Dear Alumni and Friends,
Wow, the fall season is marching on fast, the leaves are turning, and the Charles is upon us! This has been a turbulent fall so far between the record flooding (no damages. but we lost 15 days of water training), and we have lots of new coaches on both the men’s and women’s teams.
First, I would like to thank three people for their service and time served to Virginia Rowing:
Andy Fletcher (’92 Law) has served as the VRA Board President for the past eight years. In addition to his role as President, Andy served as a VRA board member and officer – most notably during the turnaround in 2009. In 2009, Andy took the risk of hiring me and supporting me in my risky and expensive vision for VRA and its execution. Andy was a tough but supportive mentor, and without his board leadership, VRA would not be where it is today!
Ellie Coles (Col ’17) was a coxswain on the team for four years, including the Henley Royal in 2017. Ellie returned to Charlottesville in 2020 and served tirelessly as a volunteer assistant coach for the varsity squad. Despite working a fulltime job, she was at the Boathouse every day running practices and provided additional coaching for all the coxswains. Her impact on the team was more than significant, and her support for the guys, especially during the pandemic, was invaluable. At the conclusion of the 2024 season, Ellie moved to Atlanta.
Matt Miller (Engr ’11) has been confirmed by the Board as the new president of VRA, effective August 2024. Matt has previously served on the Board as Vice President. We are grateful for Matt’s commitment to the team and leading us forward. He knows he has big shoes to fill, but we know our most recent Olympian has the wisdom and energy to get the job done!