Lead Virginia Announces 2015 Class Members
LEAD VIRGINIA ANNOUNCES 2015 CLASS MEMBERS
Connecting leaders to shape Virginia’s future
RICHMOND, Va. (May 6, 2015) – Lead Virginia, the statewide leadership program now entering its eleventh year of educating Virginia’s leaders about the issues most relevant to the Commonwealth, has announced its 2015 class members.
The 54 class participants are senior-level executives in business, education, non-profit and government agencies throughout the Commonwealth. They are experienced, recognized leaders within their professions who are seeking to bolster a shared vision of active community involvement and stewardship across Virginia. A complete list of the class participants is enclosed.
Lead Virginia’s 2015 curriculum centers on the key themes of economy, education, and health and cultivates a statewide perspective by examining the technology, economic development, demographics, transportation/growth management, and quality of life issues impacting the Commonwealth in each of the regional sessions.
“Lead Virginia gives leaders insight into regional and statewide problems and access to essential resources to determine solutions by engaging class participants on issues relevant to their communities and others throughout the state,” said Susan Horne, president and CEO of Lead Virginia. “Graduates of the Lead Virginia program are better equipped to facilitate change throughout the Commonwealth and offer innovative solutions that will positively affect citizens in the years to come.“
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The 2015 sessions will be held in seven regions throughout the state. The leaders participated in an orientation and opening session in Williamsburg April 16-18 and will, in upcoming months, visit Southern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley, Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Hampton Roads, and Central Virginia. The class program will conclude with a final session and graduation dinner and awards program in Richmond, November 19-21, 2015.
Lead Virginia reaches a 10-year milestone of its statewide leadership program in 2015, having been founded in 2005 through an effort among community leadership programs, academic and business leaders seeking a way to educate and connect leaders across the Commonwealth. This year, Lead Virginia will number 500-plus participants in its statewide program since its founding. Anniversary events included a Founder’s Day reception in March, which recognized inaugural class members from 2005 as well as founding board members, and will conclude with a 10th Anniversary Awards Gala in November to be held at the historic Altria Theater.
About LEAD VIRGINIA
Lead Virginia was incorporated as a charitable and educational organization in March 2005 and is patterned after similar models of statewide leadership programs across the nation. Led by a board of directors composed of business, education, government, non-profit and community leaders from across Virginia, Lead Virginia uses a proven model for developing a statewide network of leaders by engaging academic, business, civic and government advisors to educate class members on the wide range of key issues in Virginia. 2015 sustaining sponsors of the program include Altria, Bon Secours Richmond Health System, and Norfolk Southern Corporation. Additional supporters include Dominion Resources, Union Bank & Trust, Claude Moore Foundation, Virginia Business, Columbia Gas, MWV, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission, Washington Gas and Wells Fargo. For more information, visit www.leadvirginia.org.
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Lead Virginia Class of 2015
Mr. Nasser Akari
Division Head, Business Transformation Office
Washington Gas
Springfield
Mr. Jim Bibbs
Chief Human Resources Officer
Port of Virginia
Norfolk
Mr. Auzzie Brown
Chief of IT/Cybersecuirty
Business Development
CREC, LLC
Fairfax
Ms. Marshella Burton
Contracts Manager
Accenture
Arlington
Ms. Kim Clark Pakstys
Founder and Managing Partner
Strategic Organizing Solutions
Tysons Corner
Mr. Steve Cox
Vice President, Public Relations
Sodexo, Inc.
Gaithersburg
Dr. Susan Crosby
Coordinator, Institutional Research and Effectiveness
Blue Ridge Community College
Weyers Cave
Dr. Chris Davidson
Director, Global Sustainability
MeadWestvaco
Richmond
Mr. Christian Deschauer
Director, Government Relations
Transurban
Alexandria
Mr. Tom Ebel
Attorney/Shareholder
Sands Anderson PC
Richmond
Mr. Bill Eubank
Sales Manager
Luck Stone Center
Manakin-Sabot
Ms. Cathie France
Chief Public Affairs Officer
Port of Virginia
Norfolk
Dr. Yvonne Harris
Vice Provost of Research & Scholarship
James Madison University
Harrisonburg
Mr. Dave Harriss
Director, Logistics
Operation Unified Assistance
Norfolk
Ms. Anna James
Policy Director
Office of the Governor
Richmond
Mr. Michael Joyce
President
JoycePayne Partners
Richmond
Ms. Wendy Kang
Director of Higher Education Innovation
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Richmond
Ms. Jody Keenan
State Director, Virginia Small Business Development Centers (SBDC)
Managing Director, Mason Enterprise Center
George Mason University
Fairfax
Mr. Van Knick, II
Senior Vice President/Market Executive
Capital One
Richmond
Mr. Bob Latvis, Jr.
Vice President, Field Service
Cox Communications
Norfolk
Mr. Steve Light
Director of Operations and Public Awareness
VA811
Roanoke
Ms. Teri Lovelace
Vice President, Community Impact & Investments
Virginia Community Capital
Richmond
Dr. George Low
Dean, College of Business and Economics
Radford University
Radford
Dr. Melissa Lubin
Director of Commonwealth Campus Centers in Richmond, Newport News, and Virginia Beach
Virginia Tech
Richmond
Mr. Eric Mann
Senior Vice President, Commercial & Business Banking
SunTrust Bank
Richmond
Ms. Ricki Marion
Director of Development and Community Relations
Workhouse Arts Center
Lorton
Mr. Brian May
Senior Manager, Communications
Altria Client Services
Richmond
Mr. Brendan McCormick
President
70 Douglass Communications
Glen Allen
Ms. Tammy McGee
Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Manager
Wells Fargo
Richmond
Ms. Joan McKenna
Shareholder/Attorney
LeClairRyan
Richmond
Ms. Lori Merricks
Director of Marketing & Communications
Danville Regional Foundation
Danville
Ms. Margaret Mitchell-Jones
Director, Communications, Cyber and Intelligence Divisions
Northrop Grumman
McLean
Mr. Jason Morris
Assistant General Attorney
Norfolk Southern Corporation
Norfolk
Mr. Ron Murray
Vice President for Quality and Process Excellence
Huntington Ingalls Industries - Newport News Shipbuilding
Newport News
Dr. Bill Murray
Managing Director, Public Policy
Dominion Resources Services, Inc.
Richmond
Mr. Grant Neely
Chief of Staff
City of Richmond - Mayor's Office
Richmond
Mr. Jeff Nulf
Senior Director
NIC, Inc.
Arlington
Mr. Steve Quiriconi
Vice President, Finance
Bon Secours Richmond Health System
Richmond
Dr. Craig Ramey
Professor and Distinguished Scholar of Human Development, Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics
Virginia Tech
Roanoke
Ms. Mitzi Reynolds
Executive Director
Virginia Foundation for Community College Education
Richmond
Ms. Pallabi Saboo
Chief Executive Officer
Harmonia Holdings Group, LLC
McLean
Ms. Gina Slaunwhite
Manager, Government Policy & Customer Efficiency Programs
Columbia Gas of Virginia
Chester
Mr. Jay Steele
Attorney/Partner
Hirschler Fleischer
Richmond
Mr. Bryan Stephens
President & CEO
Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce
Norfolk
Mr. Kevin Sullivan
Associate Vice President and General Counsel
Virginia Tech Foundation, Inc.
Blacksburg
Rear Admiral (Ret.) Kevin Sweeney
Interim President & CEO
Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance
Norfolk
Mr. Brian Taylor
Small Business Manager
Union Bank & Trust
Richmond
Ms. Sandy Tormoen
AVP and Community Affairs Officer
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Richmond
Mr. Bobby Turnage, Jr.
Partner
Venable LLP
Tysons Corner
Ms. Tiffani Underwood
Executive Director
United Way of Henry County and Martinsville
Martinsville
Ms. Julie Walton
Director of Community Development and Code Compliance
County of Prince George, VA
Prince George
Mr. Bill Wendle
Coordinator of Major Gifts and Planned Giving
University of Virginia at Wise
Wise
Ms. Ann-Cabell Williams
Executive Vice President, Retail Executive
EVB
Ashland
Ms. Kathy Woollum
Principal
Mercer
Richmond