Blair Durham President & Co-Founder of Black BRAND Blair Durham is a Hampton Roads native, a Virginia Tech alum, and the Co-Founder and President of Black BRAND, Hampton Roads’ Regional Black Chamber of Commerce. Under her leadership, the organization has grown to more than 400 individual and corporate members and five impactful programs aimed at narrowing the wealth gap through the provision of social, knowledge, resource, and financial capital. Blair serves on a number of boards throughout the region, lending her thought leadership and expertise in the nonprofit and business development spaces and is the recipient of several honors and distinctions for her efforts. She and her husband, Bashiri, are the proud parents of three children and they make their home in Portsmouth, VA
Stephanie Gorham President and CEO of Volunteer Hampton Roads Stephanie Gorham is a seasoned nonprofit executive with over 20 years’ experience in Texas and Virginia. She received her bachelor’s degree from Midwestern State University, and is currently working on her MBA from Virginia Wesleyan University. Volunteerism, board service especially, has been an important part of her life as she has served on 11 nonprofit boards since 2009, currently serving Hampton Roads Workforce Council and Southeastern Virginia Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster boards. She is a 2012 recipient of the Top 20 Under 40 in North Texas, a 2012 graduate of Leadership Wichita Falls, a 2019 graduate of the CIVIC Leadership Institute, and recognized as Inside Business’ 2021 Women in Business and 2022 Power List’s People to Watch.
Philip Deng Founder and CEO of Grantable Philip is the Co-founder and CEO of Grantable, a world-class grant writing assistant for any organization, powered by AI. He devised the prototype from 15 years of experience working with grant-funded organizations in the nonprofit sector.
Jeff Ader Director of Business Innovation at Points of Light
Jeff Ader Director of Business Innovation at Points of Light Jeff Ader is a graduate of Emory University and received an MPA from Georgia State University’s Andrew Young School of Policy Studies. He is an AmeriCorps alum and has held various project management, marketing and development positions in the private and nonprofit sector. He currently serves as the Director of Corporate Insights and Programs at Points of Light, an organization focused on helping individuals, nonprofits and companies become more civically engaged and drive social impact. In his current role, he supports the organization's corporate social responsibility initiatives providing insights, best practices engagement programs for companies looking to improve and scale their social impact efforts.
Mary Andris President & CEo of CIVIC Leadership Institute
Mary Andris President & CEo of CIVIC Leadership Institute Prior to being named President and Chief Executive Officer of the CIVIC Leadership Institute, Dr. Andris served as a Director of Council Partnerships for the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). There she supported more than 30 Council CEOs and their Board Chairs in annual and strategic planning for growth and sustainability.
Gary Artybridge Manager, Corporate Citizenship & Education Outreach at Newport News Shipbuilding
Gary Artybridge Manager, Corporate Citizenship & Education Outreach at Newport News Shipbuilding As manager of Corporate Citizenship & K-12 Education Gary is responsible for the STEM and career awareness programs, corporate philanthropic efforts, and regional employee volunteer opportunities. Gary began his shipbuilding career in 2011 as a nuclear engineer in the reactor services program for NIMITZ-class aircraft carriers. Prior to his current role, he served as a nuclear instructor of radiological controls training for nuclear engineers. Gary earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in engineering management from George Washington University. He lives in Hampton, VA with his wife, Monique, and son, Justice.
Christina Brooks
Christina Brooks Senior Director of Community Initiatives: Christina Brooks oversees the development and implementation of strategic initiatives to align and enhance the region’s workforce system as well as the development of barrier-breaking projects serving underrepresented and under-resourced populations. Additionally, she oversees the internal fund development process to include federal, state and regional grants as well as private sponsorships from industry and individuals. Previously, she was the Student Employment Coordinator at Old Dominion University, served as a Crisis Counselor for the YWCA and as a Volunteer Recruiter/Trainer for the North Carolina Guardian ad Litem program. Christina has a MSEd in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Old Dominion University and a BA in Psychology from the University of North Carolina Asheville. Christina serves on numerous boards and advisory committees throughout the region in strategic planning and grantmaking roles. Christina resides in Suffolk with her husband of 17 years, William White, and their feline companions Kimicat and Hilda Von Hissypants.
Michelle Ellis Young Chief Executive Officer at YWCA South Hampton Roads
Michelle Ellis Young Chief Executive Officer at YWCA South Hampton Roads A proud native of New Orleans, LA, and graduate of Seton Academy High School for Girls, Michelle Ellis Young is a trained communicator who earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Houston, in Houston, Texas in Radio-Television. A move to Hampton Roads allowed her to continue her studies at Hampton University, where she earned a master’s degree in Counseling with a focus on College Student Development. She has also furthered her education as a doctoral candidate at West Virginia University.
Jason Inge Director of Community Investments at United Way of South Hampton Roads
Jason Inge Director of Community Investments at United Way of South Hampton Roads Jason Inge serves as the Director of Community Investments for United Way of South
Mark Johnson Vice President, Community Development Manager at Truist
Mark Johnson Vice President, Community Development Manager at Truist Mark is the Vice President & Community Development Manager at SunTrust, now Truist. In this role, Mr. Johnson is responsible for overseeing the Community Development activities in the state of Virginia.
Lauren Roberts- Carter Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Hampton Roads Chamber
Lauren Roberts- Carter Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Hampton Roads Chamber Lauren Carter serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Communications. In this role, Lauren is tasked with ensuring the strong visibility of the Chamber along with executing a robust communications and marketing strategy. This includes communications across social media, email, print, and all forms of digital media. Lauren has been with the Chamber since June of 2022 and is working hard to increase all aspects of the Chamber’s member and community reach through her and her team’s communication and marketing efforts.
Alana Slaughter Director of Corporate Partnerships at Volunteer Hampton Roads
Alana Slaughter Director of Corporate Partnerships at Volunteer Hampton Roads Alana Slaughter is a Virginia Beach native and joins VOLUNTEER Hampton Roads after 14 years of sales experience in the hospitality and information technology fields where she focused on building lasting relationships and became a trusted advisor for her clients. She earned her Bachelors of Business Administration at James Madison University and takes pride in being the liaison between corporate and volunteer communities. Alana is an avid soccer player and enjoys living at the oceanfront with her husband and very spoiled rescue cat.
