The People of RVA

Episode 17: Faith Walker of RVA Rapid Transit

It was both interesting and inspiring learning about Faith Walker, who is the executive director of RVA Rapid Transit, a nonprofit whose mission is to advocate for frequent and far-reaching transit in the Richmond region. Faith grew up in Eastern Henrico and spent much of her early life engaging with Richmond's East End community through her family's ministry. After working in banking and sales and a brief stint in San Diego, Faith's career has come full circle, where she is now engaging with the transit user community in the region. Check out the RVA Rapid Transportation website [https://www.rvarapidtransit.org/] to learn more about the organization or ways to engage in public transportation advocacy.

Episode 16: Clint Kelly of SOAR365 and Atlantic Union Bank

Aside from college at Hampden-Sydney, Clint has spent his life in Richmond. A top executive in risk management at Atlantic Union Bank, Clint has recently served as the Board Chair for SOAR365, a nonprofit dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities throughout Central Virginia. A proud father and husband, Clint is also very active in the local running scene, which is how we were connected. Learn about Clint and what he loves about Richmond in this episode! To learn more about SOAR365, check out the website [https://soar365.org/].

Episode 15: Kevin Vonck

The City of Richmond's Director of Planning & Development Review sat down with me to share on where he came from and how he ended up in RVA. Having moved here with his family from Green Bay, WI soon after the pandemic began, Kevin has settled in and is helping to make some big moves in Richmond.

Episode 14: Will Melton of Xponent21 and Richmond Water

Episode 14 features a motivated RVA change agent in Will Melton. Will started his career as an entrepreneur at an early age. Having co-owned and led the growth of a small computer sales and repair store into a thriving business in Williamsburg in his early 20s to now leading a regionally recognized digital marketing agency, Will is a veteran marketing consultant and business owner. RVA is lucky that Will and his wife Courtney have decided to make Northside Richmond their permanent home. Will has prioritized giving back to the community through serving in leadership roles for local nonprofit organizations. Through Xponent21, Will and his team are investing in a sustainable RVA through America's Healthiest City initiative [https://americashealthiestcity.com/americas-healthiest-city-launch-press-release/] including the recent launch of Richmond Water. I hope you enjoy listening as much as I enjoyed recording at POWER UP Video [https://www.powerupvideo.com/]! Listen to Will's weekly radio show [https://www.youtube.com/@americashealthiestcity] on the America's Healthiest City initiative., which is broadcast on ESPN Richmond. Learn more about Xponent21 [https://xponent21.com/]. Learn more about Richmond Water [https://drinkrichmondwater.com/]. Follow Will on LinkedIn. [https://www.linkedin.com/in/willmeltonconsultant/]

Episode 13: Lane Pearson

I had a great time recording another episode at POWER UP [https://www.powerupvideo.com/], this time with Lane Pearson. A western North Carolina native, Lane has called RVA home for many years. An attorney and partner at Fleckenstein & Associates, P.C., Lane also serves on the City of Richmond's Commission of Architectural Review and volunteers his time in serving on nonprofit boards, including the Maggie Walker Land Trust. Lane and his family live in the Battery Park neighborhood and love living in the City, as they have for many years. I hope you enjoy learning about Lane as much as I did!