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ABOUT US
Community Service Since 1919
The Richmond First Club founders shared a common vision of a permanent organization that would inform the public and political leaders about a broad range of civic issues, policies and solutions. The spirit of enlightened activism that initially inspired the formation of the club in 1919 lives on in the club's active study of and involvement in current issues in the Richmond metropolitan area. During its 90 year history, the club provides nonpartisan leadership on a number of issues critical to the quality of governance in the region. Through its work, the Richmond First Club promotes responsible citizenship and government.
Vision
To be the leading civic organization to conduct research into major issues and policies that affect the Richmond metropolitan area; to provide a public forum for discussion; to raise public awareness; and to advocate specific solutions.
2011 Board of Directors
President/Director - Sam Seeley
Vice President/Director - Mesha Mott
Secretary/Director - Louis Matherne
Treasurer/Director - Jonathan Macdonald
Membership Director - Pat Fishback
Communications Director - Francis Church
At Large Director - Greeter - Rayford Harris
At Large Director & Projects - Bernie Henderson
At Large Director - Lorraine Waddill
Past President - Nancy Finch
Meet Our New Officers
Sam Seeley, president. Websites, electronic communication and public information are all right down Sam’s alley. She has worked in public relations for more than 20 years mainly running her own public relations consulting firm. Sam was born in Virginia but grew up in suburban Maryland. She graduated from Furman University in S. C. with a degree in art. She has lived in Virginia for more than 25 years. Major clients have included those in real estate, health care and the hospitality industry. Recently she went back to school, the University of Virginia, and received a master’s degree. She has taught for more than 10 years at VCU. She teaches communication in the Business School. Sam is married to Ken Dye, in government relations for Comcast. She describes him as “one terrific husband”. She has “three awesome daughters, one very cool dog and three independent-minded cats.”
Mesha Mendenhall Mott, vice president/director, came to Richmond with MeadWestvaco, as manager of college relations and recruitment. Previously, for 10 years, she was with Verizon Communications in marketing and human relations. A graduate of Clark College where she received a B. A. in mass communications, she also has an MBA in marketing from Clark Atlanta University. She attended the South Carolina University School of Law for one year. Over a span of 10 years, Mesha worked for General Motors, DuPont, Time Warner and Sharp Advertising. She is a member of the upcoming Leadership Metro Richmond class. Her activities include the National Black MBA Association, National Association of African Americans in Human Resources, Richmond Area Diversity Roundtable, Junior Achievement and Planned Parenthood.
Mesha has worked with a number of organizations in “positively elevating the lives of those in impoverished, underserved communities.” She has served as an advocate for children via her work as a guardian ad Litem giving children a voice within the legal system.”
She has a daughter, Nya Elise Mott.
Louis K. Matherne Jr., secretary/director, is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of Virginia Blood Services. Louis is a graduate in accounting of the McIntire School, University of Virginia. He has a master of science degree in accounting from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and is a graduate of the Executive Program in the Darden School, University of Virginia. He is a retired commander in the United States Naval Reserves. A native of Tennessee, Louis has worked for Chesapeake Corporation and Price Waterhouse. Louis is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Virginia Society of Public Accountants and is a long-time member of Richmond First Club. He came to Richmond in 1978. Single, Louis has a step-daughter. He lives at Rocketts Landing.
Jonathan Macdonald, treasurer/director, is a native of Richmond, and a business attorney. He is a long-time member of the RFC board. Previously he worked in Richmond for Ethyl Corporation, Albright & Wilson Americas, Cherry, Seymour & Hundley. In his practice while with Ethyl, he was involved in the exchange of Browns Island to the City of Richmond and also purchase of the State Penitentiary. He also handled the construction contract for the Albright & Wilson offices in Innsbrook. Jonathan is a Richmond native, University of Virginia graduate and served in Viet Nam. He is a UVA law school graduate (1974). He is the father of three children and a grandfather of two with another on the way. A long-time member of Junior Achievement of Central Virginia, he is also a Leadership Metro Richmond graduate. He enjoys fishing, gardening and his two cats. And he implores the Richmond First Club incoming president to spell his name correctly. Macdonald. . . little “d”. He says she uses a variety of spellings.
Pat Fishback, membership director, is a new Richmond First Club member who is enjoying participation in community affairs since her retirement in 2006 from the Science Museum of Virginia where she was director of science education. Born in Lexington, VA, but reared in New York, Pat says her life has always been “affected by the contrasts in the two cultures, both of which I love.” She attended New York public schools and then Madison College (now JMU). She majored in physics in a teaching curriculum. She also has a master’s in science education from UVA and a PH.D from VCU in education leadership. She has taught in public and private schools. She was a program specialist at the Math/Science Center. Her husband, Jim, is a consulting mechanical engineer. They have two children. An unsuccessful candidate for the Richmond School Board in 2000, she was appointed to the board of the Richmond Public Schools Education Foundation. She is an advocate for passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. She believes that the city of Richmond and surrounding counties “can achieve and sustain regional cooperation that will bring greater prosperity and opportunity to us all.”
Communications Director - Francis Church
At Large Director - Greeter - Rayford Harris
At Large Director & Projects - Bernie Henderson
At Large Director - Lorraine Waddill
Nancy St.Clair Finch, past president, returned to the RFC three years ago when she retired as executive director of Virginians for High Speed Rail. She was on the Club board in the early 90s and served as program chairman but she can’t remember for how long. Finch lives in Bon Air and is active in and former president of the Chesterfield Business Council. She is a former reporter and public relations practitioner. She worked at the Virginia General Assembly for 24 years representing George Mason University, the Virginia Community College System, Mary Washington University, Virginians for High Speed Rail and other clients. She is a graduate of Radford University and came to Richmond in 1963 to work for the Richmond Times-Dispatch after working as a reporter for the Radford News Journal, Waynesboro News Virginian and Charlottesville Daily Progress. A graduate of the Virginia Institute for Political Leadership (now the Sorensen Institute) of the University of Virginia, Nancy has been active in politics. She ran for the House of Delegates in 1995. She and her husband, Jerry, have three children and six grandchildren. Nancy is a native of Radford.
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