Appointed/elected
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced additional key board appointments. Norfolk Sheriff Joseph Baron was appointed to the Opioid Abatement Authority. Chris Gullickson of Chesapeake, director of development and transportation policy at the Port of Virginia, was appointed to the Virginia Offshore Wind Development Authority. Kelly Kale of Williamsburg, pharmacist at Olde Towne Pharmacy Inc., was appointed to the Board of Pharmacy. David Abraham of Virginia Beach, president and CEO of Beth Sholom Village, was appointed to the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority. Joel R. Nied of Virginia Beach, partner at Price Benowitz LLP, was appointed to Virginia Commonwealth University Health System Authority’s board of directors. Meghan Hurt of Norfolk, training director at Tidewater Electrical Industry Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, was appointed to the Apprenticeship Council. Pieri Burton of Virginia Beach, agent with Wainwright Real Estate, was appointed to the Real Estate Board. Cynthia Free of Virginia Beach, industrial rehab coordinator at Atlantic Orthopedic Specialists Physical Therapy, was appointed to the Virginia Board of Workforce Development. Preston M. White of Virginia Beach, corporate adviser at Century Concrete, was appointed to the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. Mike Dunavant of Virginia Beach, senior academy manager for Virginia at Prison Fellowship Ministries, was appointed to the Corrections Oversight Committee. Colin Kelly of Norfolk, retired vice president of construction for CPV Inc., was appointed to the Virginia Solar Energy Development and Energy Storage Authority. Jared Chalk of Norfolk, chief business development officer at Hampton Roads Alliance, was appointed to Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Committee on Business Development and Marketing. Bonnie Bradshaw of Suffolk, caregiver for Consumer Direct Care Network Virginia, was appointed the the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission. Margaret “Meg” Lemaster of Chesapeake, adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Dentistry, was appointed to the Board of Dentistry. Dr. Michele Nedelka of Virginia Beach, radiation oncologist at Bon Secours Mercy Health, was appointed to the Board of Medicine. Dr. Walter E. Vest III of Virginia Beach, retired physician, was appointed to the State Board of Health. Stephen Mallon of Hampton, executive director of the Downtown Hampton Development Partnership, was appointed to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel Commission. Robert Bowen of Virginia Beach, retired executive director for Norfolk Airport Authority, was appointed to the Virginia Aviation Board.
Hope House Foundation announced its 2024-25 board of directors. The officers include President Tom Moss III, consultant at Atlantic Benefit; Vice President Bryan Fowler, chaplain at Architectural Graphics Inc.; Secretary Scott Guirlinger, senior manager for User Experience at Hexagon; and Treasurer Angela Ianni, Capital Group. Other board members include Dorothy Clark, DiAna White, Jonathan Gray, Janet Davis-Merlo, Pam Katrancha, Richard C. Mapp III, Dr. Tom McCune, Victor Pope and Antoine “Tony” Jaume. Recent awards were presented at the agency’s annual dinner. Honorees were Moss for the Board Achievement Award, Jennifer Serina for Direct Support Professional of the Year, Lawson Cos. for the Jeff Miller Award and the Ghent Business Association for the Community Award.
Awards and honors
Norfolk-based PRA Group Inc., which acquires and collects nonperforming loans, achieved the Center of Personal Protection and Safety’s Safe Workplace Certification. The certification signifies the company’s dedication to continuously improving its safety protocols and fostering a culture of communication and accountability throughout the organization.
York County was named one of the nation’s top digital counties by The Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties. York County placed second, moving from third place, in the category of counties with a population of 150,000 or less. York launched its modern tax software solution, Avenity CountyOne; collaborated with IT departments statewide on legislation and has the latest technology in its new law enforcement building. It also has accessible tools such as its GIS Dashboard and a “Budget Shorts” video series.
Virginia Beach-based Coldwell Banker Premier, along with its founder and CEO Steve DuBrueler, was named a 2024 RealTrends GameChanger for the second year in a row. The designation is awarded based on a company’s growth in transaction sides over a five-year period.
For the second consecutive year, the Virginia Beach Police Department’s Animal Services Bureau has been recognized with the No-Kill Award by the Best Friends Animal Society, highlighting the bureau’s efforts in humanely caring for animals at the Animal Care and Adoption Center. The organization’s No-Kill Award is reserved for shelters that save at least 90% of dogs and cats that come into the shelter. After a 90.3% save rate in 2022, the ASB saved 90.4% of cats and dogs in the shelter in 2023.
The Craig and Shelley Smith family, Kitchen Tune-Up owners based in Williamsburg, were recently recognized as Franny of the Year at the company’s national reunion in Minneapolis in June. The award is given to the top overall franchisee in the system. The Smith family earned the title for their excellent performance in 2023, including sales, providing outstanding customer service and delivering exceptional service offerings.
The Breeden Co.’s vice president of marketing and public relations, Christine Gustafson, was named to GlobeSt.’s Women of Influence Class of 2024 in the category of marketing/communications professional. Since 1983, this award has recognized a growing number of commercial real estate female professionals for their remarkable achievements. The honorees have personally impacted the market and have significantly driven the industry to new heights via their outstanding successes.
Chesapeake Regional Medical Center received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines Gold Plus Stroke quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability. Chesapeake Regional also received the American Heart Association’s Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between when a patient arrives at the hospital and when treatment with thrombolytic therapy begins.
The Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association announced that the city of Chesapeake’s industrial waterfront study was selected as the winner of the 2024 Holzheimer Economic Development Award. Chesapeake’s planning team, including an impressive corps of industry leaders from the firms Waggonner and Ball and Moffatt and Nichol, conducted an intensely detailed study, analyzing the Elizabeth River Southern Branch’s topography, flood risks, public infrastructure, land use, and industrial opportunities among others. The study’s implementation succeeds in providing a realistic, yet economically vigilant roadmap that allows industrial growth overall while protecting key natural resources and access points for public recreation and casual use. It reflects the authentic needs of a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including industrial operators, regional organizations, environmental stewards, civic leagues and community advocates.
Contracts
Newport News Shipbuilding completed contracted work at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory’s Kenneth A. Kesselring Site in West Milton, New York. Since 2012, the company has provided maintenance services and led the refueling overhaul of a nuclear reactor prototype at the Kesselring site, a research and development facility that supports the Navy’s Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program.
Credential
Eight Hampton Roads residents graduated from Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing in June with credentials to support the U.S. Navy and the submarine industrial base: Sarah Leckman from Portsmouth, additive manufacturing; Jaylen Miller from Portsmouth, CNC machining; Robert Johnson from Virginia Beach, CNC machining; Charles Goode from Norfolk; non-destructive testing; Jemme Gay, from Newport News, CNC machining; Bryan Gardia from Newport News, CNC machining; Lexus Barber, Newport News resident, non-destructive testing; and Logan Reagan, Virginia Beach resident; CNC machining. The program is located at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville. For info, visit atdm.org.
Expansion
Rover Cruises and Tours was awarded the contract to provide bus tours at Naval Station Norfolk, the first and only naval installation to have an established tour program. Rover is a locally owned and operated small business that also operates American Rover Sailing Cruises, Victory Rover Naval Base Cruises, Atlantic Explorer Sea Adventures, Atlantic Scout Dolphin Tours and Whale Watching Trips from the Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach. “We have been offering tours of Naval Station Norfolk from the water since 1986,” said Brook Smith from Rover Cruises and Tours. “Tom Van Benschoten and I are excited to be partnering with Naval Station Norfolk to offer another way for locals and visitors to gain a greater appreciation for the role the Navy plays in our Nation’s defense as well as its importance to our local community.”
Virginia Humanities and WHRO Public Media opened on July 15 a new regional humanities center in Hampton Roads headquartered at WHRO. Named Virginia Humanities at WHRO, this new partnership will amplify stories from across the region and illustrate the ways the humanities bring communities together and foster dialogue and understanding. Throughout the last five decades, Virginia Humanities has supported efforts to document, preserve and amplify Virginia’s history, heritage and cultural traditions. The center is the first of several new regional humanities centers being launched as Virginia Humanities begins celebrating its 50th anniversary later this year.
Grants and donations
The Hampton Roads Workforce Council was awarded a $6 million Apprenticeship Building America grant from the Department of Labor to partner with employers and other stakeholders to launch programs that offer workers, including those from underrepresented populations and underserved communities, access to high-quality training through pre-apprenticeships and registered apprenticeships.
Housing
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced more than $22 million in Affordable and Special Needs Housing loans for 14 projects across the commonwealth. The recommended projects will create and preserve 877 total units for low-income and extremely low-income households. It includes $2.3 million to Green Street Housing for Jersey Park Apartments in Isle of Wight County, $1.8 million to Woda Cooper Development for Bains Pointe in Portsmouth and $139,765 to Virginia Supportive Housing for Gosnold II Apartments in Norfolk.
Opening
OBX Appliances opened at 211 Shortcut Road in Barco, North Carolina.
Journeys, a retailer popular for teen footwear and lifestyle fashion, opened a store at the Norfolk Premium Outlets on July 27.
Rebrand
On July 18, the full-service integrated marketing and communications firms Meridian Group and WB Marketing began operating as Qantm Creative. The parent company of WB Marketing acquired Virginia Beach-based Meridian Group last year. Now with one name and under one roof at 427 Granby St. in Norfolk, Qantm Creative offers “an unparalleled team of strategists and storytellers, collaborators and creatives,” CEO Jean Matacunas said.
Sustainability
Amazon announced it met its renewable energy goal seven years early, successfully matching all of the electricity consumed by its operations with 100% renewable energy as of 2023. In Virginia, Amazon has invested in 19 renewable energy projects to date to help power local operations, including data centers, corporate buildings, grocery stores and fulfillment centers, with renewable energy. Once all of the projects are operational, they will generate enough energy to power 291,000-plus U.S. homes. The projects include utility scale solar. Amazon has invested billions of dollars globally to enable more than 500 solar and wind projects, which together are capable of generating enough energy to power the equivalent of 7.6 million U.S. homes.
