BioVinnie Schoenfelder currently serves as CapTech’s Chief Technology Officer with over 20 years of industry experience and over 15 years working for CapTech. Graduating from Roanoke College with a degree in Computer Information Systems, Vinnie has been a lifetime consultant. Working for United Parcel Service, Coopers & Lybrand, The Hunter Group, and now CapTech Vinnie has been a key resource in helping large organizations solve business problems through the use of technology. During the course of Vinnie’s career, he has been a frequent speaker at Fortune 500 companies and technology conferences across North America, and has been engaged with clients in North America, Europe and Canada.
Chris Jones Vice Chair Sands Anderson, P.C.
Bio Chris Jones is experienced with a variety of matters, from commercial transportation and premises liability, to more complex problems involving products liability, privacy, and data security. Chris Jones has worked pro bono as general counsel to CodeVA since 2017 General Counsel. He has helped to craft memoranda of understanding and other agreements concerning non-profit operations and offered legal guidance to members of the executive board. He received a B.A. in Government from Hamilton College in 2000 and a Juris Doctor from Washington and Lee School of Law. During law school, Chris worked in a third-year externship with Justice G. Steven Agee in the Supreme Court of Virginia, and also served as the Senior Case Editor of Washington and Lee’s Environmental Law Digest. He has given numerous continuing legal education presentations for the Virginia Association of Defense Attorneys, the National Business Institute, and the Richmond Bar Association.
Amber Tillman Secretary Google
BioCurrently serving as the Head of Data Center Economic and Community Development, Eastern US for Google, Amber has 10+ years in the technology and energy sectors where she has specialized in Public Affairs and Government Relations. She has extensive experience in community engagement, program development, and corporate social responsibility, and since 2018 has partnered with CodeVA through her work in public affairs at Google (and previously Meta) to advance STEM education in Virginia. Amber is the founder of the Jesse Family Foundation, a nonprofit focused on funding forward-thinking projects at the intersection of science, technology, healthcare, and veterans’ wellbeing. A Richmond native, she holds a B.S. in Business from James Madison University and resides in Richmond with her family, where she also serves on the board of rvatech/.
Anthony Johnson Development Committee Co-Chair Delve Risk
BioAnthony Johnson is a Managing Partner at Delve Risk, where he leads a practice focused on driving technology and risk management transformation on behalf of their clients. He brings extensive technical and executive leadership experience to the practice while also serving as a technology advisor to a number of software solution providers. Anthony is a graduate of Indiana University, where he received a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and of Regis University where he received a BS in Computer Information Systems. Throughout his career, Anthony has led some of the largest Cybersecurity programs in the world as the Chief Information Security Officer, dealing with highly complex multi-national regulatory requirements and ever evolving sophisticated threats. Prior to joining Delve Risk he served as the Global CISO and Managing Director for multiple Fortune 100 companies, including Fannie Mae ($120bn) and the Corporate & Investment Bank (CIB) at J.P. Morgan Chase & Company ($35bn). His other passions include advancing the discussion on diversity and inclusion in the workforce, and creating channels for disadvantaged youth to enter the technology field. He lives in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area with his wife and daughter.
Jeff Nelson Governance Committee Chair Strategic Staffing Solutions
BioJeff Nelson is Vice President of Strategic Staffing Solutions (S3), a private international IT services firm. Since 2006, Jeff has also served as the General Director of S3 International with headquarters in Vilnius, Lithuania; S3I builds shared service centers in Eastern Europe for global companies. In 2015, Jeff became the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Lithuania in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Previously, Jeff was Executive Director of The U.S.- Baltic Foundation (www.usbaltic.org) in Washington, DC, a private educational and advocacy organization dedicated to strengthening ties between the U.S. and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Jennifer Frayser Development Committee Co-Chair Solvaria
BioJennifer Frayser is an experienced B2B marketer with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and managed services industries. In her role as the Vice President of Marketing at Solvaria, she leads the company’s marketing strategy, branding, communications and social presences, while also working closely with the sales and service delivery teams to support business development. Prior to joining Solvaria in 2014, Jennifer most recently worked as an account supervisor at a communications firm that provided strategy to nationally-recognized brands to deliver tangible business results. Jennifer received her Bachelor’s degree from North Carolina State University and currently resides in Richmond with her husband and daughter.
Kurt Engleman Finance Committee Chair Capital One
BioKurt Engleman leads Capital One’s Finance Risk Management (FRM) team and serves as Chief Risk Officer for Finance, which includes risk oversight for the capital markets, controller, financial analysis and planning, tax, and corporate development functions. Kurt started his career with Capital One in 2001 as an analyst and project manager in Card Operations. In 2003, he took a role in business development analysis for Partnership Finance in Card Marketing, then moved to Risk Management in 2005 to lead process improvement initiatives related to regulatory compliance programs. From 2011 2016, Kurt headed the team that oversaw program management and compliance management efforts for Basel advanced approaches regulatory capital requirements. Prior to his current Finance Chief Risk Officer role, Kurt led risk management for Finance’s Capital Markets and Analytics team (treasury, balance sheet management, and capital functions). Kurt earned a B.A. in Economics and Public Policy from Duke University and an M.B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds the following certifications: Six Sigma Black Belt, Project Management Professional, Stanford Certified Project Manager, International Certificate in Banking Risk and Regulation, and AWS Cloud Practitioner.
Matt Benedetti Advocacy Committee Chair Microsoft
BioMatt Benedetti has more than twenty-eight years in business, marketing, and government relations. The last nine at the helm of is own government relations company. A comprehensive lobbying and consulting services firm, Matt Benedetti & Associates represents its clients’ interests before legislative bodies and administrative agencies at the state and local level, as well as helping navigate the often rough and muddy waters of the government procurement process. Matt also specializes in multi-state government relations consulting and management.
Vida Williams Programs Committee Chair The Axis Partners
BioVida Williams has twenty years of progressive experience in leading technology projects of various scale in a variety technical environments, but specializing in Enterprise Strategy and IT Programs. Experienced in guiding all phases of IT production from design to development to test to implementation. Production planning, team scheduling, budget review and implementation, communication and organization. Her work has evolved over the last 8 years to include full-scale strategic enterprise planning enabling companies to leverage systemic technology to improve process efficiency and thus, the overall effectiveness.
Chris Dovi Corporate and Government Relations Officer
BioIn his role as CodeVA’s chief policy advocate, Chris has worked with state policymakers to redefine Virginia as a leader in computer science education. He has co-authored various laws around computer science education innovation, including 2016 legislation that made Virginia the first state in the country to mandate computer science as a core, integrated subject for all students from kindergarten to 12th grade. The proud son of a NASA engineer (a real-live rocket scientist), his career prior to CodeVA was as a journalist with a focus on policy and politics, particularly around issues of K-12 education. Chris has his B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he occasionally serves as an adjunct professor.
Antoine A. Banks Comcast
BioAntoine A. Banks, moved to Richmond, Virginia from Baltimore, MD in 2021. He is a resident of the Shockoe Bottom neighborhood and the Director of Government Regulatory Affairs for Comcast Cable Corporation, Beltway Region. As a key member of the GA team, Antoine is responsible for implementing legislative strategies, monitoring legislation, and coordinating state association management for the Central Virginia area. In his role, Antoine manages the renewal and transfer negotiations of several large franchises in addition to overseeing local and state compliance requirements.
Antoine most recently worked in local governments within both the executive and legislative branches. His executive office roles include serving as the external affairs coordinator as well as special assistant to the chief of staff in the executive office of the Mayor of Atlanta during the Franklin Administration from 2002 thru 2008. During his tenure he was charged with overhauling, recovering and managing non-profit pass-thru grant funding totaling over five million dollars in local assistance grant funding from the Georgia State Department of Community Affairs as well as redesigning the application process for the office of special events. As the external affairs coordinator for the Mayor’s Office, Antoine designed and managed the office’s first state legislative internship program, as well as served on the Mayor’s legislative team to lobby state and elected officials on various key issues of importance to the City. On the legislative side, Antoine was responsible for performing complex studies on land use, transportation and education and youth issues and provided policy guidance involving major and controversial public policy and legislative issues in the Baltimore area.
Originally from New Orleans, Antoine moved to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College where he received his BA in Political Science and an MBA from Jack Welch Management Institute. Antoine is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., where he has held positions on chapter, district, regional, and international levels. He recently served on the Board of Directors for the Greater Baltimore Urban League – 2014 – 2021 (Chair of the Board Governance Committee), the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) Foundation – 2015 – 2021 (Chair, Board Affairs Committee; Chair, Development and Engagement Committee), Baltimore County Chamber of Commerce (Board Treasurer) 2019-2021; the Harford TV, 2014 – 2021 and Leadership Baltimore, 2020 – 2021, Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Regional Secretary) 2013-2021 and currently serving as a member of the I-64 Innovation Corridor’s Global Internet Hub Steering Committee. He is the recent past program director of the Beautillion Scholars Program, a male mentoring program focused on college readiness, civic engagement, and career endeavors of minority males in the Great Baltimore area. In his spare time, he enjoys movies, skiing, traveling, his family and friends.
Andreas Addison Richmond City Councilman
BioA civic innovator and channeler of big ideas about how technology moves communities forward and improves lives and outlooks, Andreas has brought some really big ideas to the City of Richmond in his six years with RichmondWorks, the city’s performance management department. It’s all about how the city can serve the citizen, for Andreas, who views that age-old question through the new lens of technology and data analysis. In 2013, Andreas convinced city leaders to enter the IBM Smarter Cities Challenge. Through his efforts, Richmond was selected as one among 32 worldwide cities to participate and to receive consultation services from IBM’s world class consultants.
Ciara Pervall Chesapeake Public Schools
BioCiara Pervall is the first board member to serve as representation for all active classroom teachers. She began her teaching career as a career switcher in 2015. She has been a substitute teacher for Portsmouth Public Schools, a Career & Technical Education teacher for Norfolk Public Schools, and is currently the Work-Based Learning Coordinator for Chesapeake Public Schools. She received a B.S. in Business Management from Norfolk State University and is currently enrolled in the graduate program for teacher leadership at James Madison University.
Ciara is also the President of the Computer Science Teachers Association of Tidewater Virginia. Within her teaching tenure, she has also worked for notable companies such as CodeVA, William & Mary’s Center for Gifted Education, and has taught robotics for a district-wide Cybersecurity camp in partnership with Old Dominion University. Her most gratifying hobby is engaging in community service activities where she can serve and interact with diverse individuals.
Greg Samuels Solvaria
BioGreg Samuels has spent his 25 years in the IT industry focused on solving business issues using information technology. Now the CEO of Solvaria, he has been a Programmer, Infrastructure Manager, Consultant, Chief Information Officer, and Mentor for many companies across Virginia. A lifelong learner, Greg utilizes his past experiences and current trends in technology to guide companies in making sound technology investments in people, process, and hardware. Greg was the leader of the Richmond Technology Council CIO Forum, and is a current leader in the Virginia Council of CEOs. Greg holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science from Virginia Tech.
Harold Fitrer Communities in Schools
BioDr. Harold Fitrer joined CIS of Richmond on July 1, 2008 as the Executive Director. Dr. Fitrer has over 30 years of experience working with Richmond Public Schools spanning a career in human resources and supervisory roles including the Assistant Superintendent for Administrative and Support Services. Dr. Fitrer holds an Ed.D. in Administration and Supervision and serves as adjunct faculty for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Education. Dr. Fitrer was most recently awarded the VEAOP State Administrator of the Year, 2005.
Hilah Barbot Amazon Future Engineer
BioHilah Barbot is a Senior Product Manager at Amazon Future Engineer, where she aims to inspire more students from underserved and underrepresented communities in tech to pursue careers in technology and computer science. Prior to joining Amazon, Hilah spent 11 years in public education as a science and computer science teacher, school leader, and most recently as KIPP Foundation’s National Science, Technology, and Engineering Director. During her eight years in the classroom, Hilah received two national teaching awards: the KIPP Harriett Ball Excellence in Teaching Award and Teach For America Alumni Excellence Award. Hilah has a Masters in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania and an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. In her spare time, Hilah loves outdoor adventures with her family and to beat her husband in Monopoly Deal.
Jennifer Taylor Northern Virginia Technology Council
BioJennifer Taylor is President and CEO of the Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC), the trade association representing the National Capital Region’s vast and vibrant tech community. NVTC’s membership of 500 organizations consists of companies from all sectors of the tech industry, service providers, academic institutions, and nonprofit organizations. In operation since 1991, NVTC is one of the largest, most influential regional tech councils in the nation.
NVTC connects, educates, advocates for, and celebrates the region’s ever-expanding tech ecosystem. Taylor leads NVTC’s strategic initiatives, programming, and member benefits to best serve the tech community that is driving innovation and infusing the next generation of talent into the tech workforce. Under her leadership, Taylor has increased membership by 80%, engaged over 15,000 tech professionals at events, and developed a five-year strategic plan impacting over 20 KPIs. She and her team have launched new impact programs and initiatives including AimHigh, Starting Point, Rise & Thrive, and Let’s Talk Tech with NVTC.
Prior to NVTC, Taylor served as VP of Industry Affairs at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA). While there, Taylor launched CTA’s 21st Century Workforce Council, the CTA Apprenticeship Coalition, and the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group all focused on helping the tech sector close the nation’s skills gap, increase awareness of the growing number of tech-related jobs, and build a fully equipped, inclusive national workforce.
Taylor worked at AARP for over 10 years as VP of Business Development where she developed and launched a smart tablet for tech-shy seniors called ‘the RealPad’, in partnership with Intel®. She also created multi-channel revenue sales strategies for a wide range of industry verticals including consumer technology and financial services benefits for AARP’s 40 million members.
Earlier in her career, she served in leadership roles at the American Red Cross Biomedical Services from 1997-2005; RTCRM (a Wunderman Company) from 1995 – 1997; and KSK Communications.
Taylor is committed to promoting the region as a major global tech hub, where she has lived and worked since 1990. Taylor sits on three Board of Directors: Connected DMV, Technology Councils of North America (Vice Chair), and the George Mason University MBA School of Management Advisory Board (Vice Chair). She is also the President of the NVTC Foundation.
Taylor is the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award (2021 and 2022) and Prominent Patriots in Business Award (2019) from George Mason University’s Costello College of Business; Virginia Business Women in Leadership Award (2022); the Tech Titans Award from Washingtonian magazine (2021, 2022, 2023), and two American Red Cross Tiffany Leadership Awards in one year (2000). She was also a CBS News Fellow in New York City in 1991 and worked on CBS Weekend News with Bob Schieffer and CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt.
Taylor holds a BA communications/journalism degree from the University of Michigan (’91) and an MBA from George Mason University (’98).
Joe Dean Capital One
BioJoe has worked in Technology Product Management for nearly 20 years years where he has blended his background in technology and business to create innovative products for companies such as Motorola, American Express, NICE, and CarMax and now at Capital One. He lives in Richmond, VA with his wife and two daughters. Outside of his work and family, he is passionate about running, language learning, and history. He holds a Bachelor’s in Telecommunications from Michigan State University, a Master’s in Strategic Management from Indiana University and is currently pursuing an additional degree in Machine Learning.
Ruthe Farmer Last Mile Education Fund
BioRuthe Farmer is a talent entrepreneur laser-focused on inclusion and leveraging existing infrastructure to scale change. She has focused her efforts on diversity and inclusion in tech and engineering since 2001 and is currently the founder and CEO of the Last Mile Education Fund. She also serves as chief evangelist for CSforALL. Farmer previously served as senior policy advisor for tech inclusion at the White House Office of Science & Technology Policy working on President Obama’s call to action for Computer Science for All. She also served as Chief Strategy & Growth Officer and K-12 Alliance Director at the National Center for Women & Information Technology (NCWIT) for 8 years
Farmer has launched and scaled multiple national programs designed to boost diversity and participation in technology fields. That includes CSforALL, the CSforALL Summit, and JROTC-CS in partnership with the US Air Force; NCWIT’s Aspirations in Computing, TECHNOLOchicas, the AspireIT outreach program; Lego Robotics for Girl Scouts and more. She served as 2012 chair of CSEDWeek, was named a White House Champion of Change for Technology Inclusion in 2013, received the Anita Borg Institute Award for Social Impact in 2014, and the UK Alumni Award for Social Impact in 2015.
Farmer is a guest contributor for Techcrunch, Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls, the Shriver Report, and the Huffington Post, and has been featured in Forbes and TechRepublic. She holds a BA from Lewis & Clark College and an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship from the University of Oxford Said Business School.
Stewart Roberson Moseley Architects
BioAn educator for over 35 years, Stewart served as a public school superintendent for 21 years. When he became chairman, president, and CEO of Moseley Architects in 2011, Stewart observed that “public service is in his DNA,” and that he wanted his “second chapter” to include opportunities to provide leadership to an entity serving the public interest. Joining Moseley Architects, with its significant presence in public sector facility design, makes that possible. “I view my second chapter as one in which I’m able to help preserve and enhance a highly successful team focused on outstanding client service and continuous improvement,” reflected Stewart.
Verletta White Roanoke City Public Schools
BioMrs. Verletta White was appointed Superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools, effective July 1, 2020. A results-driven, student-centered leader, Mrs. White always puts the needs of children first. She has dedicated her life to public service, specifically to serving students, their families, and the community at large. Mrs. White is an experienced and highly respected visionary leader. Mrs. White often refers to Roanoke City as "the sweetest City on earth." She leads Roanoke City Public Schools, a beautifully diverse urban school system that serves nearly 14,000 students.
Prior to her appointment as Superintendent of Schools, Mrs. White served the community of Baltimore County, Maryland, in a variety of roles. Most recently, she served as a Consultant to the Superintendent in Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) to research factors impacting teacher recruitment and retention. She also served as the Interim Superintendent of Schools for BCPS from 2017 to 2019. She describes herself first and foremost as a teacher and one who has dedicated her career to children. As Superintendent, Mrs. White led the 25th largest school system in the nation, with a student enrollment of more than 114,000 diverse students and more than 18,000 employees, including over 9,000 teachers.
As both instructional leader and lead learner, Mrs. White has led change in almost every aspect of the school system in the various positions she has held. Prior to becoming the interim superintendent, Mrs. White served as chief academic officer for BCPS, the instructional leader responsible for defining and communicating the instructional vision of the school system, while motivating a division of more than 500 curriculum and student support staff. Over the years, Mrs. White rose through the ranks of BCPS in the capacities of executive director of professional development; area assistant superintendent for the Northeast Area; and assistant superintendent for elementary schools. She also served as principal, assistant principal, and teacher mentor in BCPS. Mrs. White began her teaching career in 1992 as an elementary school teacher in Baltimore City and transitioned to a teaching position in Baltimore County in 1995.
Mrs. White also served as an adjunct professor in school leadership for Goucher College in 2013, and is a state and national presenter on topics such as equity, professional development, the transformation of teaching and learning, and organizational leadership. Mrs. White holds a bachelor of science degree in education from Towson University, a master of arts degree in leadership in teaching from the Notre Dame of Maryland University, and is currently a doctoral candidate in urban educational leadership at Morgan State University. Mrs. White and her husband are the proud parents of two children, Victoria and Bethany, both graduates of Baltimore County Schools.
