Business notes for the week of April 29

Appointed/elected

Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced additional board appointments. Community volunteer Jill Hade of Virginia Beach was appointed to the Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion. Registered respiratory therapist Santiera Brown-Yearling of Chesapeake was appointed to the Advisory Board on Respiratory Care. Jesse Goodrich of Williamsburg, senior vice president of human resources at Riverside Health System, was appointed to the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority. Retired Navy Capt. Lance Lesher, a community advocate of Virginia Beach, was appointed to the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations.

Virginia Wesleyan University welcomed Jody M. Wagner to its board of trustees. Wagner brings a wealth of expertise in finance, government and community leadership. Wagner, a past Virginia secretary of finance, is founder and president of Jody’s Inc., a manufacturer and distributor of gourmet popcorn.

Awards and honors

Hampton Roads Transit won best overall at the 2024 Virginia State Bus Roadeo, an annual showcase of the best bus operators and mechanics on April 5-7 in Manassas. HRT bus operator Reginald Charity received the Smooth/Safe Operation Award from the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. Charity also won third place overall for operators while HRT’s George Sweeny and Jose Brito won third place for mechanics. The Roadeo tests the skills and expertise of Virginia transit agencies’ bus operators and maintenance professionals in a timed competition. Bus operators drive through an obstacle course reflecting maneuvers that they encounter daily, including turns, courtesy stops and navigating tight spaces in either a 35-foot or 40-foot bus. Operators are also judged on the presentation and appearance of their uniforms, safety and their ability to identify defects on their bus during a pre-trip inspection.

Tommy Rountree of Suffolk was recognized during the 59th annual Corn Yield Contest from the National Corn Growers Association. He placed first in state in the E: Strip-Till, Minimum-Till, Mulch-Till, Ridge-Till Non-Irrigated Class+G15 Class with a yield of 315.6917 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was DEKALB DKC68-35. Rountree was one of 552 state winners nationwide. The 2023 contest participation included 6,882 entries from 46 states.

Defense contractor HII, parent company of Newport News Shipbuilding, is one of 54 companies recognized by Business Group on Health as a “2024 Best Employers: Excellence in Health & Well-being” award winner. The companies demonstrably enhanced the health and well-being of employees and their families through leading-edge initiatives. The companies have novel and impactful approaches focused on critical workforce issues, such as mental health and health equity.

Donations and grants

Langley Federal Credit Union donated $125,000 to establish a demand scholarship fund at Norfolk State University to help students finance their college education. Langley presented a check in the presence of NSU President Javaune Adams-Gaston after the senior night ceremonies for the women’s basketball team and cheerleaders on March 8, signifying a five-year commitment. Langley is working with the NSU alumni association on other ideas to continue its partnership and help support NSU students.

The city of Virginia Beach was awarded a $19 million federal grant to address flooding issues on a 1.5-mile stretch of Pungo Ferry Road, a low-lying roadway that provides an east-west connection for several military installations, agricultural lands and wildlife refuges. The project will raise the roadway by 4 feet to make it passable during 100-year storm events, and will include paved, graded shoulders and bike paths. The Virginia Department of Transportation was awarded a $5.4 million grant to install a weather and traffic monitoring system that will facilitate emergency evacuations due to extreme weather events in Virginia’s Tidewater and Chesapeake region. The project will include the use of flood sensors, stream gauges and traffic cameras. President Joe Biden’s administration announced the transportation infrastructure resilience grants.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin today announced $1.5 million in funding from the Port Host Communities Revitalization Fund for the cities of Newport News and Norfolk. An $800,000 grant will help redevelop the 39-acre Seafood Industrial Park dock in Newport News, including the demolition of existing pier structures, the installation of a new system that will include shore power and water and dredging to increase capacity for watermen. A $700,000 grant will help renovate the historic Riverview Theater on Granby Street in Norfolk in partnership with a private developer. The renovation will include theater and marquee improvements, stormwater upgrades and paving an adjoining parking lot. The renovated 500-seat theater will host live music, concerts, movies and theatrical performances as well as serve as a private event venue for weddings, corporate events, fundraisers and festivals.

The Tunnel to Towers Foundation paid off the mortgage on the Virginia Beach home of fallen Army Specialist and Virginia Beach Police Department Detective Kurtis Vogel. Vogel grew up in New York and had enlisted in the Army in 2003, inspired to serve his country after the 9/11 attacks, and earned two Silver Crosses during his career. Vogel was diagnosed in 2021 with stage IV colorectal cancer attributed to his military service and died on March 5, 2023, leaving behind his wife, Brianne, and their two children. Tunnel to Towers’ Gold Star Family Home Program honors the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country by paying off the mortgage or providing the surviving spouses and young children with mortgage-free homes.

Fundraiser

Orvis, a fly fishing, hunting and sporting goods store at the Marketplace at Hilltop in Virginia Beach, is raising money for Project Healing Waters throughout the month of May during the company’s Great Giveback days. Project Healing Waters, a nonprofit organization, promotes healing and recovery of wounded military service members through the sport of fly fishing. Shoppers who donate $10 or more get a 10% discount. The store is also hosting an event kickoff and store relaunch the weekend of May 4-5.

Openings

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority opened a retail outlet at The Shops at Railyard at 1225 W. 25th St. in Norfolk on April 15. The 4,500-square-foot store sells more than 1,600 different products. It is the 10th store in the city and the 402nd Virginia ABC store.

Gourmet Burger Bistro opened at 202 E. Washington St. in downtown Suffolk on April 13. Its menu features gourmet burgers crafted with premium ingredients and unique flavor combinations. The chain also operates a restaurant in Portsmouth. For more info, visit gourmetburgerbistrova.com.

Freedom Boat Club of Hampton Roads celebrated its opening at 200 Old Marina Lane at Deep Creek Marina in Newport News on April 26. The location moved from Bluewater Yachting Center in Hampton, closing there Oct. 31, according to social media posts. Started in 1989 in Sarasota, Florida, Freedom Boat Club operates more than 400 locations, offering 90,000 members access to 5,000 boats. The franchise owns and maintains the boats for members, who pay fees based on tiered levels. Franchisee Andy Sutter owns and operates the Newport News location as well as locations in Norfolk and Portsmouth. Learn more at freedomboatclub.com/franchises/sova-boat-club/newport-news or call 757-302-8111.

Workforce development

Smithfield Foods reported that after one year of the company providing free tuition for its full- and part-time U.S. employees, more than 85 graduates have completed a high-quality degree or certificate program and more than 950 employees are currently enrolled and nearing graduation. Smithfield, in partnership with Guild, offers eligible employees access to learning and career growth with more than 200 degree and certificate programs that align with Smithfield’s career pathway opportunities. All programs are offered through vetted universities and education providers designed especially for working adults. Under Smithfield’s 100% tuition covered program, U.S. employees have access to one-on-one personalized education support and career coaching as well as coverage for required textbooks and course fees.

Eleven Hampton Roads residents graduated in the latest cohort from the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing, located at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville. Andrew Benwell, Ascencion Gomez, LaRosa McCoy and Tyreek Jones graduated with a certification in welding. Brandon Foreman, Brent Holcombe, Brycelyn Foreman, John Brandon Vert, Jonathan Mercer, Landon Ferrell and Melanie Davis graduated with certifications in CNC machining. More than 80% of students from the March cohort have secured jobs or are returning to their employer with additional credentials. The program was created to teach the skills needed to increase military equipment production in the United States.

The Hampton Roads Maritime Industries Education Alliance, which consists of the Maritime Institute and Old Dominion University, was designated a 2024 Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration. The Maritime Administration developed the Center of Excellence program to support maritime workforce training and education, including efforts of the designees to admit additional students, recruit and train faculty, expand facilities, create new maritime pathways and award students credit for prior experience, including military service. The Hampton Roads alliance is one of 32 centers nationwide selected for this five-year designation.