2025 Chamber Board of Directors
The general governance, direction, finances, procedures, and policy-making responsibilities of the Chamber of Commerce are vested in the Board of Directors.
Jonathan Chasen, Wells Fargo Advisors
Chairman of the Board
Jonathan Chasen began his career as a Financial Advisor with Banc of America Investment Services Inc. (now a part of Merrill Lynch) in Orange, where he developed his fundamental investment knowledge. He joined Wachovia Securities, a predecessor firm of Wells Fargo Advisors, in 2008 to take a team approach in providing personalized financial advice for individuals and families.
Since 2013, Jon has earned the designation of Premier Advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors which is a distinction held by a select group of Financial Advisors within the Firm as measured by completion of educational components, business production based on either of the past two years, and professionalism.
Jon serves in leadership roles on the boards of Literacy Volunteers of Charlottesville Albemarle and Partner for Mental Health. He is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University.
Dr. Mariane Asad Doyle, Center for Nonprofit Excellence
Vice Chairwoman of the Board
Mariane Asad Doyle, Ph.D., SHRM-SCP, is Executive Director of the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE). She is an innovative diversity, equity, and inclusion leader and human resources professional with 20+ years experience in higher education and 15+ years in K12 administration.
Asad Doyle previously served as Chief Culture Officer at the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce. She also served in leadership roles with the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, the William S. Hart Union High School District, and as a lecturer in educational leadership and policy studies at California State University, Northridge.
Additionally, she currently serves as a member of the budget committee for the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and is a long-range planning advisory committee member for Albemarle County Public Schools. She is Chair of the Chamber Public Policy Committee.
Libby Edwards-Allbaugh, The Tax Ladies, Inc.
Vice Chair - Finance
Libby Edwards-Allbaugh is the founder, owner and partner of The Tax Ladies, Inc., a successful minority and woman-owned accounting service business. The success of her business is built upon providing accurate, personal service with integrity.
An active community member, Edwards-Allbaugh is a board member with Charlottesville Area Community Foundation, Center for Nonprofit Excellence, Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council, Black Women of Central Virginia, Women United in Philanthropy and the Black Empowerment Coalition, to name a few. She is also actively involved with the Chamber’s Business Women’s Round Table and Minority Business Alliance.
Charlie Rogers, Innovative Software Solutions
Vice Chair - Governance
As the founder and CEO of Innovative Software Solutions (ISS), Charlie is resonsible for running all facets of the business. He has a proven executive management track record that combines the right mix of business, marketing, design strategy, and technical knowledge. His unrivaled vision and leadership keeps the company and its quality of work at the highest standards. Charlie's background allows him to identify opportunities and make smart decisions from a business strategy perspective while fostering a creative environment for day-to-day operations.
Prior to starting ISS, Charlie was the Engineering Manager at GE Fanuc, where he oversaw a diverse team of engineers locally and across the globe. At that time, he led a team that successfully launched GE Fanuc's next generation controller solutions. Charlie has also served as the Director of
Engineering at Alere Informatics and Medical Decision Network. Charlie holds a BS in Computer Science from Old Dominion University.
Nicole Hawker, Heart and Soul Fitness with Nicole
Secretary
Nicole Hawker is a highly accomplished professional, recognized for her experience in counseling, community engagement, and the fitness industry. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia, Nicole is the Founder of Heart and Soul Fitness, a nonprofit studio established in 2022. She holds a Master's degree in Professional Counseling from Johnson University in Knoxville and has over 15 years of experience specializing in supporting families and children within the foster care system. Her commitment to wellness and community service led her to open Heart and Soul Fitness with the mission of making physical fitness and wellness resources accessible to the broader Charlottesville community.
Nicole holds multiple certifications including ACE Certified Personal Trainer, ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor, and Certified Yoga Teacher. In addition to her work in the fitness industry, she is an active member of the Charlottesville community. She is a graduate of the Leadership Charlottesville Class of 2019 and the Center for Nonprofit Excellence (CNE) Board Academy Class of 2023. Currently, Nicole serves as a Board Member for the Black Professional Network, CNE and the Charlottesville Minority Business Commission. She is a dedicated mother of three adult children and has been happily married to her best friend, Jon, for over 30 years. Her commitment to her family, her community, and her profession reflects her passion for making a positive impact in the lives of others.
Sasha Tripp, Story House Real Estate
Past Chairwoman of the Board
Sasha Tripp is a residential REALTOR® in Charlottesville, VA and the Principal Broker and Owner of Story House Real Estate. Sasha also speaks and teaches internationally as a CRS Annual Sell-A-Bration Speaker, webinar instructor, and she coaches agents at state and local association conferences nationwide- her experience and knowledge that she gathers from the other best real estate agents in the industry provide her company with invaluable marketing expertise, fresh ideas, and puts them on the leading edge of technology and marketing strategy. She has been selected by REALTOR® magazine as one of the Top 30 REALTORS Under 30, was recognized on the list of Inman Top 101 Real Estate Influencers in the nation, and has been the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS® REALTOR® of the Year (2016), Sales Associate of the Year (2012), and Rookie of the Year (2008).
Chris Engel, City of Charlottesville Office of Economic Development
Chris Engel is the Director of Economic Development for the City of Charlottesville. In this role, he leads the City’s efforts to build wealth and grow opportunity for all members of our community.
Engel has a bachelor’s degree in geography from Mary Washington College and a master’s degree in planning from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute at the University of Oklahoma and is a member of the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) where he is a certified economic developer (CEcD). Chris is a graduate of Virginia’s statewide leadership program; LEAD Virginia, as well as Leadership Charlottesville and the Senior Executive Institute for leaders in local government.
David Foky, WVIR-TV 29News
David Foky is the News Director for WVIR-TV 29News and has led the local news team since 2010. He is a graduate of Leadership Charlottesville.
Rebecca Ivins, Hourigan
Rebecca Ivins’ experience in the construction industry spans a decade, working on both the owner and construction manager side. Her servant attitude and friendly personality have helped to create deep relationships with clients. Rebecca strives to forge partnerships early in her projects among all stakeholders and is quick to look for ways to improve processes.
Prior to working at Hourigan, Rebecca was the Business Development Manager for Gilbane Building Company (Richmond) and Director of Business Development for JLL. She is a graduate of the University of Akron.
Emily Kilroy, Albemarle County
Emily Kilroy is Director of Economic Development for Albemarle County. She has been with Albemarle County for 10 years, starting in the County Executive’s Office working on public engagement. She was promoted to lead the new Communications and Public Engagement Office in 2018. She later served on the County’s Executive Leadership Team as the Assistant to the County Executive before taking on the interim role in Economic Development. As interim director, she oversaw key initiatives aligned with the County’s long-term economic strategy, including the partnership agreement with Home Depot for the first redevelopment at Fashion Square Mall and preliminary work for developing the next economic development strategic plan.
Kilroy’s educational background includes a Master’s in Urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia and a Bachelor’s in International Relations from American University. She is also a graduate of the Senior Executive Institute at the University of Virginia.
Allison Linney, Allison Partners
Allison Linney, President and Founder of Allison Partners, LLC, has built a career of commitment to her clients’ achievement of their goals. A former consultant within Accenture’s Human Performance Service Line, she received an M.B.A. from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Together with her colleagues, Allison brings both sound theory and practical experience to the challenges of organizational development.
Allison has helped leaders, managers and employees be more effective in industries ranging from consumer products to government services to publishing, and she has more than 20 years of experience working in health care. Her expertise spans communication strategy and implementation, leadership development, professional coaching, organization design and development, group facilitation, training design, diversity and inclusion programs, project management, change management, and process engineering.
David G. Mitchell, Great Eastern Management Company
David G. Mitchell is Director of Development & Construction for Great Eastern Management Company. He oversees residential and commercial construction projects and manages new project development. Mitchell graduated from Virginia Military Institute with a B.S. in Civil Engineering. In 1999 he formed Southern Classic, Inc., a construction and development company.
Mitchell is a current member of the Miller School Board, Crozet Citizens Advisory Committee, and Albemarle Conservation Easements Authority. He has served as a board member for the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development, the Government Affairs Committee of the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association, Places 29 North Citizens Advisory Committee, Albemarle County Fiscal Impact Advisory Committee and Richmond Home Builders Association Board.
Ravi Respeto, United Way of Greater Charlottesville
Ravi Respeto joined the United Way of Greater of Charlottesville in July 2018 as the President and CEO. Her career in nonprofit leadership started as the Campaign Manager for the Charlottesville Waldorf School with a $3 million-dollar campaign to build an environmentally sustainable school. Her commitment to supporting the environment and sustainability led her to AHIP- Home Repair Nonprofit as the Director of Development and Marketing in August of 2010, where the mission is to focus on rehabbing existing older homes for low-income families. Ravi developed their fundraising program from a $50,000 a year revenue stream to $1.1 million over the course of seven years. In June of 2015, Ravi joined the Piedmont Family YMCA as the Development and Marketing consultant to complete a $19-million-dollar Capital Campaign to build a 77,000 square foot facility in McIntire Park. This project supports Ravi’s life-long passion for community health accessibility.
Ravi started her career at Whole Foods Market working across the Mid-Atlantic Region on the marketing and community outreach team, eventually managing the Triangle North Carolina and Philadelphia sub-regions with multi-store marketing campaigns and strategic community funding programs that supported healthy living and social community investment.
Ravi currently serves as the immediate past President of the Blue Ridge Mountains Rotary Club, is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Miller School of Albemarle, and a Board member of Virginia Career Works Piedmont. Additional Board work has included serving on the Salvation Army Board chairing the strategic planning committee and the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association as the chair of the marketing committee. Ravi holds a degree in Communications with a focus in Public Relations as a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society from George Mason University and has completed a certificate in Business Marketing from UVA Darden School of Business.
Todd Rowley, Old Dominion National Bank
Todd Rowley has over 40 years in the banking industry, most recently as Central Virginia President with Old Dominion National Bank, and oversees commercial banking for the Metropolitan Washington Region and Central Virginia.
Rowley holds an MBA with honors in Finance and Operations Research/Management Science from Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business, and a Graduate Degree in Banking Finance from the University of Delaware Stonier Graduate School of Banking with honors. He also has a personal interest in information technology, Cloud Computing and Cyber security, and as a means to address this interest, in 2019, Rowley completed an Associate of Science degree in Information Systems Technology (Summa Cum Laude) and an Associate of Applied Science in Cloud Computing: Infrastructure and Services (Summa Cum Laude) in 2020 from the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). Currently, he is completing an Associate of Applied Science degree in Cybersecurity. In addition to serving on the board and executive committee of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, Rowley has a long history of involvement in community engagement, and currently serves as a member of Virginia Tech President’s Advisory Council, a member of the Virginia Tech Pamplin School of Business Advisory Council, Board of the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board, a board member to the Northern Virginia Council of GO Virginia, a board member to the Capital Youth Empowerment Program.
On a national basis, Rowley serves as one of the 40 members of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond 5th District advisory council, which includes Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. For Virginia, Rowley serves as a member of the Commonwealth’s Cyber Initiative (CCI) Advisory Council, and the Virginia Tech Advisory Council overseeing Business Information Technology, which has concentrations in both Cybersecurity and Data Analytics.
Rowley is also a graduate of Leadership Fairfax, Leadership Charlotte, and the 2011 class of LEAD Virginia, to which he is a member of LEAD Virginia’s Executive Committee and Board of Directors.
Abdi Somo, UVA Medical Center
As chief administrative officer of the University of Virginia Medical Center, Abdullahi Somo, MBA, collaborates with senior executives, physician leaders, faculty, and team members on a broad range of strategic priorities, system initiatives, and major projects. Somo is excited to be part of an exceptional UVA Health team, working together on the mission to provide excellence, innovation, and superlative quality in the care of patients, the training of health professionals, and the creation and sharing of health knowledge within a culture that promotes equity, diversity, and inclusiveness.
Prior to Joining UVA Health, Somo served in the perioperative services at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center, OSU Brain and Spine Hospital, and Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital. His focus was operational efficiency, growth and expansion, and financial stewardship.
Before taking the current role as CAO, Somo served as an administrator in primary care for OhioHealth Inc. There, his focus was delivering high-quality and cost-effective primary care, patient access initiatives, population health management, implementation of new care delivery models, and program development.
Somo holds a master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Franklin University's Ross College of Business and a bachelor of science in Molecular Genetics from the Ohio State University. Somo is Lean Six Sigma Certified and a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional (CHFP) by the Healthcare Financial Management Association.
Keith Woodard, Woodard Properties
Keith O. Woodard is an architect who has established a development and property management company, Woodard Properties, striving to find new ways to make interesting, comfortable and affordable places to live and work. Projects have included new student rental apartments, historic rehabilitation, commercial buildings and renovations, business park revitalizations, and individual homes. Keith has experienced the ups and downs of the development world with many successes and an occasional fiasco…think West2nd.
Woodard Properties is a ‘Great Game’ company, engaging employees and rewarding them for success. Support of many community arts, building, educational, and other organizations is an integral part of the company’s purpose.
Keith still lives in the house he began building in 1978. The house, and numerous additions have been a hobby as much as a place to live and raise four children… all of whom are now educated, self-funding, and having families.
Keith travels and dances with his wife, Adrienne, enjoys playing tennis, skiing, playing piano, cheers on the Virginia Cavaliers and his alma mater University of Kentucky, and occasionally lays awake thinking about the next project.