ANNOUNCEMENTS
Police department announces promotions, transfers
Following his promotion to chief of police last August, Col. Thierry Dupuis has announced the promotions and transfers of several Chesterfield County Police Department command staff personnel effective late last month. Lt. Russ Lescault has been promoted to captain and serves as the inspector with the Office of Professional Standards. Lt. Karen C. Carr has been promoted to captain and has become a watch commander with the Office of the Chief of Police. Lt. 

Lescault

David J. Pritchard has been promoted to captain and is the Midlothian district station commander.

Capt. Paige Foster has been transferred to the Criminal Investigations Division to serve as commander. Capt. Hal E. Moser has been transferred to the Police Training Division to serve as director. Capt. Daniel W. Kelly has been transferred to the Support Services Division to serve as commander.

In other announcements:

Carolyn M. Francis of Chester has been named assistant vice president of servicing operations at Virginia Credit Union. Francis is responsible for credit and debit card services as well as mortgage servicing. Francis has been with the credit union since 1998 and was previously servicing operations manager.

Carr

Virginia State University (VSU) climbed 19 spots in the 2008 U.S. News & World Report's annual ranking of America's best colleges and universities. In 2004, VSU adopted a long range strategic plan with a primary goal of improving its ranking. The university was then in the fourth tier and is now in the middle of the third tier. The region in which VSU was placed includes 119 peer institutions representing 12 states.

Several civic organizations in Chesterfield are donating dictionaries to county third-graders as part of the Dictionary Project. The Dale Ruritan Club will hand out about 1,200 dictionaries to students at Hening, Falling Creek, Beulah, Salem Church, Jacobs Road, Hopkins, Bellwood, Gates and Bensley elementary schools. The Midlothian Ruritan Club will hand out about 1,300 dictionaries to Watkins, Woolridge, Grange Hall, Bettie Weaver, Gordon, Clover Hill, Evergreen and Swift Creek. The Chester Rotary Club is giving out 700 dictionaries to students at Curtis, Wells, Ecoff, Marguerite Christian, Elizabeth Scott, Harrowgate and Enon. The Midlothian Rotary Club and Bon Air Rotary Club also plan to distribute dictionaries at several county elementary schools.

Pritchard

Anne Moss Rogers of Midlothian is developing a new Web site for Dr. Vic Goradia of Go Orthopedics in Chester, a full-service sports medicine and orthopedic facility.

Lee Higginbotham has been promoted to associate administrator for CJW Medical Center's Chippenham campus. He was the administrator of the Levinson Heart Hospital and is currently president of the Central Virginia Health Executives Group and vice chairman of the Capital Area Healthcare Advisory Council.

Zach McCluskey has been promoted to associate administrator for CJW Medical Center's Johnston Willis campus. After completing his administrative residency at CJW last May, he received his master's degree in health administration from MCV. Mc- Cluskey also has 10 years of experience as a paramedic with various ambulance services.

Higginbotham

The Chesterfield Board of Supervisors has reappointed Merdis Hudson for a three-year term to the SAFE board of directors.

The board appointed the following persons to the Youth Services Citizen Board: Penny Gilliland and Delores Jordan (three years each) and students Bhavik Shah, Nick Newman and William Enoch (one year each).

The board also appointed Shayne McDavid to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Commission and David W. Mathews, Daniel K. Smith and S. Joseph Ward to the GRTC board of directors.

Deputy Robert G. Burton of the Sheriff's Department has retired after 21 years.

Captain Brian D. Riffe (21 years), Firefighter Otis D. Duncanson (23 years) and Firefighter Dennis Bond (25 years) have retired from the Chesterfield EMS Department.

McCluskey

Lewis W. Riggins has retired from the Chesterfield Utilities Department after 21 years of service.

Shannon Michelle Hill of Troop 3355 has attained the Gold Award from the Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

Dallas Judson Gilreath of Troop 2854 has attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

Chesterfield resident Kathleen Demro has been elected as the president of the Junior League of Richmond. Demro joined the league in 1997 and previously served as membership vice president and as an elected board member. Other county residents who will serve on the 2007-08 Junior League board of directors include Lindsay Davis, Darby Lancaster, Denice McHale, Arlene Bjork, Laurie Cigal and Wendy Hopp.

Jeff Lawrence, of Midlothian, has been named director of surgical services at Henrico Doctors' Hospital. In his new role, Lawrence will oversee surgical services, facilities and personnel.

Demro