Youngkin Appoints Null to State Executive Council for Children’s Services

Barbara Null, James City County Board of Supervisors, Stonehouse District, was recently appointed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to serve on the State Executive Council for Children’s Services, the county announced on its Facebook page.
According to the county, the State Executive Council for Children’s Services assures collaborative programmatic policy development, fiscal policy development and administrative oversight for the efficient and effective provision of child-centered, family-focused and community-based services to eligible emotionally and behaviorally troubled children/youth and their families in the least restrictive, appropriate environment. The Council assures the Governor, and appropriate Cabinet Secretaries are well informed in matters related to the aforementioned areas, it added..
Atlantic Union Bank Offers 50 Paid Internship Grants for Community-Based Organizations
Atlantic Union Bank’s Future Community Impact Makers grant application program remains open for nonprofits and community-based organizations to support 2025 paid summer internship programs.
Fifty grants of $4,000 each will be awarded across the bank’s service area for a total community investment of $200,000. This year, an additional 20 grants were added to the program. Atlantic Union Bank said it will award up to 50 organizations with the majority of the funding — $3,600 — intended to go directly to intern wages.
Organizations must be community-based — nonprofits, government entities, community foundations, etc. — and commit to hosting an undergraduate- or graduate-level student in an eight-week, direct-permanent hire, paid internship program, according to Atlantic Union Bank. The grant recipients will have full discretion on the intern’s job description and hiring decision.
Grant applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Jan. 31. Awards will be announced by email no later than Feb. 17. Interested organizations can find more information and apply at AUBCares.com.
James City County Williamsburg 2024 Master Gardener Class graduates

At its December monthly meeting, the James City County Williamsburg Master Gardener Association officially graduated 21 members of the JCCW Master Gardener Class of 2024. In eight months the group provided almost 2,400 volunteer hours to community projects to become full-fledged members of the James City County Williamsburg Extension Master Gardener organization, the organization said.
JCCPD Offering Free Firearms Safety Classes in 2025
The James City County Police Department is offering the public free one-session Firearms Safety Classes. Open to all ages, the classes will cover topics such as firearm safety, handling, storage, and the laws regarding carrying a concealed handgun in Virginia.
This course does not include hands-on training, and the police department advises participants to leave all personal firearms securely stored at home.
Upcoming classes:
- Feb. 8, 9 a.m.-noon
- March 18, 6-9 p.m.
- April 26, 9 a.m.-noon
All classes will take place at the James City County Law Enforcement Center, located at 4600 Opportunity Way, Williamsburg, VA 23188. Class sizes are limited to 20 participants per session on a first-come, first-served basis, and registration is required at least 48 hours before the start of the class, the department said.
To sign up for a class, visit the registration portal on SignUpGenius.
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Holding Hiring Event for First Responders
Navy Region Mid-Atlantic will hold an on-the-spot hiring job fair for federal police officers, security guards, and 911 dispatchers for Navy installations in Hampton Roads.
The hiring event will take place on Wednesday, Jan. 29 at the Tidewater Community College Student Center, 120 Campus Drive, Portsmouth, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is open to the public.
Qualified candidates will have the chance to be interviewed, offered a tentative job offer, and begin the background screening process on location, according to Navy Region Mid-Atlantic public affairs. Eligible qualified police officer and security guard applicants may receive a hiring bonus of up to $25,000. The amount received will depend on the hiring grade of the candidate.
To qualify, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Be a U.S. citizen
- Have a valid U.S. issued driver’s license
- Have no felony convictions
- Be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance
Virginia Employer/Payer 2024 Withholding Tax Deadline is Jan. 31
Friday, Jan. 31, is the due date for submitting 2024 withholding records, including W-2 and 1099 forms, according to Virginia Tax.
In addition to W-2s, all 1099 forms should also be submitted to Virginia Tax by Jan. 31, it said. Issuers of 1099 documents can find current specifications in our W-2/1099 Guide for Web Upload.
Virginia Tax also accepts corrected W-2s (or “W-2Cs”) for Tax Year 2021 and beyond, it said. Use this form to update or change wage or withholding data. For Tax Year 2020 and prior years, payroll providers and employers will need to submit written copies of updated W-2s.
There are two free, online filing options available to help in submitting withholding records electronically:
- eForms, a fast and free way to file and pay state taxes online; and
- Web Upload, allows you to file and pay employer withholding and income tax statements.
The authentication process works the same way for W-2Cs and W-2s, so taxpayers should be prepared to enter requested withholding info to be authenticated, according to Virginia Tax.
Visit the Virginia Tax website for more information, or call the Virginia Tax Business Customer Service team at 804-367-8037.
Chesapeake Bank Announces Executive Team Transition Within Chesapeake Payment Systems Division

Chesapeake Bank recently announced the promotion of DJ Seeterlin to President of Chesapeake Payment Systems, a division of the bank that offers merchant acquiring services.
Seeterlin, who has been with Chesapeake Bank for 13 years, most recently in the role of Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer, will be taking over duties for long-time executive Kate Root as she transitions to a part-time role as Director of Partner Strategy within Chesapeake Payment Systems, it said.
Seeterlin has led the development and launch several innovative payment products, the bank said, including the use of instant payments networks FedNow and RTP. He is an active member of the payments industry, serving on numerous board and committees, including as co-founder and Board Member of Rebolt Financial Technologies, and Chair of the American Bankers Association’s Payments Systems Admin Committee.

In his new role as President of Chesapeake Payment Systems, Seeterlin will lead the team to support and grow the partnerships with Independent Sales Organizations (ISOs), Payment Facilitators, Processors, Sales Agents, Agent Banks, and the thousands of businesses that are enabled to process payments, according to the bank.
In her new role as Director of Partner Strategy, Root will focus on ensuring the growth and success of the division’s high-value partner relationships, and developing new partner opportunities, while continuing to provide ongoing senior leadership within the division, it added.
Chesapeake Financial Shares adds Dede Ramoneda to Board of Directors

Chesapeake Financial Shares recently announced the appointment of Dede Ramoneda to its Board of Directors.
According to Chesapeake Financial Shares Ramoneda’s career spans multiple industries, including financial services, energy, and consulting.
Ramoneda’s contributions have been acknowledged through various industry accolades, it noted, including Computerworld’s Best Places to Work in IT (2023), Orbie Award: Carolina Enterprise CIO of the Year (2022), and Triangle Business Journal’s CIO of the Year (2014). In addition to her professional achievements, Ramoneda has demonstrated leadership in board roles at several organizations.
As a board member, Chesapeake Financial Shares said Ramoneda will bring expertise in digital transformation, risk mitigation, IT strategy, executive leadership, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
Ramoneda received her Bachelor of Science, Industrial Management from Louisiana State University, her Masters of Business Administration from Crummer Graduate School of Business at Rollins College, and her Executive Education from The Wharton School.
Chesapeake Financial Shares Reports Earnings and Declares Dividend
On behalf of Chesapeake Financial Shares, Inc., parent company of both Chesapeake Bank and Chesapeake Wealth Management, Jeffrey M. Szyperski, Chairman of the Board and CEO, reported earnings for calendar year 2024 of $11,427,860, representing a 12.9% increase over 2023 earnings.
The reported earnings per share were $2.422 fully diluted as compared to $2.151 in 2023, it said. Chesapeake Financial Shares ended the year Dec. 31 with total assets of $1,524,646,193, a 3.96% increase over year-end 2023. Nonperforming assets were 0.328% as of Dec. 31, compared to 0.255% at Dec. 31, 2023.
At the Jan. 17 Chesapeake Financial Shares Board of Directors meeting, the board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.16 per share effective March 1, payable on or before March 15. The company said it has increased its dividend for 32 consecutive years. The stock currently has a 3.47% dividend yield.
For more information about Chesapeake Financial Shares stock, or to receive daily e-mail alerts of our stock price, see chesapeakefinancialshares.com. The company notes it is followed by Zacks Investment Research, and a copy of their report can also be found on this site or at zacks.com. Follow Chesapeake Bank on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X, LinkedIn, and YouTube.