Board of Commissioners

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Mr. Hardiman is a government relations professional with more than a decade of experience.  His career includes advocacy for housing, development, and construction issues. He is a former lobbyist and currently serves as Principal for his firm, Hardiman Advisors. Prior to becoming self-employed, he was Senior Government Relations Manager for Genworth Financial with responsibility for all 50 states. Before joining Genworth, he served as Director of Government Affairs for Luck Companies focusing on state and federal transportation funding and policy, economic development, and local land use issues. Mr. Barrett has also worked for a variety of state trade associations covering diverse topics from broadcast television to home construction.

Mr. Barrett received a B.A. from the University of Virginia with a double concentration in Economics and American Politics.

Mr. Barrett serves as the chairperson of the Virginia Solar Energy Development and Energy Storage Authority and previously served as the chairperson of the Transportation and Infrastructure sub-committee of the Greater Richmond Chamber’s Government Relations Committee.

Barrett and his wife Helen live in the City of Richmond’s Battery Park neighborhood with their daughter. He is a lifelong resident of Virginia and has spent time living and working in Richmond, Charlottesville, and Northern Virginia.

Mr. Johnson currently serves as a mentor to at-risk males. He is a current member of the Metropolitan Day School, a private, alternative school with an intensive and highly structured curriculum that serves the needs of students with specific disabilities. He is a former zoning administrator for Hanover County and served as Richmond City council member from 1998 to 2004. He is a former Board Chairman of the Neighborhood Housing Services of Richmond Inc, a non-profit organization created specifically to present opportunities for low and moderate-income families preparing to purchase affordable homes. A Richmond native, he attended Armstrong Kennedy High School and currently resides in the city’s 6^th council district. Mr. Johnson holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Urban Studies and Planning from Virginia Commonwealth University, and an Assessment Administration Specialist designation from J. Sargeant Reynolds.

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Ms. Blount has served her community as a resident of Richmond for 20 years. She has been an active participant in notable organizations working and volunteering in several capacities to include President of the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), a Court-Appointed Special Advocate for Children, a Parent Educator,  a Community Advocate and Resource Center Specialist doing Healthcare Administration for the Richmond City Health District, and an AmeriCorps member at Embrace Richmond.

Additionally, she interned at the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society before earning a degree in Paralegal Studies at Bryant & Stratton College, has served as an Administrative Law Appeals Examiner and a member of Central Virginia Legal Aid Society’s Client Council. She has participated in and supported many programs of the 7th District Health & Wellness Initiative, Peter Paul Development Center, and currently serves on the Commissioners for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority, a position that the Richmond City council appointed her to in 2016.

Ms. Blount has been a member of Leadership Metro Richmond since 2022. She is also a member of The National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO). Through NAHRO she earned many certifications to include: Procurement and Contract Management, Public Housing Management (PHM), Housing Quality Standards Inspection (HQS), Housing Choice Voucher Program Management (HCVPM), Housing Choice Voucher Occupancy/ Eligibility/ Income/ and Rent Calculation (HCVOEIR), Commissioner’s Fundamentals, Ethics for Commissioners, Commissioner’s Guide to Monitoring and Oversight, and Strategic Planning.

She holds certifications in Grant writing and Grant management, allied health, case management, mental health, and human services. This lifelong learner is building a nonprofit to serve an underserved community. Veronica is most proud of her role as Mom to her favorite person in the world who is Richmond raised and now a college senior.

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Ms. Pitchford, a resident of public housing for more than 20 years, brings extensive experience as a community advocate and volunteer. Currently serving as Treasurer of the Gilpin Court Tenant Council, she is active in several organizations, including the Historic Jackson Ward Association, the George Washington Carver Elementary School Parent Teacher Association, Healthy Start RVA, STEP (Strategies to Elevate People) Jobs for Life, and the Richmond Tenant Organization. She studied at Colorado Technical University.

Ms. Shelton is the Founder and Executive Director of Hillside Court Partnership, a Certified Community Health Worker Senior for Virginia Department of Health/Richmond City Health Department, Tenant Council President of Hillside Court, and the Vice President for Richmond Tenant Organization (RTO). She has launched more than 14 groups and teams in Hillside and has encouraged members of the community to know their worth and rights, one at a time. Ms. Shelton has served on various boards to include the Maggie L. Walker Poverty Board, RVA Thrives, Central VA Legal Aid Society Client Council (CVLASCC),  and the National Low-Income Housing Coalition. She is a graduate of Louisa County High School.

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Mr. Jackson is the founder and president of Blue Whale Company, Inc. Established in 2015, this family of companies represents commercial real estate brokerage, fee development consulting, and asset management. Jackson’s comprehensive real estate knowledge includes all asset types in the commercial space, ranging from retail, mixed use, office, industrial, special use, and multi-family. Client service, technology, industry experience, and integrity are at the center of the Blue Whale companies. Mr. Jackson joined the RRHA Board on June 13, 2022.

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Mr. Parker is a long-time Richmond resident and President and Chief Executive Officer of Old Dominion Electrical Supply Company in Richmond. He is a graduate of Armstrong High School and Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of Business. Mr. Parker opened Old Dominion Supply Company in 1985 and is a retired engineer of C&P Telephone Company (Verizon). A community- and civic-minded husband and father, Mr. Parker has served on several boards throughout his distinguished career. They include the Ronald McDonald House, Freedom House, Warner Press, Church of God Executive Board, Venture Richmond, Richmond Minority Business Advisory Board, and many others. Mr. Jackson joined the RRHA Board on June 13, 2022.

Kyle R. Elliott serves as the General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer for Virginia Community Healthcare Association (VCHA), a non-profit organization that supports Virginia’s Federally Qualified Health Centers in their mission to provide access to health care regardless of geographic location or ability to pay.

Mr. Elliott began his legal career as an Assistant City Attorney for Litigation & Public Safety for the City of Richmond, VA.

He later transitioned to private practice to serve as a Senior Associate for the firm Ogletree Deakins, a leading labor and employment law firm.

A resident of Richmond for over a decade, Mr. Elliott is a proud resident of Church Hill and serves his community in a variety of thoughtful and compassionate ways. He is a Commissioner on the Richmond City Charter Review Commission which performs a comprehensive review of the Charter of the City of Richmond, ensures public participation in the review process, recommends amendments and submits findings and recommendations to the City Council and Mayor.

He also serves on the national nonprofit Board of “Read to Them”  an organization whose mission is to create a culture of literacy in every home by the transformational power of reading aloud to children,

Mr. Elliott is a graduate of the University of Virginia with a concentration in Philosophy. He received his law degree from The College of William and Mary School of Law. Mr. Elliott joined the Board of Commissioners for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority on November 14, 2022. ■

As Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer to the Division of Business Affairs, Mr. Gregory Lewis oversees and coordinates all financial planning and budgeting at Virginia Union University.

He has 30 years of senior executive leadership experience in the higher education sector, including Vice Chancellor of Administration and Finance for the Wayne County Community College District, Vice President of Business Operations at El Centro College, Vice President Business Affairs Fisk University and Chief Accounting Officer at Langston University.

He has contributed to students’ lifelong learning as a Professor of Business Management and Accounting at Langston University, El Centro College, Tomball College, Morris Brown College and J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College.

Mr. Lewis was the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of GEL Enterprizes for 11 years, a leased on-campus bookstores, based in Atlanta, Georgia with 12 bookstores located in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas and Ohio, with annual sales of $ 3.5 million.

Mr. Lewis earned a Bachelor of Accounting from University of West Florida, Pensacola, Florida, Master of Business Administration from Amber University, Dallas, Texas and is Certified Public Accountant

He was appointed by Richmond City Council on November 14, 2022 to serve as a Board member for the Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority. His term ends March 26, 2024.