Officials of the Mrs. Virginia International Pageant provided the banner Thursday for Amy Susanne Spencer and she was officially named &uot;Mrs. Suffolk International 2003.&uot; Mayor E. Dana Dickens III in City Council Chambers greeted her as she posed for her first official photographs.

As Mrs. Suffolk International, Spencer will represent Suffolk at the 2003 Mrs. Virginia International pageant to be held in Bristol, Virginia at the Paramount Theatre from July 2-5. She will compete for a grand prize package and the opportunity to represent Virginia at the Mrs. International competition.

Spencer is the wife of Timothy Spencer and the mother of three children; Monica, 16 months; Ryan, 4; and Allyson, 9.

Spencer is a consultant for Creative Memories, and helps preserve the memories and keepsakes collected over the years.

The Mrs. International system recognizes women for their commitment to family, profession, and community stewardship. Throughout her year, as Mrs. Suffolk International, Spencer will not only compete for the state crown, but will also make appearances, do special presentations, take part in parades and assist with civic and non-profit oriented projects.

&uot;The pageant began 17 years ago, and it was developed to have higher standards than other pageant systems,&uot; said Spencer. &uot;Each contestant competes in interview competition counting 50 percent, evening gown for 25 percent and physical fitness for 25 percent. Each contestant is given the opportunity to select a platform of her choice that she spends the year promoting. Our husbands are a part of the show and they escort their wives in evening gown competition, and it’s the husband who actually crowns his wife.&uot;

Spencer’s focus is usually toward serving others, and she serves as a certified emergency medical technician, a volunteer EMT, and bike team member, a facilitator for school activities and fundraisers, a volunteer tutor and chaperone, and a certified US Navy Ombudsman.

Educated at Strayer University, she is working toward a bachelor of business degree. She has studied the 2000 Introduction to MS FrontPage and MS Excel, and in 1999, she learned Simplified and Advanced Acquisition Procedures at Yorktown. In 1996, she learned about Centralized Shipboard Supply, also in Yorktown.

Looking at the slender blonde-haired woman, it is difficult to imagine, however she is also a qualified boat crewmember for search and rescue, law enforcement and medical evacuations. In fact, the number of duties to which she was assigned in the Coast Guard is countless. In each, she excelled.

Spencer is seeking sponsorship support as she prepares for the Virginia State Competition. John Workman and State Farm Insurance Agency of Norfolk have already signed on to support Spencer’s run for the crown.

Any person, business, club, civic group, or church interested in sponsoring Mrs. Suffolk, or anyone who would like more information about the Mrs. Virginia International, please call: 934-3508.

The deadline to sign up to sponsor Mrs. Suffolk is May 1.