Sentara Healthcare names new general counsel
Earl Barnes will join Sentara Healthcare as its general counsel on June 2, the Norfolk-based health system announced Tuesday. Barnes previously was executive vice president and chief legal officer for Chicago-based Amita Health. In that role, he managed the legal, compliance, audit and risk departments, leading a 60-person team and managing a $10 million annual […]
Norfolk Tourism Foundation names new director
The Norfolk Tourism Foundation and VisitNorfolk announced Thursday that Kelsey Backe is the foundation’s new director. “I am thrilled to be able to join the Norfolk Tourism Foundation and to put my skills to use supporting our current hospitality workers, our future hospitality workers and tourism research initiatives that will help our community invest wisely […]
Roanoke College selects next president
Roanoke College’s next president will be Frank Shushok Jr., the college announced Tuesday. Shushok, Virginia Tech’s vice president for student affairs, will succeed Michael C. Maxey, who served as president for 15 years and is retiring in July, to become the school’s 12th president. “I am thrilled to welcome President-elect Frank Shushok to the Maroon […]
Va. Beach insurance agency taps CFO
Shawn McArdle is Choice Financial Group’s new chief financial officer, the Virginia Beach-based insurance agency announced Wednesday. “Shawn’s ability to provide financial leadership allows Choice’s senior management team to focus on identifying the right partners for the platform,” Choice President Richard Braun said in a statement. “Shawn’s experience wi[...]
HCA hires Chippenham Hospital chief nursing officer
M. Lea Lee will become chief nursing officer of Chippenham Hospital on April 4, HCA Virginia announced Tuesday. Lee currently serves as the chief nursing officer for LewisGale Medical Center in Salem and will be returning to Richmond. She has previously worked with HCA Healthcare. In 2007, she was Chippenham Hospital’s nursing director before she […]
Va. job openings, number of hires rebound from October 2021
Virginia had 301,000 job openings in November, a small rebound from October 2021, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data released Jan. 21. In October 2021, job openings in Virginia declined by about 28,000, which was the largest drop among states. The Virginia job openings rate […]
Breeden Construction hires marketing manager
Richmond-based Breeden Construction has hired Corbin Matacunas as the company’s marketing manager, Breeden announced Friday. Matacunas will be responsible for conceiving and executing marketing strategies and tactics that drive growth, in addition to working on brand development and messaging. “Corbin is results-oriented and highly collaborative, which makes him a strong cultural fit,” B[...]
Va. had record 328,000 job openings in September
Virginia had 328,000 job openings in September and 123,000 quits, 4,000 fewer quits than the April 2021 peak, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) data released Nov. 19. The September job openings number set a record previously set in July, when there were 320,000 openings. The […]
MWAA creates diversity, inclusion, social impact VP post
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which oversees the Reagan Washington National Airport and Washington Dulles International Airport, created a new Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Social Impact on Wednesday, to be led by Tanisha Lewis, a 21-year veteran of the authority. Lewis was named the authority’s first vice president of diversity, inclusion and social impact, […]
Amazon has hired 3,000+ HQ2 workers so far
So far, Amazon.com Inc. has hired more than 3,000 of the 25,000 employees it plans to recruit by 2030 for its multibillion-dollar HQ2 East Coast headquarters in Arlington, the global online retailer announced Wednesday. In 2019, the Virginia General Assembly passed an incentive package that would pay Amazon up to $550 million in grants for […]
Pittsylvania, Danville governments see labor gap, too
Businesses aren’t the only organizations finding it difficult to hire employees. Amid dropping state unemployment rates and a nationwide labor shortage, Danville and Pittsylvania County have been seeking new ways to interest people in working for local government. Pittsylvania’s Board of Supervisors approved $1,000 employee referral and sign-on bonuses in July, says Holly E. Stanfield,[...]
The Great American Labor Shortage
At Dough Boy’s Pizza, summer typically brings a steady stream of job applicants seeking work at one of the restaurant’s three locations on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. But “this year, it’s next to nothing,” says owner George Kotarides. For Kotarides and other restaurant owners, a season that had been anticipated as the triumphant closing act […]


















