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Meet the Board of Directors
VBIA’s Board of Directors is comprised of a talented group of professionals who are dedicated to furthering entrepreneurship and small business development in Virginia.
VBIA Officers
President
Daniel (Dan) GirouardAsset Manager
City of Hampton Dept. of Economic Development
1 Franklin Street, Suite 600
Hampton, VA 23669
(757) 728-5169
dgirouard@hampton.gov
1 Franklin Street, Suite 600
Hampton, VA 23669
(757) 728-5169
dgirouard@hampton.gov
Dan Girouard has worked for over 20 years in the field of community and economic development and has been employed by state, county and municipal governments, and as a corporate consultant with Ernst & Young. He has worked in the states of Colorado, Florida, Texas, and Virginia. Dan has honed his expertise in the areas of economic and community development, comprehensive and strategic planning, the development and implementation of state and local programs, program management and analysis, tax increment financing, and the creation of business assistance centers and business incubators. Mr. Girouard has undergraduate degrees in Sociology and Economics from the University of Northern Colorado and a Masters in Urban and Regional Planning with an emphasis in Economic Development from the University of Colorado at Denver.
Vice President
Brian BakerExecutive Director for Entrepreneurship and Business Development
Center for Economic Development
University of Mary Washington
1125 Jefferson Davis Parkway, Suite 400
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
(540) 654-1096
Brian is the Executive Director for Entrepreneurship and Business Development at the University of Mary Washington's Center for Economic Development. In that role he oversees the UMW Small Business Development Center, the Government Contracting Assistance Center, the Professional Services Center, Business Constellation, and several partnered business development initiatives. In other capacities, he serves as a member of the Rappahannock Economic Development Corporation and the Corporate Development Committee, the Stafford County Economic Forum, the Virginia Small Business Development Center's Strategic Planning Committee, the Germanna Community College Workforce and Community Education Advisory Board, and the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Leadership Fredericksburg Advisory Board.
Brian earned a BA in Economics and an MBA in Management from Mary Washington College. He earned a Business Analyst Certification from the VSBDC in 2011. In 2010 he was recognized as the VSBDC State Star for contributions in business development.
Secretary
Nancy ParrishSmall Business Development Manager, Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Inc.
Director, The Franklin Business Incubator
601 N. Mechanic Street, Suite #300
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-1958 x303
nparrish@franklinsouthamptonva.com
601 N. Mechanic Street, Suite #300
Franklin, VA 23851
(757) 562-1958 x303
nparrish@franklinsouthamptonva.com
Nancy Parrish, a native of Franklin, Virginia, was hired as the Small Business Development Manager for Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Inc. in 2007. In this capacity, one of her primary responsibilities is managing the Franklin Business Incubator. Since she was hired, Parrish has grown the client list from 14 to 28 businesses, graduating 8 companies in 4 years. The Franklin Business Incubator received the Virginia Economic Development Association's Economic Development award for cities with a population of 10,000-15,000 in 2009; and, the regional award for the same by the Southeastern Economic Development Council in 2010. Her successful bid for approximately $800,000 in local, state, and federal grant money has allowed the completion of the build-out of the incubator which opened in Spring 2006, expanding the space to just over 40,000 square feet and enhancing its services. Some of her proudest moments include when her first signed client - Highground Services, Inc. - received the VBIA's Client of the Year award in 2009, and was the first runner-up for the same award from the NBIA the following year. This client was also recently named as the Franklin Southampton Area Chamber of Commerce's 2010 Small Business of the Year at their annual meeting held in March.
Prior to this, Parrish was a director with Franklin City Public Schools for 7 years after having been employed in various sales departments with Union Camp Corporation for almost 27 years.
Parrish received her undergraduate degree from Radford University and her Masters dregree from Virginia Tech. She is extremely involved in her community where she sits on the Board for the Downtown Franklin Association, Franklin City Public School's Career and Technical Education Committee, and the Tourism Steering Committee. She is also very active in her church and is a member of both the Virginia Business Incubator Association and the National Business Incubator Association.
Treasurer
Judy BarralDirector
Fairfax Innovation Center
4031 University Drive, Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 277-7701
jbarral@gmu.edu
Fairfax Innovation Center
4031 University Drive, Suite 200
Fairfax, VA 22030
(703) 277-7701
jbarral@gmu.edu
Judy Barral was hired as the Director of the small business incubator program at George Mason University in January 2004. In this position, Barral has grown the client list from 23 to 90 incubator clients, graduating 26 companies in 6 years and expanding the incubator space to 30,000 square feet.
Prior to this, Barral was Senior Project Manager for 10 years at Westar Group of Washington, DC, an international, privately held investment firm. Barral analyzed business opportunities and helped launch several new ventures, both in the United States and abroad.
Barral also spent several years with two French organizations, Arianespace and the LeClerc Group, setting up offices in Washington for their expansion efforts in the US.
After graduating from the University of Maryland, Barral lived in France for 10 years, where she earned a business degree in Wine Marketing in Bordeaux. Her proudest professional accomplishment during this period was selling advertising space to French businesses, known for their deep distrust of all things marketing.
VBIA Directors
Eva Doss
President/CEO
Southside Business Technology Center
300 Franklin Street
Martinsville, VA 24112
(276) 403-5082
Eva Doss has seventeen years of experience in international business consulting, management training, strategic planning and business development in the United States and Europe. During her career, Eva developed new business opportunities for companies worldwide, established branches of US, and European based companies and was known for successfully negotiating international contracts at the executive level.
Eva has also worked with Booz Allen, RTI International, and the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington D.C., and other top-ranking international consulting firms where she designed, budgeted, implemented and evaluated domestic and international managerial training programs and business consulting projects in business development, capital investments, organizational management and financial forecasting.
Eva holds a post-graduate Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from Massachusetts Institue of Technology Sloan School of Management and has a BS and MBA in business administration. She is a Steven Covey certified trainer, possesses several management training and business consulting certifications and speaks several languages.
Lindsey Eversole
Global Partnership Manager
2200 Kraft Drive, Suite 1000
Blacksburg, VA 24060
(540) 443-9100
Lindsey manages the global outreach programs and activities at VT KnowledgeWorks, a business resource center in the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg, Virginia. She oversees the VT Knowledgeworks Global Partnership Week, which offers university students and faculty from all over the world a chance to collaborate, build relationships, and form partnerships. During this week-long celebration of entrepreneurship, Lindsey assists with the planning and execution of a Global Student Business Concept Challenge and a university-to-university relationship roundtable. Her scope of responsibility also extends in media, publicity, and public relations.
Prior to this, Lindsey served as the Member Service Manager at VT KnowledgeWorks working directly with their Members to coordinate educational meetings, and facilitate services, programs and events.
Lindsey currently serves locally as a Board Member on NRV CARES. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Marketing Management from Virginia Tech.
Carol W. Hamilton
Director
MSC 0205
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
544 Zane Showker Hall
540.568.3412 JMU
Carol has worked at JMU since 2000, when she was a Management Lecturer, and taught the management portion of COB 300 Integrated Functional Systems. In 2005, she co-developed a Venture Creation course with serial entrepreneur, John Rothenberger, founder of SE Solutions. It is the first course in the College of Business open to all majors and the first to routinely assign alums/entrepreneurs to anchor venture teams. Carol was named Interim Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in 2009. Carol earned her MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at JMU in 1997. She then worked as a management analyst for the JMU Small Business Development Center. In 1999, she co-founded Valley Microenterprise Alliance, a local non-profit, microlending program. She began her career with IBM following graduation from Clemson University with a B.S. degree in Administrative Management in 1980.
James (Jim) K. Martin
Executive Director
Downtown Front Royal, Inc.
5658 Browntown Road
Front Royal, VA 22630
(540) 631-0006
sansfacon@comcast.net
Jim Martin currently serves as Executive Director of Downtown Front Royal, Inc., a community-based non-profit organization working with both the public and private sectors to preserve, develop, and promote Front Royal's historic downtown. He is also a counselor with SCORE, providing professional counseling and mentoring to maximize the success of existing and emerging small businesses in the Northern Shenandoah Valley region. In these capacities, he has collaborated with the Warren County Economic Development Authority and a private organization to found the Warren Incubator Network, and has expanded that into the Warren Entrepreneurial Network, focusing the efforts of local service providers on supporting entrepreneurs. Previously, he was Chief Operating Officer for PRAMM Consulting, Ashburn, Virginia, where he managed multiple contracts with the National Science Foundation and US Department of Education. Prior to PRAMM, Jim had an extensive military career in the United States Army. He opened and managed field offices in the former Soviet Union, coordinating Department of Defense Cooperative Threat Reduction programs. A native of Richmond, Jim moved to Front Royal in 2001, and is a member of the Front Royal/Warren County Chamber of Commerce and serves as a co-director of the Blue Ridge Job Readiness Academy, providing pre-vocational job training for entry level workers in Warren County and the Northern Shenandoah Valley region.
Oliver McBrideExecutive Director
Crossroads Institute
1117 E. Stuart Drive
Galax, VA 24333
(276) 236-0391
omcbride@crossroadsva.org
Crossroads Institute
1117 E. Stuart Drive
Galax, VA 24333
(276) 236-0391
omcbride@crossroadsva.org
Oliver McBride serves as the Executive Director of the Crossroads Institute, an innovative educational/economic development engine in Galax, VA, which seeks to revitalize the region's economy through an emphasis on entrepreneurship and education. The Institute hosts a business incubator, community college classes, and regional economic development efforts. Before joining the Crossroads Institute staff in 2007, Dr. McBride accumulated 36 years of credited experience in the Virginia public school system. He served in the Henry County and Halifax County Public Schools as a teacher, principal, and administrator; he spent the last 18 years of his career in education as Superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools. In addition to performing his duties as Executive Director of the Crossroads Institute, Dr. McBride is a past Chairman and current special advisor to the Board of Directors of the Council for Rural Virginia and serves on the Board of Trustees of the Center for Rural Virginia. Oliver holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology from the University of Richmond and a Master’s and Doctorate in Education from the University of Virginia.
Ronald J. Monark
Director
Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center
College of William & Mary, Mason School of Business
P.O. Box 8795
Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center
College of William & Mary, Mason School of Business
P.O. Box 8795
Ron is Managing Director of the Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center and teaches entrepreneurship courses at the Mason School of Business of the College of William & Mary. He has 25 years' experience as Chief Executive Officer or Chief Operating Officer in information (Mitchell International and KLM Automotive Publishing), transportation (ATE International), and manufacturing (Morgan Yacht) companies. He has also participated in five new business startups. Ron's initial business experience was with McKinsey & Co. He has also taught entrepreneurship and business strategy courses at UCSD for 12 years. Ron received an AB degree in Economics (Phi Beta Kappa) from the College of William & Mary and an MBA from the University of Chicago. He has served his alma mater in several capacities, including Chair of the W&M Foundation, Chair of Swem Library Board, Chair and/or regional director of several fundraising efforts and is currently Chair of the Smithsonian Libraries Board.
Jason Berry
Executive Director
Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, Inc
Abington, VA
Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, Inc
Abington, VA
Jason Berry is the Executive Director of the Virginia Highlands Small Business Incubator, Inc. located in Abingdon, VA. He is a native of Abingdon, Virginia, and graduated from Abingdon High School in 1994, a graduate of East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2000. Before returning to Abingdon in 2006, Jason spent six years working for the Department of Defense. He worked four years in the Pentagon as a Program Analyst in the Army Budget Office and two years at the White House Military Office as a Deputy Budget Analyst . In 2008, Jason was elected as a member of the Abingdon Town Council.
Past President
William (Bill) E. BeanDirector
5308 Discovery Park Boulevard
Williamsburg, VA 23188
(757) 221-7825
Bill Bean is the Director, Technology and Business Center, College of William & Mary. He graduated from Oregon State University with a degree in electrical engineering. He spent over 30 years in technology based organizations ranging from start-ups to Fortune 1000 companies. His responsibilities have included those of engineering, sales and marketing management, and general manager and president for divisions of John Fluke Manufacturing Company (USA and The Netherlands), Marconi Instruments (The Netherlands, France, and USA), Schlumberger Smart Cards, and Wandel & Golterman’s Automatic Test Equipment Division. He later formed his own consulting company, RB Associates, which specialized in serving small technology companies. In addition to his duties as Director of the Technology and Business Center at the College of William & Mary, he is also managing the James City County Business Incubator.
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