PLP Class of 2008

Name: Sarah Godlewski       
Age: 26   
Born: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Current Digs: Arlington, Virginia
Occupation: Organizational Design Consultant
Favorite part about the job:  Working with a variety of people within an organization from the CEO to the entry-level employees.  I get an unique perspective that helps transform these organizations in a way that is beneficial to both groups as well as their stakeholders. 
Your first job ever? Teaching swimming lessons at the local YMCA.  I couldn’t wait to turn sixteen because I would earn money for something I love to do -swim!
Favorite book?  The Giving Tree.  Since the first time I read this book as a little girl to this very day the message still resonates—no matter where you are in your life (age, geography, etc.) there is always something you can give to others.
Favorite movie? A League of Their Own
Comfort food? Gummy Candy, Diet Coke, and Pretzels (not in any particular order)
What's in your car CD player right now? I have a couple of CDs in the good ol’ player--Gallaramy- a local country band and David Gray’s Greatest Hits
Next journey? Uganda you gotta!  I travel to Eastern Uganda with an organization called the Arlington Academy of Hope (AAH), and I am planning on traveling back to this summer.
Favorite Virginia vacation spot?  A secret swimming hole along the Appalachian Trail.  Sorry, I can’t share…it’s confidential.
First political memory?  My first political memory was running for Middle School Student Body President (yes, it’s a position).  It was after this experience when I knew I was hooked on politics for life.  
Best advice you ever got? As I was going through high school, college, and transitioning into the career world, my Dad would always revert back to one statement of advice: “failure is never fatal and success is never final.”  To this day, I still find these words applicable to my life.
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why?   Senator Hillary Clinton:  As a young woman, I’ve watch Hillary Clinton since her years in the White House.  She has demonstrated the courage, ambition, and poise to become a prominent woman in today’s society.  Regardless of your political affiliations, you cannot refute the fact that she has broken the glass ceiling in the 21st century like no one before -paving the path for many women to follow.  I would love to spend an evening listening to her stories of how she overcame various challenges, lessons she has learned in her political career, and what her predictions are for the future of American politics. 
Describe a perfect day.  A perfect day is a sunny summer day where I have nothing planned.  I’m free to sleep in, have a cup of coffee and read the paper, go on a long afternoon run, and spend the evening with friends and family. 
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you?  Although I love speaking to large groups of people, I still get butterflies.  It doesn’t matter how many times I speak in front of people, the feeling just doesn’t seem to go away.  
Ambition, political or otherwise?  I’ve always had a passion for helping people and my community.   I’ve been fortunate enough to serve others in need, my community, and my county through many various avenues.  I’ve been a volunteer, board member, and consultant, all of which have reinforced my desire to “leave something better behind.”  I will continue to serve my community selflessly, but exactly “how” I will do so in the future is to be determined.   As long  as I continue to act and make an impact, the “politics” and where I fit in the whole scheme of things will work its self out.  Whether I become a public servant, a volunteer, or an elected official, my passion to help others and make a positive difference will remain.

Name:  Bryan M. Rhode  
Age:  33
Born:  Portsmouth Virginia, raised in Springfield Virginia (my parents have lived in the same house for 28 years!)
Current Digs:  Just moved to the country (Goochland), but work in the best city in the Commonwealth (Richmond).
Occupation:  Lawyer, Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney.
Favorite part about the job:  Helping clean up the city I love.  Trying cases is pretty fun too.
Your first job ever?  Busboy at Bob's Big Boy, definitely a character builder.
Favorite book?  Don't have just one, but topping the list are Mila 18, For Whom the Bell Tolls, and A Country Such as This.
Favorite movie?  Seabiscut.
Comfort food?  Johnnie Walker Red Label (more calories and certainly more comforting than food).
What's in your car CD player right now?  Freakonomics and Dave Matthews.  Lots of Dave Matthews.
Next journey?   The Greenbrier.
Favorite Virginia vacation spot?  The River - most relaxing place on earth.
First political memory?  First memory I have of really wanting to get involved in politics was during the 2000 Republican Presidential Primary.  I was in the military, deployed, and very anxious that I couldn't to do anything to help John McCain.
Whom do you admire and why?  Though I’m reaching back quite a ways with this one: I admire Teddy Roosevelt.  Warrior, statesman, reformer, author and brilliant politician.  There are not many like him today.  He was a child that overcame much to become the embodiment of what a leader should be.
Best advice you ever got?  As I was about to leave for Officer Candidates School, a friend of mine who had already been, advised, “put your head down and keep swinging 'til the bell rings.”  I’ve found it to be a great approach to many challenges in life - including golf.
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why?  John McCain.  He is a hero of mine and has been for many years.  I would like to get a sense of where his enormous reservoir of personal courage comes from.
Describe a perfect day.   A long, hard day of skiing followed by a cold beer.  And a hot tub.
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you?  I was a gymnast, and yes, it’s embarrassing.
Ambition, political or otherwise?   Before entering the political realm, I want to be successful and respected in something outside of the political realm.

Name:  Missy Bell
Age: 28
Born: Springfield, VA
Current Digs: Live in Alexandria, work in Springfield
Occupation: Girl Friday to Delegate Dave Albo
Favorite part about the job: The many different facets of political life I get to experience.  Being such a small office, I get to deal with everything from the mundane tasks to the most interesting.  And I get to feel that even in my small way, I have a place in influencing Virginia policy.
Your first job ever?  Swim coach for the team where I competed from age 4 to age 18.
Favorite book?  Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez or The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe
Favorite movie?  The Princess Bride, followed only slightly by Top Gun
Comfort food?  My mom's Tex-Mex food
What's in your car CD player right now? Five for Fighting  It's the perfect length for the drive down to Richmond.
Next journey?  Egypt (my 29th country for my 29th birthday) in July!!
Favorite Virginia vacation spot?  I can't stay away from the water, so either Va Beach or Smith Mountain Lake
First political memory?  My parents were always very political, but the first time I remember something specific was sitting in the car with my mom, listening to Rush Limbaugh on Clinton's inauguration day in 1993.
Whom do you admire and why?  As cheesy as it sounds, I admire the many people (of both parties) who are willing to give up their free time, weekends, and holidays; hold themselves and their families, by default, up to public scrutiny; and put up with every Monday-morning quarterback in order serve the public as elected officials because they truly believe they can make the world a better place.  The pay is never enough, the "perks" really aren't that great, and the stress is enough to make any sane person question running for office.  However, there continue to be good, passionate people willing to make those sacrifices for the public good. 
Best advice you ever got?  "All you've got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!"  Tony Wheeler
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why?  Tony Wheeler, founder of Lonely Planet.  I have traveled around the world using the Lonely Planet travel guides and would love to meet the guy who inspired so many of my adventures.  As I've learned, the best stories seem to start with "well, I was in [insert exotic locale] and I met [insert name of random stranger], and then..."  I'm sure he would have a few stories to share.
Describe a perfect day.  Start off by sleeping late with no alarm clock in sight, followed by coffee and brunch with a Sunday Washington Post or a great book to peruse overlooking the beach.  Then sailing and/or snorkeling.  Dinner with great wine watching the sun set over the water and a bonfire to snuggle up by as the cool night air rolls in.  Family and friends in abundance all around!
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you?  I was a 4-year scholarship/letter winner and team captain of an NCAA Div I swim team at the University of Tennessee and was ranked 15th in the country among my age-mates in high school.
Ambition, political or otherwise? To live life to the fullest, raise a family in Virginia, and in my own way, make a meaningful contribution to my community.

Name: Sherry Foti
Age: 43
Born: I was born in Fairbanks Alaska, but lived in Ebensburg PA (outside of Pittsburg)
Current Digs:  Roanoke
Occupation:  Teacher for Roanoke County Schools
Favorite part about the job:  The daily opportunity to touch and change the lives of young people.
Your first job ever?   Retail: Carter’s Factory Outlet
Favorite book?  The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans
Favorite movie? The English Patient
Comfort food? Homemade vegetable soup
What's in your car CD player right now?  Puddle of Mudd
Next journey?  Durango, Colorado
Favorite Virginia vacation spot? Smith Mountain Lake
First political memory?  My grandparents and parents discussing Nixon’s impeachment.
Whom do you admire and why? I admire all who are willing to speak their minds in the presence of opposition.
Best advice you ever got? Do it YOURSELF
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why? Bono.  I would like to align forces with him and thank him for his amazing lyrics.
Describe a perfect day.  The people I love, blue sky, large body of water, boat, stocked cooler and world peace.
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you?  I was in the military.
Ambition, political or otherwise? United Nations

Name: Chris Fairchild
Age: 39
Born: Grew up in Palmyra, VA
Current Digs: Same
Occupation: CEO (Evangelist), National Filter Service Inc.
Favorite Part of Your Job: VISION. Tell people what you’re going to create, have them tell you your crazy, then make it happen.     
First Job Ever: Pumped gas at Lake Monticello Marina. Laid on the dock catching rays, occasionally got up to pump gas into a boat full of girls in bikinis. 
Favorite Book: Good to Great
Favorite Movie: Monty Python and the Holy Grail. “With big, pointy teeth”!
Comfort Food: No fat Omega Three peanut butter, one banana and honey, mixed in a bowl and heated for twenty three seconds.
What’s in your CD Player Right Now: Marva Wright (The Blues) “You don’t miss your water, till your well runs dry”.
Next Journey: What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.
Favorite VA Vacation Spot: Smith Mountain Lake
First Political Memory: Attending the inauguration of Ronald Reagan.
Whom do you Admire and Why: My old friend Garland Dickerson, The Great Turkey Slayer. Simple, old clothes, quit school after third grade to help on the farm, country as Jed Clampett with more money, the American dream.
Best Advice You Ever Received: Get the right people on the bus.
If You Could Have Dinner with Anyone Currently Living, Who Would it Be: George W. He’s welcome to invite Dick.
Describe a Perfect Day: Watch the sun rise over the foggy creek bottom at the farm, work all day at the farm, then cookout that evening with family and friends down by the creek.
One Thing People Might be Surprised to Learn About You: I’m bashful.
Ambition, political or otherwise: To grow as a Christian, father, husband and community member.
 

Name:  Liane G. Rozzell
Age: 47
Born: Cincinnati, Ohio.  Lived there and in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before moving to Northern Virginia at age 10.
Current Digs:  Arlington.
Occupation:  Executive Director of Families & Allies of Virginia’s Youth
Favorite part about the job:  We’re a new organization and I’m figuring it out as I go — and it already feels like we’re starting to make a difference.
Your first job ever?  I worked in the summer of ‘76 for the Youth Conservation Corps and stayed on Apple Orchard Mountain.  I met kids from all over Virginia and had a blast.
Favorite book? Several by Chaim Potok: The Chosen, The Promise, My Name is Asher Lev.  Also The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, several by Octavia Butler.  I’m not good at picking one favorite!
Favorite movie?  Hard to pick one from The Bicycle Thief, Meet John Doe, Sugar Cane Alley, Fried Green Tomatoes.
Comfort food? Pad Thai or a good old peanut butter and jelly sandwich — triple decker.
What's in your car CD player right now? Books on tape (yes, cassette tape) from the library for long road trips.  The latest is a Sherlock Holmes mystery collection.
Next journey?  To the Tidewater area to connect with families there.
Favorite Virginia vacation spot? I enjoy a picnic at Great Falls or camping in Prince William Forest. 
First political memory?  In third grade, I had a papier mache hippopotamus piggy bank that I named Hubert Horatio Humphrey Hippo because I was rooting for Humphrey in the presidential election of 1968.
Whom do you admire and why?  Marian Wright Edelman, because she is a tremendous advocate and has managed to create and sustain an organization that has a great impact on the lives of children.  Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, because in a situation of great acrimony she leads with grace, sensitivity, intelligence and humor — while taking a firm stand.
Best advice you ever got?  At the end of the day, there’s always more to do. It’s important to recognize that and go home and have a balanced life.  Dyana Mason (PLP 05) told me that when I asked her for advice on running a statewide nonprofit.
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why?  Nelson Mandela, because he is an amazing leader and person, full of integrity, dedication, and dignity.
Describe a perfect day.  An off-season day with my beloved at our beach place: lounging around reading, playing Scrabble (without keeping score), biking to the beach for a picnic or watching the dogs romp down the beach, going on mini shopping sprees at the dollar store and the thrift store, topped off by watching a good movie.
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you?  I’ve been an avid soccer player since I turned 30 and was eligible for a local women’s master’s league.  Now I’m our team’s goalie.
Ambition, political or otherwise?  To transform Virginia’s juvenile justice system so that youth get fair and appropriate treatment and the best possible chance of becoming productive adults.

Name: Michael Chapman
Age: 33
Born: Yuba City, California
Current Digs: Albemarle County
Occupation: Student, University of Virginia School of Law
Favorite part about the job: The people, the law, the softball, and the schedule.
Your first job ever? I worked on a farm in Wheatland, California.
Favorite book? To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Favorite movie? The Shawshank Redemption
Comfort food? Spaghetti
What's in your car CD player right now? I have an iPod and listen to all kinds of music.
Next journey? Travel up to Loudoun County to look at historic homes and maybe visit a winery.
Favorite Virginia vacation spot? I love history, so I always enjoy visiting Williamsburg.
First political memory? My first substantive political memory was of Ronald Reagan.  As a young man who grew up in California during the 1980s, I thought Ronald Reagan would always lead the Republicans to victory and the White House, just as Joe Montana would always lead the 49ers to victory in the Super Bowl.  I was later disappointed on both accounts.
Whom do you admire and why? Those staying awake so we can sleep at night.
Best advice you ever got? If you fail to plan, plan to fail.
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why? I would enjoy having dinner with John McCain or John Warner.  Putting politics aside, I find McCain’s story as a POW and the relationship between solitude and solidarity fascinating.  As for Warner, I can only imagine what he’s learned over a lifetime of public service.
Describe a perfect day. Having a barbeque with family and friends, sitting on the porch looking out over some beautiful land, drinking a bourbon and smoking a cigar, and the dog is behaving.
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you? Although I’m currently studying law, I plan to take courses at Piedmont Virginia Community College next year to study viticulture and enology.  I would love to learn more about winemaking.
Ambition, political or otherwise? After I graduate law school, I would like to buy a house and get involved in my community and remain involved in state and national politics.
 

Name: Claire Wulf Winiarek
Age: 22
Born: Norfolk, Virginia
Current Digs: Hampton Roads, Virginia
Occupation: Serving the people of the great and beautiful Second Congressional District of Virginia! (Grants and Projects Coordinator for Congresswoman Thelma Drake)
Favorite part about the job: Working for the people, and developing new and innovative ways to serve the public
Your first job ever? "Dining Hall Assistant" (a.k.a. kitchen cleaner) at Girl Scout Camp Skimino in Williamsburg, Virginia -- A thankless and dirty job
Favorite book?  Most people might say Machiavelli's The Prince or Sir Thomas Moore's Utopia, but my favorite go-to book time and again is any of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter... Series.  I will confess, however, to a slight obsession with George Orwell's works, particularly Animal Farm.
Favorite movie? Silence of the Lambs
Comfort food? My mother's and grandmother's Southern cooking, particularly their country ham biscuits, fried chicken, collards, potato salad, and Lemon Meringue pie.  Yum!
What's in your car CD player right now? Paramore, Riot!
Next journey?  Next serious journey?  Hopefully Greece or Spain or Argentina -- My husband and I are planning a two-week adventure abroad for 2009 with the in-laws.
Favorite Virginia vacation spot? Driving up Skyline Drive and through the very beautiful Shenandoah National Park, stopping for some hiking, fishing, sight-seeing, and canoeing on the South Fork of the mighty Shenandoah.
First political memory? Campaigning door-to-door with former Norfolk Delegate William P. "Billy" Robinson, Jr.
Whom do you admire and why? The late Julia Childs, who showed that you can make a difference and become an inspiration by pursuing what you love (in her case, cooking).  Before becoming the America's original TV cooking icon and foodie, Childs served her country in the OSS (precursor to today's CIA) and turned to cooking after her husband was stationed in Paris with the Foreign Service.
Best advice you ever got? "Yes, I can!" (from my mother, and often repeated by everyone from Stewart Copeland to Barack Obama) Before I started college at fourteen, I interviewed with an area private high school.  I told them that I had two options, early college or attend their high school.  The admissions advisor asked me why would I ever want to go to college so early, since it was surely be a negative experience and too difficult.  My response was, "Because I can."  As it turns out, this "high school drop out" could and did.
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why?  Dr. Henry Kissinger, who dominated US Foreign Policy during one of the most interesting and turbulent periods (1969 to 1977) of American involvement abroad, including the relaxation of US-Soviet tensions, temporary ceasefire and eventual end of conflict in Vietnam, Indo-Pakistan and Yom Kippur Wars, and the opening of China.
Describe a perfect day. A perfect day would start by waking up to a quiet morning, enoying the start of the day with a cup of coffee and the careful division of the Wall Street Journal between my husband and I.  Afterwards, the two of us would embark on an unplanned roadtrip down the east coast, cooler in tow, to nowhere, hopefully ending up at a dock-side restaurant for some delicious seafood.
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you?  I am passionate about international human rights issues, and worked for Amnesty International's Mid-Atlantic District office in Washington, D.C. as their Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Region Coordinator for a little over a year.
Ambition, political or otherwise? I hope to one day become a positive role model for young women facing obstacles in pursuing their dreams.  Oh, and politically -- Secretary of State.

Name:  Patricia G. Edmonson
Age:  Over 21
Born:  I was born in Atlanta and grew up in Manhasset, New York (Long Island)
Current Digs:  I live in Virginia Beach and work in Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake.
Occupation:  School Board Member, VBCPS, Home-Based Counselor, The Barry Robinson Center
Favorite part about the job:  I love being a School Board Member because I am able to influence public education policy in the largest city in Virginia.  I also love being a SB Member because I get to interact with the students, teachers, principals, and all the other great people who make up our school division.  I love January because it’s Reading Month and I get to read to elementary age students and pass on my love of books.  I love graduations because I get to see the hope and ambition of so many outstanding young people.  I love graduations at the Adult Learning Center, Central Academy, and Open Campus because these students (of all ages) overcame great hardship to achieve a high school education.  They are true believers in the “American Dream.”  I love participating in the non-partisan political process that makes up local government.  I love campaigning (and winning!) and talking to all the stakeholders in my community. I love my work at The Barry Robinson Center as a Home-Based counselor because every now and then I really make a difference in the life of a child and their family. 
Your first job ever?  A book store of course!  The Little Brown Shop, Manhasset, New York.  A small, independent, neighborhood bookstore.  I got to read EVERYTHING!
Favorite book?  One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Favorite movie?  Now Voyager
Comfort food?  French Fries
What's in your car CD player right now?  Diana Krall, Live in Paris
Next journey?  Spain
Favorite Virginia vacation spot? Charlottesville
First political memory?  The assassination of John F. Kennedy, Robert Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., the civil rights movement, the women’s movement.  1968.  The Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Tommie Smith, and John Carlos.  Bob Dylan.  The War in Viet Nam.  The draft.  The Bomb. The Beatles.  And then I could vote:  George McGovern.  Richard Nixon.
Whom do you admire and why? The Dalai Lama.  He lives his convictions, and never defines “the other” as the enemy.
Best advice you ever got?  Live compassionately and life will always be meaningful.
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why? Oprah Winfrey.  I admire her story.  She has overcome enormous difficulties and risen to become one of the most powerful women in the world.
Describe a perfect day.  Outdoors with good food, family and good friends
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you.  How much I love jazz music.
Ambition, political or otherwise?  To continue a career as a public servant.

Name: Robert N. Barnette Jr.
Age: 56
Born: I was born and grew up in Chase City, Mecklenburg County
Current Digs: I currently live in Mechanicsville, Hanover County. I work at E. I. Dupont in Richmond, VA
Occupation: Safety Manager
Favorite part about the job: Determining the root cause of operating errors and behavior and solving safety, productivity and quality management system issues..
Your first job ever? My first job was a stock clerk/bagger in a grocery store.
Favorite book? Harnessing the Power of Knowledge, Goldsmith.
Favorite movie?  Denzel Washington "The Great Debaters"
Comfort food? Baby back ribs
What's in your car CD player right now? Hezekiah Walker, Faithful is our God
Next journey? Make a positive difference leading Virginia National Guard to achieve its mission vision and goals.
Favorite Virginia vacation spot? Williamsburg
First political memory? I was chosen to run for president of the American Society of Safety Engineers.
Whom do you admire and why?  The person I admire is Tony Brown because of his PBS series Tony Brown's Journal, the longest-running of all PBS series. Tony is an out-of-the-box thinker and has many highly distinguished academic and professional accomplishments.
Best advice you ever got? The power of knowledge isn't about having it, it's about using it. As a safety professional I must use my knowledge of workplace safety to persuade management to take action.
If you could have dinner with any one currently living, whom would it be and why? Former Secretary of State Colin Powell. In my opinion Secretary Powell is one of the most ethical people, and I admire him. Making ethical decisions are not easy, especially when situations involve multiple points of view, conflicting objectives, incomplete knowledge or ambiguity.
One thing most people might be surprised to learn about you? I am a veteran of both Vietnam & Desert Storm.
Describe a perfect day. A perfect day is reading inspirational material such as the biographies of people who overcame great odds to succeed. If they can do it, I can to.
Ambition, political or otherwise? Write a book about my personal formula for success and happiness.