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College Honors 2016 Alumni Awards Recipients
Virginia Wesleyan recognizes Lindsey Reynolds '98, Amy Rickard '98, and Rodney Young Jr. '07
News Release | September 12, 2016
Virginia Wesleyan’s inaugural Founders Day, held Sept. 8, was a perfect opportunity to recognize the College's 2016 Alumni Awards recipients. Celebrated for their outstanding professional and personal accomplishments, this year's honorees are Lindsey E. Reynolds '98—Distinguished Alumna Award, Amy (Mallett) Rickard '98—Alumni Service Award, and Rodney D. Young Jr. '07—Graduate of the Last Decade Award.
“Recognizing alumni is among the most important traditions at the College,” said President Scott D. Miller. "Our accomplished alumni are the very best examples of a Virginia Wesleyan College education, and they are vital to our continued growth as a national liberal arts college.”
Recipients were honored during a morning Alumni Awards Celebration and again during the Founders Day Convocation held in the Jane P. Batten Student Center. Alumni Council President Mavis McKenley '11 introduced the honorees.
"There are many distinguished alumni of Virginia Wesleyan College, in many professions and many locations throughout the world," said McKenley. She then addressed the current Virginia Wesleyan students in attendance. "Our hope...is that you, too, will pursue your lives and careers in a spirit of service, leadership, achievements and contributions of many kinds. We stand with you as you join this wonderful tradition of honoring our heritage and celebrating your future."
Chartered in 1961, Virginia Wesleyan College first opened its doors to students on September 14, 1966. Since the College's first graduating class of approximately 75 students in 1970, the Virginia Wesleyan community has grown to include approximately 1,400 students and 9,000 alumni.
Congratulations to the 2016 Alumni Awards recipients:
Distinguished Alumna Award
Lindsey E. Reynolds ’98
Chief Operating Officer at the Democratic National Committee
Lindsey E. Reynolds ’98 is a veteran political strategist with local, statewide and national campaign, issue, policy and fundraising experience. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Virginia Wesleyan College.
Currently, Lindsey serves as the Chief Operating Officer at the Democratic National Committee, where she is responsible for overseeing day-to-day functions and working with the CEO to execute the long-term strategy of the party. Previously, she served as Director of the Office of the Secretary and the Executive Director of Democrats Abroad. Notably, Lindsey ran the first international coordinated campaign effort in 2008. Before working in Washington, D.C., Lindsey was an independent consultant offering campaign strategy and fundraising expertise to a diverse group of clients.
Prior to this, Lindsey served as the Executive Director of the Virginia State Democratic Party, where she oversaw the day-to-day operations; managed the annual statewide convention; and lobbied members of the Virginia General Assembly on various issues. Lindsey also oversaw the development of one of the largest centralized voter file systems in the country; increased participation and revenue by 78% in four years; and developed one of the largest state party candidate and party ID collections in the U.S.
Lindsey began her career as a legislative-aid to State Senator Stanley Walker (D-VA) and as Deputy Campaign Manager for his reelection campaign, followed by a position as Director of Finance for the Virginia Joint Democratic Caucus.
Lindsey is a Virginia native. She now lives with her husband and four-year old son, Mason, in Shady Side, Maryland, where they enjoy their dog, the Chesapeake Bay, and traveling.
Alumni Service Award
Amy E. (Mallett) Rickard ’98
Manager of Client Services for Southern Company Gas
Amy E. (Mallett) Rickard ’98 studied communication and media studies at Virginia Wesleyan College, and the breadth of her career since has taken place in the communication industry.
Upon her graduation in 1998, Amy began her career as the Marketing Manager for Spirit Cruises. She has since held progressive leadership roles at Chartway Federal Credit Union, DIA Advertising and AAA Tidewater Virginia, where she served as Vice President of Marketing. In 2014, Inside Business recognized Amy for her dedication to her alma mater and her business acumen as a "Top 40 Under 40" awardee.
Today, Amy is the Manager of Client Services for Southern Company Gas, a subsidiary of Southern Company, one of the nation’s largest energy companies. She is responsible for developing and executing integrated communication plans and strategies in support of various business unit initiatives.
Outside of her career, Amy has been a member of the Virginia Wesleyan College Alumni Council since 2010, serving her most recent term as president. She is most proud of her work to eliminate the Alumni Association’s membership dues in an effort to increase engagement and overall participation by alumni.
Amy is passionate about making a difference in her local community and giving back to her school community. She lives in Virginia Beach with her husband, Patrick, and two dogs.
Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award
Rodney D. Young Jr. ’07
Corporal for the Norfolk Police Department
Rodney D. Young Jr. ’07 gives back to his local community and the college community through volunteer work, sports mentorship, and his service with the Norfolk Police Department.
Rodney received his degree from Virginia Wesleyan College in recreation and leisure studies. During his time at Virginia Wesleyan, he played on the basketball team, even leading some of his teammates in service with the On-Campus Winter Homeless Shelter.
Upon graduation, Rodney worked patrol in the first precinct of the Norfolk Police Department until 2011, when he was assigned to the public housing unit. During his tenure in the public housing unit, he implemented a sports mentorship program to build positive rapport with the citizens of Norfolk and the Norfolk Police Department. In 2014, he was promoted to supervisor of the detective division, where he oversaw approximately 12 investigators and conducted investigations involving city employees, including Norfolk police officers.
Today, Rodney serves as a Corporal for the Norfolk Police Department and continues to manage the sports mentorship program he launched with the public housing unit.
Outside of the police department, Rodney serves on the Board of Managers for the Indian River YMCA and is the founder of the Blue Line Athletic Association (BLAA), established in 2013. The BLAA is a local adult/youth basketball league that provides a venue for developing healthy relationships, community, and skills through sport. The sporting events hosted by the BLAA raise money specifically for first responders in the Hampton Roads region, most recently through the Wounded Warriors Project.
Rodney lives in Virginia Beach with his wife, Kimberly, and their baby girl.