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FEATURE

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ENGAGED Individuals who made a difference

BY DANIELLE OZBAT
David Potter: Bensley Community Building supervisor Louise Vaughan: Event coordinator and member of Matoaca
for Chesterfield County’s Department of Parks and Baptist Church who came up with Community Day, an event to
Recreation who came from humble beginnings in Pikeville, bring churches together. Vaughan visualized the event after music
Ky. Destined to be a third-generation coal miner, Potter director Kerry Boyce shared a book about churches plateauing
instead pursued a degree in Parks and Recreation after and eventually declining over time. Vaughan thought about how
a police officer told him he could reach at-risk youth much she enjoyed the barbecues her father had when she was a
before they end up in trouble with the police. Formerly child and the event was born. Six churches (New Hope Baptist,
the Assistant Director of Pike County Child Development Oak Lawn Baptist, Community Christian Fellowship, Wesley
in Kentucky, Potter and his wife, Dena, relocated to Chapel United Methodist Church, and event host Matoaca
Virginia in 2005, and he accepted his current position at Bensley Park. Potter Christian Fellowship) participated in the free event, which had almost 900 adults and
enhanced revenue, and participation at the community center tripled within a children in attendance. Vaughan hopes to have another Community Day in 2018.
few years. He was recognized by the Board of Supervisors for leadership in
youth and community service projects.
James Wilson: 20-year Marine Corps vet who brought the REBOOT Combat
Recovery Program – a non-profit organization that helps
Charmaine Crowell-White: Prolific actress and combat veterans and their families heal from the spiritual
storyteller who’s done one-woman shows for over 20 years. and moral injuries of war associated with combat trauma and
A former Chesterfield County Public Schools theater post-traumatic stress – to Chester. After participating in the
instructor, and Chesterfield County’s 2010-11 Middle 22 Pushup Challenge, which promoted awareness for veteran
School Teacher of the Year, the “living history” interpreter suicide prevention, Wilson decided to take it a step further by
has portrayed Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman. In donating 22 hours of his time over 22 days to helping veterans. Chester Muff er & Brake Shop
February, she had three performances of “Sukey: Life Wilson eventually learned about the REBOOT program and
with Dolley Madison,” a one-woman show about James currently teaches the REBOOT Combat Recovery course –
and Dolley Madison’s personal servant. Crowell-White’s one-woman shows which boasts a 78 percent graduation rate and sees 47 percent of graduates become
tell the history like her forefathers told stories. “I am a storyteller,” she said. REBOOT leaders – at Ironbridge Baptist Church.
“It was part of the tradition [telling stories]. She said Montpelier is about
five or six miles from where she was raised. “It is where I come from; I am
personally connected and passionate about where I come from.”
Pastor Rich Finck: Pastor who gave 42 years of service to the Lutheran Church
system and retired in June. Finck and his wife, Bonnie, spent
25 years at the Lutheran church in King George and Callao,
George Fickett: County mapping specialist who worked Virginia, where they helped setup a preschool program in
for Chesterfield County and retired after 45 years. Fickett’s 1981. While training in Texas, Finck was a youth pastor to
mapping abilities and extensive knowledge of Civil War country singer Lyle Lovett, and he said he still sees Lovett
history led him to save many sites across the county from when he performs in Virginia. Finck has been a leader at Grace
development and many are now parks: Fort Stevens, Fort Lutheran Church for the past 16 years. In addition to visiting
Wead, Fort Harrison, Battery Dantzler, Howlett Line Park, their four children more, he and his wife plan on visiting other
Sgt. James Engle Park, and the Ware Bottom Church Lutheran churches, and he will work part-time at another
Battlefield Park. He assisted the Chesterfield County church for about six months or a year.
Historical Society in expanding the tour of the Bermuda Hundred Campaign Read more on page 6
to a 58-mile driving tour, of 26 sites that follows the routes of the Army A Completely Different Experience in Dining
of the James during the campaign. Fickett will still be involved in preserving
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