Aubrey L. Layne, Jr was appointed to the VPA Board by Governor Northam to serve a five-year term effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2026.
Mr. Layne is Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff for Sentara Healthcare. As Chief of Staff, Layne oversees several Sentara teams including legislative affairs, corporate social responsibility, the Sentara Foundation – Hampton Roads, real estate, construction, marketing and communications, and the Sentara College of Health Sciences.
Mr. Layne, a Certified Public Accountant by trade, was appointed by Governor Northam as Secretary of Finance for the Commonwealth of Virginia in 2018 and previously Mr. Layne served as Secretary of Transportation under former Governor Terence R. McAuliffe from 2014 to 2018. He also previously served on the Commonwealth Transportation Board representing Hampton Roads.
Mr. Layne is the Virginia Port Authority Board’s Chesapeake and Portsmouth Representative. Mr. Layne was elected Chairman of the Board on July 13, 2022.

Aubrey L. Layne, Jr.

David L. Richardson was appointed State Treasurer by Governor Glenn Youngkin on June 2, 2022. As Treasurer, he oversees the investment of public funds; management of tax-supported debt; issuance of bonds; provision of banking services; and administration of the state’s insurance and unclaimed property programs.
Mr. Richardson also serves as Chair of the Virginia Treasury Board and is a member of ten other boards, including the Virginia Port Authority, Virginia Resources Authority, Virginia Housing Development Authority, and the Virginia College Savings Plan.
Mr. Richardson has more than 40 years of experience in public finance.

David L. Richardson

Deborah C. Waters was appointed by Governor McAuliffe in July 2014, having served a five-year term. 
Governor Northam reappointed Ms. Waters to an additional five-year term effective July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2024.
Ms. Waters, of Waters Law Firm, P.C. located in downtown Norfolk, is an Attorney at Law and Proctor in Admiralty. Her practice is focused on maritime civil litigation and maritime labor and employment law.
For the past 30 years, her work has largely involved issues related to business in and around the marine terminals of Virginia. Ms. Waters is a member of the Board of Directors of the Maritime Law Association of the United States and was the first female President of the Admiralty Section of Association of American Trial Lawyers.
She is an adjunct professor at the College of William and Mary School of Law. Ms. Waters litigates in federal court nationally and Virginia state courts.
She is a member of the VPA Board’s Growth and Operations Committee and also serves on the Executive Committee.

Deborah C. Waters

Edward F. O’Callaghan was appointed to the VPA Board by Governor Northam to serve an unexpired term effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024.
Mr. O’Callaghan is the President of Audax Transportation. Audax Transportation, as an agent for Century Express, concentrates on trucking a variety of cargo movements. Mr. O’Callaghan has served the maritime industry in a variety of roles, entering the industry with Metropolitan Trucking in New Jersey, later concentrating on logistics, marine operations, and procurement with three international ocean carriers.
Mr. O’Callaghan reentered the trucking industry with a California-based company where he was responsible for the business development of truck operations throughout the United States. He was the past president and board member for 13 years with the Tidewater Motor Truck Association, a member of the Virginia Truck Association, Chairperson for the Coalition of Virginia Ports, Chairperson for the Virginia Maritime Association’s Inland Transportation Committee, and past Chairperson for Future Hampton Roads on the Moving Goods Committee.
Mr. O’Callaghan is the Virginia Maritime Association’s nominee and serves on the VPA Board’s Growth and Operations Committee.

Edward F. O’Callaghan

Eva Teig Hardy was appointed by Governor Northam on May 8, 2020, to serve an unexpired term beginning December 21, 2019 and ending June 30, 2021.
Ms. Hardy was reappointed by Governor Northam to serve an additional five-year term beginning July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2026.
Ms. Hardy retired after 20 years as Executive Vice President of Dominion Energy for Public Policy and Communications for nine states where Dominion Energy had assets.
Prior to her work at Dominion Energy, Ms. Hardy served as Secretary of Health and Human Resources during the administration of Governor Baliles and, prior to that, as Commissioner of Labor for Governor Charles Robb. She spent an additional eight years working for the City of Portsmouth before moving to Richmond.
Currently, Ms. Hardy is a partner at Strategic Public Policy and Communications, a consulting firm for business and communications strategies. She has served on numerous civic boards and state commissions.
Ms. Hardy is the Virginia Port Authority Board’s Richmond Representative and is a member of the VPA Board’s Growth and Operations Committee.

Eva Teig Hardy

(Dr.) Faith B. Power was appointed by Governor McAuliffe on June 20, 2014, to serve an unexpired term effective May 21, 2014 through June 30, 2016. Dr. Power was reappointed by Governor McAuliffe to serve an additional five-year term from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2021. Dr. Power was reappointed by Governor Northam to serve an additional five-year term from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2026.
Dr. Power is an entrepreneur, having started and run several companies. Most recently, she was the CEO of Ambriel Technologies, a technology research and development firm. She is also an organizational consultant and professor teaching in the areas of leadership, cultural change, organizational structure and behavior, entrepreneurship and business management. Dr. Power represents the Virginia Inland Port in accordance with board composition outlined in Virginia Code §62.1-129.
Dr. Power is Vice Chair of the Board of Commissioners and also serves on the Executive Committee.

Faith B. Power

Appointed by Governor Youngkin to serve a five year term effective July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2027.

James C. Burnett

Jason El Koubi is Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) and, in this capacity, is a permanent (voting) member of the VPA Board.

Jason El Koubi

John C. Asbury was appointed to the VPA Board by Governor Northam to serve a five-year term effective July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2024. Mr. Asbury is President and Chief Executive Officer of Atlantic Union Bankshares Corporation, a Virginia-based regional bank, with headquarters based in Richmond. Mr. Asbury’s banking career spans 30 years. He is very active in the community and banking industry through various non-profit board memberships such as The Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Chamber RVA, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, The Virginia Bankers Association, and various industry organizations. Mr. Asbury is Vice Chair of the VPA Board’s Finance and Audit Committee.

John C. Asbury

John W. Kirk III

Maurice A. Jones was appointed to the VPA Board by Governor Northam to serve a five-year term effective July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2026.
Mr. Jones is the Chief Executive Officer for OneTen, a coalition bringing together business leaders committed to upskilling, hiring, and promoting, over the next 10 years, one million Black Americans who do not yet have a four-year degree into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement.
Prior to joining OneTen, Mr. Jones served as President and CEO of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), one of the country’s largest organizations supporting projects to revitalize communities and catalyze economic opportunity for residents.
Prior to joining LISC, Jones was the Secretary of Commerce and Trade for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Jones previously served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from April 2012 through January 2014. Before his appointment at HUD, Jones was President of Pilot Media, the largest print and digital media organization in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Mr. Jones is a member of the VPA Board’s Growth and Operations Committee.

Maurice A. Jones

Michael W. Coleman

Shaza L. Andersen

Learn more about our Board Memebers below. For meeting dates, agendas, minutes, materials and contact information, please visit our <a href="/board-resources">Board Resources</a> page.

Board

Stephen A. Edwards is the CEO and Executive Director of the Virginia Port Authority (VPA). He is responsible for the broad programmatic areas of business and relationship development, infrastructure development, strategic marketing, economic development, finance, security and safety. He directs and manages the operations of Virginia’s marine and inland terminal facilities through Virginia International Terminals, LLC, the port’s private terminal operating company, including Virginia International Gateway, Newport News Marine Terminal, Norfolk International Terminals, Portsmouth Marine Terminal, Richmond Marine Terminal and the Virginia Inland Port.
He is a globally experienced leader in the maritime industry with extensive operational experience and a proven track record of growing businesses and creating long-term value for customers and stakeholders.
Before joining the VPA in January 2021, Stephen served as President and Chief Executive Officer for TraPac, LLC.and was responsible for the overall performance of the company with a focus on safety, service and sustainability. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Global Container Terminals. Previous industry experience includes president and CEO of Port America Group and president and CEO of P&amp;O Ports North America. 
In his capacity as CEO and Executive Director of the VPA, Stephen will serve as an ex-officio member of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) board of directors.
Stephen holds a BS degree in Transport Management from Aston University in England.

Chief Executive Officer

Stephen A. Edwards

Cathie J. Vick is the chief development and public affairs officer (CDPAO) for the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) where she oversees The Port of Virginia’s government relations, community outreach, development and transportation policy, sustainability, and maritime incident response.
Cathie strives to build, develop and lead top-performing teams that communicate and align strategies with management, customers, colleagues, and external stakeholders.
“We employ a “leader/leader” relationship among colleagues which produces true sustainability for our organization. When every team member is leading from within, we build expertise, passion, and the fortitude to get the job done working together.”
Delivering results for the port that ultimately have a positive impact on the community and the Commonwealth are some of the most rewarding aspects of her job, she says. Her experience in the transportation, infrastructure, and regulatory sectors provide a unique understanding of the port and its role in the economy. Helping her team see and understand the “big picture” is vital to the success of the organization, on both a short- and long-term basis.
“Stewardship is the thread that knits together all that we accomplish. We are dedicated to and grateful for the communities in which we operate, the trade and business relationships we foster across the globe, our partners that efficiently move cargo and create jobs and invest in the Commonwealth. We will continue to work together to be the global gateway of the East Coast and a catalyst for commerce for the Commonwealth.”
Before accepting her role at the port, Cathie served as deputy director for energy policy in the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, where she helped to implement energy policy initiatives in the Commonwealth. She also worked as director of government relations for Virginia Natural Gas, where her responsibilities included advocacy to state, local, and federal officials, guiding the company’s civic and charitable sponsorships and donations, and managing its conservation programs.
Cathie takes an active role in political and civic life in the Commonwealth. She serves on various Boards, such as The Alliance, Optima Health, TowneBank Virginia Beach, Virginia Clean Cities, and Greater Norfolk Corporation, among others. Cathie was named as one of the region’s Top 40 under 40 in 2005, Top Women in Business in 2010, was awarded the Julian Hirst Alumni Leader Award by Lead Hampton Roads in 2014, received a VA Business Women in Leadership Award in 2022, and was named the WTS Woman of the Year in 2022.
Cathie has a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law, a master’s degree in business administration from the College of William and Mary, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from James Madison University. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. Cathie is also a 2005 Fellow of the Sorenson Institute of Political Leadership, a 2009 graduate of LEAD Hampton Roads, a 2015 graduate of LEAD Virginia, and a 2019 graduate of AAPA’s PPM program.

Chief Development and Public Affairs Officer

Cathie J. Vick

Joseph P. Ruddy is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) for Virginia International Terminals (VIT), LLC and in this role, he is responsible for all operations, information technology, safety, security, capacity expansion projects and maintenance at state-owned and privately-operated marine terminal facilities in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Richmond and Front Royal, Virginia. He also is responsible for the Hampton Roads Chassis Pool – wholly owned by VIT, which operates and manages the intermodal chassis and empty container yards. Joe returns to this role that held previously from 2011 to 2014.
In 2014 he was appointed as the port’s first chief innovation officer (CINO), helping to create the strategic planning &amp; analytical and process excellence teams. In 2008 he was appointed and served as the director of operations and labor at VIT. From 2004 to 2008 Joe helped develop and was named general manager at Virginia Intermodal Management, a subsidiary company responsible for managing and administering all aspects of a port-wide chassis pool.

Chief Operations Officer

Joseph P. Ruddy

Rodney W. Oliver is the chief financial officer (CFO) of The Port of Virginia and is responsible for all financial aspects of the port, including finance, accounting, treasury management, analytics, process excellence, and inventory. He also provides leadership in setting the mission, vision, principles and values for the port.
“I value accountability in order to achieve a greater measurement of success. This translates to providing timely, relevant and accurate financial information to the entire organization.”
Rodney focuses on the big picture and embraces strengthening the organization as a whole rather than fulfilling individual achievements and says a team effort is critical to the continued development and growth of The Port of Virginia. Continuous training to develop diverse skillsets within his team and actively planning for succession, he says, results in a sustainable division that will help the port transition smoothly into its next phase.
“The impact that this organization has on the community is what I find most rewarding and we are working to ensure that impact is long-lasting and positive.”
Before joining the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) in 1999, Rodney served as the CFO for Commonwealth Information Services, corporate controller for the St. Charles Companies and audit manager for KPMG.
Rodney served as the VPA interim executive director from October 2012 until February 2014. In 2016, he led an engagement team on the $2+ billion lease negotiation for the Virginia International Gateway terminal in Portsmouth.
He is a board member for Signal Mutual Indemnity Association, Ltd and the YMCA of Southampton Roads. He is a past chairman of the American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) Finance Committee, and former president of the Virginia Peninsula Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants.
Rodney has a bachelor’s degree in business administration (concentration in accounting) and a master’s degree in business administration from the College of William and Mary.

Chief Financial Officer

Rodney W. Oliver

Sarah J. McCoy serves as general counsel to the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) working closely with all divisions to provide sound advisory support and collaborative decision making throughout The Port of Virginia. She is focused on safeguarding and improving the port, serving her business partners, and serving as the connection to The Office of the Attorney General to ensure the port has efficient and comprehensive access to its legal resources.
“While my duties are multi-faceted – the protection of state assets, the mitigation of risk, the balancing act of the needs of our port colleagues alongside our business partners and customers – my goal has always been the same: to ensure the continued success and sustainability of The Port of Virginia.”
Sarah joined the port in 2014 as a member of the Government Affairs team first as a manager of state and local government affairs then became its director in 2015. In this role, she was an advocate for the port in relation to funding and regulation for the Commonwealth and was a liaison to our state representatives to assist in that effort. In August 2017, she was appointed by the Attorney General to serve as in-house counsel to the VPA.
“We’ve made it our mission to provide sound advisory support and collaborative decision making through an innovative lens to safeguard, serve, and improve The Port of Virginia.”
Prior to joining the port, Sarah worked as an associate in a private Norfolk practice where she had the opportunity to develop her legal skills and serve the needs of her clients.
Sarah takes an active role in the Hampton Roads community. She serves on the Hampton Roads Board of Governors for the Virginia Opera and is a 2015 graduate of LEAD Hampton Roads. Sarah was named the 2017 Young Professionals ICON by Hampton Roads Chamber LEAD Foundation for her work in the community. She currently serves on the board of directors at the Global Commerce Council and was the organization’s president from 2016-2017.
Sarah has a law degree from Regent University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado.

General Counsel and Chief Administrative Officer

Sarah J. McCoy

Thomas D. Capozzi became Chief Sales &amp; Marketing Officer for Virginia International Terminals, LLC in June 2013, after serving as Vice President of Global Sales since 2009. This move was part of a corporate restructuring of the Virginia Port Authority and Virginia International Terminals, LLC.  In this capacity, he is responsible for managing and coordinating commercial business activity through sales &amp; marketing activity with ocean carriers, railroads, beneficial cargo owners, and ocean transportation intermediaries.  Mr. Capozzi served as the Senior Managing Director of Marketing for the Virginia Port Authority from 2002 until 2009. Before taking the top marketing job at the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) in 2002, he served in various other sales and marketing positions since January 1999.
Prior to coming to the Authority, Mr. Capozzi’s career in the liner shipping business included serving as Regional Manager of Sales and Operations for  “K” Line America Inc.  In this capacity, he was responsible for all sales activity in the states of Virginia and Maryland.  He also supervised port, rail, and truck operations in the ports of Norfolk and Baltimore.  Mr. Capozzi started his career in shipping as a Sales Representative for Evergreen America Corporation, handling sales in Virginia and North Carolina.
Mr. Capozzi is a graduate of Old Dominion University, receiving a B.S. in Political Science, with a minor in International Studies.  He also received a Graduate Certificate in the History of Strategy and Policy and completed coursework in the Maritime Port &amp; Logistics Institute at Old Dominion University.  He earned a Master of Business Administration degree in Global Management from the University of Phoenix in January 2006.  In October 2008 he earned his Diploma “with Merit” in Port Management from Lloyd’s Maritime Academy/University of Greenwich, London, UK.
Mr. Capozzi currently serves his alma mater, Old Dominion University, as a member of the Advisory Council of the Maritime &amp; Supply Chain Institute and the Executive Advisory Council of the Strome College of Business.  Tom is a graduate of LEAD VIRGINIA and the CIVIC Leadership Institute of Hampton Roads.   Mr. Capozzi was awarded the “Commerce Builder Award” in October 2008, which is awarded annually by the Hampton Roads Global Commerce Club to an individual for their efforts in stimulating commerce over the Ports in Hampton Roads, Virginia.
Prior to joining the port, Tom’s career in the liner shipping business included serving as regional manager of sales and operations for “K” Line America Inc. In that position, he was responsible for all sales activity in Virginia and Maryland. He also supervised port, rail and truck operations in the ports of Virginia and Baltimore. Tom began his career in shipping as a sales representative for Evergreen America Corporation, handling sales in Virginia and North Carolina.
Tom has a bachelor’s degree in political science and international studies from Old Dominion University, a master’s degree in business administration and global management from the University of Phoenix and a port management degree from Lloyd’s Maritime Academy.
Currently, he serves as chairman of the Advisory Committee to ODU’s International Maritime Ports and Logistics Management Institute. Tom was the recipient of the “Commerce Builder Award,” as chosen by the Hampton Roads Global Commerce Council (HRGCC). This annual award recognizes an individual for their efforts in stimulating commerce through The Port of Virginia.

Chief Sales & Marketing Officer

Thomas D. Capozzi

We’ve always said that we are “stewards.” 
A steward’s purpose is to take care of the item of which they’re in charge. Everything we do is in service of others so that we can make life better for our colleagues, our customers, our communities, our Commonwealth, and our country.

Our Leadership

Our Board