Dear Members,

As former co-chair of the ACDCVA, I was gifted with the privilege of attending Governor Abigail Spanberger’s Inauguration on January 17 th . Together with my co-chair, Joan Paxton, and her husband, Terry, I sat and watched the inaugural ceremony, complete with music and marching and pageantry (and, fortunately, blankets and hot chocolate provided by the Spanberger team).
But I wasn’t there for the pageantry. I was there to hear our first woman governor make her statement of purpose. And I wasn’t disappointed.
At the heart of Spanberger’s speech was the importance of Story. The American Story.
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Virginia’s story. Her family’s story. Past chapters…and the chapters still unwritten:
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“Today, I stand before you on these steps not only as Virginia’s 75 th governor, but as someone who believes it is our duty to write the next chapter of our Commonwealth’s story….We will write this next chapter together, because throughout our history, no leader has ever made progress alone.”
“We are beginning a new chapter in our Commonwealth’s story. We need you to help us write it.”
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And that’s what I’m asking you all to do. Help us write the story of our time, and our place. It matters greatly now.
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Please take a few minutes and share your thoughts about how your life in the Alleghany Highlands is being affected by what’s happening in Washington:

What are you worried about?

What are you hoping?

What can we do together to keep our place and time strong, as we reach out to help those who need it?

As our new governor said on January 17: “Help us write the story of our time, and our place. It matters greatly now.”

Thank you.
Joan Vannorsdall 
Storytelling Committee Chair

Stories should be submitted directly to Joan Vannorsdall  joan.vannorsdall@gmail.com , who will work with contributors on light editing before any piece is published. Stories may be published with your name, initials, or anonymously, depending on your preference. With your permission, we may also invite some contributors to participate in follow-up video interviews to further share their experiences.