CHESAPEAKE — Vonda W. Chappell, attorney, civic leader, and longtime community advocate, has been named Chesapeake’s First Citizen for 2026 by The Chesapeake Rotary Club. The award will be presented on October 1, 2026, at 6:00 p.m., during a banquet held in her honor.

Chappell has been a Chesapeake resident for over 30 years, graduating from Kempsville High School and continuing her education at Old Dominion University (1992) and Regent University School of Law (1995), where she also served as an
Editor of the Regent University Law Review. Since 2001, she has served the Chesapeake community as an attorney with Kaufman & Canoles P.C. and was recognized by Best Lawyers in America for 5 years in a row (2020-2024). She is a managing member of the firm’s Chesapeake office and chairs the membership development committee.

Chappell’s community involvement spans many leadership positions and charitable initiatives across Hampton Roads. She is a past president of the Chesapeake Rotary Club and a board member and officer of The Chesapeake Rotary Foundation. She has also been the co-chair of the Chesapeake First Citizen Banquet Planning Committee since 2010, a volunteer for the Chesapeake Christmas Parade, and a member of the executive committee for the Chesapeake Wine Festival, all of which help generate funding for charitable grants and community initiatives throughout Chesapeake.

Beyond Rotary, Chappell has also demonstrated a high level of leadership across Chesapeake through service with the Chesapeake Economic Development Authority, Chesapeake Land Bank Authority, Chesapeake Transportation Authority, TowneBank’s Chesapeake Board, and the Hampton Roads Chamber Chesapeake Board. She is currently a member of the Chesapeake Regional Healthcare Authority and a past chair
and member of the Chesapeake Health Foundation. She also contributes her time to numerous other professional and community organizations throughout Hampton
Roads.

Chappell is known not only for her visible leadership but also for decades of steady, behind-the-scenes contributions that exemplify the Rotary motto, “Service Above Self,” and have helped make Chesapeake a stronger and more connected community.