People – October 2015

EASTERN VIRGINIA
 David L. Bernd , the CEO of Norfolk-based Sentara Healthcare, will retire in March and be succeeded by Howard P. Kern, the health system’s president and chief operating officer. Bernd became Sentara’s CEO in 1995. Kern has been COO for the past 18 years. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

 Nicolas Schuck , promoted to controller and chief accounting officer at Huntington Ingalls Industries in Newport News; and Karen Velkey,  promoted to corporate vice president, benefits and compensation. Schuck was assistant controller at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. Velkey was  director, corporate compensation. (News release)

Smithfield Foods Inc. named  Kenneth M. Sullivan  its president and chief operating officer. Glenn T. Nunziata, a partner at Ernst & Young, will succeed Sullivan as CFO. Sullivan was executive vice president and chief financial officer. Nunziata has been with Ernst & Young for 19 years. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

 Melonie Boone Whitehead , senior vice president at Heritage Bank, was promoted to chief banking officer. Whitehead joined the bank in 2006 and has been a banker in Hampton Roads for more than 30 years. (News release)

Toano-based Lumber Liquidators named  Jill Witter  chief compliance and legal officer. Witter had served as a consultant and adviser to the hardwood-floor retailer. (News release)

Virginia Beach-based Studio Center has hired  David Neveu  as senior editor. Neveu has worked as a freelance video editor for the National Geographic and Discovery networks. (News release)

SHENANDOAH VALLEY
 Melissa Fortner , named executive director of The Village at Orchard Ridge in Winchester. Fortner was vice president of supportive living at the Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community. (News release)   

 Marcille Frederick , named director of Sadie Hartzler Library at Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg. Frederick has served as a librarian at several institutions, including Trinity Christian College, The King’s University College and Institute for Christian Studies. (News release)

 Charles King , named general manager of Bryce Resort in Mount Jackson. He was general manager of Springmaid Beach Resort and Conference Center in Myrtle Beach, S.C. (The Shenandoah Valley-Herald)

 Amber Printz , named executive director, and Doris “Dee” Grimmett, appointed resident care director at Commonwealth Assisted Living at Front Royal. Printz was executive director of Commonwealth Assisted Living at Farnham. Grimmett has held a number of positions in local senior care and health sectors, including work as a staff nurse at Warren Memorial Hospital for 14 years. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA
Halifax Industrial Development Authority Chairman  John Cannon  announced that, after 30 years of promoting economic development in the county, he does not plan to seek reappointment to the authority when his term expires at the end of the year. (The Gazette-Virginian)

 Candi Heath  received the Virginia Lottery’s MVP and the Highest Percentage to Goal awards for her sales performance in fiscal year 2015, during which she served Virginia Lottery retailers in Danville, Martinsville, Stuart and surrounding areas. (Work It, SoVa)

The Harvest Foundation named two new members to its board of directors: the  Rev. Jane Johnson  of Grace Presbyterian Church and Paulette Simington, executive director of special education and student services for Martinsville City Schools.  (Work It, SoVa)

American National Bank and Trust Co. appointed Gwen L. Smith as financial center manager of the Gretna Office. She was a relationship manager for American National’s downtown Danville headquarters office. (Work It, SoVa)

Wren Williams was appointed to the board of Patrick Henry Community College in Martinsville. Williams is the managing partner for Schneider and Williams PC law firm in Stuart. (Work It, SoVa)

NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Linh Hoang of Fairfax was named to the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority. Hoang is program director at DaVincian Healthcare. (News release)

Mark Malcolm has been elected to the board of directors of Falls Church-based General Dynamics. Malcolm is president and CEO of Tower International Inc. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Tysons Corner-based Octo Consulting Group named Robert McCord as its president and COO. McCord was president and chief operating officer at Acentia and 2020 Company LLC. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Martin Miner was promoted to senior vice president and chief information officer at Leidos Holdings Inc. in Reston. He was the chief strategy officer for the Integrated Systems Group in the company’s National Security Sector. (News release)

Pat Nolan of Leesburg was named to the Virginia Parole Review Commission. Nolan is director of the Center for Criminal Justice at the American Conservative Reform Union Foundation. (News release)

Dawn Van Dyke was named marketing director of The Sequoia Project in McLean.  Van Dyke was an associate director of strategic marketing at The Advisory Board Co. (News release)

CENTRAL VIRGINIA
Dixon Hughes Goodman has named Nolie Barnes principal in its health-care group, DHG Healthcare in Richmond. Barnes was vice president of clinical integration and business health at HCA. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Colliers International has hired Daphne S. Berkowitz as senior vice president of brokerage services in Richmond and Norfolk.  She held positions in business development at EDC and Branch and Associates. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

John D. Gottwald, Tredegar Corp.’s CEO for 17 years, agreed to return to the job permanently for 18 to 24 months. He had been interim president and CEO for the Chesterfield-based company since June 26. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Eric W. Hurlocker, co-managing partner of Richmond-based GreeneHurlocker law firm, has been elected to a second term on the board of the Maryland, District of Columbia and Virginia Solar Energy Industry Association (MDV-SEIA). (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Richmond-based law firm Kaplan Voekler Cunningham & Frank PLC promoted T. Rhys James to partner. James practices in the areas of business, corporate, mergers and acquisitions, securities and real estate capital law. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Richmond-based The Fahrenheit Group has hired Michelle Cann as chief operating officer. Cann was a partner, internal relations, at Gallagher, Flynn and Co. LLP, South Burlington, Vt. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Richmond-based Allegiancy announced in August the appointment of Dennis R. Irvin as an advisory member to its board. Irvin is the former president and CEO of Rockefeller Group Investment Management in New York City. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Mark Blanks has been named associate director of the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership at Virginia Tech. He was program manager for unmanned aircraft systems at the Applied Aviation Research Center at Kansas State University. (News release)

Tom Dingus was named to the Virginia Unmanned Systems Commission. He is director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. (News release)

The Roanoke Regional Airport Commission announced its officers for 2015-16: Odell “Fuzzy” Minnix, chairman; and John Dooley, vice chairman. (The Roanoke Times)

David Paxton, a partner with Roanoke-based law firm Gentry Locke, has been named chair of the Labor and Employment Law Group for ALFA International, a global network of more than 150 independent law firms. Paxton chairs Gentry Locke’s labor and employment practice. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Cliff Ragsdale, business information technology professor, has been appointed academic director for Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business Center for Business Intelligence and Analytics. (The Roanoke Times)

Tracy Vosburgh was named chief information officer at Virginia Tech. She was associate vice president for university communications at Cornell University. (The Roanoke Times)

Mary Leigh Wolfe, head of the Department of Biological Systems Engineering at Virginia Tech, has been installed as president of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers for 2015-16. (News release)