All For Business

Adolphus Humbles, who is being inducted into the Business Hall of Fame posthumously, was a successful merchant in Campbell County and operated the toll road between Lynchburg and Rustburg. He was an early supporter of the Virginia Theological Seminary, a precursor to the Virginia University of Lynchburg, where Humbles Hall is named for him, and he also was the Treasurer of the Virginia State Baptist Convention. Also active in politics, he served as Chairman of the Campbell County Executive Committee for the Republican Party for 13 years. Mr. Humbles built what is known as the Humbles Building at 901 Fifth Street in what is now the Fifth Street Historic District. The Humbles Building is a large, three-story, mixed use facility that contained two storefronts on the first floor and an auditorium on the second floor. He also served on the board of the Grand United Order of True Reformers, an African-American fraternal organization that had many forms including a temperance movement, bank, newspaper, real estate, and at one point in time was the largest black fraternal society and black-owned business in the United States.

Stuart Fauber attended Washington and Lee University where he studied economics and then entered the Naval Officer Candidate School in Newport, RI upon graduation. He served three years active duty as Navigator and Communications Officer on board the USS Richard E. Kraus (DD 849). Stuart is also a graduate of Lynchburg College, now the University of Lynchburg, as well as the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University, the University of Oklahoma, Northwestern University, and the College of Financial Planning in Denver, CO. He began his banking career in 1974 with First & Merchants National Bank where he rose to the position of Assistant Vice President. In 1982, he joined United Virginia Bank as Vice President and by 1992 was promoted to Senior Vice President. After serving as the President of SunTrust Bank from 1998-2008, he retired and joined the Greater Lynchburg Community Trust (now known as the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation) where he served as President & CEO until 2015. Mr. Fauber is also the 2005 recipient of the Alliance’s F.M. “Dink” Cloyd Award.

J. Everette “Ebo” Fauber, III, is a graduate of Christchuch College Preparatory School and the University of Virginia where he studied Architecture. He is the founding principal of Fauber Architects, now known as Dominion Seven. During his career he received gubernatorial appointments from four different Virginia governors from 1989 to 2011 and served on the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) as well as the former Region 2000 Workforce Development Board and the Bedford County Board of Supervisors. He has also served as co-chairman of the annual giving campaign for UVA Historic Preservation with Georgia, his wife, and in the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, now known as the Alliance, from 1970 - 2008. Mr. Fauber has also been recognized in \"Strathmore's Who's Who\" and he is also the 1982 recipient of the Alliance’s F.M. “Dink” Cloyd Award for outstanding service.

John Fees is the chairman of BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT). He has served as chairman of the company since 2015, following a series of spin-offs from McDermott International, Inc. He was CEO of McDermott until July 2010, at which time he retired from the company with 31 years of service, In parallel, he has been an advisor and board member of Brookfield Asset Management, focused on their infrastructure investments. In the last 12 years, he has helped grow the value of their infrastructure business by over 400%, now valued at over $20B. Mr. Fees holds a Bachelor of Science in industrial engineering and operations research from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master of Engineering Administration from the George Washington University. He has also served on the boards of the Nuclear Energy Institute, National Association of Manufacturers, and was a Presidential appointee to the President’s Energy Council by two Presidents. Mr. Fees has also served with the United Way of Central Virginia, Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation, the Academy Center of the Arts, and Centra Health to name a few.

Rodger Fauber is a graduate of E.C. Glass High School and attended Washington and Lee University and Columbia University as well as the Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Rutgers University and the Member American Institute of Banking. Rodger served at Central Fidelity Bank for 30 years, 15 of which as the President of the Western Region until he retired in 1996. He has served on many local boards including the United Way of Central Virginia, Sweet Briar College, Central Virginia Community College Foundation, Centra Health, and the Al Stroobants Foundation, just to name a few. He has also served on the Governor’s Advisory Committee for the Regional Competitiveness Act and received the Excellence in Governance Award from the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association. Mr. Fauber is also a recipient of the Alliance’s F.M. “Dink” Cloyd Award as well as the 2001 recipient of the George Taylor Stewart III Award for service to the community.

On this episode of All For Business we check-in with Blair Godsey, Founding Partner of the Altus Group. Mr. Godsey has had profound impact on the sites and building of the Lynchburg region in the past decade. Part of his work has been in restoring historic buildings to their former glory with modern improvements, including the Virginian Hotel, a massive public/private partnership, the Carter Glass Building, now home to CloudFit, and the Allied Arts Building, the third tallest building in the Lynchburg region. Listen in to learn from his experience in construction and his advice for success, no matter your industry.

About Blair Godsey

Blair Godsey is the Director of Operations and Business Development at Altus Construction, a state-of-the art construction firm dedicated to providing the highest level of customer care and technological expertise, located in Roanoke, VA. Blair’s work in the construction industry spans over 20 years, and he has played key roles in the construction of more than $100 million of commercial and residential construction projects and more than $150 million of real estate development projects throughout Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Blair’s primary responsibilities for Altus include oversight and control of finances, operations, business development, and strategic planning. Blair is a graduate of the University of Virginia, and is an important contributor to Altus’ mission of maintaining and building lasting relationships with their colleagues, customers, and communities they strive to serve. 

In this episode of All For Business, we chat with Gary Mignogna, President & CEO of Framatome Inc. in North America. Gary is a top-notch leader and expert on the nuclear energy industry and a long-time resident of the Lynchburg region.

Over Gary's 40-year nuclear career, he has gained experience in engineering design and analyses, project engineering & management, product development & management, field services, services tooling & process design, business development & management, and executive leadership. He was appointed Vice President of Component Replacement & Repair in 2000, Vice President of Operating Plant Engineering in 2006, Vice President of Engineering Business Units in 2008, Vice President & US Region Deputy of Engineering in 2010, and Senior Vice President & US Region Deputy for Engineering & Projects in 2012. He was appointed President and CEO of AREVA Inc. in 2014, and it's successor Framatome Inc. in 2018.

Framatome is a major international player in the nuclear energy market recognized for its innovative solutions and value-added technologies for designing, building, maintaining, and advancing the global nuclear fleet. The company designs, manufactures, and installs components and fuel for nuclear power plants and offers a full range of reactor services.  With 14,000 employees worldwide, every day Framatome’s expertise helps its customers improve the safety and performance of their nuclear plants and achieve their economic and societal goals.

Framatome moved its North American headquarters to Lynchburg in 2018. Framatome employs nearly 2,000 people in the Lynchburg region.

Listen in to part 3 of our Leadership Lynchburg Around the Table Series to discuss the impacts of DEI in the workplace with a few professionals who apply it to their daily lives. This week we have Tina Garrett-Ragland, Tim Smith, and Trae Watkins joining us with host, Chal Nunn. 

Tina is a Senior Human Resource Executive at Pacific Life with 30 years of HR experience. Tina has also led DEI and human resources best practices with Genworth, Advance Auto Parts, and Nationwide Insurance.

Tim is an Assistant Vice President and Branch Manager for Carter Bank & Trust with experience in community banking and human management. Tim formerly played college football at Liberty University and has worked with SunTrust, Wells Fargo, and Radio Shack.

Trae is a Vice President and Community Development Officer at the Bank of the James. Trae works with low-to-moderate income areas including small businesses, housing, financial education and general community needs assessments that will enhance the economic development and quality of life in the communities we serve.

Alyson Ramsey, President & CEO of Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest stopped by our brand new podcast studio to discuss the history and the future of one of region's best known landmarks. Alyson spoke to us about the new parkway project to create a new entrance to Poplar Forest off of Enterprise Drive which will create greater access and visibility for guests to experience their 600+ acres. As well as trails in the works for Spring 2022 and her advice for success in your life and career.

Looking to get involved? You can volunteer at Poplar Forest as a tour guide, in the shop, in the hands-on history courses, and for special events. Poplar Forest is open every day from March 15 through December 30 with four guided tours a day and self-guided tours available through their new app.

In this week's episode we took a trip to visit Fire Chief Gregory Wormser at the historic Fire Station 6 at Miller Park. Located at 2084 Fort Avenue, Station 6 is currently the oldest active station in the Fire Department and is the only station that still utilizes a sliding pole. Station 6 opened in November of 1914 is currently the home to Engine 6 and Medic 6.

About Fire Chief Greg Wormser

Falling in love with the Central Virginia area after becoming a permanent resident of Lynchburg in 1993, Greg graduated from Lynchburg College in 1995 and was hired by the Fire Department that same year. It wasn’t long before he realized his true calling as that of a public servant. Greg obtained his National Registered Paramedic certification in 1998, and in 2001, he was promoted to Captain at Station 3, supervising eight staff operating three apparatus. In 2007, Greg was promoted to Battalion Chief and was named the Fire Marshal for the City. In 2010, he obtained his Masters Certificate in Local Government Management from Virginia Tech and obtained his Masters Degree in Public Administration from Old Dominion University in 2016. Having been a Field Battalion Chief for two years, Interim Training Chief, and Interim Deputy Chief, Greg has come up through the ranks and was promoted to Deputy Chief in October of 2015. He was promoted to Fire Chief February 21, 2018. 

Greg holds many Technical Rescue Certifications and is certified as Fire Officer IV.  In addition to participating in educational opportunities in Central Virginia, Greg maintains instructorships in Pediatric Advanced Life Support, CPR, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support.  Greg volunteers in the community, serving as a board member on three different community-driven projects/associations in the Lynchburg area.