Wayne and Diane Dementi

One of the more pleasant tasks undertaken by the Goochland Board of Supervisors is honoring citizens who make our little corner of the world a better place.

On September 4, the board adopted a resolution honor of Wayne Dementi of Centerville following his induction into the Goochland County Parks and Recreation Wall of Fame. This recognizes individuals who have made longstanding humanitarian contributions to the community. Past honorees include Sally Graham of Goochland Cares; Ann Casey of Goochland CASA and Christmas Mother; Calvin Hopkins; and Vern Fleming.

Dementi’s trademark grin and can-do attitude are familiar to Goochlanders. His involvement in a wide range of community organizations has had a lasting impact on the community. It is not an exaggeration to say that if something good happened in Goochland in the last few decades, Dementi was involved, if not at the forefront.

These include the merger of Goochland Family Fellowship and the Free Clinic into Goochland Cares; creation of Tucker Park and founding of the Friends of Goochland Parks; the Courthouse Green restoration project; creation of Goochland Pet Lovers and overseeing the fundraising effort that made the adoption wing of the animal shelter possible.

Dementi’s local leadership roles include president of the Goochland Rotary Club, a community treasure in itself; the Goochland Historical Society; Goochland Cares; and the Goochland Chamber of Commerce.

A book publisher by trade, Dementi co-authored “Facts and Legends of Goochland County” to enrich community understanding of our past. (Available at the Goochland Historical Society http://www.goochlandhistory.org/ )

Of his induction into the Wall of Fame, Dementi said, “Goochland has a great culture for citizen involvement. We are truly blessed to have the county leadership we have. Dianne and I know we have been blessed to call Goochland home. Goochland is easy to love.