A Diverse Group of Leaders
Each year the Lead Virginia class comprises a diverse group of approximately 50 high-performing leaders from large and small businesses, economic development agencies, elected and appointed local and state government positions, education, and nonprofit organizations across Virginia. Participants may also be volunteers or retirees.
The commonality of all participants is a willingness to contribute their time and talents effectively to meet the rapidly changing needs and challenges facing Virginia. Lead Virginia aims to cultivate their interest and statewide knowledge and to build a strong network of people with a high level of civic concern and participation.
Mr. Jon Amores Jr.
Government Affairs Manager
Appalachian Power
Richmond
Mr. Lee Andes
Associate Director for Financial Aid
State Council of Higher Education for Virginia
Richmond
Mr. Eric Bateman
Communications Consultant
Dominion Energy
Richmond
Dr. Barbara Blake Gonzalez
Chief Administrative Officer
The Dragas Center for Economic Analysis & Policy, Old Dominion University
Norfolk
Ms. Karen Bradley
Director, Corporate Communications
Virginia Natural Gas
Virginia Beach
Dr. Porter Brannon
President
Virginia Peninsula Community College
Hampton
Mr. Brian Brown
Vice President, Healthcare
Hourigan Construction
Richmond
Ms. LeSean Carey
Director of Strategic Action
Air & Space Forces Association
Arlington
Ms. Malinda Carter
Associate Vice Chancellor, Human Resources
Virginia Community College System
Henrico
Mr. Matt Clarke
President
TowneBank
Chesterfield
Ms. Roxana Demeter
Communications Consultant
Dominion Energy
Glen Allen
Mr. Joe Diaz
Chief Operating Officer
Didlake, Inc.
Manassas
Dr. Eric Earnhardt
Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences
Germanna Community College
Fredericksburg
Ms. Michelle Ellis Young
Chief Executive Officer
YWCA South Hampton Roads
Norfolk
Mr. John Emery
President
Bon Secours Southside Medical Center & Southern VA Medical Center
Bon Secours Mercy Health
Petersburg
Mr. Andy Gail
Executive Director
Literacy Volunteers Winchester Area
Winchester
Mr. Frank Geovannello
Director, Procurement ESG Programs
Altria Client Services
Richmond
Ms. Kristen Greene
Director of Membership Development
Virginia Maritime Association
Norfolk
Mr. Shannon Hair
Vice President of Institutional Advancement & Development
Danville Community College
Danville
Alison Huffstetler, M.D.
Medical Director
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond
Mr. Jake Hughes
Vice President
JLL
Richmond
Mr. Pete Humes
Market President
Atlantic Union Bank
Fredericksburg
Ms. Ann Hyslop
Northern Virginia Program Director and Co-managing Director
GO Virginia
The SkillSource Group, Inc.
Fairfax
Dr. Marlena Jarboe
Academic Dean
Blue Ridge Community College
Weyers Cave
Dr. Dale Jones
Member, Board of Visitors
Virginia Commonwealth University
Alexandria
Dr. Shannon Kennedy
President
Rappahannock Community College
Glenns
Mr. Robert Krebbs
Vice President, Value Based Care & Provider Enablement
Sentara Health
Hanover
Mr. Tim McHugh
Associate Attorney
Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP
Richmond
Mr. Joe Mengedoth
Regional Economist
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Richmond
Mr. David Metnick
Managing Director
Accenture
Arlington
Ms. Cheryl Moore
Vice President and Corporate
Communications Officer
Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond
Richmond
Mr. Matt Needy
Vice President and Chief Transformation Officer
HII – Newport News Shipbuilding
Newport News
Ms. Natalia Noroko
Director, Commercial Pilots and Partnerships
Washington Gas Light Company
Reston
Mr. Ian Northrop
Chief Executive Officer
JHNA
Alexandria
Ms. Rachel Rees
Deputy Director
Virginia Health Care Foundation
Richmond
Ms. Anne Rogers
Director of Community Engagement and CAPS Program Manager
Virginia Foundation for Community College
Education
Richmond
Mr. Paul Rollins
Chief of Staff
University of Virginia’s College at Wise
Wise
Mr. Bob Schneider
Executive Director
Potomac & Rappahannock Transportation
Commission/OmniRide
Woodbridge
Mr. Dan Shelton
Senior Project Manager
Whiting-Turner Contracting Company
Chesapeake
Mr. Andrew Sinclair
Director, Federal Government Affairs
Port of Virginia
Norfolk
Ms. Jennifer Stevens
President & Chief Executive Officer
Virginia Ed Strategies
South Boston
Mr. Bryan Stogdale
Director of Regulatory Affairs
Columbia Gas of Virginia, Inc.
Chester
Dr. Nick Swartz
Interim Dean, School of Professional & Continuing Education
James Madison University
Harrisonburg
Ms. Trina Thames
Partner, Client Relationship Manager
Mercer
Richmond
Ms. Lisa Tharpe
Community Engagement Director
Longwood University
Farmville
Ms. Ashley Traficant
Director of Community Outreach & Engagement
Office of the Governor
Richmond
Mr. Shawn Utt
County Administrator
Smyth County
Marion
Dr. Lauryn Walker
Chief Strategy Officer
Virginia Center for Health Innovation
Henrico
Ms. Leah Williams-Rumbley
Senior Director of Advocacy
Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the
Eastern Shore
Norfolk
| Year | F. Name | L. Name | Organization | Title | Region |
| 2021 | Jeff | Dussault | Mercer, Inc. | Principal, Senior Client Manager | Richmond |
| 2021 | Carter | Hutchinson | Virginia Municipal League | Director of Fiscal Policy | Richmond |
| 2021 | Nicole | Poulin | Virginia Department of Social Services | Executive Director, Family and Children's Trust of Virginia | Richmond |
| 2021 | Buffy | Barefoot | Towne Bank | President Virginia Beach | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Robert | Bartolotta | Manhattan Strategy Group | Senior Program Associate | |
| 2021 | Jeremy | Bennett | Virginia Association of Counties | Director of Intergovernmental Affairs | Richmond |
| 2021 | April | Bingham | City of Richmond, Department pf Public Utilities | Deputy Senior Director | Richmond |
| 2021 | David | Bolcar | Newport News Shipbuilding | VP of Engineering and Design | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Alec | Brebner | Central Virginia Planning District | Executive Director | Southern Virginia |
| 2021 | Michael | Cardaci | HRTec | CEO | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Corey | Clayborne | American Institute of Architects | Executive Vice President | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Traci | DeShazor | Office of the Governor | Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth and Director of African American Outreach | Richmond |
| 2021 | David | Devan | Virginia Economic Development Partnership | Assistant Vice President, Economic Competitiveness | Richmond |
| 2021 | Vanessa | Diamond | Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond | Senior VP, Civic Innovations | Richmond |
| 2021 | Danielle | Dye | United Way of Southwest Virginia | Community Resilience Specialist | Southwest Virginia |
| 2021 | Michelle | Edmonds | Virginia Commonwealth University | Associate Dean of Nursing | Southern Virginia |
| 2021 | Jodi | Fisler | SCHEV | Associate for Assessment Policy & Analysis | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Stephanie | Ford | Warren Whitney | Director | Richmond |
| 2021 | Richard | Foster | Virginia Business Magazine | Editor/Chief Content Officer | Richmond |
| 2021 | Amy | Greear | Mountain Empire Community College | VP of Institutional Advancement | Southwest Virginia |
| 2021 | Renee | Haltom | Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond | Vice President Regional Executive | Richmond |
| 2021 | Hunter | Hanger | Hanger Law | Owner/Attorney | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Kalen | Hunter | Virginia Region One - UVA Wise | Program Director Economic Development & Go VA Region One | Southwest Virginia |
| 2021 | Martha | Hutzel | Central Rappahannock Regional Library | Executive Director | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Mark | Jamison | Lynchburg Police Department | Deputy Chief | Southern Virginia |
| 2021 | Herbert | Jones Jr. | Pyramid Technologies | Co-Founder & CEO | Richmond |
| 2021 | Raymond | Knott | Atlantic Union Bank | Senior VP Commercial Banking Executive | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Georgie | Marquez | Andre + Marquez Architechts, Inc | President | Hampton roads |
| 2021 | Edward | McAndrew | AIS Network | COO | Richmond |
| 2021 | Vanity | McDaniel | Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond | Senior Payments Business Advisor | Richmond |
| 2021 | Scott | McRoberts | Virginia Council of CEOs | Executive Director | Richmond |
| 2021 | Cecilia | Middleton | Accenture LLP | Director of North America Contract Management | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Brooke | Miles | RGC Resources, Inc. | Director of Human Resources | Southwest Virginia |
| 2021 | Sharon | Morrissey | Virginia Community College System | Senior Vice Chancellor, Academic & Workforce Programs | Richmond |
| 2021 | Michael | Ohmsen | Spring Oaks Capital, LLC | Department Manager | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Jean | O'Toole | Dewberry | Principal | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Bryan | Ozlin | The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. | Vice President | Richmond |
| 2021 | Steven | Partridge | Northern Virginia Community College | Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and Workforce Innovation | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Michele | Partridge-Lane | Russell's Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electric | Director of Business Development | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Nathan | Rasnake | University of Virginia's College at Wise | Assistant Director of Marketing | Southwest Virginia |
| 2021 | Jenny | Roberts | Northrop Grumman Corporation (Former) | Division Director (Former) | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Kyle | Russell | Virginia Health Information | Director of Strategy and Analytics | Richmond |
| 2021 | David | Sams | Virginia Department of Taxation | Director of Tax Policy | Richmond |
| 2021 | Natalie | Soucie | Virginia 811 | Head of Marketing & Communications; Freelance | Southwest Virginia |
| 2021 | Monica | Sturgis | The Port of Virginia | Chief Human Resources Officer | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Immanuel | Sutherland | Altria Group | Senior Manager, Corporate Citizenship | Richmond |
| 2021 | Eric | Vanover | Germanna Community College | Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences | Northern Virginia |
| 2021 | Andrew | Warren | Dominion Energy | Senior Policy Advisor | Richmond |
| 2021 | Thom | Watkins | Cox Business Virginia | Vice President Cox Business Virginia, Director of Sales | Hampton Roads |
| 2021 | Joseph | Wilkins | St. Francis Medical Center | President | Richmond |
| 2021 | Kelley | Miller | Reed Smith, LLP | Partner | |
| 2021 | Thomas | Watkins | Cox Communications | Retired Market VP Cox Business | |
| 2021 | Carter | Hutchinson | Informing Democracy | Director of Strategic Research and Policy Advisor | Richmond |