At the recent COS Virginia State Leadership Summit in Charlottesville, each of the past state directors was awarded a 1987 Constitution silver dollar.
Representative of advancing Article V of the Constitution for Virginia, while wearing the enormously large activism boots of state director, are Chris Walker, Dennis Denton, and John Dahmen.
Serving for over 3 years as state director, Chris Walker led the Virginia team when he assigned me to the newly formed position of State Communications Coordinator.
Full of ideas, energy, and enthusiasm, Chris first signed the COS petition near the onset of our organization.
Persistently committed, Chris moved to a more focused position related to his love of engaging with legislators, by becoming Legislative Liaison in 2019.
His key initiative is activating volunteers to use an amazing COS tool at our fingertips, Telepatriot.
Telepatriot is an app on our phones where we can engage citizens to take action: attend an event, contact a state legislator, get out the vote…
If you’d like to be part of this team to rein in Washington DC, sign up here!
Stepping up to State Director in 2019 was the industriously organized Dennis Denton, who had become the State Grassroots Coordinator at the initial request of Chris Walker.
Also signing the COS petition in 2014, Dennis grew with the organization, learning every tool national gave us, training all the team members, including me.
Faithfully Dennis called me on the phone, as he did with other members of our team, to provide any support needed.
While Dennis and I worked together into 2017, national gifted us a new website, something Dennis and I learned together, each for our separate focus on our volunteer work.
Whisked away by national in 2020, Dennis became Regional Director of the Western states, because of his effectiveness of grassroots outreach.
Although we sorely missed Dennis, he continues to join us at Virginia events as we continued our mission.
Despite two years of no state director, our executive team knew the drill so we happily put our noses to the grindstone to persevere…the name of the game.
One of these executive team leaders stepped up in 2022, John Dahmen.
Signing the COS petition in 2016, John activated an entire region of Virginia as District Captain, then Regional Captain.
John’s exuberance to retire from his day job so he could be readily available energized our team was evidenced by his steady commitment to organize our team.
John’s manner has been very much about self-governance, by letting team members run with their gifts, providing them the tools they needed.
In fact every time National announced to the state directors of Comms plans, John's ready reply was: Talk to Laurie, she's the State Communications Coordinator.
Stepping away from the state director position, John Dahmen is moving to North Carolina to be near grandchildren.
However, John will continue to journey to Virginia to help with COS activities.
Meanwhile North Carolina, which is very close to becoming the next passed state (they are only short a couple votes in their state legislature), will be strengthened by John’s energy as he joins their COS team.
In fact, North Carolina has a huge event May 15 to become the 20th state to pass the COS resolution.
A win in North Carolina will boost Virginia.
As more states are added to the passed states list, more people get off the fence to support Convention of States.
So that is why COS Virginia State Grassroots Coordinator Nancy Koenig purchased 3 beautiful 1987 Constitution Silver Coins to present to each of the past directors at our recent leadership summit.
Beautifully inscribed on the front of these coins awarded Chris, Dennis, and John, is our country’s beloved document, the Constitution.
Emblazoned on the back is E pluribus unum: out of many, one.
The 13 letters that comprise this famous phrase represent the 13 states that formed a nation, through a unique document that put self-governance into motion.
If we can keep it.
That is Virginia's mission, to keep our republic, the strategy for which was discussed at our recent state leadership summit.
At these events, we meet face-to-face to train, strategize, and renew our energy with like-minded patriots.
Together we are advancing self-governance in our communities while educating the public about how Convention of States is the solution as big as the problem in Washington, D.C.
The key to our success is the many doing a little, not a few doing everything.
We have the numbers. Do you have the action?
We’d love to save America with you! Help us make history by signing up here.
