Kiwanis Club Officers and Directors 2023-2024

President – Lyle Schweitzer

Lyle Schweitzer

Biography goes here.

President Elect – Tulane Patterson

Tulane Patterson

Tulane will be President of the Club again in 2024-25.  

P. Tulane Patterson is a native of Lynchburg and graduated from Hampden-Sydney College, BA and Lynchburg College, MBA. He founded Generation Solutions in 1998, a home retirement and home health care company, in Lynchburg and in Roanoke, Virginia. He is married to Claudia, and has 4 daughters. Now retired as I sold Generation Solutions Medicare Division in 2021 and GS Private Care in Lynchburg and Roanoke in 2022.  I still own GS Office Management Company.  He founded the Covenant Foundation in 2001, which transitioned into Centra PACE in 2009. He also founded Christian Health Outreach in 2011, a not-for-profit third world health care health education ministry. 

He joined the club in 1986 and was a member until 1996. He left when he moved to Asheville NC to run Deerfield Continuing Care Retirement Community, and he re-joined the club in 1998 when returned to start Generation Solutions. 

He wants to see the club be healthy and relevant. He would like to see membership return to over 50, but more important is to see the club active and making a difference for children in our community.  

Current and past roles:

Past Lt Gov. of Kiwanis and President of the Lynchburg Club, 

Past Chairman – Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce

Past Chair of Advisory Board – School of Business at Lynchburg College

Past President of the Board – Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra,

Past Board member of the Gerontology Center at Virginia Tech,

Past Board Member of The Free Clinic of Central Virginia,

Past Board of Interfaith Outreach Association, 

Past Treasurer of Central Virginia Area on Aging, 

Past Board CVCC Foundation

Past Board of New Vistas School 

Awards:     

Small Business Person of the Year (Virginia) SBA, 2015

D. Cloyd Award – Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce, 2015

Distinguished Service Award – Beard Center for Aging, 2008

Awarded Best Small Business Award 2008 – LR Chamber C, 2014 – Roanoke Chamber C, 2018 – Bedford Chamber C.

Awarded Home Care Elite 2006-2019 – OCS Medicare

Awarded Small Business Award 2012 – LR Chamber C

Past President – John Richards

John Richards

Biography goes here.

Secretary – Hilda Stevens

Hilda Stevens

Currently Kiwanis Club Secretary

Previous offices held: Board of Directors, VP, President Elect, President, Chair of Education & Benevolent Committee

She is a retired Elementary School teacher/reading specialist/literacy coach with 36 years of service in Virginia. She is the co-founder of Successful Innovations, Inc. educational consulting firm. She has been married to her husband, Terry, for 50 years. They have 2 adult children and 5 grandchildren.

She joined KCL in 2010, and engaged with the Terrific Kids service leadership program and the Teddy Bear Parade activities. She has traveled to the Kiwanis International Conventions in Toronto, Canada and Las Vegas, Nevada. 

She enjoys being a part of this wonderful organization with Christian values and a heart for helping children around the world.

Treasurer – Chris Howell

Chris Howell

Chris Howell has served as the Treasurer of the Kiwanis Club of Lynchburg for several years. Her role is to collect dues, pay expenses and ensure funds are expended in accordance with club bylaws. She currently serves as the Finance Manager for Miriam’s House, a local nonprofit working to end homelessness in the Lynchburg community. Chris has worked with several nonprofits and mission-minded businesses through the years, especially those focused on serving the most basic needs of individuals and families. The Kiwanis ideal of improving the world through serving children was a perfect fit for her servant’s heart so she joined in May 2010.

“I love getting to know such a variety of like-minded people as we work on projects, raise funds for Service Leadership programs and raise awareness of local resources. It has been great to have new people joining us to make a positive impact on our world.”

2nd Year Director – Howard Butler

Howard Butler

As a licensed independent Nationwide agent for thirty-one years, Howard Butler owned the Butler Insurance Agency in the Lynchburg area until December 2007 when he retired. For most of his working career, he also volunteered in his community through getting involved in numerous civic and charitable organizations. For 23 years, he served as a Trustee of the University of Lynchburg, retiring from the Board in September of 2020. As a member of the Kiwanis Club of Lynchburg for over 35 years, he served as Club president in 1996-97 and Lieutenant Governor in the Capital District in 2003-04, and worked on international goals to eradicate the iodine deficiency syndrome in children worldwide.

Currently, he is a member of the Hill City Master Gardener Association where he served as President from 2018-2020, having joined in February of 2008. He was honored with the Humanitarian Award in 1995, sponsored at that time by the National Council of Christians and Jews. He and his family attend the historic Court Street Baptist Church where he currently serves as the Chair of the Diaconate Ministry.

He graduated from Lynchburg College in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business Administration. He has been married to Geral Dean Butler for 59 years, and they have two daughters, Tami Butler Morton and Teri Butler Brandon, and four grandchildren. His hobbies include picture framing, swimming, gardening, and travel.

2nd Year Director – Laurie Gulluscio

Laurie Gulluscio

Board Member and Marketing Committee Chair

Laurie, a sales and marketing professional, is the owner of Gold Thread Marketing and Events. She joined Kiwanis in 2021 during the difficult time of the pandemic. She was so excited to come on board and use her network and skills to help out this historic organization, which was in the middle of their downtown playground fundraising efforts. During this time, we ramped up our online social media platforms to help raise awareness of the organization’s efforts.

She and her family have enjoyed investing in and serving alongside this wonderful organization. We hope you will come learn about our history of services – over 100 years worth!

2nd Year Director – Al Billingsley

Al Billingsley

Albert Billingsly is the Program Committee “Kaptain”, and he engages speakers for our meetings. He currently owns and runs Billingsly Insurance. Previously he was an engineer at BWXT. He enjoys riding his motorcycle.

He has been in the Kiwanis Club of Lynchburg for about 2 years.

2nd Year Director – Rob Gilbert

Rob Gilbert

Biography goes here.

1st Year Director – Dick Neth

Dick Neth

Dick Neth was born and raised in Waterbury Connecticut. He went to college in Brooklyn NY at Pratt Institute school of engineering with degree in Industrial and Mechanical Engineering. His grandfather was also an engineer, and he was able to get Dick a job during the summers at the Anaconda Copper Co. in Waterbury.

After graduation, he was hired by Anaconda, and then later went on to work for the Indian Head Corporation (where he received 2 patents for machine design), and finally Burlington Industries. This was over a span of 24 years. Then he and his wife Louise decided to leave the corporate world and go into business for themselves. They turned a hobby into a business, and in 1985 moved to Lynchburg to open the Deck the Walls custom framing and art store in River Ridge Mall. The store was there for 20 years, then moved to Wyndhurst for three years. He retired at age 70, about 17 years ago. So, after 9 states and 14 houses, he is now firmly planted in Lynchburg.

He has been a member of the American Society of Industrial Engineers, the Professional Picture Framers Association, the startup board of directors of Gleaning for The World, and in 1998, he served a 3-year term on the board of directors of the Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce.

He was married to Louise for 40 years, and she passed away in February 2002. He was a bachelor for 5 years, then met Pat on a blind date. They were married for 16 years, and he lost her in early 2023. Dick has 2 kids: a girl and a boy. His daughter (also an Industrial Engineer) just retired at the end of 2023. His son has driven an 18-wheeler all his life, and is still doing so.

Most people don’t know this, but in a previous life, he was a Rotarian. He has now been blessed to be a Kiwanian for 36 years, serving as your treasurer for about 12 years. He have served on the board for many terms, including this one until 2025. He is just glad to be here!

His goal for the Kiwanis Club is to see it grow to be the size it once was and take on a more meaningful role in the community. He will do whatever he can to try to make that happen.

1st Year Director – Kyle Simpson

Kyle Simpson

Kyle Simpson has been a member of the Kiwanis Club of Lynchburg since 2023 and joined the board in 2024. He returned to the role of programs manager for the Central Virginia Land Conservancy (CVALC) in October 2022. Since starting his first job in conservation, some 20 years ago, Kyle has held a number of roles spanning the federal, state, and nonprofit sectors. He holds a M.S. in parks and resource management from Slippery Rock University and a B.A. from Southwestern University. Prior to moving to Virginia, he was the executive director of the Chattanooga Audubon Society. Kyle enjoys canoeing, woodworking, and camping. He is also a leader in his son’s Cub Scouts pack and active with the Central Virginia Master Naturalists. He lives in Lynchburg with his wife and two kids.

1st Year Director – Luis Rivera

Luis Rivera

Biography goes here.

1st Year Director – Brad Weaver

Brad Weaver

Brad Weaver enjoys serving the children of Central Virginia through the Kiwanis Club of Lynchburg. He has worked in the insurance industry at Innovative Insurance Group for the past 25 years and joined Kiwanis almost simultaneously to launching that career in 1999. Being a Kiwanian has afforded him the opportunity to contribute to “…improving the world, one child and one community at a time,” by serving on various Kiwanis committees and projects. Seeing the lives of children change for the better is the motivation that makes him want to be a Kiwanian.

 When not working, he tries to spend as much time as possible with his three children first and foremost. Second to that, he enjoys reading, playing golf or tennis, and exercising.

Like Tulane (and others), he would like to see our membership grow to 50 members or more in the near term. We have lots of momentum in 2024, so 50 is within our reach.


                      COMMITTEES MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Projects ~ Pat Ferguson

Membership ~ Rob Gilbert, Sr.

Programs ~ Al Billingsly

Fundraising ~ Lyle Schweitzer

Service Leadership Program ~ John Richards, Glenn Updike, & Ken Kowalski

Spiritual Aims ~ Howard Butler

100-Year Anniversary Project ~ Ed McCann & David Heppner

House and Reception ~ Hilda Stevens & Gail Kowalski

Marketing & Public Relations ~ Trace Richburg 

Newsletter Editor ~ Lyle Schweitzer