People – November 2013

SOUTHERN VIRGINIA
Hank Bostwick has rejoined the Virginia Legal Aid Society office in Danville as senior attorney. This position was vacant for the past year because of funding cuts. Dana Tapper has also joined the office as U.Va. School of Law Robert F. Kennedy 51 Public Interest Fellow. Tapper recently graduated from the law school and will work for VLAS for the next year. (WorkItSoVa.com)

The board of directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Danville Area announced Patricia (Pat) M. Daniel is the agency’s new executive director. Daniel has served as the agency’s program director for five years. (WorkItSoVa.com)

Sarah Johnson, named West Coast economic development director, Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities. Johnson will be based in Santa Clara, Calif., and will promote Southern Virginia to companies looking to expand or relocate to the East Coast. Before joining MBC, Johnson held numerous positions in business development including her role at United Kingdom Trade and Investment in San Francisco where she focused on renewable energy, clean tech and financial services sectors. (WorkItSoVa.com)

James Popek, a marketing education teacher at Halifax High in Halifax County, named to the governor’s teacher cabinet. (News release)

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA
Jay Brenchick, hired as Botetourt County’s first economic development manager. His previous experience includes working as director of the New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development Film and Television Office. (News release)

Kathryn (Katie) Conner, hired as the tourism program coordinator for the Botetourt County Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. She was a marketing coordinator for Barkett Allen Capital. (News release)

The following people were named to the governor’s teacher cabinet: Karen D. Cross, a civics teacher at Virginia Middle in Bristol; Betsy Hall, a fourth-grade teacher at G.W. Carver Elementary in Salem, and Catherine Moretz, a third-grade teacher at Oak Grove Elementary in Roanoke County. (News release)

John Griessmayer has founded MIGHTY, an advertising and marketing services firm in Roanoke. (The Roanoke Times)

The Taubman Museum of Art announced the following new hires: Bryan Hantman, marketing and business relations manager, and Amy Moorefield, deputy director of exhibitions. (The Roanoke Times)

Carter Lee, attorney with Woods Rogers, was promoted to the rank of major in the Virginia National Guard. (The Roanoke Times)

Robert T. Sumichrast, professor of business information technology and dean of the Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech, has been named the Sorensen chair by the Virginia Tech board of visitors. (News release)

SHENANDOAH VALLEY
Julia Blanchard, library media specialist at Highland Elementary School and High School in Highland County, named to the governor’s teacher cabinet. (News release)

Dr. George Jirak, named president of Augusta Health’s physicians group, Fishersville. Jirak is a gynecologist and uro-gynecologist with 30 years of clinical and administrative experience in health care, most recently at Ohio Valley Medical Center in Wheeling, W.Va. (The News Leader) 

EASTERN VIRGINIA
The following people were named to the governor’s teacher cabinet: Marion Broglie, a civics teacher at Lynnhaven Middle School in Virginia Beach; Edgardo “Gary” Castro, an English language learner teacher at Kiptopeke Elementary in Northampton County; Catherine Collier, reading specialist at Great Bridge Primary in Chesapeake; and Connie Plum, history teacher at King William High in King William County. (News release)

Bruce W. Edwards, reappointed to the state board of health. He is chief of the Department of Emergency Medical Services for Virginia Beach. (News release)

Wes Edwards joined the Hampton Roads office of Jones Lang LaSalle as a vice president. Edwards was with Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

John Greene joined Virginia Beach-based construction firm Waterfront Marine Construction Inc. as senior vice president. Greene has 35 years of experience in the construction industry. (News release)

Eddie N. Moore Jr., the former Virginia State University president, named interim president and CEO of Norfolk State University. Moore succeeds Tony Atwater, who was fired in August amid questions about the university’s finances and its nursing program. (Richmond Times-Dispatch)

Micky Nye, named by Supervalu Inc. to oversee Virginia Beach-based Farm Fresh’s 43 stores. She was vice president of operations for Shoppers Food & Pharmacy, a 56-store chain also owned by Supervalu. (The Virginian-Pilot)

Marta R. Stewart, named executive vice president and chief financial officer, Norfolk Southern Corp. Stewart joined Norfolk Southern in 1983 and was named vice president and treasurer in 2009. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Julie Loftus Trudell, named vice president of investor relations, Armada Hoffler Properties Inc., Virginia Beach. She was senior vice president of investor relations, Amerigroup Corp., Virginia Beach. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Bradley S. Beall, of Annandale, named to the state Board of Health. He is an attorney with the Department of Defense.  (News release)

Robert J. Catron, of Alexandria, named to the state Board of Health Professions. Catron is managing partner at Alcalde & Fay Virginia LLC. (News release)

Alan G. Drewer, named chief real estate lending officer, Virginia Heritage Bank, Tysons Corner. Drewer was senior vice president for commercial lending at The Business Bank in Vienna.
(VirginiaBusiness.com)

Stacy Fitzgerald-Redd, named director of communications, Alexandria-based North American Insulation Manufacturers Association. For the past six years, Fitzgerald-Redd worked for USA Rice Federation’s media department.  (VirginiaBusiness.com)

William H. Hernandez, named to Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman Corp.’s board of directors. Hernandez was senior vice president, finance, and chief financial officer of PPG Industries Inc. until his retirement in 2009. (News release)

Richard Holzheimer Jr. has joined McGuireWoods as a partner in the firm’s Tysons Corner office. Holzheimer previously practiced with Cochran & Owen LLC and Reed Smith LLP. (News release)

Nancy Laben, named executive vice president and general counsel, McLean-based Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. Laben was most recently general counsel for AECOM Technologies, where she led a team of 55 attorneys. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Robin Meyers, named Washington, D.C., region’s director of marketing, Colliers International. Before joining Colliers, Meyers owned and managed marketing consulting firms in the Northern Virginia region for more than 18 years.  (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Lee Odems, named to Virginia’s real estate board. Odems is principal broker with Buyers Advantage Real Estate Corp. in Woodbridge. (News release)

Brian Prewitt, named master distiller of The A. Smith Bowman Distillery in Spotsylvania County. Prewitt, a Colorado native, has nearly 15 years of brewing and distilling experience. (The Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star)

Peggy Stevens, named executive director, Northern Virginia Conservation Trust. Stevens comes to Northern Virginia after five years as executive director of the Westport Land Conservation Trust. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

CENTRAL VIRGINIA
Don Brown, an engineering professor at University of Virginia, has been named founding director of the university’s new Big Data Institute. (News release)

Kelly Chopus, named executive director of the Richmond-based Robins Foundation. Chopus was director of community relations for Goodrich Corp., a Fortune 500 aerospace and defense manufacturer based in Charlotte, N.C. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Greg Creswell joined the Industrial Brokerage Team of CBRE/Richmond as a vice president. He has more than seven years of experience in commercial real estate. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Howard Feller, partner at McGuireWoods in Richmond, elected chair-elect of the American Bar Association Section of Antitrust Law. Feller will become chair of the ABA Antitrust Section in August 2014. (News release)

Melina E. Higgins, elected to serve as an independent director on Henrico County-based Genworth Financial Inc.’s board of directors. Higgins was a partner at The Goldman Sachs Group before retiring in 2010. (News release)

Malcolm T. Kerley, named president of Richmond-based NXL Construction Services Inc. Kerley is a former chief engineer for the Virginia Department of Transportation. (News release)

Margaret G. Lewis, appointed to the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, to fill an unexpired term ending Dec. 31. She is president of the HCA Capital Division and senior executive of HCA Virginia. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Dr. Constance Pozniak, reappointed to the board of health professions. She is a veterinarian and president of Boulevard Veterinary Hospital in Norfolk. (News release)

Brooks Smith, named partner and a member of the environmental and natural resources practice in the Richmond office of Troutman Sanders. Smith was co-chair of the environmental practice at Hunton & Williams. (VirginiaBusiness.com)

Joseph E. “Jay” Spruill, formerly of Reed Smith, has joined LeClairRyan in Richmond as a partner on the firm’s Community Banking Practice Area and Banking Industry teams. (News release)

Richard D. Tate, promoted to vice president of propane technology for Foster Fuels Inc. in Brookneal. Tate has been in the propane Industry 38 years. (WorkItSoVa.com)