Getting your Trinity Audio player ready…
Appointed/elected
Gov. Abigail Spanberger recently announced the following board appointments: Czarina Parilla Garcia of Virginia Beach, site logistics coordinator, Geico, was appointed to the Asian Advisory Board. Nancy Rodrigues of Surry, retired president, Virginia Public Safety Foundation, was appointed to the Library of Virginia. Dr. Frederick Padiall Ochave of Virginia Beach, a self-employed dentist, was appointed to the Board of Dentistry. Jade Ranger of Williamsburg, owner and co-founder, The Prescription Shoppe, was appointed to the Board of Pharmacy. Gabe Morgan, sheriff of Newport News, was appointed to the Virginia Lottery Board. Larry Pendleton of Norfolk, certified public accountant, with PC Financial Services, was appointed to the Fair Housing Board. Gabriel Suber of Newport News, management at Wingstop; Arielle Mitchell of Virginia Beach, assistant commonwealth’s attorney for Chesapeake; and Christopher Gibbs of Norfolk, a sergeant with the Portsmouth Sheriff’s Office were appointed to the Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Prevention. James Church of Virginia Beach, general manager, Blake Ford/Aschenbach Automotive Group, was appointed to the Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. Sammara Green Searles of Suffolk, director of Parks and Recreation for the city of Franklin, was appointed to the Military Advisory Council.
Emily Harrison has joined the Virginia Beach Police Department as a media and communications coordinator. Harrison will handle press relations, brand storytelling, social media initiatives and crisis management. She previously worked as a TV reporter and anchor for WVEC in Norfolk and won an Emmy for her coverage of Hurricane Isaias while at WWBT in Richmond
April Young has been appointed Currituck County’s new library director. She has more than 16 years of experience in North Carolina public libraries. Most recently, Young was director of the Rutherford County Library System, a position she had held since 2015. With the dissolution of the East Albemarle Regional Library system, the Currituck County Public Library became a county department, effective July 1. Additionally, Currituck County has joined the NC Cardinal System, providing access to a catalog with over 8.1 million items, 235 physical branches and 56 library systems.
Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg announced Tony Rowe has been named the new manager of the Williamsburg ReStore on Jamestown Road, while Candace Montgomery is the organization’s new director of development
Awards and honors
BayPort Credit Union has been named to the 2026 Virginia School Boards Association Business Honor Roll, after a nomination from Virginia Beach City Public Schools in recognition of the credit union’s partnership and commitment to advancing financial education and workforce readiness for students. The honor recognizes businesses and organizations that have made significant contributions to Virginia public education through partnerships and ongoing support for students, educators and schools. BayPort was recognized for reimagining its student-run credit union program, which had operated for a decade in 60 elementary, middle and high schools in the region. It’s been revamped from an individual school outreach to a district-wide initiative.
Grants and donations
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has paid off the mortgages of the families of Virginia Beach Firefighter Matthew Gallina and U.S. Navy electronics technician Senior Chief Keith Ingraham. Both Gallina and Ingraham died of service-related cancer. Born in Manitowoc, Wisconsin, Gallina was also a Navy veteran, serving from 1994 to 2000 aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. After the military, he joined the fire department in 2002 and served in that role for 22 years. He later became a fire investigator with the fire marshal’s office. He died in 2024 and is survived by his wife, Michelle, and their three children. Ingraham, raised in upstate New York, entered the Navy in 2000 alongside two younger brothers. His honors included the Combat Action Ribbon with Valor and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. He died in 2025 and is survived by his wife, Katherine, and two daughters. The Gold Star Family Home Program and Fallen First Responder Home Program provide mortgage-free homes to surviving spouses with young children after the loss of a service member or first responder who died in the line of duty or from service-related illness.
Cooking with Greens, a Norfolk-based spice shop and culinary brand, has been selected as a recipient of the 2026 American Express Shop Small Grants Program in partnership with Main Street America. The $20,000 grant will support the expansion of the company’s immersive spice experience and its launch of a new educational food series focused on flavor, culture and practical cooking skills. The funding also will allow the business to launch a new educational food series featuring chef-led demonstrations, hands-on workshops, and family-friendly digital content, covering topics such as global spice traditions, pantry foundations, healthier cooking practices and reducing food waste at home.
Healthcare
The Urban League of Hampton Roads hosted the MotherBaby Wellness Perinatal Hub featuring the Urban Wellness Dads Prenatal GamePlan at Zion Baptist Church in Newport News. The event for expecting and new parents featured doula-led pregnancy and postpartum education, symptom trackers and red flags every family should recognize, partner advocacy training, and birth story reflection space for postpartum mental wellness. The event included a special focus on fathers with the goal of equipping them with the tools and confidence to support their partners through pregnancy, delivery and recovery.
Openings
Chartway Credit Union opened a new branch location in Town Center at 224 Constitution Drive in Virginia Beach. The event included a $5,000 donation to the Chartway Promise Foundation. Chartway has $3.2 billion in assets and membership of more than 265,000 with operations in Virginia, Texas and Utah
Shake Shack opened at 1400 Monticello Ave. in Norfolk in June. As part of the opening day celebration, the first wave of customers received custom Shake Shack tote bags. The company also donated $1 for every sandwich sold on the first day the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters. The eatery’s hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday through Sunday
Colonial Athletics Co., a specialty running store at 1302 Mount Vernon Ave. in Williamsburg, opened in July. The shop, operated by Del. Jessica Anderson and her husband, David, carries brands such as Nike, New Balance, ASICS, Saucony, Brooks, Adidas, Chicken Legs, Rabbit, Maurten, Tailwind, Currex, Feetures and more. The store also has a recovery corner, where customers can use Normatec compression boots and massage guns, as well as complimentary gait analysis. The Andersons, avid runners, recently acquired the Colonial Athletics Co. footwear business from Jim Elder, owner of Colonial Sports Inc. Elder, who has operated Colonial Sports for more than three decades, will continue to run the screen printing and embroidery business at the location of his former footwear retail store at 1303 Jamestown Road.
A new dental practice, Williamsburg Dental Arts, is now open in Monticello Marketplace and accepting new patients. For more information, visit williamsburgvadentist.com
Hot Topic, a retail store that specializes in music and pop culture fashion and other merchandise, will open a location at Williamsburg Premium Outlets on Aug. 28
Workforce Development
For the second year, Sail Nauticus Academy students built and launched a custom-designed miniboat, Hollow Vessel, with help from the Carnival Sunshine during one of the cruise ship’s recent visits to Norfolk. The student-built vessel will travel across the ocean collecting real-time environmental data while connecting Norfolk students to a worldwide network of young ocean explorers. The project is part of the Educational Passages initiative, which challenges students to design, build and launch unmanned boats into international waters while sharing data and stories with classrooms around the world. To celebrate the launch, the students boarded the cruise ship during a local port call for a behind-the-scenes educational experience, including opportunities to meet with ship leadership and learn more about careers in the maritime and cruise industries.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger recently signed bipartisan legislation creating Virginia’s first State Internship Coordinator. The new role within her administration is focused on strengthening state internship programs and expanding internship opportunities in government agencies to more Virginia students. The bill was patroned by Sen. Lashrecse Aird, D-Petersburg, and Del. Rip Sullivan, D-Fairfax
