History – Junior Assembly Cotillion

Miss Cleiland Donnan

Susan Norton & Jackie Davidson

Katherine Byer & Liz Stanko

Liz Stanko

We owe a debt of gratitude to Junior Assembly Cotillion’s earliest founders and sustainers over the decades including:

1920-1936: Mrs. R. Turner Arrington and Miss Idear Steele Traylor

During this time, cotillion was called The Junior German.

1936-1944: Mrs. Edloe Donnan

During this time, cotillion was called the Junior Cotillion and then renamed The Junior Assembly.

1944-1984: Miss Janet Cleiland Donnan

First called The Junior Assembly, it was informally known to most as Miss Donnan’s Cotillion. More than 10,000 students were taught under Miss Donnan’s leadership.

1984-2008: Mrs. Jackie Davidson and Mrs. Susan Norton

During this time, cotillion was again renamed to Junior Assembly Cotillion to reflect both the organization’s history and purpose. This also was a pivotal time as Mrs. Davidson and Mrs. Norton worked together to quadruple the size of cotillion and added a Far West End location to compliment the existing downtown Richmond location. Their leadership, wisdom and passion for cotillion shaped the cotillion that our students and families currently experience.

2008-2021: Mrs. Katherine Byer and Mrs. Liz Stanko

Sisters Mrs. Byer and Mrs. Stanko shared their family business with so many Richmond families during this time. Prior owners and directors Mrs. Norton (mother of Byer and Stanko, retired in 2012) and Mrs. Davidson (retired in 2008) were instrumental in helping Byer and Stanko make JAC the timeless tradition that it is today. Mrs. Byer retired at the end of 2021 to spend more time with her family and pursue other passions in her home town of St. Louis, MO.

2022-present: Mrs. Liz Stanko

Mrs. Stanko enjoys every aspect of Junior Assembly Cotillion and is thrilled to continue carrying on the long-standing tradition and value-add that JAC brings to Richmond families, now more than ever before. She is passionate about helping our tweens and teens develop social self-confidence and important skills to help them be the best versions of themselves as they mature.

“You all are doing such a great job with this program and we have loved it. I have an older daughter who attended a different school and different cotillion than my son and I knew the minute I attended your information session that this would be different and MUCH better at Junior Assembly. William did it in 6th grade, took last year off and is back and loving 8th grade. He wants to do 9th grade and then be a Junior Assistant. These children need fun and positive activities in their lives and you are providing that and more.”

~A.H.

“As parents, our goal is to find programs that shape character, build confidence, and nurture kindness; and Junior Assembly Cotillion has done all of that and more for our daughter thanks to Liz’s heart-led leadership. When a dear friend first told me about Junior Assembly Cotillion a couple of years ago, she mentioned it was a program that not only welcomed students with disabilities, but truly believed in them. That has been our experience and more. Our daughter has Down syndrome, completed two years of cotillion and now proudly serves as a Junior Assistant. Watching her step into this role of greeting students, helping them feel confident, and taking her responsibilities seriously, has been one of the greatest blessings of our parenting journey. Liz has always seen beyond our daughter’s disability, choosing instead to see her gifts, her joy, and her potential. She didn’t just ‘allow’ her to be included, she encouraged her, championed her, and asked how she could better support other students with disabilities as well. That kind of heart is rare. We simply want what every parent wants: for our child to be accepted, valued, and given purpose. Junior Assembly Cotillion has been all of that and more for our daughter, and for us. It has allowed her to work toward her dream of having a job, while building confidence, independence, and community.“

~ Monica B.