Directories

Jessie Barksdale was born and raised in Pittsylvania County, VA. He also lived in Trenton, NJ during his teenage years. Jessie is a graduate of Taylor Business College, Philadelphia, PA, a U.S. Army Veteran and a retired Civil Servant of the Federal Government. He worked for the US Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration in Alaska and Washington, DC. He is a private pilot with a multi-engine instrument airplane rating.  Jessie also serves as a Mission Transport Pilot for the local Civil Air Patrol.  He was elected to the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors in November 2011 and served as Chairman in 2014 and 2016.  He serves on multiple boards and committees for the County and the City of Danville.  Jessie resides in Chatham (Spring Garden), and enjoys playing the bass guitar, flying, traveling, and gardening.

Chris Eastwood, a Financial Advisor and Limited Partner for financial services firm Edward Jones, is a native of Pittsylvania County. Prior to becoming a member of the Board, he served as an advisory member and as a member of the DRF Financial Investment Committee. In addition Chris serves on the Danville Community College and Danville Life Saving Crew Boards. He is a lifelong member of Mount Tabor Baptist Church where he also serves as a deacon and children’s leader.

Alexis Ehrhardt is President & CEO of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, where her work focuses on serving the business community to make a stronger Dan River Region. Prior to that, she served as the founding Executive Director of the Center for Community Engagement and Career Competitiveness at Averett University. Raised in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Rockville, MD, Alexis has lived in the region since 2000. She graduated magna cum laude from Emory University with a B.A. in Latin American and Caribbean Studies and Spanish, holds a Master’s degree in Higher Education from the University of Virginia, and a doctorate in Leadership Studies from Lynchburg College. A 2016 graduate of Lead Virginia, Alexis is a gubernatorial appointee to the Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, and serves on the City of Danville’s Transportation Advisory Committee, the Middle Border Forward Advisory Board and the Dan River Region Health Collaborative.

Danville is home for Carolyn, who was born and educated in the city. Employed by the City of Danville, she is Director of Customer Service for the city′s Utilities Department, and was elected by city employees and served as chair of the Employee′s Retirement System Board of Trustees, a role she has held since 2011. An active member of Calvary Baptist Church, Carolyn has served as church clerk for almost 30 years. She is a member of the Board of Directors for Danville City Employees Federal Credit Union. She is a graduate of Danville Community College. Carolyn enjoys spending time with family, crafts, and especially enjoys reading.

A self-described Army brat, Dr. Henderson has lived many places in the United States, but calls Danville home. A board-certified pulmonologist practicing pulmonary and critical care medicine in Danville since 1983, Bill graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of Virginia and completed his residency and fellowship at Michigan State University.  Bill has enjoyed serving the community on the Hospital Board, as Chairman of the Mental Health Services Board, and as Chief of Danville Regional′s Medical Staff.

He is Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine.  You will frequently see Bill on his handcycle enjoying the beautiful Dan River from the spectacular River Walk!

Charley earned his law degree from the University of Virginia, was admitted to practice law in Virginia, Georgia and Florida, and joined the Danville firm of what is now Clement & Wheatley in 1972. With a specialty in corporate and banking law and after 20 years of practice, Charley became president of American National Bank and Trust Company and American National Bankshares, Inc., in 1993, and was named Chief Executive Officer in 1994. Charley now serves as Board Chairman of the Bank and the holding company. He is the past chairman of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Virginia Bankers Association and Danville Regional Foundation. He is the current chairman of the Future of the Piedmont Foundation. In 2013, he served as President of the Federal Reserve Board′s Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council and was the 2013 recipient of the Kiwanis Citizen of the Year Award.

Tommy is president/CEO of First Piedmont Corporation a privately owned regional waste management company with corporate offices located in Chatham, Virginia. Tommy joined First Piedmont in 1980 after graduating from Virginia Tech. He is currently a member of the Chatham Rotary Club, a member of the Advisory Board of American National Bank, on the Board of Trustees of the National Waste and Recycling Association and on the Board of Directors of the Old Dominion Agricultural Foundation and Complex.

Martha Walker currently serves as one of three Community Viability Specialists with Virginia Cooperative Extension (VCE) and is a faculty member in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. She works with counties and cities throughout Virginia as well as multiple state agencies assessing community needs, facilitating community-based action plans, and identifying resources from Virginia Tech, Virginia State University, and other state and federal agencies. In 2015, she received the Virginia Tech Alumni Award for Excellence in Extension (Individual Specialist) in addition to the programming awards she received throughout her career with Extension. She was an elected member of the Pittsylvania County School Board between 1996 and 2004, is past president of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce, and has served on various non-profit boards. Martha has a Bachelor’s degree from Averett College, a Master of Science degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and a Doctor of Philosophy from Old Dominion University.

Bill Woods is a resident of Caswell County and a graduate of UNC - Chapel Hill.  He is a CPA, CMA, and owner of William S. Woods, CPA, P.C., a public accounting firm located in Providence, North Carolina.  He was silver medalist in the State of North Carolina on the May 1993 CPA exam and nationally, an Elijah Watt Sells award winner. He recently served six years as board member and treasurer for the Community Foundation of the Dan River Region.  He is presently serving on the advisory council for Middle Border Forward and is lay leader and building fund treasurer for Purley United Methodist Church.

Tammy Wright-Warren, a native of Danville and current resident of Pittsylvania County, is Chief Operating Officer of Negril, Inc. Negril is a Medicaid Waiver Provider serving intellectually disabled adults in Danville, Pittsylvania County, South Boston and Richmond. Tammy serves on the board of The Boys and Girls Club of the Danville Area, Danville Community Policy Management Team, Lions Club and HAVEN. She is very excited about the future of downtown Danville and the revitalization of the city. Tammy is a graduate of Averett University and she is married to Craig Warren. They have three children, Craig, Tamela and Shaneqwa.

Leslie is a Graduate Engineer in the Municipal Engineering Department for Dewberry, specializing in the design and implementation of water and wastewater systems.  Originally from Pittsburgh, PA, she moved to Danville in 2014 after graduating with a B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Virginia Tech.  Leslie was a recipient of the 2017 Professional and Community Engagement Award from the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce.  She is a yoga and fitness instructor at Hot Asana Yoga Studio and the Danville Family YMCA, the chairwoman of the Danville Area CROP Walk, a 2016 Leadership Southside Graduate, a member of the Junior Wednesday Club, and a Youth Group Leader.

Will, a native of Des Moines, IA, joined the Danville Regional Foundation as a fellow in August 2018 to focus on community engagement within Danville. He returned to Danville after serving as an intern with DRF during the summer of 2016. Will earned a Bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and received his Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Iowa in 2018. Will also worked as an AmeriCorps member in Moorhead, MN. Will brings with him a passion for community development, city systems, and a commitment to Danville and the surrounding region.

Stephanie was born and reared in Pittsylvania County. She joined DRF in 2005 as an accountant responsible for maintaining cash controls on all accounts as well as managing payroll. She holds a bachelor′s degree in business administration from Averett University and an associate′s degree from Danville Community College. Prior to joining the Foundation, she worked as the office manager for the Admissions Office at Chatham Hall, and as an administrative assistant for the plant manager followed by the treasury department for what was then DIMON, Inc.

Clark, a native of Floyd County, VA, and resident of Danville, is the DRF′s Vice President of Programs. He oversees the day-to-day responsibility for all program work in DRF’s program areas. He is the staff lead in grant making and ensure that initiatives and partnerships continue to be in accordance with the mission of DRF and in the best interest of the Dan River Region and its residents.

He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Radford University, received his master′s degree from the University of Mississippi, and has certificates in economic development from the University of Oklahoma′s Economic Development Institute and entrepreneurship from the Tayloe Murphy Center at the University of Virginia′s Darden School of Business. Clark is also a recent graduate of the Southeastern Council of Foundations Advanced Leadership Institute. 

A native of Danville, Wendi serves DRF as a senior program officer focusing on community engagement and leadership development, and manages DRF′s internship program. Strongly committed to the Dan River Region, Goods-Everson returned and began her career with the City of Danville Community Development Department supporting government efforts to eliminate housing discrimination, ensure affordable housing and build neighborhood associations/revitalization. Goods-Everson also worked as an administrator at Boys & Girls Club of Danville and women′s head basketball coach at Danville Community College. She earned a bachelor′s degree from Temple University, MBA from Averett University, and certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University. She is a Southeastern Council on Foundation Hull Fellow and serves as a board member of the River District Association and Head Start.

A native of Pittsylvania County and avid kayaker, Shirley Jo earned an associate degree from Danville Community College and joined the workforce as an agency secretary for Jefferson Pilot Life Insurance Company. She then accepted a position with what was then Dibrell Brothers, Inc. (and eventually DIMON Inc.), providing support to the President, Chief Operating Officer, and Senior Vice-Presidents, prior to joining DRF as the executive assistant in 2005.

Alex joined DRF in January 2016 as Administrative Assistant. A native of Lake Zurich, Illinois, a Northwest suburb of Chicago, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Prior to becoming a resident of Danville, Alex began her career at the Dodge Nature Center in St. Paul, Minnesota as their Development Associate and then Marketing and Volunteer Coordinator. Most recently, she worked for the Danville Public Library managing their Reference Desk.

Annie Martinie joined the DRF team in July 2014 as the senior program officer focusing on community health and wellness, working to improve health outcomes in the Dan River Region. Most recently, Annie worked as the Healthy Eating and Active Living Intervention Lead for the NC Community Transformation Grant (CTG) Project in Region 5 that includes Rockingham, Caswell, Person, Guilford, Alamance, Orange, Durham, Chatham and Wake Counties in North Carolina. A native of Sandwich, Illinois, a rural community west of Chicago, she graduated from Bradley University with a degree in public relations and a minor in marketing. She began her career at the United Way of Dane County in Madison, Wisconsin as an assistant director of resource development. Upon moving to a career in health promotion, she has worked as a freelance health writer, small business owner and Program Manager at Be Active North Carolina before joining the NC Community Transformation Grant (CTG) Project in Region 5. Annie recently earned a Master's of Public Affairs from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

A Pittsylvania County native, Starling′s specialties as a senior program officer with DRF include leadership and capacity development. He brings nearly 30 years of nonprofit experience, having worked for Pittsylvania County Community Action, Inc., as the director of planning and budget, and social services-parent involvement coordinator for Head Start. Starling served as a past Vice Chair of the Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and is a deacon and finance ministry chair for the Greater Brookville Church. He earned a bachelor′s degree in social work from Norfolk State University, a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University, and has graduate studies towards a master′s degree in administration at Lynchburg College.

A native of Pittsylvania County, Lori serves as the director of marketing and communications working to develop strategic marketing efforts for DRF and its regional partners. She has experience that spans public relations; event/sponsorship management and marketing; strategic communications planning; and digital and social media project planning, development and implementation. Prior to joining DRF, she held various positions with Birmingham, Alabama-based Luckie & Company, a national full-service marketing and advertising agency. She is a Cum Laude graduate of Samford University with a major in Journalism/Mass Communications and a minor in Business. She is also certified by the Institute for Crisis Management. Lori is a 2015 graduate of Lead Virginia, a 2016 recipient of the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce Young Professionals PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) Award, a member of the board of directors for God's Storehouse in Danville and holds a certificate in nonprofit management from Duke University Office of Continuing Studies.

DRF′s first President/CEO, Karl Stauber, leads the Foundation which promotes innovation and long-term transformation to enhance economic development, education and wellness in Virginia and North Carolina′s Dan River Region.

A published author, frequent speaker, and known for his work in rural communities, Stauber was the first Senate-confirmed Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics with the United States Department of Agriculture, and has worked for the Northwest Area Foundation, the Needmor Fund, and the Babcock Foundation.

He holds a public policy Ph.D. from Union Institute, a Harvard Business School management development certificate, and a bachelor′s in American Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Future of the Piedmont Foundation and the North Carolina Network of Grantmakers. He is also a member of the GO Virginia Region 3 council.

Gary joined DRF in January 2013 as Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer, bringing with him over three decades of diversified experience. A resident of Danville since 1990, Gary has held senior financial positions with Dan River Inc., Alpha Natural Resources, and Pike Electric Corporation. He holds a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Kent State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.