Speakers and Presentations
Our Latest Speaker
Mark Vitner
Mark Vitner, Founder and Chief Economist at Piedmont Crescent Capital, was the guest speaker at our Alliance Membership meeting in April. With over 30 years of experience in economic forecasting and analysis, Mark has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal & Bloomberg as well as making guest appearances on CNBC and other major networks.
Past Speakers & Presentations
Steve Harrison
The Chesapeake Alliance was pleased to have Steve Harrison, Chief Operating Officer of the Hampton Roads Alliance. Steve assists CEO, Doug Smith, with developing, communicating, executing & sustaining strategic initiatives while also managing operations, marketing, real estate solutions and business intelligence efforts. He also serves as the Executive Director of Eastern VA Regional Industrial Facility Authority (EVRIFA).
Julianne Szyper
The Chesapeake Alliance was pleased to have Julianne Szyper, Deputy Director, Virginia Dept. of Energy as the guest speaker at the Chesapeake Alliance Membership Meeting held on December 16, 2024. Julianne offered insight on Affordable and Reliable Clean Energy in the Commonwealth of VA.
Ben White and Victoria Proffitt
The Chesapeake Alliance was pleased to have Ben White, Chesapeake City Treasurer and Victoria Proffitt, Chesapeake Commissioner of Revenue, join us at our October General Membership Meeting to provide insight of their roles within the City. Ben was elected City Treasurer in 2023 and is just the third Treasurer in the history of the city. He oversees the management of public funds, ensures timely collection of taxes and fees, and executes the City’s investment policies; all to ensure fiscal responsibility for Chesapeake Citizens.Victoria was elected as the Chesapeake Commissioner of Revenue in 2021. Prior to being elected as Commissioner of Revenue, she served on the Chesapeake School Board and led the board as Chairman from 2018-2021. As Commissioner of Revenue, Victoria manages the assessment of individual and business personal property taxes and administers the City’s real estate tax relief program.
Ray Amoruso
Ray Amoruso, Hampton Roads Transit Chief Planning and Development Officer, was the guest speaker at the August 2024 Chesapeake Alliance Membership meeting, providing a presentation on the recent HRT Connecting Chesapeake Study. As the Chief Officer, Ray is responsible for Service Planning and Scheduling, Long Range Planning for high-capacity transit systems such as Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit, as well as Customer Relations, System Performance Analysis for National Transit Database reporting. Ray has been with HRT since 2009, is a graduate of the City University of New York and holds degrees in Urban Studies & Urban Planning.
George Hoddinott
Guest speaker, George Hoddinott, Senior Planner with the City of Chesapeake Planning Department, provided an update on the city’s 2045 Comprehensive Plan. Nat McCormick, also with the Planning Department, spoke on proposals regarding the Greenbrier Mall site.
Robert (Bob) M. McNab, Ph.D.
Professor Robert M. McNab currently serves as the Chair of the Department of Economics and as the Director of the Dragas Center for Economic Analysis at Old Dominion University. Dr. McNab joined the faculty of the Department of Economics in the Strome College of Business of Old Dominion University in July2016 and previously was a member of the faculty of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California from 2000 to 2016.
David Ropp
At the February 20th, Chesapeake Alliance Meeting, David Ropp, Chairman of the Chesapeake Alliance, spoke on the Greenbrier Area Plan Survey and provided insight on the overall study in regard to the future development of this area of Chesapeake. The City has requested that the Chesapeake Alliance provide recommendations most specifically on the Greenbrier Mall site.
Thaler McCormick
At the January 16th, Chesapeake Alliance Meeting, Thaler McCormick, C.E.O. of ForKids did a presentation on Housing Needs in Chesapeake. Thaler is the Chair of the Workforce Housing Task group including nine other members of the group.
Robert A. (Bob) Crum, Jr.
A couple weeks ago, Chesapeake Alliance Leadership Circle had a special guest speaker Robert A. (Bob) Crum, Jr. Robert A. (Bob) Crum, Jr. is the Executive Director of Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (HRPDC) / Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization (HRTPO).
Chris Gullickson
A few weeks ago the Chesapeake Alliance Leadership Circle had a special guest speaker, Chris Gullickson of the Port of Virginia. The Ports growth in 2022 was much higher than most businesses in Hampton Roads.
Tad Deriso
Almost a month ago, we had a meeting of the Chesapeake Alliance Leadership Circle. Our special guest speaker was President and CEO of Midatlantic Broadband Communities Corporation.
Past Speaker Videos
Chris Lloyd
Back in October 2022, we had a meeting of the Chesapeake Alliance Leadership Circle. Our special guest speaker was Chris Llyod. Chris Llyod is the Senior Vice President and Director, Infrastructure and Economic Development at McGuire Woods Consulting.