Mitchell F. Harry has been appointed to the Williamsburg Health Foundation Board of Trustees. He is a senior vice president, portfolio management director and financial adviser for Morgan Stanley. His professional experience is in financial strategy, market analysis and long-term planning. Based in Williamsburg, Harry also serves on the board of the Rotary Club of The Historic Triangle.
Watson Okai is a new assistant director of information technology with the city of Suffolk. Okai has more than 16 years of IT experience. Originally from Ghana, West Africa, Okai began his career there as an IT support professional before moving to the U.S. to further his education. He holds an associate degree in computer science, a bachelor’s degree in IT and various professional credentials, including CompTIA Security+. He previously worked at Sentara, the Virginia Department of Transportation and Lipton Teas. Before his promotion, he was a service support manager in Suffolk’s Department of IT.
Hampton University Dean Julia Wilson has been appointed chair of the White House Correspondents’ Association Aldo Beckman Awards committee. The award recognizes a correspondent who personifies journalistic excellence, integrity, perseverance and other qualities demonstrated by Aldo Beckman, a former award-winning correspondent with the Chicago Tribune and former White House Correspondents’ Association president. Additionally, two Hampton University students, Jade AbuBakr and Christian Fluellen, co-producers of Hampton University’s WHOV-TV and journalism majors in the Scripps Howard School, will receive $12,000 in scholarship awards and attend the black-tie dinner with Wilson. AbuBakr and Fluellen will be spotlighted alongside other journalism students from across the country. The dinner is April 25 at the Washington Hilton Hotel.
Virginia Beach-based Valkyrie Enterprises has named Josh Jackson CEO. Jackson, who has an engineering background, was most recently the head of SAIC’s Army business group. Valkyrie has recently merged with Hill Technical Solutions, focused on the missile defense market; acquired Ship 2 Shore, a provider of corrosion prevention products, to address the Navy’s ongoing issues with maintaining fleet readiness; and acquired Optical Sciences Corp., a manufacturer of electro-optical scene projectors, which are part of the space and hypersonics markets.
Hassan Janjua is Newport News’ new chief information officer, and Sheila White is the city’s new director of finance. Janjua has more than 24 years of experience leading large-scale information technology systems, enterprise modernization initiatives and cybersecurity programs in complex public-sector environments. As chief information officer, Janjua will lead the city’s technology strategy and operations, overseeing enterprise systems, cybersecurity, data and analytics, and digital transformation initiatives. He most recently served as senior IT division manager for the internal services department of Los Angeles County, California, which supported more than 100,000 users across multiple departments. White has more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience across municipal government, public housing authorities, financial services, and corporate accounting. As director, White will oversee the city’s finance department, including accounting, payroll, purchasing, risk management and related financial operations. White most recently was chief financial officer for the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority.
Virginia Business has named Coldwell Banker Premier one of the 2026 best places to work in Virginia. Coldwell Banker Premier is a full-service real estate firm founded in 1995 in Winchester. The company has offices throughout Virginia, including in Hampton Roads, six states and Washington, D.C.
Carter Mackey of Breeden Construction in Virginia Beach successfully completed the Design-Build Institute of America’s education and certification testing program, earning the industry’s highest designation as a nationally certified design-build professional. The credential is considered one of the industry’s gold standards.
Culinary Connections received a $20,000 grant from Chartway Promise Foundation to provide hands-on culinary education programs for children in Hampton Roads with a variety of learning styles, abilities and medical conditions. The funding will support six cooking-with-friends classes, a multiweek, hands-on cooking course, and 10 club cuisine activities throughout the year. The experiences will offer students an opportunity to explore tastes, textures, tools and techniques that are meant to empower kids to feel capable and connected in and outside of the kitchen. The program’s mission centers on using food as a vehicle for education, relationship-building, and joyful learning.
BayPort Credit Union is accepting applications for its $100,000 scholarship program for the 2026-2027 academic year. Twelve scholarship opportunities for students of all ages — including high school seniors, current college students and working adults returning to school — are available. Individual awards range from $1,000 to $8,000. The scholarships can also be used at trade and vocational schools. The application deadline is March 31. Visit awards.bayportcu.org for more information.
The Chartway Promise Foundation Board of Directors approved a $6,000 grant to Ronald McDonald House Charities Norfolk NICU welcome bags. Celebrating its 45th year in 2026, Ronald McDonald House Norfolk has been a home-away-from-home for families with hospitalized children. Launched in 2025, the neonatal intensive care unit welcome bags program has served 185 families. Each bag contains a selection of items, such as toiletries, snacks, a blanket, stuffed bear as well as handwritten encouragement from community donors. The goal of offering the bags is to meet practical needs while also bringing joy, hope and reassurance to families. The grant will allow for the purchase of additional items such as tote bags, reusable water bottles, phone chargers and preemie onesies.
Pennsylvania-based A. Duie Pyle, New York-based Rockefeller Group and Washington-based Matan Cos. purchased a 43-acre site at Port 460 Logistics Center at 3047 Starboard Court in Suffolk. Pyle, a family-owned transportation and logistics company, plans to develop a campus designed to support warehouse operations, less-than-truckload freight and cross-dock services. The project is a 52-door less-than-truckload cross-dock and 200,000 square-feet of warehouse space that is expandable to 420,000 square feet. Services will include warehousing and distribution, drayage and truckload management brokerage. The facility is expected to open during the second quarter of 2027. The positions will include warehouse staff and drivers. Rockefeller Group and Matan broke ground on Port 460 in 2024 and are nearing completion of the first two buildings, a 339,150-square-foot distribution center and a 246,490-square-foot distribution center. Pyle will develop a building as part of the project’s phase one master plan.
Virginia Peninsula Community College’s new Southeast Newport News Trades Center is expected to host its first classes in March. About two-thirds of the 16,000-square-foot facility will house maritime skills training and the remainder of the building will accommodate third construction trades training. The facility is less than one mile from the front gate of Newport News Shipbuilding. Also underway at VPCC is the demolition of Diggs, Moore and Harrison halls, which should be done in April. The target date for opening of a replacement building, the Academic and Student Success Center, is planned for fall 2028.
The Eastern Adult Day Center at 1514 Holland Road in Suffolk is now open. Services include recreational activities, health monitoring, meals, personal care assistance and memory care support.
Golden Luxe Arena, a new family-focused roller skating and entertainment venue, is now open at 813 W. Constance St. in Suffolk. Dwight James is the owner.
Gallo Mechanical, a mechanical contractor serving the southern U.S., opened a Norfolk office. It will serve as a company command center, supporting major work underway in coastal Virginia.
