Covenant Woods is pleased to announce the election of its 2020-2021 Board of Directors, with fifteen local leaders volunteering to serve in governance of the Continuing Care Retirement Community. The Board, which has five new members and ten returning members, will be chaired by Michael Carter, who has previously served as Chair, Vice-Chair of the Board and Chair of the Development Committee. Carter will be joined in leadership by Karen Cook, who will serve as Vice-Chair and David Fuller, who will serve as Secretary. The members of the Board are as follows:
Michael C. “Mike” Carter (Chair)
Mike Carter is a native and life-long resident of Virginia. A graduate of Randolph-Macon College and the University of Virginia, Carter enjoyed a thirty-seven-year career in education, first as a History and Geography teacher and then as a professional fundraiser for Randolph-Macon College. At Randolph-Macon, he worked closely with three presidents developing strong and productive relationships with the College’s most generous benefactors. A Kiwanian since 1995, Carter helped found and continues to serve as President of the Ashland Kiwanis Charitable Foundation. Carter serves on the Hanover County Electoral Board.
Karen L. Cook (Vice Chair)
Karen Cook served her country throughout her career, which included 38 years in federal service and then as a national security consultant. She was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Defense Security Service (DSS) Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the highest award given by the Defense Security Service. She was also recognized by the Secretary of Defense for her service during the Cold War and for various DSS disabilities program awards. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, Overseas Division.
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David Fuller (Secretary)
David Fuller an executive in business and economic development, strategic planning, high technology manufacturing, international business, and marketing. He serves as Chair, Hanover Tourism Supporters, a consortium of tourism-oriented business, attraction, location, and marketing leaders. He has extensive economic and community development experience in regional public education, public safety, social services, comprehensive planning, and government affairs. He served on the Northern Virginia Economic Development Coalition and the Virginia Forest Based Economic Development Council. He is Treasurer and Finance Chair of the Historic Polegreen Church Foundation, Inc., Secretary of the Virginia Police Chief’s Foundation, and a Director and Leadership Development Chair for the US Senate Productivity and Quality Award for Virginia. He serves on the Hanover County Parks and Recreation Commission, the Hanover County Schools Business Advisory Committee, and Hanover County Schools Career Technical Education (CTE) Advisory Board. He is a member of the Mechanicsville Rotary Club, the Hanover County Sheriff’s Advisory Board, and the Hanover Chamber of Commerce. He earned an MBA from University of Richmond and is a graduate in engineering from NC State University. He has studied at Brookings Institute and the Darden School at University of Virginia.
Melissa Ball
Melissa Ball has owned and managed Ball Office Products since 2000. She has served on the board of The Doorways, Commonwealth of Virginia Small Business Advisory Board, Governor’s Commission on Small Business Health Insurance Costs, and Retail Merchants Association, among others. Additionally, Ball volunteers with several organizations, including The Doorways and DECA.
Emily “Mimi” Coogan Bennett
Mimi Bennett is a graduate of the VCU School of Nursing, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Nursing, her masters, and OBGYN Nurse Practitioner certification. She has been nationally certified as a woman’s health care nurse practitioner since 1980. She was employed by MCV/VCU Health Systems from 1972 to 2012. She is a member of several professional organizations related to her specialty and has served on two national nursing boards in the past, including a five-year term as president of the National Certification Corporation. She currently volunteers with CrossOver Health Ministry.
Roger Bowers
Roger Bowers practices law in the areas of commercial real estate and business representation with FutureLaw. His focus is on commercial transactions, land use, development finance, construction, and contract administration. He served on Hanover’s Economic Development Authority for the Ashland District from 2006 until 2016. He is a graduate of Washington & Lee University School of Law and Columbia University. He currently serves on the Vestry for St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Ginter Park.
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Edward Clingman Jr.
Ed Clingman is a lawyer, CPA and business executive. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia (Commerce and Law). Clingman was a partner of McGuire Woods in the corporate and real estate departments before joining Best Products Co. Inc. in 1993, where he headed legal, real estate, risk management, insurance, construction and facilities management. He started Clingman & Hanger in 1996. He is a Trustee with Broadus Memorial Baptist Church and has served in numerous roles including chairman of the Construction Committee. He served as Legal Counsel for the Richmond Baptist Association for over 20 years and continues to provide pro bono services to Central Virginia churches. His father was a charter resident of Covenant Woods.
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Chuck Graves
Chuck Graves is the Director of Finance and Investor Relations at Owens & Minor, Inc., a Fortune 500 global healthcare solutions company (NYSE: OMI). He has an extensive financial background in a variety of treasury and investor relations functions with Owens & Minor and prior to that, a variety of accounting and financial reporting roles with The American Tobacco Company. He received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and an MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University. He serves on the Finance Committee of the Mechanicsville United Methodist Church.
Jack Hill
Jack Hill retired from the IBM Corporation after 42 years in the Information Technology field, which also included employment with the Federal Government and small businesses. Hill’s business background includes business unit management, technical sales management, project management, and software engineering. He has worked with several industries including Federal, state and local government, legal, retail e-commerce, and most recently healthcare and life sciences. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s in telecommunications policy both from George Washington University. Hill’s parents were both residents of Covenant Woods.
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Janet “Natalie” Kent
Natalie Kent has over 40 years of experience as a health care executive. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Virginia Commonwealth University, her masters in adaptive education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University and a master’s in health care management from Medical College of Virginia. Kent is licensed in multiple states to provide oversight and evaluation of health care communities. Since 2018, she has been consulting in the health care industry, specializing in education, training, business re-engineering, and turn around operational analysis. She serves on the Westhampton United Methodist Church Council, Pastor/Parrish Relations Committee, and as Chair of the Day School and the Food Pantries.
Kelsey Mansmann
Kelsey Mansmann is an Associate Vice President and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ with Morgan Stanley in Richmond. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rhodes College. She sits on the Board of the LPGA Amateur Golf Association, is a member of The Woman’s Club of Richmond and the Daughters of the American Revolution, and a FeedMore volunteer.
Linda Pearson
Linda Pearson serviced as a psychiatric clinical specialist and Assistant Director of Nursing at MCV. She earned a graduate degree in accounting at Virginia Commonwealth University. As a CPA, she has held roles as a consultant, budget director and the last 20 years as the Chief Financial Officer for the MCV Hospitals/ VCU Health System. Pearson obtained a degree in nursing from Virginia Commonwealth University and a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing from Vanderbilt University. She has been an active volunteer in many community organizations and has served on the following Boards: The National Kidney Foundation, Make A Wish of Virginia, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Children’s Hospital Board, Family Lifeline and The Woman’s Club.
Michele Satterlund
Michele Satterlund is an attorney with McGuireWoods and a registered lobbyist with McGuireWoods Consulting in Richmond. She was recently recognized by Virginia Lawyers Weekly as part of its 2019 inaugural group of “Influential Women of Law,” and received a Burton Award in May 2019 for her innovative legal writing. She currently serves as the president of the Metro Richmond Women’s Bar Association.
Thelma Bland Watson
Thelma Watson is the Executive Director of Senior Connections, the Capital Area Agency on Aging, and has served in this role since 2002. Senior Connections provides a range of home and community services to assist older adults and caregivers. Her extensive experience includes service as a former Commissioner of Aging for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She served as Executive Director Field Services for the Committee on Social Security and Medicare, Washington D.C. from 1997 to 2002. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Virginia State University, a graduate degree in Gerontology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Doctorate in Public Policy and Administration also from VCU. She has previously served on the Covenant Woods Board of Directors. Currently, she is President of the Board for the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging (VAAAA) and is a member of the Capital Region Workforce Development Board.
About Covenant Woods
Covenant Woods is a Life Plan retirement community located in Mechanicsville, Virginia. The community has 188 apartments and 43 cottages, as well as assisted living and skilled nursing care centers.