Simple’s products are open-and-enjoy or can be prepared by adding only one or two ingredients. For information about products, parties or starting your own business, visit http://www.tastefullysimple.com .
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Blair Walker, son of Daisy Henderson, of Henrico, recently was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2011 semester at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Va. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, students must achieve a grade point average of 3.75 or above. Walker is a junior majoring in biochemistry.
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George Johnson and Shannon Edwards, of Richmond, recently graduated from Eastern Mennonite University. Johnson earned a liberal arts degree and Edwards earned a communication degree.
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Rabbi Andrew Goodman recently was named University of Richmond’s first director of Jewish life and campus rabbi. Goodman will be tasked with developing a comprehensive program for students, faculty and stuff which will include a variety of religious, cultural and social expressions of Jewish life at UR. He will work with the entire Chaplaincy staff to further diversify the religious voices on campus by creating opportunities for engagement across lines of faith traditions. Goodman was formerly a senior rabbi of a congregation in Plattsburgh, N.Y.
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Sarah Jones, of Glen Allen, recently was named to the Dean’s List for the spring 2011 semester at Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill. To be eligible for the Dean’s List, students must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or higher. Jones is a junior majoring in English and communication studies.
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Eric M. Barker, son of Karen Barker, of Richmond, recently graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C. Barker earned a bachelor of fine arts degree from the School of Filmmaking.
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Lauren Parker, a rising senior at Hermitage High School, recently participated in the live taping of C-SPAN’s “Washington Journal” as a correspondent for the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) from George Mason University’s Arlington campus in Arlington, Va. WJMC is a highly competitive week-long program designed to encourage and inspire young leaders from across the country who desire a unique experience focused on successful careers in the industry. The show featured former Democratic National Committee Chair Tim Kaine. Correspondents were selected based on their demonstrated leadership and interest in journalism and their academic excellence.
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Samuel Archer, of Richmond, recently was inducted into the Virginia Tech Delta Phi Alpha chapter of the National German Honor Society. Archer is a senior majoring in German in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
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Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell recently appointed the following local residents to state boards and commissions: Norfolk State University Board of Visitors – Thomas N. Chewning, retired executive vice president and CFO, Dominion Resources; Advisory Board on Massage Therapy – Michael Jennings Vines, owner, Escape Massage; Behavioral Health and Developmental Services Board – Bonnie Neighbor, advocacy coordinator, VOCAL, Inc.; and State Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision – James M. Sisk, manager, Department of Corrections.