Retail/Wholesale: GILBERT T. BLAND

Bland manages to juggle a successful business career with extensive work as a civic leader.

For nearly four decades, Bland has owned and operated dozens of fast food restaurants, primarily Burger King and Pizza Hut franchises. His company’s Giljoy moniker is a combination of his and his wife’s names.

As president and CEO of the Urban League of Hampton Roads, Bland oversees the organization’s community service programs helping African Americans and others. Recently, the Urban League and Newport News-based Riverside Health System joined forces on an initiative toward healing racial health disparities.

Additionally, Bland sits on numerous boards, including Norfolk State University; Sentara Healthcare; the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts; Healthy Neighborhood Enterprises, which works to revitalize middle-market neighborhoods; and the Center for Excellence in Education, which guides students toward careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

In May, Norfolk-based Civic Leadership Institute named Bland as the recipient of its 2022 Individual Darden Award, celebrating leaders who have had a significant impact on the Hampton Roads area.