FOUNDING BOARD MEMBERS

PRESIDENT

Tom has lived in Suffolk since 2005. He has extensive experience in domestic and international business management with an emphasis on logistics, warehousing, transportation, and the automotive industry. His employers have included global firms Mercedes Benz USA, Daimler Chrysler, Nissan/Infiniti NA, STIHL USA, and Mettler Toledo AG, among others. Semi-retired, he currently provides consulting advice to investment firms exploring automotive industry opportunities and has been actively engaged in studying and understanding local, regional, and state land use regulations, benefits, and challenges, including the impact decisions have on Virginia residents. Tom was named "Best Volunteer" in the Suffolk News-Herald 2023 Local Choice Awards.

SECRETARY-TREASURER

Denise moved with her husband to Suffolk in 2017 after retiring from federal civil service and more than 40 years of public administration and non-profit work experience. She served as a public affairs officer, management analyst, and internal performance consultant, working assignments both in the United States and Europe for seven different federal agencies. She and her husband are legacy members of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and she currently serves as the Co-VP of Public Policy for the American Association of University Women of Virginia (AAUW-VA). She is an active member of the Muse Writers Center and Hampton Roads Writers and advocates for many equity and environmental issues. She became interested in land use issues when she learned that her peaceful retirement home was threatened by a proposal to build a massive warehouse complex nearby.

Gerry moved to Suffolk in 2016, residing there with his wife and young son. He is employed by VCUHealth and is the president and owner of Celia Laboratory Solutions, a consulting and management company serving numerous domestic and international clients. Gerry has teaching appointments at Virginia Commonwealth and Brown Universities and is a past president of both the College of Reproductive Biology (CRB) and The Society of Reproductive Biologists and Technologists (SRBT). He has previously served on the boards of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and the American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB). Gerry is one of three plaintiffs named in a legal claim against the City of Suffolk for its vote to rezone the agricultural land near his home to heavy industrial.

Frank moved to Suffolk in 2000, where he lives with his wife.  He has two grown children who live in other states.  Frank is a former adjunct faculty member for Hampton University’s undergraduate fire administration program and served as a section committee member for the Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Initiative at the FEMA NETC in Emmitsburg, MD. He is a Gulf War veteran of the US Air Force and a retired Air Force Reservist as well as a former operations fire captain for a metropolitan fire department. He was a career fireman and EMT with the City of Suffolk’s Fire and Rescue Department in the late 1990s. He is active with Suffolk’s local chapter of the AARP, volunteers with Meals on Wheels of Suffolk & Isle of Wight and is a BMW Motorcycle Club Hampton Roads board member. He’s a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and an alumni member of the International Association of Firefighters.

Matt was raised in Detroit but has resided in Suffolk for 30 years. He works as Technical Director for a polymer company in North Carolina. He volunteers with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, Edmarc Hospice for Children, and the Salvation Army. He is currently President of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Michigan State Alumni Club and recently completed his term on the board of the Tidewater Orchid Society. His interest in land use issues was sparked by the City of Suffolk’s decision to rezone the farmland across from his home to heavy industrial use. He is especially concerned about the traffic congestion and pollution that would result from a near doubling of truck traffic in the area.

Ebony moved to Suffolk in 2000, where she resides with her husband and fur baby Dansby.  She is a Navy veteran and civil servant who has held various positions at the U.S. Departments of Justice and Defense.  She is the founder and president of a nonprofit organization that awards scholarships to students in Suffolk and is active in her community, supporting numerous non-profit, faith-based, and volunteer organizations. She has over 20 years of legal, management, and leadership experience, including governance, policy development, and resource management.  She earned a post-graduate certificate in Management from Harvard Business School.  

Leslie is an expert in real estate including being an investor, landlord, remodeler and a salesperson. In addition to real estate she also has extensive experience working in the non-profit sector including focus on education, environmental policy, grants, and fundraising. She holds a PH.D and Master’s degree in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University and a B.S. in Psychology from Old Dominion University with a minor in Criminal Justice. She is a published author, wife, and mother of two adult sons. She and her husband have resided in Suffolk since 2014.