2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26109359D

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 365

Offered March 9, 2026

Commending the Historic Hopewell Foundation.

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Patron—Dougherty

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WHEREAS, in 2025, the Historic Hopewell Foundation celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Lunch and Learn Lecture Series, an engaging and informative summer series featuring guest lecturers on a wide range of topics; and

WHEREAS, originally known as the James River Lecture Series, Lunch and Learn was established in 1995 by Mary Calos, who had served as both director of the Hopewell Tourism Information Center and president of the Historic Hopewell Foundation; and

WHEREAS, the James River Lecture Series initially offered free monthly lectures, with attendees bringing their own bag lunches; the program quickly became popular and outgrew its meeting space, which could accommodate only 15 people; and

WHEREAS, by 2007, the program had been renamed as the Lunch and Learn Lecture Series with Ann Robbins volunteering as the coordinator; the program began meeting weekly and was relocated to a larger space in the Appomattox Regional Library; and

WHEREAS, attendees were consistently delighted by the unique insights of the program's speakers and outgrew its meeting space yet again, and when David Harless, commander of American Legion Post 146, was elected as president of the Historic Hopewell Foundation in 2021, he suggested moving the Lunch and Learn Lecture Series to the post's spacious meeting hall; and

WHEREAS, after the move to American Legion Post 146, the Lunch and Learn Lecture Series began serving an optional lunch, along with free dessert and tea; Susan Robbins Eliades became the volunteer coordinator and began video-taping and broadcasting lectures, in addition to serving an average of 80 in-person attendees; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That the Historic Hopewell Foundation hereby be commended on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of its Lunch and Learn Lecture Series; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Historic Hopewell Foundation as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for the organization's work to provide free and informative programming to members of the public.