Governance

HRCA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit governed by a Board of Directors.  Daily operations are run by an Executive Director, a Director of Finance and Operations, Director of Programs, and Program/Administrative Assistant.

The HRCA Board of Directors consists of seven elected members and two non-voting executive staff members. The Board elects from its own membership the President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.

HRCA Board of Directors

2025 Annual Member Meeting was held on September 27, 2025. Congratulations to our new Board of Directors!

Karl Heck, President/Chair

Dr. Michelle Kirshenbaum, Vice-President

Elisha Agarwal, Secretary

Chasity Pritchett, Treasurer

Allison Berry

Mark Dunn

Henry Singletary

Next Annual Member Meeting: October 10, 2027 – National Chess Day at Old Donation School

HRCA Executive Staff

We are pleased to welcome Jennifer Gettins and Jackie Bowman as Interim Co-Executive Directors of the Hampton Roads Chess Association (HRCA).

Jennifer brings more than three decades of experience in communications, nonprofit leadership, community service, program management, and volunteer engagement. She holds a Master of Arts in Communication and Information Studies from Rutgers University, with a specialization in Organizational Communication and Human Relations, and a Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs from Florida State University, with a minor in Economics.

Earlier in her career, Jennifer served as Communications and Public Affairs Manager for the American Heart Association, coordinating public relations efforts throughout Southeastern Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina. In that role, she developed communication strategies, cultivated relationships with local media, served as a spokesperson, coordinated volunteers, and supported advocacy efforts at the state and federal levels.

Jennifer has also dedicated many years to community and volunteer leadership. She served as PTA president for a school of 1,400 students, where she oversaw an annual budget of $80,000. She has served as a Cub Scout pack committee chair and contributed hundreds of hours to volunteer leadership, outreach, and fundraising efforts supporting her children’s schools and U.S. Navy families.

Many within the HRCA community know Jennifer from her six years as the Old Donation School Chess Coordinator. In that volunteer role, she managed a program serving 120 students through six levels of weekly chess classes. Her success in developing and administering the program led to her joining HRCA as Program Coordinator. She was subsequently promoted to Director of Programs, assuming increasing responsibility for the organization’s programs, families, coaches, school partnerships, volunteers, and daily operations.

As Interim Co-Executive Director, Jennifer works with HRCA’s Board of Directors, staff, coaches, volunteers, members, families, and community partners to provide leadership continuity and advance the organization’s mission. She is committed to strengthening HRCA’s programs and bringing the lifelong benefits of chess to people of all ages and abilities.

Jennifer believes chess is much more than a game. It provides opportunities to develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, resilience, confidence, and a love of lifelong learning while bringing people together across generations and backgrounds.

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Jackie has been with HRCA since 2018, and brings more than two decades of experience in financial administration, organizational leadership, community service, fundraising, youth programming, and volunteer engagement. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences from Flagler College, with a concentration in Sociology and minors in Pre-Law and Political Science. Her professional development includes H&R Block’s tax-preparation program, Intuit’s bookkeeping and QuickBooks training programs, and Northwestern University’s nonprofit leadership cohort. She continues to pursue training in nonprofit management, governance, finance, risk management, compliance, and organizational leadership.

Early in her career, Jackie worked for an established law firm in accounting, secretarial, and paralegal support roles. After college, she moved into retail management before entering the foster care field as a family teacher in a residential group home. She briefly returned to the legal field before relocating to Washington state. She later homeschooled her child while taking on numerous volunteer, military family support, and community leadership responsibilities.

Jackie was introduced to chess through the local homeschooling community in 2012 and soon became involved in creating chess opportunities for young people. In summer 2013, she organized the original group of young players who met with HRCC founder Ernie Schlich at Beth Messiah to play rated chess. After Jackie and her family relocated to Annapolis, MD, the group of kids continued playing at HRCC and eventually developed into what is now HRSCC- under the vision and leadership of Tina Schweiss. While living in Annapolis, Jackie and her son operated a small community chess club.

In May 2018, Jackie returned to financial work and joined the HRCA team remotely as a contractor. During this time, Jackie also completed tax preparation classes, and worked as a tax preparer while also managing a busy tax office that ranked among the district’s top-performing locations.

Jackie’s nonprofit and volunteer leadership spans military, faith-based, and youth-serving organizations. She has held president and treasurer positions in military family support organizations, served on a military chapel council, and served as board treasurer for a local chapter of an international faith-based organization supporting women and families in military communities. Jackie has also led fundraising campaigns and community outreach initiatives, facilitated and taught faith-based education programs in Virginia Beach and Annapolis, and volunteered as a Boy Scouts of America leader, merit badge counselor, and troop committee chair.

Jackie has also supported the growth and delivery of HRCA’s chess programming by cultivating relationships with community partners, helping to coordinate tournament and event logistics, standardizing administrative and financial procedures, strengthening safety and compliance practices, and developing systems that improve communication and the participant experience. As HRCA grew, Jackie took on additional responsibilities as School Chess Coordinator and also provided internal nonprofit consulting support as a volunteer. In 2023, she advanced to Director of Finance and Operations, a position she continues to hold today. In this role, Jackie oversees financial management, human resources, technology, compliance, contracts, social media and marketing, communications, fundraising, policy development, risk management, and administrative operations.

During her tenure, she has helped HRCA grow from an annual budget of approximately $50,000 to more than $300,000 and expand its annual reach from approximately 100 participants to more than 1,000. Jackie has completed youth-protection training through SafeSport, Scouts BSA, and VIRTUS.

In her dual role as Interim Co-Executive Director and Director of Finance and Operations, Jackie works with HRCA’s Board of Directors, staff, coaches, volunteers, members, families, and community partners to strengthen the organization’s infrastructure, promote responsible nonprofit governance, and ensure that its programs remain sustainable and accessible.

Jackie believes chess can foster intellectual growth, confidence, resilience, sportsmanship, and meaningful relationships. She is deeply committed to building a strong, transparent organization that serves the public good, strengthens the local community, creates opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to learn, play, and connect, and serves as a model for other chess nonprofits.

Photos courtesy of Brenna Behel Photography