Valued Visions Board member Jack Russell

Visions lost a valuable member of our board team on April 24, 2012. Jack Russell passed away at 9:30 a.m. at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore after a long illness, surrounded by his loving family. He was remembered and mourned at Grace Episcopal Church in Kilmarnock yesterday, Wednesday, May 2nd, by his family and many friends and colleagues.

In addition to the many contributions he made in Kilmarnock, Virginia, as a member of the Lancaster County Board of Supervisors, Dr. Russell was a big supporter of area youth. He could often be found rooting for local teams. In 2009, he proposed a plan to help teens acquire work experience and skills in a summer employment program called Youth Works. Working with Lindsy Gardner, Lancaster Community Library director and the president of the Visions board, they secured financing for this program from the duPont Fund. With this financing, matched in part by local support, and administered by the Rappahannock Community College, this program is in its fourth year and continues to successfully prepare students from Lancaster and Northumberland County for the world of work

Dr. Russell was an active and vocal member of the Visions Economic Development Committee. As part of his work for this group, he shared his vision for the Northern Neck region. This was his vision:

"In 2022, Northern Neck's economic vitality equals its natural beauty and county amenities. Driving through the Neck, which hugs the shores of the Potomac and Rappahannock to the pristine waters of the Chesapeake Bay, you see the creation of a collaborative region. The Neck is meeting the challenge of global competition with a creative economy driven by leadership, innovation and declaration of interdependence.

"Townships and counties are thriving. A proud common heritage helps find new ways to meet challenges and prosper together. Bike paths make connections from river to river, and the Rappahannock Community College Learning Centers move citizens and companies forward with continuous improvement and high performance workplaces. New wealth is generated and poverty has disappeared.

"Regional staples, tourism and agriculture, built around skilled workers and entrepreneurial employees are thriving. Technology parks are occupied at capacity. Retail space is at a premium as growth in aquaculture and hydroponics creates jobs and high incomes. Partnerships and the expansion of broadband have created a geriatrics niche in health care. Research and telemedicine are attracting both retirees and health professionals to the region. Taking advantage of the region's Telework Centers, thousands of Northern Neck residents telecommute to urban areas across the globe. They use the new regional airport to periodically visit corporate and home offices.

"Along with its beauty, the Northern Neck imbues a distinctive ambiance and brand. When people think of the Northern Neck, they think about character and quality - the character of citizens that make things happen through collaboration, consensus, and leadership. Volunteers building houses and stewards of nonprofit organizations, leading downtown beautification and helping the disadvantaged.

"Loyalty to local businesses is part of 'growing our own' and the unemployment rate of 2%. Quality is part of our heritage: Top notch customer service at five star resorts and marinas, amenities such as fishing piers and kayak/boat landing facilities. The region has state of the art school facilities and education systems second to none. There are skilled craftsmen, journeymen electricians, doctors, lawyers, students and grandparents. They are motivated, in part, by what they see others doing on the Northern Neck."

Dr. Jack Russell truly embodied the work of Visions with his own vision and commitment to improving lives in the Northern Neck. He will be sorely missed.

2011 Annual report

Northern Neck Visions 2011 Annual Report

The mission of Visions is to reduce poverty and improve lives in the Northern Neck by building the capacity of area nonprofits through increased collaboration, communication and training, by facilitating economic development initiatives, and through other initiatives that fill needed service gaps.

Organization and Structure

The implementation grant proposed to the duPont Fund was approved in May, 2011. The grant covers a three-year period and amounts to $276,182. With this generous funding from duPont, Visions planned to hire a full-time director who would oversee future work to build the capacity of existing nonprofits, to broaden community conversations around poverty, to leverage local philanthropy dollars to bring more financial resources to the area, to work with an active economic development committee, and to begin a leadership training program. Additionally, Visions would continue to support the Youth Works Program.

Articles of Incorporation were filed in May and Visions applied to and was approved by the IRS for nonprofit status in 2011.

The Executive Director, Joni Carter, was hired in August and began work in September. Joni was chosen for this important position because her wealth of experience working with strategic planning and program development and her extensive knowledge of the region.

Also in August, board members David Alberts and Marilyn Warren researched and obtained an office space for Visions. The office is at 266B North Main Street in Kilmarnock. Furniture was purchased and installed, as well as phone and Internet service. The office phone number is 804-435-1323. The Town of Kilmarnock donated a used copier.

The Nominating Committee presented a slate of officers and board members at the annual meeting in November. The slate was approved by the Advisory Board.

Class of 2012 -Torrence Harman, Thomas Gosse, Marilyn Warren, Kenneth Rioland

Class of 2013 - Lindsy Gardner, Margaret Nost, William Pennell, Paul Sciacchitano

Class of 2014 - Elizabeth Crowther, Jack Russell, Dale Bunns

An additional slot remains open.

Officers include: President, Lindsy Gardner, Vice President, Economic Development, Paul Sciacchitano, Vice President, Community Development, Kenneth Rioland, Secretary, Marilyn Warren, and Treasurer, William Pennell, Jr.

Lindsy Gardner thanked departing board members David Alberts and Jean Duggan for their service. Plans were made for the full board to meet quarterly. The Economic Development Committee and the Executive Committee meet on a monthly basis.

Programs

Economic Development

This committee expanded in 2011 from 5 or 6 members to more than 16.

• They successfully promoted a Rappahannock Community College site in Kilmarnock which opened in January 2012. With funding from Lancaster County, the Virginia Community College System, the Town of Kilmarnock, and with the cooperation and work of the Lancaster Community Investors, the Main Street end of Chesapeake Commons was converted into a comprehensive site that will offer academic classes and workforce development.

• They also developed a Northern Neck Leadership program, set to begin in March 2012, which will train area leaders and help them develop better community ties. The first class will take place at the new RCC Kilmarnock site.

• The committee, with funds from the Lancaster County Economic Development Association, began a public awareness campaign on poverty and area efforts to help people in need. This one-time newspaper insert was published in January 26, 2012. There will be follow up articles to continue to keep this issue in front of the community.

Nonprofit support and capacity building

• Resource Sharing Forums were held monthly January through May to encourage nonprofits and agencies in the area to better communicate and collaborate. These were cosponsored by Visions and Connect Rappahannock. Due to falling attendance, they were suspended while the time and format was reconsidered. They are set to resume in February 2012, renamed the Community Resource Forum.

• Visions committed to forming a partnership with Connect Rappahannock, soon to become Northern Neck Connection, to continue the work of communication and collaboration in the community among nonprofits.

• Joni Carter has begun the process of a stakeholders’ survey and has constructed an online survey. The survey will include input from community leaders , churches and nonprofit representatives. She has spoken to a number of nonprofit directors and the Lancaster Department of Social Services. This work is ongoing.

Youth Works

• In its third year, this program helps local students find and keep summer jobs and to learn about work ethics and professionalism in the process. Last summer, 62 area youth from Northumberland and Lancaster counties obtained summer jobs through Youth Works. Of that 62, 33 students were new to the program. The financing for the Lancaster and Northumberland county youth came from the duPont Fund. Of the 62 students, only 2 did not complete the program. Lindsy Gardner reported that 33 Career Readiness Certificates were awarded. The post program survey indicated in an increase in confidence level in participants over last year.

• Rusty Bragg, project coordinator, and Jason Perry, Vice President for Workforce Development, both of Rappahannock Community College, were able to find funds to expand this program to 3 more counties, raising the total participation number to about 100 students. The community college administers the program.