GO Virginia Region 3 Council

Council of Community Leaders

Get to know your Region 3 Council. Our council of community leaders represents a broad net of business leaders, educational institutions, economic developers, and government-elected officials and staff.

Sheldon Barr

President, Community Memorial Hospital

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Representing the southern region and the healthcare section, Sheldon Barr has served as CMH President since December 2022. She is the first female to lead in its 69-year history. With more than 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership roles at the system level and in community hospital settings, Barr comes to VCU Health from HCA Florida South Shore Hospital in Sun City Center, Florida, where she served as chief executive officer. She earned a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science, both in nursing, from the University of Virginia, and a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University. A servant and transformational leader who is passionate about workforce wellness and development, Sheldon currently serves on the Go Virginia Region 3 Board and recently joined the South Hill Chamber BoardSheldon, her husband Steve and golden retriever Marley live on Lake Gaston where she enjoys paddleboarding, boating, yoga and reading.

Robert Bates

Area Manager, Benchmark Community Bank serving Halifax, South Boston, and Clarksville

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Representing the central region, Robert Bates is an Area Manager for Benchmark serving branches in Halifax, South Boston, and Clarksville. Bates has worked with Benchmark for over 14 years and has served in banking for over 27 years. He is a native of South Boston and was glad to have the opportunity to come back to area after college. Bates enjoys serving his church and in the community as a way of giving back a small portion of which he has been so richly blessed with. "I was thrilled when asked to become a member of the GO VA board as I am a huge proponent of bringing jobs and opportunities to our region to keep our smart young professionals in our area. I also enjoy the opportunity to meet and work alongside other leaders in our region," said Bates.

Clark Casteel

President & CEO, Danville Regional Foundation

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Representing the southern portion of Region 3 on our council of community leaders, Clark Casteel is DRF's president and CEO, leading the foundation to promote innovation and long-term transformation designed to enhance economic development, education and wellness in Virginia and North Carolina′s Dan River Region. Clark is a native of Floyd County, Va., and a resident of Danville, Va. 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.

Melody Foster

Executive Director, Commonwealth Regional Council

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Representing the northern portion of the region, Melody Foster is a native of Charlotte County and has been with the Commonwealth Regional Council (CRC) since 1986, currently serving as the executive director. She has experience in assisting the seven counties and 11 towns of the CRC with regional collaboration, grant research, grant writing, grant administration, GIS, redistricting, rural transportation planning, environmental planning, emergency planning and updating comprehensive plans, as well as facilitating meetings on various topics. She and her husband are the fourth generation to live in her great-grandparents’ home near Cullen, Va., which they remodeled in 1994.

Kristin Gee

General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, The Disthene Group, Inc.

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Representing the Northern area of our region, Kristin Gee is General Counsel and Corporate Secretary for The Disthene Group, Inc., and its subsidiaries Kyanite Mining Corporation and Blue Rock Resources, LLC. She received her B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Colorado – Boulder, and her J.D. from Georgia State University College of Law. Between undergraduate and law schools, she worked in the areas of finance and investment management in Atlanta, Georgia. She was accepted into the Virginia bar in October 2001 and was engaged in private practice for over fifteen years. Kristin currently resides in Buckingham County with her husband, Everett, who is a native of Lunenburg County. They share a house with three dogs, and three children when they occasionally come home.

GOVA Region 3 Council Member Amy Griffin

Amy Griffin, Ed.L.D.

Educational Consultant

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Representing the northern portion of the region, Amy Griffin is an educational consultant for the Virginia Department of Education and Virginia Ed Strategies. She also serves as an adjunct faculty member in the Educational Leadership doctoral program at Radford University. She is a member of the Longwood University Call Me Mister Advisory Council, the Virginia Credit Union Advisory Committee, and a support network partner of the Commonwealth Learning Partnership. Amy served in public education for 31 years, working in Cumberland and Nottoway public schools. As an educator, she served as superintendent, assistant superintendent, director of instruction, director of special education, elementary principal and elementary teacher.

GOVA Region 3 Council Member Keith Harkins

Keith Harkins, Ph.D.

Vice President of Academic & Workforce Programs, Southside Virginia Community College

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Representing the central area of our region, Keith Harkins serves as the Vice President of Academic & Workforce Programs for Southside Virginia Community College. He has held leadership roles in the chamber of commerce, IDA, and YMCA. He currently serves on the Commonwealth Regional Council, and the Region 8 Workforce Investment Board. He is a founding board member of SHINE, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing workforce training in the sustainable energy sector.

Rhonda Hodges

Vice President, Workforce, Economic & Community Development, Patrick & Henry Community College

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A native of Henry County, Va., Rhonda Hodges represents the western portion of our region. Rhonda currently serves on the West Piedmont Workforce Development Board, Martinsville Henry County Economic Development Corporation Board, Martinsville Henry County Chamber of Commerce Board and the GO Virginia Region 3 Advisory Council. She is a graduate of Lead Virginia's class of 2022. Rhonda holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing management from Virginia Tech, a graduate certificate in leadership and management, and a Master of Science in Human Resource Management from the University of Maryland University College.

Ernest "Randy" Lail

Council Vice Chair; Independent Consultant and Retired Executive of Peebles Corporation

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Representing the commercial and retail industry and the eastern portion of the region, Randy Lail is currently an independent consultant with extensive experience in the retail and service sectors, including chief operating officer for Peebles Incorporated. A graduate of Lunenburg High School, Randy has continuous and deep civic experience, including service on the advisory board of the Longwood Small Business Development Center and chairman of the board of the Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation.

Kelly Lanier-Arnold

Senior Program Manager, Microsoft

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Kelly Arnold is the Regional Community Affairs Manager at Microsoft for the Cloud Operation division. She has a wealth of experience in community strategies, workforce development and digital skilling programs. She currently leads the America East Community Affairs team where she has successfully launched several impactful programs for the region. Kelly has also spearheaded multiple initiatives to increase the number of females pursuing IT and engineering career paths.

Elizabeth Leggett

Vice President, Leggett Town and Country

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Elizabeth Leggett is Vice President of Leggett Town and Country, a local retail store that her husband opened in 2002. A native of Danville, she returned home after completing her MT in Latin at the University of Virginia. After teaching 20 years in the Danville Public Schools, she served on the Danville School Board. In 2017, she left the education field to create the outside sales department at Leggett Town and Country.

Ilsa Loeser

Founder and Owner, Letterpress Communications

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Ilsa is the Founder and Owner of Letterpress Communications. She has a passion for storytelling and strategic thinking which is the core of the Letterpress approach of community-powered marketing. Over nearly 10 years, Letterpress has grown from Ilsa as a solopreneur to now a team of ten people who are passionate about the growth of our rural communities through communications and marketing. Focusing on community, Letterpress helps clients leverage the power of their teams and stories to create growth and good for their community.

John Parkinson

CEO, Drake Extrusion

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Serving the Southern region, John Parkinson has been CEO at Drake Extrusion Inc. for over 20 years. He is an accounting and finance graduate of the U.K.’s Lancaster University. Parkinson serves on the board of Virginia Career Works West Piedmont Region, part of the state’s workforce development initiative. He also serves as secretary-treasurer on the board of the Martinsville-Henry County Chamber’s Partnership for Economic Growth, the chamber’s charitable affiliate.

Dale Wagoner

County Administrator, Henry County, VA

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Representing the western portion of the region and local government, Dale Wagoner is the Henry County Administrator. He has over 30 years of service to Henry County, which began as a college intern while attending Ferrum College. He has also held several other roles with Henry County, including E.M.S. Coordinator, Public Safety Director, Human Resources Director, and Deputy Administrator. With a deep-rooted passion for public service, he recognizes the importance of implementing strategic initiatives that elevate infrastructure, economic prosperity, and overall quality of life. In addition to his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Ferrum College, Dale holds a Master's of Public Administration degree from Virginia Tech. He also holds a graduate certificate from the Rocky Mountain Program at the University of Colorado and is a graduate of Lead Virginia’s class of 2011. He is also a nationally-registered paramedic and loves to give back to his community by helping others in their time of need.

GOVA Region 3 Council Member Lauren Willis

Lauren T.A. Willis

Chair, Go Virginia Region 3; Senior Administrative & Compliance Officer, The Bank of Charlotte County

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