LEAD Hampton Roads celebrated the graduation of the 47 members of the LEAD Hampton Roads Class of 2015 at a gala event recently.

These leaders spent nine months together studying the challenges and opportunities facing the region and exploring strategies for future success. They have produced a white paper on sea-level rise for the business community that will be published in August.

Graduates include Joel Andrus, Kemper Consulting Inc.; Paul Battaglia, Clark Nexsen; Michael Brady, U.S. Navy; Crystal Breede, The Mariners’ Museum and Park; Katharina Brekke Powers, Vandeventer Black; Christina Brooks, Opportunity Inc.; Joshua Clark, Tidewater Builders Association; Henry Cobb, TCC Workforce Development; Lee Cross, Cross Realty; Lori Crouch, City of Norfolk; Nancy Dove, Valbridge Property Advisors; Ashley Gentry, EVMS; Michael Glover, Monarch Bank; Andrew Harmond, IBM Corporation; Antipas Harris, Regent University; Ruth Hill, The Healing Place of Hampton Roads; Kevin Hughes, Seventh Point Advertising; Stacey Hugo, Norfolk Southern Corp.; Richard Johnson, Wells Fargo; Shannon Kendrick, Office of Congressman Scott Rigell; Ann Kirwin, Kirwin Development Strategies; Stephen Korving, Korving & Company; Kurt Krause, Gold Key PHR-The Main Norfolk; Drew Kubovcik, Pender & Coward, P.C.; Valerie Langhorne, Fulton Bank; John Malfitano, U.S Navy; Michael Mapes, SunTrust Mortgage; Jai McBride, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission; Sarah McCoy, Port of Virginia; Ramsay McCullough, Jackson Lewis; John Mogk, TCC; Rhonda Murray, U.S. Navy; James Ramsey, Virginia Beach Fire Department; Cline Reasor, BB&T Scott & Stringfellow; Hobie Ritzel, Cox Communications; Lisa Sands, Virginia Opera; Elena Scarbrough, Virginia Army National Guard; Sarah Holtzinger, Signature Financial Management; Benjamin Simms, Hampton Roads Transit; Anna Richardson Smith, Kaufman & Canoles; Rebecca Steigenga, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy; David Stephens, Stephens & LaRoche Financial Partners; Andrew Stephenson, Sentara Healthcare; Jonathan Taylor, Palladium Registered Investment Advisors; Steve Todd, Clark Nexsen; Osmay Torres, LifeNet Health and Angela Tumwa, Dixon Hughes Goodman.

Established in 1987, LEAD Hampton Roads is one of Virginia’s premier leadership organizations, with a 27-year history of identifying, educating, and supporting strong leaders for the region.

Through varied programs and events, the organization connects and inspires a wide range of leaders who work together to build a better Hampton Roads. LEAD Hampton Roads is a program of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.