Riverview Woman’s Club appoints officers and awards scholarships

The inauguration of the Riverview Woman’s Club Board of Directors took place prior to the scholarship award ceremony at the Sweet Water Club at Sweet Water Grand The Bridges.

In an interview over lunch on June 19 at Riverview, co-founders Jeanne Burkeson and Donna Lee Fore recalled the club’s founding 12 years ago and celebrated its growth to more than 65 members, including a growing number of male members.

At the time, “I called the Riverview Chamber and asked if anyone had mentioned wanting to start a women’s club, and they referred me to Donna,” Burkeson said. The idea, she added, was to support education, raise money for scholarships and invite nonprofits to present their missions.

In addition, “it’s a good community,” Burkeson said. “You’re constantly meeting new people.”

At the board inauguration, Michelle Mosher of Southshore Insurance Professionals was inaugurated as president. She is expected to be “kind, considerate and willing to listen while leading.” She replaces current chair Dawn Myers of Myers Law PA

The first and second vice presidents are Kimberly Payne (Preservation First Capital) and Melissa Canfield (Grease Monkey). The secretary is Mary Lee Walker (Nonprofit Gladiator). The treasurer is Jennifer King (Jenn King Bookkeeping). Jill Jofko retires from the board as current chair. Fore resigns as treasurer and joins directors Ashley Falvey, Lisa Johnson, Lynn Langowski and Lisa Tackus.

Fore said the club and foundation have raised well over $60,000 in scholarships over the past 12 years for students with a Riverview address, including the children or grandchildren of club members.

The club raises money for scholarships through fundraisers and the Riverview Woman’s Club Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The three-member board of directors includes Burkeson (president), Fore (vice president) and Kitty Cunningham (secretary).

On June 19, six club scholarships valued at $1,000 each were awarded. An additional two scholarships were funded by individual club members.

Fore of PF Auto Glass, along with Jennifer Hart of Impact Taekwondo, funded a $1,000 scholarship. Larry Brooks, the club’s first male member and a reverse mortgage specialist at A&A Mortgage Funding, awarded the second $1,000 scholarship. He has funded need-based scholarships for East Bay High School students for 13 years.

This year’s club scholarship recipients are Alyssa Wheeldon (East Bay High), Kourtnee Gray (Lennard High), Sean Falvey and Alisha Parshad (Riverview High), and Denver Codner and Sophia Garcia Lilo (Sumner High). The Larry Brooks Scholarship was awarded to Omaris Ruiz-Rivera of East Bay. Angel Montejo of Riverview received the Fore and Hart Scholarship.

Also presented at the luncheon were three $1,000 scholarships from the Central Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce (formerly known as the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce) in memory of Dr. Earl J. Lennard.

“He was a great and caring man,” Fore said, “and his heart was in education.”

This year’s Lennard Scholars are David Frazier (Lennard High), Anais Degnan (Riverview High) and Valerie Dominguez (Sumner High).

The Riverview Woman’s Club meets the third Wednesday of each month. For more information, visit www.riverviewwomansclub.org.