Appointed/elected

Jacquelyn VandenPlas is the new director of development for the Virginia Opera. In her new role, VandenPlas will lead all of the organization’s development efforts, including annual and major giving, corporate sponsorships and donor stewardship. She joins Virginia Opera from The New E3 School, where she was director and oversaw organizational operations, including financial reporting, regulatory compliance and the management of a 30-member team. Her prior professional experience includes major gift development, event coordination, stakeholder engagement and multi-site operational leadership in the nonprofit and education sectors. VandenPlas is also a trained vocalist with a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance; she is currently pursuing an MBA at William & Mary.

Daniel Delrosario is Dollar Tree’s new senior vice president of investor relations and treasurer. Delrosario will serve as a senior leader in the Chesapeake-based retailer’s finance organization. He will report to Chief Financial Officer Stewart Glendinning. Most recently, Delrosario was vice president of investor relations and treasury at retailer Burlington Stores.

Former Gov. Glenn Youngkin appointed Saskia Mordijck of Williamsburg, the Class of 1955 associate professor of physics at William & Mary, to the Virginia Nuclear Energy Consortium Authority.

Awards and honors

S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. has been named an honoree of The Civic 50 Hampton Roads by Volunteer Hampton Roads and Points of Light. The award recognizes S.L. Nusbaum as one of the most community-minded companies in Hampton Roads as determined by an independently administered survey. S.L. Nusbaum created its SLN Cares initiative in 2021. The community outreach program was developed in conjunction with local and regional nonprofit partners. By encouraging employees to donate their time and skills, the program’s intent is to create a culture of giving back and social responsibility.

Two Norfolk coffee shops are among the top 10 highest rated women-owned cafes in America, according to a national survey by OnDeck. Apelu Island Cafe, which features Polynesian-inspired drinks, loose-leaf teas, tropical energy drinks and a welcoming, laid-back atmosphere, was ranked No. 3. La Vie Always Latte Cafe, recognized for its matcha latte with oat milk and frosted mint syrup, and cozy vibe and breakfast sandwiches, was No. 10. The study reviewed more than 12,000 women-owned small businesses in 431 U.S. cities using Yelp ratings. Norfolk was the only city with multiple cafés in the top 10.

Brett Sain (Courtesy/Cushman & Wakefield)

Brett Sain, a first vice president with Cushman & Wakefield, has received the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors designation. The designation is awarded to commercial real estate practitioners with a strong transactional history in brokerage, fee-based services or executive management. Achieving the SIOR designation requires consistent demonstration of professional competency, ethical conduct and personal integrity, along with meeting stringent education and experience requirements. Sain is based at the company’s Virginia Beach office and is a lifelong city resident.

Langley Federal Credit Union has been recognized as one of Hampton Roads’ most community-minded companies by Volunteer Hampton Roads and Points of Light through The Civic 50 Hampton Roads. The honor recognizes organizations that demonstrate exemplary commitment to civic engagement and community impact, continued leadership in corporate social responsibility, charitable giving initiatives, partnership development and engagement in programs that improve access to essential services in the local community.

Walter Reed Post Acute in Gloucester is one of America’s best nursing homes for 2026, according to Newsweek. This is the facility’s third consecutive year in the annual ranking. The list recognizes the top 1,200 nursing homes nationwide. Facilities were evaluated on several factors, including resident satisfaction, accreditations, peer recommendations and performance data. Additionally, facility administrator Bryant Hudgins was named the 2025 nursing facility administrator of the year by the Virginia Health Care Association – Virginia Center for Assisted Living. Located on the campus of Riverside Walter Reed Hospital, the 181-bed facility was formerly known as Walter Reed Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. It provides post-hospital care, short-term rehab and long-term residential care.

Grants and donations

VersAbility Resources has received a $500,000 donation from TowneBank to support the expansion of the VersAbility TECH (Train, Educate, Certify, Hire), workforce development hub. The hub is designed to prepare people with disabilities alongside people of all abilities for high-demand careers in shipbuilding, cybersecurity, logistics and manufacturing. The gift is one of the largest single donations in VersAbility’s history. The investment will accelerate the development of VersAbility TECH, expanding the organization’s current training footprint into what will eventually become a 75,000-square-foot workforce training center, offering employer-aligned training pathways in welding, logistics, marine coatings and other careers. The center will use universal design principles to ensure full accessibility while strengthening the region’s talent pipeline through industry-recognized credentials.

Virginia Wesleyan University raised $143,000 from 565 participants, including 144 alumni, during a day of giving in December. Gifts made during the initiative will strengthen key areas across the university, including academic programs, annual scholarships, student life, the library and technology, the arts and athletics. This year’s event also marked the return of VWU’s Giving Societies that recognize giving at all levels.

Food banks in nine states, including in Virginia, received up to $10,000 each from the United Concordia Dental Charitable Fund to help individuals struggling with food insecurity. The Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore in Norfolk and the Armed Services YMCA of Hampton Roads — Patriot’s Pantry, Virginia Beach, were local recipients.

Chartway Credit Union hosted a grand reopening at its newly renovated Raby Road Branch in Norfolk in December. During the celebration, Chartway’s charitable arm, the Chartway Promise Foundation—marking its 20th anniversary—hosted a “stuff the truck” toy drive to benefit its charity partner Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters during the holiday season. (Courtesy/Chartway Credit Union)

The Virginia Beach Development Authority has awarded $508,000 to TST Tactical Defense Solutions under the city’s economic development investment program. Additionally, the development authority will sell 16 acres of land, of which 5 acres is developable, at Corporate Landing Business Park for the construction of a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and 15,000-square-foot office space. The company employs 150 people and is expected to hire an additional 135 with an average annual salaries of about $88,000.

Opening

Joes Tortured Soul has opened a conceptual retail space in Selden Market. The business merges high-end streetwear with Norfolk’s rich visual identity and celebrates the city through imagery, textures, and design cues — including the mermaid, the unofficial mascot of Norfolk and the official mascot of the collaboration. The limited-edition capsule collection of apparel includes hoodies made from organic cotton, organic cotton T-shirts, and accessories all designed with bold graphics inspired by Norfolk’s maritime culture.

Legasea Marine has expanded its presence into Hampton Roads with the launch of Legasea at Browning’s Marine. The new sales location on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach now offers Legasea’s boat models in the Chic’s Beach area. Through the business collaboration, Legasea Marine’s products will now be more readily available to customers south of the company’s primary Yorktown location. Legasea Marine has been in the yacht sales and service business for nearly 60 years. Browning’s Marine is a third-generation family business operating since 1955. Browning’s Marine also recently began an interior refresh of its shop located at 3829 Shore Drive.

Nonprofit

Volunteers from Amazon and the Port of Virginia supported the Chesapeake Bay Foundation by helping build concrete oyster reef balls that will be deployed through 2027 as part of a restoration project in the James River. Reef balls provide habitats for oysters and other marine species. The long-term goal is to build 260 structures by next spring. The construction of the reef balls follows the partners’ recent collaboration with the foundation on a living shoreline project. Amazon supported CBF with a $100,000 donation for environmental restoration for the second year in a row.

TowneBank employees came together to fill Thanksgiving food bags in partnership with the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore. Efforts helped support vital programs addressing food insecurity across the community, through donated food, corporate gifts, and employee-raised funds. (Courtesy/TowneBank)

Maritime

Newport News Shipbuilding recently hosted the keel laying ceremony for Virginia-class attack submarine Barb. It is the third Navy submarine to carry the name. The first was commissioned in 1942. The second was a nuclear-powered submarine commissioned in 1963. It was sponsored by Marjorie Fluckey, the wife of Rear Adm. Eugene Fluckey. Pamela Bove is the newest ship’s sponsor. Bove began her career working as a civilian within the submarine division at the Navy Operational Intelligence Center. She later accepted a position with a defense company where she met her husband Thomas Bove, a grandson of Fluckey. During the ceremony, Bove’s initials were etched onto a metal plate, signifying the keel of SSN 804 as being truly and fairly laid. The metal plate will remain affixed to the submarine throughout its life.

https://www.pilotonline.com/2026/01/26/business-notes-amazon-port-of-virginia-volunteer/