Coach Jim Koehr with Founding VISAA President Dick Kemper and Seton AD Dan Vander Woude
On May 5, 2025, the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) gathered at the Hilton Hotel & Spa at Short Pump (Richmond) for their Silver Anniversary Legacy Awards Dinner to celebrate 25 years of excellence in independent school athletics across the Commonwealth of Virginia.
The evening was a moment to honor 25 “visionaries, leaders, and educators who helped build VISAA into the thriving organization [it] is today. We recognize the extraordinary contributions of those who, through determination and collaboration, laid the foundation for opportunities that now benefit thousands of student-athletes each year.”
Silver Anniversary Legacy Award
“The Silver Anniversary Legacy Award recognizes the vision, dedication, and enduring contributions of those who laid the foundation of VISAA. The honorees embody the association’s core values: fostering character development, inspiring excellence, and promoting respect and teamwork among diverse member schools.”
Silver Anniversary Legacy Award Recipients:
- Eddie Bailey (in memoriam), Greenbrier Christian Academy
- Cas Blanchard, The Potomac School & Bishop Ireton High School
- Chad Byler, Norfolk Academy
- Randolph Davis, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
- Karen Doxey, Collegiate School
- Beth Fore (in memoriam), Fuqua School
- Max Gillespie, Hampton Roads Academy
- Eric Gobble, Trinity Episcopal School & The New Community School
- Joan Holden, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes
- Kathy Jenkins, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes
- Butch Keller, Huguenot Academy/The Blessed Sacrament Huguenot School
- Dick Kemper, St. Christopher’s School
- Jim Koehr, Seton School
- Ed McFarlane (in memoriam), Blue Ridge School
- Bob Moore, Virginia Episcopal School
- Win Palmer (in memoriam), Flint Hill School
- Betty Jean Riddick, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy
- Betsey Rice, St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes
- Donna Satterwhite, North Cross School
- Micky Sullivan, Fork Union Military Academy
- Doug Tarring, St. Anne’s-Belfield School
- Lake Taylor, Pro-Bono Counsel to VISAA
- Frank Thomas, Hargrave Military Academy
- Dave Trickler (in memoriam), Norfolk Academy
- Ron White, Greenbrier Christian Academy
From the Event Program:
Jim Koehr
Seton School | VISAA Swim Coach | Visionary Volunteer Leader
Jim Koehr has spent over two decades shaping the sport of swimming across Virginia’s independent schools — all as a volunteer. Since 2000, Jim has served as Seton School’s swim coach, guiding the boys’ and girls’ teams to remarkable success. Along the way, he also gave his time and talent to Highland School, Wakefield Country Day School, Renaissance Montessori, and most recently, Trinity School at Meadow View (2023–24).
His dedication is unmatched — never accepting a paycheck, Jim poured his energy into developing student-athletes and advancing the sport statewide. Under his leadership, Seton’s girls’ swim team won 6 VISAA Division II State Championships (including four consecutive titles from 2008 to 2011) and the boys’ team captured 4 state titles, with additional state runner-up finishes on both sides.
His favorite memory? The 2006 VISAA State Championship Meet at UVA, where Seton’s boys captured the first-ever Division II state title — with two of his sons, Kevin and Sean, playing pivotal roles. It was a defining moment for VISAA Swimming and the Koehr family.
Jim served as Secretary of the VISAA Swim Committee for 14 years, helping guide the sport’s growth. He also won VISAA Swim Coach of the Year twice and oversaw Seton’s girls swim team winning its conference championship 23 consecutive years.
Jim holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the UVA Darden School of Business.
He and his wife Colleen are the proud parents of 12 children, including multiple Seton swimmers. And in a lighter moment of fame, Jim was crowned champion of the Fauquier Times–O’Brien’s Irish Pub Irish Jig Competition in 2024.
Here is the complete program from the evening: Program Final Version 4-28-2025
