Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge

Hospitality House
of the Blue Ridge

Help us draw the future.

As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, donations are tax-deductible.

A home away from home

Affordable nonprofit lodging for hospital patients and their families.

When an adult hospital patient travels to our area for critical care or arrives as the result of a traumatic incident, the family or loved one can be faced with the sudden expense of finding local lodging, for days or weeks on end. Alternatively, they might sleep in the patient's room, in the waiting room, or in their car.

In 2019 a local group came together and formed a 501c3 nonprofit to provide an alternative, so the patients and families visiting our three regional hospitals – Lewis Gale, Carilion Clinic, and the Veteran's Hospital – have a local option for a safe, secure, and affordable environment that offers the kind of warmth and hospitality our region is well known for.

Three years in development, a viability assessment is done, and the Capital Campaign has begun as the vision for helping our neighbors comes into focus on the drafting table.

Neighbor helping neighbor

Modeled after caring communities across the country

There are over 200 independent nonprofit hospitality houses of various sizes across the U.S. helping patients and their families who must travel over 50 miles for life-sustaining medical care.

Now, our local community has the opportunity to similarly support and host the neighbors of our region with the establishment of a 30-room facility by raising building costs through a true community-funded effort.

Click to locate other hospitality houses in the US.

Timeline

Walking in the shoes of others

The local impact

There’s no good time to see a loved one enter the hospital for critical care. Whether it's your parent, spouse, or adult child. It can become especially stressful for those who have to travel great distances to an unfamiliar town.

We have an opportunity to help reduce the financial stress for hundreds of families for years to come. Especially those in financial need. (Health insurance doesn't cover hotel stays).

Sustainability

Learning from the success of other hospitality houses in the country, the maintenance and operating costs of the Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge will be underwritten by sliding scale guest fees, established by a minimum 30-guestroom initial build and augmented by a program for adopting the house on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Long-term, the house will be further supported by an endowment.

Help us build a house of caring –

Becoming a Founding Donor

To magnify, click on floorplans.

Become a Founding Donor

Join our donor wall

Your contribution will help us build what will be an enduring gift to those who need a safe and comfortable place to stay during a difficult time of need – for decades to come.

Won't you join us by making a donation or pledge? Every dollar counts. Your investment in our future will remain local. You can donate here.

Legacy Naming Opportunities

Name a room or garden for a loved one or your business

The boutique hotel-like house will be something we can all be proud of, wrapped in local warmth and hospitality.

It's not often that affixing your name in perpetuity to a permanent facility is within reach.

The three-story structure will have areas and rooms made possible by the generosity of local donors. Permanent, prominent room plaques will identify the contributing donors and the person, family or business being honored, in perpetuity.

Whether you make a single donation or spread it over a multi-year pledge, the various spaces will be made possible by those who want to see our community help others under stress.

Local architect Tom Mullinax has generously donated his time and talents to create the preliminary drawings you see above. As a renowned designer of hospice and medical facilities nationwide, he understands the specific needs of such facilities.

Designed to reflect and complement our local aesthetics, the house will be warm, welcoming, and inviting – inside and out.

VISIT

Visit our GUILD MEMBERS listings

DONOR LEVELS

Friends of HHBR $1 - $249

Pillar Guild $250 - $499

Guardian Guild $500 - $999

Leader Guild $1,000 - $2,499

Champion Guild $2,500 - $4,999

Patron Guild $5,000 - $9,999

Benefactor Guild $10,000 - 24,000

Visionary Guild $25,000+

All Guild donors will be permanently credited on the Founders Wall inside the house.

Become a (Major) Founding Donor

Take the rare step into perpetuity

Working with other hospitality houses, researching national trends, and surveying our local needs, with professional advice on construction efficiencies we have determined 30 guest rooms to be the optimal number at launch.

Each room will be named at the direction of the donor, in perpetuity. Donors will have an opportunity to name and dedicate the room, as well as influence the guestroom's overall theme.

Invest in your community:

The local impact
Healthcare has become an economic cornerstone of the region. This Hospitality House of the Blue Ridge will have an enduring, collaborative impact on the broader community. Your support can be considered making an investment in our community.

Community
The house itself will provide educational and volunteer opportunities including community service credits for high school students and opportunities for college hours for those studying in the fields of hospitality, culinary, and healthcare.

Business ripple effect
The dollars invested here will stay here -- jobs, supplies, and salaries. Making it easier for a loved one to stay in the area for an extended period of time will have a ripple effect on local business spending.

Tourism impact
Treating our neighbors from afar with love and support in their time of need has a ripple effect on the community's reputation. For many, the Hospitality House of The Blue Ridge will be an intimate introduction to our area's warmth and hospitality, resulting in direct as well as word-of-mouth goodwill.

Here's how it all began:

Our Origin Story

The spark that ignited the vision

Charlie's laugh and sense of humor were as authentic as his caring heart.

In 2013, Charlie “CW” Cox was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. In the later years of his illness, he traveled 125 miles each way from his home in Marion, VA to Wake Forest's hospital for his specialized treatment. His family would travel two hours from Roanoke to be with him during his frequent doctor's appointments.

A lung operation was eventually required, with a week-and-a-half in-hospital stay. As the travel began to take its toll, the family was pointed to a local nonprofit hospitality house that serves the two hospitals of Winston-Salem, providing the kind of Southern hospitality that city is known for.

Later, when a 9-week regimen of radiation and chemotherapy treatment was called for – chemo 3-times-a-week and radiation 5 days a week – the SECU Family House again provided Charlie and his family welcoming, affordable lodging (around $40. per night), with the comfort and security of a nice hotel.

There, they found comradery with other out-of-town families and patients facing similar anxieties and stress of critical medical care, complemented by the empathetic support of the house staff and team of volunteers.

Charlie asked if Roanoke had something similar for those traveling to the Roanoke Valley for medical care. When the family learned that Roanoke did not, a seed of an idea was planted.

In October 2017, an infection interrupted Charlie's treatment and ultimately cut his life short. But his question, asking about a hospitality house in Roanoke, lived on.

The family's experience of traveling to an unfamiliar city for critical care and being welcomed and embraced by the local community inspired them to ask others of their potential interest in seeing one built here.

Charlie enjoying a hospital burger, with his ever-present smile.

Recognizing that a countless number of families travel great distances to receive world-class care in Roanoke, a group of like-minded people came together.

Soon, a Board of Directors was formed and then a Board of Advisors. A 501c3 was established; exhaustive research was completed; and now, a Capital Campaign has been launched, turning to the greater community of the Blue Ridge for support.

We have an opportunity to help those impacted by the hardships of traveling here for critical medical treatment. You can help build a local hospitality house that will stand for decades as an accurate expression of our community's caring heart.

About Us

Meet your can-do neighbors:

Community

Your Board of Advisors

Our heart-centered Board of Advisors provides advice and guidance, by profession and experience. They continue to be invaluable in their generosity towards our efforts. You can click on each image below to learn more about their backgrounds.

Marci Brumberg

Director of the Jewish Community Religious School and Educational Director of Beth Israel Synagogue

As a cancer survivor Marci understands that this disease affects families not just individuals and understands the need and value of the establishment of a Hospitality House in Roanoke.

Marci has been an educator in Jewish Education for over fifty years, the last 37 years in Roanoke, Virginia. While her focus has been on educating Jewish youth and adults in the traditions and values of Judaism, she has also been a guest lecturer about the Holocaust in the Roanoke County schools and an adjunct Professor at Roanoke College, teaching a course in basic Judaism. She has a love for theater and has written and directed musical plays dealing with Jewish holidays and themes. This resulted in the formation of a business called Say It With Plays.

Marci was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia before moving to Roanoke 37 years ago. She has been married to her husband Dennis for 52 years. They have two children and four grandchildren who are truly the joy and love of her life.

John Carlin

News Anchor, WSLS

John co-anchors the 5, 5:30, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts on WSLS 10.

A dedicated community servant, John is a board member of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, past board chair of the YMCA of Virginia’s Blue Ridge corporate board of directors, member of the board of Saint Francis Service Dogs and board member of the Associated Press of the Virginias. He is a co-founder and board member for the Blue Ridge Marathon and a past board member of the Virginia chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. John was a member of Rotary International for more than 20 years.

Carlin was a part of the WSLS 10 team that earned the Peabody Award for coverage of the April 16, 2007 mass shooting at Virginia Tech. During his tenure, the team also won three national Edward R. Murrow Awards. John is the recipient of six Emmy awards for reporting, as well as numerous awards from RTNDA, VAB and the Associated Press. In 2015 he received the Best News Anchor of the Year award from the Associated Press of the Virginias. He has been honored with distinguished service awards by both the Virginia Association of Broadcasters and the Virginia Associated Press.

John’s broadcasting career includes stops at WPTZ in Plattsburgh, NY/Burlington, Vt. WDTV in Clarksburg, West Virginia, and WTVR in Richmond. As part of a news sharing agreement with WFXR (FOX), John co-anchored the 10 p.m. news in Roanoke for more than a decade. He also taught broadcast writing as adjunct faculty at Virginia Tech from 1996 – 2007. He joined the faculty at Radford University as adjunct faculty in the fall of 2019.

John is a graduate of the State University of New York at Plattsburgh with a degree in mass communication.

In his spare time, John is an avid cyclist and fisherman. He lives in Roanoke, where he and his wife Mary enjoy time with their three grown sons and their families.

Jim Cherney

Jim Cherney is a community-focused developer in Roanoke who believes the transformation of property resources can continue to help build a resilient and progressive city. He uses strategic visioning, creative thinking and collaboration between parties to convert underutilized and underperforming properties into new spaces that help revitalize the community and the people they serve. He works together with owners, architects, contractors and others to establish healthy working partnerships that are good for business, good for the community and good for the local economy.

In his 35+ years of experience, he has revitalized and managed various community real estate properties including multi-family housing, commercial buildings, retail and restaurant properties, self-storage, warehouse spaces, farms and more across Virginia, North Carolina, Maryland and DC. His forward-focused projects meet the needs of the current populations, with an eye toward meeting the needs of an evolving society and commerce.

Driven by a desire to contribute to the people and vitality of the city he calls home, Jim is also an active supporter of non-profit organizations focused on community development, health and the arts in the Roanoke Valley.

Michelle Davis

Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of SWVA

Michelle is a Roanoke native and graduate of the University of Michigan.
Currently, Ms. Davis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Boys & Girls Clubs of SWVA, a youth development organization that serves over 850 youth in 6 locations throughout our region. Additionally, Ms. Davis was elected to a 4 year term on Roanoke City Council in 2016, serving Roanoke City at-large.

Michelle lives with her daughter, Elsa, in Roanoke City. She currently serves on the Freedom First Credit Union Board of Directors and was appointed to the Virginia Recreational Facilities Authority by Governor Terry McAuliffe. She is Vice Chair of the Roanoke City Legislative Committee and Chair of the Roanoke City Personnel Committee, and was previously President of the Mountain View Neighborhood Association and served on several other boards and commissions.

Kay Dunkley, EdD

Executive Director, Roanoke Higher Education Center

Kay Dunkley serves as the Executive Director of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority, a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia, constituted as a public body that operates the Roanoke Higher Education Center. The Center is comprised of eleven partner institutions-- colleges and workforce training organizations that expand educational opportunities throughout the Roanoke region. Kay holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Radford University and a doctorate from Virginia Tech. She has also served in various senior leadership positions at Virginia Tech, the Virginia Community College System and in two public school divisions.

As an ambassador to the Roanoke region, Kay serves on the board of directors for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and is an active participant on the Public Policy Committee and the Chamber’s Foundation. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum and Foundation in Wytheville, VA. Her passion is connecting the rich resources of an academic environment to meet the ever changing workforce training needs of businesses and industries.

Kay is a resident of Roanoke County and is the proud mother of one daughter and one granddaughter.

William A. Fintel, MD

Medical Director, Carilion Clinic Hematology-Oncology

Dr. William Fintel is a native of the upper Midwest, having grown up in Iowa and Minnesota. He attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa and then graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. Following medical school, Dr. Fintel did his internal medicine residency and oncology fellowship at the University of Virginia. He serves as adjunct faculty at Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Fintel has board certifications in internal medicine and medical oncology.

Professional Societies:
• American Board of Internal Medicine
• American Society of Clinical Oncology
• American Medical Association
• Christian Medical and Dental Association

Dr. Fintel is married to Connie and they have four sons. He has published three additions of Cancer: A Medical and Spiritual Guide for patients and their families, with co-author and friend, Gerry McDermott, Ph.D. Among his interests are writing, running, lecturing, boating and travel.

Teresa Kimbler George

Volunteer/Supporter/
Advocate

Teresa George moved to Roanoke soon after her graduation from Bluefield College in 1984. She worked as a Patient Representative on the Pediatric Unit at Roanoke Memorial Hospital and also for the American Cancer Society. During her stay at Roanoke Memorial, she met Dr. Jeffery E. George, a general surgery resident, and they were married in 1988.

Soon afterward, Teresa and Jeff moved to Louisville, where Jeff completed a cardiothoracic surgery residency at the University of Louisville Hospital and Teresa worked for the American Cancer Society. They then moved to Huntington, West Virginia, Jeff’s hometown, where Jeff joined a surgical practice and Teresa worked as Director of Volunteers at St. Mary’s Hospital.

In 1993, Teresa and Jeff moved to Harbor Springs, Michigan. Teresa worked for Hospice of Little Traverse Bay and Jeff was a cardiothoracic surgeon at Northern Michigan Hospital. While they were living in Harbor Springs, their daughter, Hannah, was born. Shortly after Hannah’s birth, the family returned to Huntington, where Jeff opened his own medical practice. In the late 1990’s, Jeff and Teresa served on the founding board of The Hospital Hospitality House of Huntington, a 12-room facility on the grounds of St. Mary’s Hospital which opened in 2000. Jeff served as Chairman of Board and Teresa organized the volunteer program. In 2007, they decided to return to Roanoke, when Jeff accepted a position as a cardiothoracic surgeon at Carilion. Before the family moved to Roanoke, the Board of Directors of the Hospitality House honored Jeff by changing the name of the facility to the Jeffery E. George Comfort House.

In December, 2008, Jeff and Hannah were killed in a tragic accident on I-81 while Jeff was driving Hannah to a horseback-riding lesson in Lexington. Teresa has remained in Roanoke since that time and is now married to Dick Wall. She is an active supporter of Faith Christian School, Healing Strides of Virginia, and Carilion Children’s Hospital.

She has served as a volunteer counselor at Camp Braveheart, a grief camp for children and teenagers who have suffered the loss of a loved one. She is also a member of the Roanoke Women’s Foundation.

Virginia Ginny B Jarrett

Managing Director, Investments at Davenport & Company LLC
Board of Directors, Carilion Clinic Foundation

Ginny Jarrett has been a financial consultant for more than 30 years. She is Managing Director with Davenport & Company. As past president of several local boards including the Community Youth Program, the YWCA of Roanoke Valley and the Junior League of Roanoke Valley, she has also served as Treasurer and a board member of the Association of Junior Leagues International. She currently serves on the board of the Carilion Foundation and Mill Mountain Theatre. She is also a co-founder of the Roanoke Women’s Foundation.

Dan Karnes

President, Roanoke Valley Veterans Council

As a licensed clinical social worker Mr. Karnes is a committed advocate and leader in the Roanoke Valley veteran community. During his 30+ year career at the Veterans Health Administration in Salem, VA he directed the counseling center providing individual and group counseling with a specialty in PTSD. Mr. Karnes retired from the United States Army Reserves as a Lt. Colonel after 33 years of service.

Many boards of directors have benefited from his experience and leadership. He currently serves on the board for the following organizations: Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, Salem Research Institute, Roanoke Redevelopment & Housing Authority, Military Officers Association of American, Roanoke Valley Veterans Council and Blue Ridge Behavior Health Care. In addition to these board positions, Mr. Karnes is also involved with Meals on Wheels, TRUE (Temporary Relief of Unexpected Emergencies), St. John's Episcopal Church, and Kiwanis Club.

Cynthia D Lawrence

Cynthia D. Lawrence
Carilion Clinic
Director, Office of Workforce Development

Cynthia founded and led two companies from 1986 – 2015, when they were acquired. She is currently employed by Carilion Clinic as Director of the Office of Workforce Development.

Appointed twice by Governor Kaine and reappointed by Governor McAuliffe, Cynthia is in her third term as a member of the Virginia Lottery Board, holding positions as Board Chair and Audit Committee Chair. She is in her third term on the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport Commission as a City of Roanoke appointee, twice serving as Chair.

She is on the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board, a member of the Virginia Chamber’s Workforce and Education Committee, and is a founding member of the Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers. Committed to the importance of women’s education as a critical component of a healthy, economically vibrant community, Cynthia founded an organization of women business leaders in 1996, The Commonwealth Council, focused on mentoring emerging women leaders and funding undergraduate scholarships for adult working women of need. She is on the President’s Advisory Council for Hollins University, the Advisory Boards for the Department of Management at the Pamplin College of Business and Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech.

Cynthia is on the Board and serves as a student mentor for House of Bread Roanoke, an ecumenical Christian organization that assistance to formerly incarcerated women with job skills, education, and stable housing.

A current member and past President of the Mill Mountain Theatre Board of Directors, Cynthia was among the leadership team who in 2009 made the harsh decision to stop MMT’s stage productions in mid-season when the Theatre was overburdened by debt, working the next four years on a new business model and reopening the theatre in 2013.

In 2010 while on the Board of the Virginia Western Community College Foundation, Cynthia founded Food for Thought, an edible education partnership between VWCC, Roanoke City Schools, and the City of Roanoke establishing a teaching garden and agri-science-based program at James Madison Middle School. In 2014, Cynthia was appointed by Governor McAuliffe to the Commonwealth Council on Bridging the Nutritional Divide, a public-private partnership focused on solving childhood hunger.

Cynthia is past President of the Boards of the Science Museum of Western Virginia and the Virginia Museum of Transportation and a past Board member of the Foundation for Roanoke Valley, Opera Roanoke, and Virginia Opera. She has served as Co-Chair for the United Way of Roanoke Valley Presidents Circle and the MS Society Roanoke Dinner of Champions and in a leadership role with the local March of Dimes Celebrity Chefs Gala. As an active member of the Junior League of Roanoke Valley, Cynthia served as Government Affairs chair. In 1995, she was recognized as Outstanding Young Woman for the Roanoke Valley by the Roanoke Jaycees. In 2018, she and her husband Mark received the Silver Hope Award from the MS Society in honor of their community service. Cynthia is a native and lifelong resident of Roanoke, Virginia. The Lawrences live in Roanoke City.

John Miller

President of the Allegheny - Blue Ridge Chapter of the Association of the United States Army

John R. Miller is the President of the Allegheny - Blue Ridge Chapter of the Association of the United States Army effective 1 January 2013. He is the former Director for International Business Development for Raytheon International. In that capacity he was responsible for programs in Europe, from Portugal to the Black Sea, including Turkey, and from the Baltics to the Mediterranean as well as sub-Sahara Africa. He was also Country Manager for Israel. Mr. Miller joined Raytheon Company in 1998, following a career in the United States Army.

Commissioned through ROTC from Washington and Lee University, he held leadership assignments in the 6th Armored Cavalry Regiment, and saw service in Vietnam with Advisory Team 99. He served in command at the battalion and brigade levels.

A Foreign Area Officer for Europe where he served more than a decade, he was a Division Chief on the Army Staff in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff or Operations, and on the Joint Staff in Regional Negotiations, J-5. He was a member of the U.S. Delegation to the Conventional Arms Control Talks in Vienna, Austria, and later served as Defense Attaché for Slovakia, Slovenia, and Austria.

A graduate of Washington and Lee University, Mr. Miller returned to W&L to serve as Assistant Professor of Military Science following receipt of a Master's Degree from the University of Georgia. He is also a graduate of the Austrian National Defense College, the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College where he earned a second Master’s Degree, the U.S. Army War College, and the Advanced Management Program's Center for Creative Leadership. Among his military decorations are the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit (5th award), Bronze Star medal (2d award), Defense Meritorious Service Medal (2d award), the Air Medal, and numerous foreign awards including the Honor Medal in Silver from Austria and the Peacekeeping Medal from Slovakia.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Mr. Miller serves on the board of the Southwest Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). He is a lifetime member of both the Association of the United States Army and the Military Officers Association, a member of American Legion Post #3, and a permanent member of Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Alpha Theta.

Mr. Miller and his wife, Brenda, currently reside in Roanoke County. They are the proud parents of two daughters, Lara and Sara, currently living in Detroit and Northern Virginia, respectively.

Dr. Robert H. Sandel

President, Virginia Western Community College
Board of Trustees, Lewis Gale Medical Center

In his 18 years at Virginia Western Community College, Dr. Robert H. Sandel has spearheaded unprecedented growth that has positively impacted countless students’ lives and helped drive the Roanoke Region to new heights. His leadership has helped Virginia Western become a forward-thinking community college, inspiring individual, community and economic transformation.

A native of Orangeburg, South Carolina, Dr. Sandel is a Roanoker at heart. He was named Roanoke City Citizen of the Year in 2013. He has been actively involved in the community, serving on numerous local and state boards including chair of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, chair of the Pre-K Committee for Smart Beginnings and president of the Board of Trustees for the LewisGale Medical Center. He was named a Star Regional Honoree for exemplary service, professionalism and community leadership in the Greater Blue Ridge Region by the March of Dimes. Dr. Sandel was selected for the Ruby Award, which is given to an influential regional leader by the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council.

Dr. Sandel earned his bachelor’s degree from The Citadel, his master’s degree from South Carolina State University and his doctorate from the University of South Carolina. Prior to joining Virginia Western, he was president of Mountain Empire Community College in Big Stone Gap and he has been a community college educator for more than 30 years.

Dr. Sandel’s wife, Jane, is a retired educator who taught at Salem High School. They have four children and 14 grandchildren.

Rebecca Stackhouse

Director, Salem VA Medical Center, Veterans Health Administration

Ms. Stackhouse was appointed Director of the Salem VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia on October 2, 2016. The Salem VA Medical Center includes a 182-bed hospital, a 90-bed Community Living Center, and a 26-bed Domiciliary, as well as five outpatient clinics. Ms. Stackhouse oversees the delivery of health care to more than 38,000 Veterans and is responsible for an operating budget of $315M and a workforce of approximately 1,850 personnel.

Prior to serving as the Director of the Salem VA Medical Center, Ms. Stackhouse served as the Interim Medical Center Director from February 2016 to October 2016 and as the Associate Director from February 2012 to February 2016. Previously, Ms. Stackhouse served as the Associate Director at the William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center in Columbia, South Carolina. Additionally, she served as Assistant Director at the Dayton VA Medical Center in Dayton, Ohio. Ms. Stackhouse is Board Certified in health care management as a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives and is Board Certified in Recreation Therapy (CTRS) from the National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification.

Robert "Bob" B Williams, MD Emeritus

Lewis Gale Medical Center, Retired Surgeon

Bob was born in Okinawa and grew up in a Navy family, moving every couple of years, living the longest in Hawaii. At Wake Forest, he studied education and math, and then went to the now Richmont Graduate University where he earned a Masters degree in Christian counseling.

He was a marriage and family counselor at the Carolina Clinic in Wilson, NC where he was inspired to go to medical school, to be a psychiatrist. So, he returned to school, this time to NC State, where he took all those science courses he had previously avoided. A few years later he returned to Wake Forest for medical school. There he met the love of his life, Kim, an RN taking care of a mutual patient, in the pediatric ICU at two in the morning. A few months later they married.

In med school he chose surgery over psychiatry. He did a six year residency at South Carolina, which included a year fellowship in surgical oncology.

Bob and Kim are the parents of three great kids. Matt, a management consultant is married to Lauren, a government analyst and they live in the DC area. Dave teaches political science at the Naval Academy and is married to Jess, a volunteer girls lacrosse coach at a high school in Annapolis, MD. Kathryn, and her husband Jacob, are Christian missionaries in Rwanda.

Your Board of Directors

As the Board of Directors, we took full advantage of the Covid lock-down to dive deep into research around national trends and survey local needs. As a collaborative team of professionals in education, construction, the hospitality industry, marketing, legal, finance, and business, we are dedicated to the shared vision of helping our neighbors, near and far.

Jacob Gibson / President

Providence Properties LLC

Jacob Gibson is a Franklin County native who currently resides in Roanoke with his wife Kim and their two young boys, Luke and Isaac.

After teaching middle school, Jacob spent a decade as a partner and officer of educational software company Interactive Achievement from 2006-2016. Today Jacob is Managing Member of Providence Properties, which specializes in home renovations and property management throughout the Roanoke Valley. He also serves on the board for the Boy Scouts of America’s Blue Ridge Mountains Council and he and his family attend New Hope Christian Church. He enjoys water activities and spending time with his family.

Kristin Routt / Vice President

VP | Financial Center Manager at American National Bank & Trust Company

Kristin Is a Roanoke County native who currently resides in Salem with her husband Aaron, their girls, Marleigh and Olivia, and two dogs. After graduating from Cave Spring High School, Kristin went on to earn her Bachelor of Business Administration from Radford University. Kristin spent several years in management with Wachovia, before joining the HomeTown Bank family in 2009. In early 2019, HomeTown completed their merger with American National and today Kristin is the Financial Center Manager of their Downtown Roanoke office.

Kristin has previously served on the Board for Junior Achievement, and is currently on the board for South Salem Elementary School PTA. Kristin enjoys being with her family, spending time at Claytor Lake and Ocean Isle Beach, and attending Marleigh's cheer competitions and Olivia's dance recitals.

Cherish Miller / Treasurer

Cherish Miller is a native of Roanoke County where she currently resides with her husband Timmy and their two children. She earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Accounting and Information Systems from Virginia Tech. Cherish is a CPA and Senior Manager at Brown, Edwards, and Company, LLP with over 12 years of experience in public accounting. She provides assurance services to clients in various industries including higher education, non-profits, and construction. Cherish is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants, and a new member of the Junior League of Roanoke Valley.

Matthew Liller / Secretary

Kalbaugh, Pfund & Messersmith, PC

Matt is a West Virginia native who lives in Roanoke with his wife Chelsea and two children, Mason and Maya. He is an attorney with the firm of Kalbaugh, Pfund & Messersmith, PC and often appears in State and Federal courts throughout both Virginia and West Virginia, primarily practicing civil defense of corporations and individuals, as well as representing and advising local businesses. He was named a Virginia Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in 2021 by his peers for his dedication to his clients’ needs.

Having spent years as a personal trainer and professional bodybuilder, you can often find Matt in the gym, cheering on his wife Chelsea at an obstacle course race, or chasing his kids.

Joyce W. Waugh

President & CEO, Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce

Joyce W. Waugh, CCE, CEcD, is president and chief executive officer of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce, with over 850 members. She just completed her 18th year with the chamber, 11 as president and 8 as vice president of public policy. Waugh manages a staff of 11 and oversees an extensive program of work to promote, stimulate and improve business by influencing public policy, make connections and referrals and help small business grow.

She has a master’s in social work administration from Florida State University, is a Certified Chamber Executive (CCE), and Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). Waugh is a graduate of the Institute for Organization Management (IOM) and Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership, a past director of the Virginia Chamber, and past president of the Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives with whom she periodically facilitates roundtables and/or teaches a class. She serves on a number of local boards.

Waugh is married and has three grown children, one grand dog and two grand cats. She dearly loves living and working in Virginia’s Blue Ridge region, adventures with family and friends, and all sorts of travel.

Lorraine Lange, Ed.D.

Director of the M.A.L.S., M.A.T., and M.A; Hollins University
Strategic Academic Advisor, PowerSchool Superintendent (Retired) Roanoke County Public Schools

Lorraine Lange is the director of the M.A.L.S., M.A.T., and M.A. in Teaching and Learning graduate programs at Hollins University. She is the former superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools. Lange was named the Virginia Superintendent of the Year in 2011 and was selected as one of four finalists for National Superintendent of the Year in 2012. In 2018 Governor Northam re-appointed Lange to a second four-year term to the Board of Trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Center.

Teresa Poole, LCSW, ACHP-SW, OSW-C

Teresa currently works as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Carilion Clinic’s Cancer Center. She has worked in health care both in the non-profit and for-profit settings, in multiple specialty areas. Her most recent experience in the oncology setting has a special place in her heart as a way to honor her brother’s 17-year cancer journey.

Over the years she has enjoyed leadership positions in professional groups at the state and regional levels including the Commonwealth Neurotrauma Initiative Advisory Board and several years involvement in the Brain Injury Association of Virginia. Her volunteer activities are currently focused on her local community including her church’s Racial Justice Team, serving as a Worship Associate and various mission activities in the community.

Emily Whiteside Reburn / Fundraising

Ticket Spicket

Emily is a Roanoke area native now residing in Salem with her husband Tyler Reburn with MassMutual Commonwealth, their kids, Conner and Evelyn, and four happy chickens.

Emily works as a Partner Manager for Rackspace in Blacksburg, Virginia. She has a background of social work and business development, primarily in the long term care communities of Roanoke.

Emily joined the Roanoke Hospitality House team fresh off of six months of chemotherapy to treat Hodgkin Lymphoma. Surviving cancer and her experience with the team of providers she encountered throughout her journey inspired her to seek ways to become meaningfully involved in the community. While Emily had support from local family and friends, not all patients to Roanoke area healthcare centers do. Contributing to the development of the Roanoke Hospitality House for those who need a little extra support has become Emily’s new challenge and joy.

Brian Wells / Hospitality Chair

Hotel Roanoke

Brian Wells brings 25 years of exemplary leadership experience as general manager and has experience in food and beverage and within property operations to his new position at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center Curio. He was most recently general manager for the Hilton Durham near Duke University located in Durham, North Carolina. During his tenure there, the hotel received numerous awards of excellence from the Hilton, TripAdvisor, and Interstate Hotels.

During Brian’s career much of his experience was in New England in a variety of locales. He has been a hotel general manager for boutique hotels, large city center properties, a university hotel & conference center, and a private executive conference center for a Fortune 100 company. Community involvement and promoting tourism has always been a focus to develop hotel business, and to positively impact small businesses in the region.

In the Roanoke region, he is on the Executive Committee for Downtown Roanoke Inc, he has received the Tourism Excellence Award from Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, he is also a volunteer as a regularly contributing photographer for the Nation Park Service for the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Terrianne Julian / Founder

PowerSchool

Terrianne Julian is a SWVA native who currently resides in Roanoke with her husband Donny.
They have two adult children, Dustin and Morgan, as well as a spoiled rotten 95+ pound Plott Hound, Rocky.

Dustin is a Roanoke County Police Officer. Morgan is an Emergency Department Resident Physician at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, VA.

Following the passing of her much-loved father, Charlie; it has become her passion to ensure that anyone facing a medical crisis in the Roanoke Valley has a home away from home for themselves or their family.

Your Volunteer Teammates

We are especially lucky that – from the beginning – we have had a group of talented, enthusiastic, and caring individuals who believe strongly in what we're doing. Volunteers will always play an important role in our success. We're grateful for these generous rockstars who have helped get us to where we are today; a cornerstone of the vision.

Kelsey Meador / Photographer

Patrick Perkins / Photographer

Sam Moser / Webmaster

Please reach out to us if you might be interested in future volunteer opportunities

Our Community Partners

We are grateful to the business professionals and organizations who believe in our community vision. If you would like to help us build a local hospitality house to serve our greater Blue Ridge neighbors, please contact us today.

Benefactor Guild

$10,000-$24,999