People – December 2013

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA

Travis Buchanan resigned as project manager for the R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy Efficiency in South Boston. Buchanan took a position with C.R. Onsrud in Troutman, N.C., that will allow him to spend more time with his family. A national search to fill his position will be starting soon. (WorkItSoVa.com)

Linda Lawrence Dalton, co-owner of Lawrence Distributing Co. in Danville, elected to serve as Virginia’s representative on the board of directors for the National Beer Wholesalers Association. (WorkItSoVa.com)

Michelle Gaydica named senior vice president, retail banking, American National Bank and Trust Co., Danville. She was director of secondary market mortgage at First Community Bank in Winston-Salem, N.C. (News release)

Robert Lankford, of Red Oak, named director of operations, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative (MEC), Chase City. He has led MEC’s underground and apparatus department for more than 20 years. (WorkItSoVa.com)

David Lipscomb, of South Hill, named vice president of member and energy services, MEC, Chase City. The new position merges responsibilities from his previous title as MEC’s vice president of district services. (WorkItSoVa.com)

Jeff Liverman, the executive director of the Danville Science Center, will be retiring toward the end of this year. He will begin a new position as the executive director of the Jacksonville Center for the Arts in Floyd. (GoDanRiver.com)

Jeff Reed, named executive director of Keysville-based Virginia’s Growth Alliance (VGA). Reed’s previous jobs include serving as project manager for the Industrial Development Authority of Halifax County. (WorkItSoVa.com)

B.J. Seamans, of Fort Mitchell, has accepted the modified position of vice president of engineering and operations, MEC, Chase City. He was an electrical engineer – planning and has worked at MEC for 10 years. (WorkItSoVa.com) 

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

 Vonya Alleyne , named market vice president for Cox Communications’ Roanoke operations. Alleyne was vice president, human resources for Cox Virginia. (News release)

 Jon Bartlett , named market president of LewisGale Regional Health System and CEO of LewisGale Medical Center in Salem. He was president of Abrazo Health Care in Phoenix. (The Roanoke Times) 

 Joseph M. Dill , named vice president of professional services and dental director, Delta Dental of Virginia, Roanoke. Dill was dental director-Western region and director-provider contracting for Delta Dental of California. (News release)

 Charles Down s, former pre sident of Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke, appointed to The National Society of Collegiate Scholars Community College Advisory Board. (The Roanoke Times)

Willie T. Greene Sr., reappointed to the state Board of Social Services. Greene is a self-employed safety consultant and vice mayor of Galax. (News release)

Chris Pyle, promoted to vice president, marketing and government relations, Delta Dental of Virginia, Roanoke. He was director of marketing and community relations. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Robert P. Stephens, associate professor of history at Virginia Tech, named associate dean for undergraduate academic affairs in the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. (News release)

Shannon Scott Wyatt, named assistant vice president, director of IT infrastructure, Rutherfoord, Roanoke. Wyatt has more than 15 years in the information systems industry. (News release)

SHENANDOAH VALLEY

The following people were re-elected to the Virginia Manufacturers Association board of directors: Jack Abato, vice president, Cadence/Specialty Blades Inc., Staunton;  Dilton “Dee” Gibbs , plant manager, Kraft Foods, Winchester; David Gum, president, National Fruit Product Co., Winchester; and Randy Smith, vice president, McKee Foods Corp., Stuarts Draft. (News release) 

Caitlin Clark, named trade manager for the Valley and Northwest regions for Virginia Economic Development Partnership – International Trade. She was a research manager for the Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) Program. (News release)

Kevin Fauber, named town manager, Mount Jackson. Fauber has worked in local government for many years, including 24 years as the town manager of Strasburg and two years as Elkton’s town manager. (The Shenandoah Valley-Herald)

Catherine C. Galvin returned as executive director of Shenandoah Area Agency on Aging (SAAA) in Front Royal. Galvin served in that role from 1992 to 2002 and was most recently director of program development for the Harrisonburg Community Health Center. (ShenValleyNow.com)

David Hoyt, named senior vice president, strategic accounts executive, at Bridgewater-based Dynamic Aviation. Hoyt was Dynamic Aviation’s vice president for business development, director of sales and marketing, and marketing manager. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Jeremy Raley, promoted to superintendent, Shenandoah County Public Schools, Woodstock. Raley was the assistant superintendent for administration and finance. (The Shenandoah Valley-Herald)

EASTERN VIRGINIA

Accounting firm Dixon Hughes Goodman (DHG) created two positions for its Hampton Roads offices. Caron Crouse will lead the Norfolk and Virginia Beach offices as office managing partner.  Joel Flax will serve as the Virginia real estate leader. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Retired U.S. Navy SEAL Dave M. Cooper, named the president of the Virginia Beach-based Navy SEAL Foundation. Cooper is one of only 12 SEALs to hold the position of command master chief at Naval Special Warfare Development Group. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Robert W. Manly, Smithfield Foods’ CFO, has been promoted to executive vice president and chief synergy officer. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

John F. Reinhart will become executive director and CEO of the Virginia Port Authority beginning in February.  He is currently CEO of Norfolk-based Maersk Line Ltd. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

John L. Skeans, named vice president and chief financial officer at Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Skeans was executive vice president and chief financial officer at St. Anthony’s Medical Center in St. Louis. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Byron Woodard, named senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Ferguson, Newport News. Woodard was the vice president of global marketing at McGraw Hill Financial-Platts. (News release)

John Zaszewski joined Timmons Group’s Hampton Roads office as project manager. Zaszewski was project manager for a major engineering consulting firm in Virginia. (News release)

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

    Brad Boland    , named president for 2014 of the Virginia Association of Realtors. Boland is a managing broker and owner at Keller Williams in Dulles. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

The Fredericksburg Main Street Initiative selected the following people to its board of directors:     Sue Bridi    ,    Andi Gabler   ,   Wilson Greenlaw Jr.  ,   Dolores “D. D.” Lecky  ,  Dave Minckler ,  Scarlet t Pons  and Jeff Scott. (Fre dericksburg Fr ee Lance-Star)

Maureen Del Duca, named vice president and deputy general counsel, litigation and investigations, Northrop Grumman, Falls Church. Del Duca was senior vice president and deputy general counsel, litigation, and chief ethics and compliance officer at AOL. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Glen Bolger and Julie Dime of Alexandria, named to the Mount Vernon Board of Visitors. Bolger is a survey researcher for Public Opinion Strategies, and Dime is a partner at Principle Advantage Ltd. (News release)

Jason Frankl, appointed to board of directors, Santeon, Reston. Frankl will serve as independent director and chairman of the compensation committee. He is a senior managing director in FTI Consulting’s forensic and litigation consulting segment. (News release)

S. Gulu Gambhir, named chief technology officer at Reston-based Leidos. Gambhir was acting corporate chief technology officer and CTO of the company’s national security sector. He will retain his sector-level responsibilities. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Charles Harrington, chairman and CEO of Pasadena, Calif.-based Parsons Corp., appointed to the board of directors of Arlington-based AES Corp. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Walt Kiwall, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Mary Washington Healthcare, will retire at the end of 2013. Mary Washington Healthcare has locations in Fredericksburg and Stafford. (Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star)

Glen McCarthy, professor of music, George Mason University, Fairfax, is one of 25 semifinalists from across the country to be nominated for the Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation’s Music Educator Award. (News release)

Todd Raba, named CEO, GridPoint Inc., Arlington. Raba was chairman, president and CEO of the Johns Manville Co. in Denver. (News release) 

Marilyn T. Smith, named vice president for information technology and chief information officer, George Mason University, Fairfax, effective Dec. 2. Smith was the head of information services and technology at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. (News release)

Alexander “Sandy” Thomas, of Vienna, named global managing partner, Reed Smith. Thomas was chair of Reed Smith’s litigation department. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

CENTRAL VIRGINIA

 Danny TK Avula  and Josie Webster of Richmond, n amed to the state Board of Social Services. Avula is a physician and deputy director at Richmond City Health District. Webster is vice president of the Virginia Council for Private Education.  (News release) 

Andreas Dressler  will serve as director of State of Virginia, Europe, for the Richmond-based Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Dressler is managing director of Terrain Consulting in Berlin. (News release)

L. Michael Gracik Jr. will become the new managing partner of the Richmond accounting firm Keiter on Jan. 1. He will succeed retiring managing partner Lewis O. Hall, who has served in the role for 15 years. Gracik joined Keiter as a partner and head of its tax department in 1991. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Julie H. Gustavsson, named chief operating officer, Keiter, Richmond. Gustavsson joined Keiter in 2005 and served in IT leadership positions before becoming the firm’s COO. (News release)

Javaid Siddiqi named Virginia’s secretary of education. Siddiqi was deputy secretary of education. In addition, Bryan Rhode was named Virginia’s secretary of public safety. He was deputy secretary of public safety. (News release)

Two professors from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond will travel abroad next spring on Fulbright grants. Jeff South, an associate professor in the School of Mass Communications, will teach at Northeast Normal University in Changchun, China, and Shawn Utsey, professor of counseling psychology in the Department of Psychology, will travel to South Africa to conduct an oral history project. (News release)