Tidbits – May 2021

Joey Wallen, of Personal Training Associates, has completed the advanced certification as a Functional Training Specialist by the American Council on Exercise (ACE). The program is designed to adapt fitness training to practical daily activities.


Alan Witt has been named an Executive in Residence with Christopher Newport University (CNU).
He will be teaching Principles of Accounting I, chairing the Master of Financial Analysis Partners Council and mentoring Luter students. Witt is a CNU graduate, with a degree in accounting and minor in political science. He served as CEO of Witt Mares and its successor PBMares for 32 years until retiring in December 2020.


Lisa Spiller
Dae-Hee Kim
Troy Aitken

Christopher Newport University marketing professors Dr. Lisa Spiller and Dr. Dae-Hee Kim and alumnus Troy Aitken, ’18, have been honored with the “Sales Education Article of the Year for 2020” award from the Journal of Marketing Education (JME). The article, “Sales Education in the United States: Perspectives on Curriculum and Teaching Practices,” is an empirical study that originated from a research proposal on sales made by Spiller as part of her 2017–18 Brout Professorship, a Luter School distinction that asks faculty members to conduct meaningful research over the course of a year. In addition to a cash prize, Spiller, Kim and Aitken were honored with a virtual presentation at the 2021 Marketing Educators’ Association annual conference in April.


The Warwick at City Center Rotary Club welcomed new member Leigh Mitchell. Mitchell, sponsored by Amber Lempke, is owner of My Blind Spot, a shop providing customized window treatments, shutters, shades, blinds and bedding accessories in Virginia Beach. Shown here are (left to right) Anne Wozniak, membership chair; Mitchell and Lempke.


Rebecca Aman
Kimberly Brush
Tommy Garner
Sharon Martin
Taylor Lawson

Newport News Education Foundation (NNEF) has added the following new local leaders to its membership: Rebecca Aman, attorney with Jones Blechman, Woltz & Kelly and member of the Newport News School Board; Dr. Kimberly Brush, director of NASA Langley’s Office of STEM Engagement, NASA Langley Research Center; Tommy Garner, president and owner, Tommy Garner Air Conditioning & Heating; Sharon Martin, vice president/private banker, Old Point National Bank; and Taylor Lawson, assistant superintendent/project engineer, W.M. Jordan Co. NNEF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that supports the efforts of Newport News Public Schools to prepare students for their future. Members bring to the foundation their expertise in business, education and industry, as well as skills in community leadership. Dr. Robin Nelhuebel, system director of education, Riverside Health System is NNEF president.


Brown Edwards ranks sixth among all accounting firms with operations in Virginia and is the highest ranked firm among those headquartered in the Commonwealth, according to Virginia Business’ 2021 Annual Big Book review. This ranking is based on total number of CPAs based in Virginia offices. The firm has also been chosen one of the top regional leaders in Accounting Today’s Top 100. It now ranks #79 on the list, climbing 10 spots from its 2020 ranking. In addition to being included in the top 100, the firm also ranks fourth in the Capital Region, encompassing Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia and is recognized as a pacesetter in growth for 2020. Accounting Today is a leading information resource for public accountants and releases its ranking of the top 100 firms annually. Hugh Barlow is the firm’s partner in the Oyster Point offices.


May events scheduled by the Virginia Peninsula Chamber of Commerce include Peninsula Executive Leadership Forum, May 4; Coffee Connection, May 11; Pink Bag Lunch, May 13 and Business Connection After Hours, May 27. For registration and additional information, go to www.virginiapeninsulachamber.com/events/calendar.


Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer announced the sale of 771 Pilot House Drive, in Oyster Point. Goodmanagement LLC purchased the 9,139 square foot office building from W & S Properties as its new corporate headquarters. Kenneth D. Penrose, Jr. of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer handled the sale negotiations on behalf of the purchaser.


United Way of the Virginia Peninsula’s Women hosted a drive-through feminine hygiene drive in March. The event collected more than 1,650 products valued at more than $15,000 to help 3,000 Peninsula women and girls. Representatives from 16 community agencies participated. Items were distributed to Helping The Homeless, The Salvation Army of Gloucester/Mathews, Grove Christian Outreach, Girl Scouts of Colonial Coast, So All May Eat (SAME), Peninsula Agency on Aging, The Ezer Initiative, Gordon Wellness LLC, Commonwealth Catholic Charities, City of Newport News Department of Human Services at Four Oaks Day Service Center and Hampton-Newport News Community Services Board. Robin Hilton chaired the Women United Steering Committee.
Steve Kast is president and CEO of United Way of the Virginia Peninsula (UWVP). Shown here are (left to right) Vanessa Lin, UWVP CNU Bonner volunteer; representative from SAME; and Savannah Patterson, UWVP staff.


Dana Robbins
Kathy Macklin

Top February agents for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty’s Peninsula office were Dana Robbins, top listing and sales team, and Kathy Mackin, top listing and sales.


Nick Shockley has joined Criner Remodeling as a project manager. A native of Manassas, Virginia, Shockley started his career in construction in 2006. He will be responsible for managing projects of bathroom and kitchen remodels and exterior deck/porch work.


A rain barrel workshop will be conducted on Saturday, May 15, 12 – 1:30PM at Mariners’ Museum. The workshop is sponsored by Newport News Extension Master Gardeners, Mariners’ Museum and Park, Newport News Waterworks and Newport News Recovery Operations. For details and registration, visit www.nngogreenexpo.org/rain-barrel-workshop.


Elizabeth S. Wash has been appointed to the board of directors for Old Point Financial Corporation and Old Point National Bank. She currently serves as a board member for Old Point Trust. Wash is the retired president of the Eastern Virginia Shred-it franchise, the first on-site document shredding company in the region, where she led its development and growth for 17 years. Wash earned her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Business Administration degrees from the College of William & Mary. Additionally, she is a graduate of the CIVIC Leadership Institute and was selected to participate in the President’s Commission on Executive Exchange in Washington, D.C.


Luther Elmore
Jamie Coldsnow

Top March agents for CENTURY 21 Nachman Realty’s Peninsula office were Luther Elmore, top listing, selling, producing and referring agent, and Jamie Coldsnow, top closing agent.


United Way of the Virginia Peninsula received $1,050,000 for rent and mortgage relief through the 2021 Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot program. This funding will help provide eviction prevention services to the Virginia Peninsula communities including Gloucester County, City of Hampton, James City County, Mathews County, City of Newport News, City of Poquoson, City of Williamsburg and York County. Programs to help prevent evictions for families directly impacted by COVID-19 included the Rent and Mortgage Relief Program and the Hampton Eviction Prevention Program.


The Lee Group has launched a new digital job board and online application tool to support connecting companies with top talent. The board, which can be found at theleegroup.com/job-board, features jobs available in manufacturing, administration, customer service, accounting and more. It works on behalf of candidates and employers and relies on updated software that increases efficiency in finding the right fit for job openings. Eric Kean is principal at The Lee Group in the Newport News office.


The Newport News Green Foundation broke ground in April on what will be a community food forest as the result of a land donation from the late Mayer and Dorene Sarfan. The five-acre vacant land, located at 1901 Chestnut Avenue in the Southeast area of the city, is being named after its donors. During the groundbreaking, volunteers planted trees and signed up for future plantings. The food forest is the first of its kind on the Virginia Peninsula and will include a combination of fruit and nut trees, shrubs, herbs, vines and some perennial vegetables. Other features include educational and experimental areas such as an outdoor classroom and areas used to test different growing methods. Newport News Green Foundation, in partnership with Christopher Newport University, is also gathering information about food scarcity during the pandemic and how the food forest may help to fill food access gaps. Sharyn Fox, of Whitman, Requardt & Associates, is president of Newport News Green Foundation.


 

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