Business notes for the week of May 22

Appointed/elected

The Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore announced that Doug Smith joined its board of directors. As president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Alliance, he oversees the staff of business development, business intelligence and marketing professionals, and he leads the operations of the region’s economic development organization that represents 13 municipalities and more than 70 private sector investors.

Awards and honors

During the African American Mayors Association’s Annual Conference last week held in April, former Newport News Mayor McKinley L. Price received the President’s Award for his leadership of the organization. He became the president of the association in May 2020. During his yearlong tenure, his focus was on the pandemic and the need for creating sustainable healthy communities. He advocated for vaccinations and testing in minority communities that were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. As a practicing dentist, he volunteered at clinics and administered the vaccine to citizens. He also set goals for increasing minority workforce opportunities by supporting historically Black colleges and universities, prioritizing funding for the needs of African American communities and building better relationships in public and private partnerships.

Lead Virginia, a nonpartisan and nonprofit statewide program for proven leaders, celebrated four Impact Award recipients during its April 12 Spring Gathering. Bryan Stephens, president and CEO of Hampton Roads Chamber, received a Lead Virginia Impact Award for his leadership in creating direct community links and resources between the military and Hampton Roads community through the Veterans Employment Centers, the Hampton Roads Military Affairs Committee, the U.S. Chamber Military Spouse Empowerment Zone and his work to meaningfully address veterans’ mental health. Other honorees included Sheryl Garland, vice president for health policy and community relations at MCV Foundation and chief of health impact at VCU Health; B.K. Fulton, chairman and CEO at Soulidifly Productions; and Laurie Head, vice president of marketing communications with AIS Network.

Grants and donations

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation approved more than $1.4 million in grants to 12 nonprofit organizations across the region. The foundation awards grants four times a year through its competitive Community Grants and Special Interest Grants program. Organizations awarded grants in March were: Nauticus Foundation, $250,000 for a comprehensive redesign project; Healthy Neighborhood Enterprises, $200,000 to continue buying and renovating properties in Norfolk’s Park Place neighborhood; Virginia Supportive Housing, $200,000 to renovate Gosnold Apartments; Tidewater Community College Educational Foundation, $150,000 for Visual Arts & Design Center; Virginia Zoological Society, $150,000 for the EdVenture & Exploration Campaign; Children’s Health Investment Program, $100,000 to renovate its building and create a Family Resource Center; Virginia Stage Co., $85,000 for renovations and upgrades; Paul D. Camp Community College Foundation, $75,000 to buy, renovate and equip the Tidewater News building in Franklin for a Nursing & Allied Health Center; The Children’s Center, $75,000 to help buy the Early Head Start and Head Start building in downtown Suffolk; Families of Autistic Children of Tidewater, $70,000 for the build out of the Autism Resource Center; Virginia League for Planned Parenthood, $70,000 to renovate and equip a new primary care health center in Chesapeake; and Virginia Early Childhood Foundation, $10,000 to support early child care education efforts.

Opening

Columbia Care Inc. opened its 35th location and 85th active dispensary nationwide in Norfolk on April 20. The Cannabist store at 7635 Granby St. sells to registered medical patients. It’s the fifth company retail location to open in Virginia within the past six months. Columbia Care operates nearly 148,000 square feet of cultivation and manufacturing capacity in Virginia.

The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce along with sponsors, ACE Hardware and TowneBank/Towne Insurance, held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 14 for Artsy Octopus. Lynne Miles, chamber board member and administrator, congratulated store owners Maria Monds, Lauren Smith and Michelle Smith on their new business located at 7128 S. Virginia Dare Trail in Nags Head, North Carolina. The business is a creative collective art and gift shop with 45 local artists. The shop offering classes in sea glass jewelry-making and resin beach scenes. It features fused glass, resin art, sterling silver beach jewelry, photography, paintings, prints, gourmet spices, shell art, painted furniture, custom-painted surfboards and home signs, watercolors and commercial items.

Transportation

Hampton Roads Transit has officially welcomed 20 new Chrysler Voyager vans to bolster its paratransit service. Each of the vehicles is ADA-accessible and has begun carrying passengers. The Chrysler vans were modified to comfortably fit up to one wheelchair and three ambulatory riders at a time. Six of the vans were paid for with money from the Hampton Roads Regional Transit Fund for fleet expansion. The remaining 14 were funded with fiscal year 2020 formula 5339 funds through the Federal Transportation Administration and serve as replacements for vehicles that are beyond their useful life benchmark. The current fleet consists of 97 vehicles. For more information on transit services, visit gohrt.com/paratransit.