People – June 2019

EASTERN VIRGINIA
Peggy Agouris dean of the College of Science at George Mason University, has been named provost at the College of William & Mary.  She will join W&M on July 1.Agouris succeeds Michael R. Halleran, who announced in September his plans to step down as provost and return to teaching on the W&M faculty. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Joseph Montgomery of The Optimal Service Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Williamsburg, ranked 42nd on Barron’s list of 100 Top Financial Advisors for 2019. (Barron’s)

William W. Sleeth III serves as managing partner of the new Gordon & Rees LLP office in Williamsburg. Gordon & Rees is a national law firm with more than 900 attorneys. (News release)

Chad Williams has been named executive director at Commonwealth Senior Living at Hampton. Two years ago, he joined the community as the sales and marketing director. (Daily Press)

SHENANDOAH VALLEY
Brandon C. Lorey has been named president and CEO of Eagle Financial Services Inc. and its subsidiary, Bank of Clarke County, effective July 8. Lorey most recently served as executive vice president and head of consumer banking at United Bank. He succeeds John Milleson, who is retiring.  (News release)

The Front Royal-Warren County Economic Development Authority has tapped Douglas Parsons of Rippon, W.Va., as its new executive director. Parsons formerly was business manager for the Workforce Solutions Division of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. He joins the EDA in the midst of controversy, including a $17 million civil lawsuit in which the authority alleges former director Jennifer McDonald and eight other defendants embezzled funds. A special grand jury has been impaneled to investigate the matter. (Northern Virginia Daily)

Staunton has hired Phillip Trayer to be the city’s new chief financial officer. Trayer is replacing Jeanne Colvin, who has retired after 39 years of service to the city. Trayer most recently worked as director of finance for Spotsylvania County Public Schools. (News Release)

ROANOKE/NEW RIVER VALLEY
A Franklin County government official accused in a recently settled sexual harassment lawsuit plans to resign. Robert “Andy” Morris told the county that he will leave his $76,853-a-year job as its top building official May 31. Allegations that Morris harassed and groped a subordinate in 2015 were settled out of court for an undisclosed sum earlier this month. Morris, 55, was hired by Franklin County in 2014. (The Roanoke Times)

Christine Pruett began in March as director of nursing for Friendship, a Roanoke assisted living residence that was formed in 1966. Pruett began her nursing career in 2002 as a staff nurse. (News Release)

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Cindy Stanley, the town of Marion’s clerk and director of finance, received the 2018 Clerk of the Year Award from the Virginia Municipal Clerks Association earlier this year. The Chilhowie native who now resides in Sugar Grove enjoys working with numbers, which serves her well as she helps develop and manage Marion’s budget. That budget is on track to exceed $14.3 million for 2019-20. As clerk, she also records the minutes of town council meetings and supervises seven employees. (SWVAToday.com)

Ken Vittum bid farewell to the Abingdon Town Council in May, ending a seven-month stint as interim town manager. A retired town manager from Pearisburg, Vittum said that serving this job in Abingdon “allowed me to end my career, in a sense, where it began.” Vittum actually remained on the job — as a consultant — as incoming Town Manager Jimmy Morani took the reins. (Bristol Herald Courier)

The outdoor drama “Trail of the Lonesome Pine” is under new management. Jim Wardell said that Lonesome Pine Arts and Crafts, the organization that oversees the drama, June Tolliver House and the John Fox Jr. House, reached out to him about being general manager of the drama this season. He is currently the director of the Center for Teaching Excellence at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise.  (Coalfield.com)

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA
Jacqueline M. Gill will become president of Danville Community College in July. She has been president of Metropolitan Community College in Kansas City, Mo., since 2016. Gill earned doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and another master’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington. (Danville Register & Bee)

Southern Virginia Regional Medical Center announced that Dr. Manish Patel, an orthopedic surgeon, has opened an office at Six Doctors Drive in Emporia. (Independent Messenger)

NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Jason Beske has joined Stantec’s Urban Places practice in Arlington County. Beske will lead the design firm’s planning and urban design projects in the Washington, D.C., region. (News release)

Stephan Cassaday of McLean-based Cassaday & Co. ranked No. 22 , the highest in Virginia, on Barron’s latest list of Top 100 Financial Advisors.  Cassaday & Co. also ranked No. 19 in Barron’s Top 59 private wealth advisory teams.  Stephan Cassaday, Chris Krell and Christopher Young were cited as the team’s key advisors. (Barron’s)

Bank of America has tapped Larry Di Rita, senior vice president and public affairs executive  to be its new market president for Greater Washington, where the bank employs 2,500 from Frederick, Md., to Fredericksburg. Di Rita, who has been helping manage public relations, corporate communications and brand positioning for the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank since 2006, will replace current Market President Jeff Wood. (Washington Business Journal)

CENTRAL VIRGINIA
Martin J. Barrington, the retired top executive of Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc., has been appointed chairman of the board of international beer brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev.  Barring­­ton retired from Altria in May last year after 25 years with the company, including the last six as chairman and CEO.  (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Dr. Andrew Mueller, a Charlotte, N.C., executive and physician, was named president and CEO of the Lynchburg-based Centra health system following a seven-month search. Mueller was senior vice president of Novant Health’s Greater Charlotte market. He replaces former CEO E.W. Tibbs, who resigned in October. (News & Advance)

Ian H. Soloman has been named the next dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership  and Public Policy at the University of Virginia. The appointment is effective Sept.1. Soloman is CEO of SolomonGlobal LLC. (News release)