BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Jeannie Houchins

Jeannie Houchins is a distinguished marketing communications leader with a prolific career spanning health, wellness, nutrition, and consumer packaged goods. She created and led the inaugural Starbucks Global Coffee Week, showcasing her skill in executive thought leadership, and managed brand and issues communication for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. With senior roles at top global PR firms, Jeannie has built brands for Fortune 500 companies like Walgreens Boots Alliance and Colgate-Palmolive, generating over $5MM in new business. She leverages consumer insights to drive innovation and revenue.

A Registered Dietitian, Jeannie has contributed to public health programs at the CDC and worked with the Institute of Food Technologists on food science education. She holds a master’s degree in communication from Tufts University and Emerson College and a bachelor’s in nutrition from the University of Minnesota. Jeannie has served as the Food, Nutrition, and Wellness Scientific Chair for IFT’s Annual Meeting and as a judge for the International Association of Culinary Professionals’ cookbook competition. She volunteers for Table for Two, an international nonprofit addressing obesity and hunger. Her certifications include Bean to Bar Chocolate, Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), and Creative Fragrance Development from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Jeannie is a member of several professional organizations, including the American Society of Nutrition and the Institute of Food Technologists.

Knox Singleton | GGF Co-founder; Chair, GGF Investment Committee | Former CEO, Inova Health System

Knox Singleton is the former CEO of Inova Health System, a $3.5 Billion not-for-profit healthcare system that he led for over 35 years, comprised of hospitals, nursing homes, emergency- and urgent-care centers, assisted-living communities, an HMO, a home health agency, and community health and wellness clinics. He is currently an Executive in Residence in Healthcare Management at Shenandoah University’s. Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business. In addition, he is an active investor in health technology ventures and serves as a board member and advisor to a number of health and non-health related startups and public companies, while serving as a mentor to many young social enterprise leaders in the US and internationally.

Kim Lewis | Co-chair, GGF IDEA Committee | President and CEO, Goodwill Industries of East Texas

Kimberly B. Lewis is the President and CEO of Goodwill Industries of East Texas and founder of Motivational Muse, LLC, a consulting and executive coaching business. Kimberly is a founding member and past Chair of the Goodwill Industries International (GII) Diversity & Inclusion Committee and winner of the GII 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Champion Award. She is a 2018-19 Global Good Diana Davis Spencer Fellow and serves as co-Chair of GGF’s DEI Committee. She is an honorary member of the Della Leaders Club, serves on the Board of Directors for Workability International. Kimberly has authored three books: The Fourth Generation, A Seat at the Table Or Part of the Meal, Creating a Culture of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Biases, a guide for uncovering areas of unconscious bias.

Fred Thompson, Jr | Chief Administrative Officer, Thompson Hospitality

As CAO at Thompson Hospitality, Fred Thompson is responsible for monitoring and maintaining corporate overhead costs and services, including vendor contracts, subcontracts, commissions and procurement contract negotiations. Fred is also responsible for client relations in the contract food service sector of Thompson Hospitality. Fred Thompson has nearly 20 years experience in purchasing and procurement, having served as small and minority business opportunities coordinator for the city of Newport News, Virginia. He earned a BA in Classical Studies from Hampden-Sydney College and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Virginia.

Kristen Chou | Chair, GGF Development Committee | President and CEO, Ning Solutions

Kristen Chou is the President and CEO of Ning Solutions, Inc., a nationwide contracting firm focused on strategy & data analytics, healthcare staffing, and human capital consulting for both the Federal government and commercial clients. She has an extensive consulting background, advising a wide array of clients on strategic transformation, operations improvement, healthcare solutions and advanced analytics projects – in sum total, helping organizations meet their mission more effectively and efficiently. Kristen is passionate about providing opportunities to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and serves on the board of ArtStream Organization. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Peter Page | Chair, GGF Board of Directors | Co-founder and President, SageWater

Peter M. Page, Jr. is co-founder and President of SageWater, the nation’s leading contractor for replacing aged and defective interior piping systems in occupied multi-family and commercial buildings. He started SageWater immediately after graduating from The University of Virginia with a degree in International Relations and has successfully navigated numerous evolutionary stages of growing a business: from a small start-up to a local contractor to a national service provider, including spinning off and founding other business including SageWater Renew, a water treatment system that extends the life of aging plumbing systems. He is very active UVA alumnus having served on the National Committee on University Resources, The President’s Advisory Group, The Department of Politics Alumni Advisory Board, and most recently as the Treasurer for the UVA College Foundation Board.

Patty Obermaier | Vice President for US Health & Life Sciences, Microsoft

Patty Obermaier serves as Microsoft’s Vice President for the US Health & Life Sciences Organization. This $3 billion business covers the entire Health and Life Sciences ecosystem, extending across partnerships that drive innovation in this sector. In this capacity, Patty is accountable for helping customers digitally transform, achieve more and improve care for their customers. She leads a diverse team focused on delivering customer success with a dedicated set of industry, sales and architect professionals. With a strong track record for accelerating business results and building high performance teams, Patty is passionate about driving innovation in the health industry so every person on this planet can achieve more.

Jeremiah S. Buckley | GGF Secretary | Partner, Orrick

At Orrick LLP, Jeremiah assists clients with counsel on business formations and acquisitions, risk management, and enforcement matters involving federal and state regulators. He also currently serves as an adjunct associate professor of law at the Washington College of Law at American University. He was named a member of the “2005 BTI Client Service All-Star’s” team for law firms, and was selected for inclusion in both Best Lawyers (2013-2014) and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2008-2014). In Chambers 2014, he is ranked as a Senior Statesman in Financial Services Regulation: Consumer Finance (Compliance).

Anthony Calderazzi | Partner, EY Assurance Practice and EOY Mid-Atlantic Program Co-Director

As a Partner in the Assurance practice of Ernst & Young LLP, Anthony currently serves as the Growth Markets Leader of the Chesapeake area as well as the Assurance Leader for the Northeast Region Technology Market Segment. He leads teams across a global network to help emerging and high-growth companies navigate the various complexities of growth enterprises. He has served both public and private high-growth companies from various industries including technology, media and entertainment, private equity and global asset management, analytics, offshore software R&D services, and information technology management.

Carrie Rich | CEO + Co-founder, The Global Good Fund | Managing Partner, Global Impact Fund

Carrie Rich is the co-founder and CEO of The Global Good Fund. Built by and for social entrepreneurs, The Global Good Fund was created in 2012 based on the belief that growing leaders is the best strategy for solving complex social problems and achieving global good. Carrie tested the theory behind The Global Good Fund while working as Senior Director of Vision Translation at Inova Health System and teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University. There she co-authored, Sustainability for Healthcare Management: A Leadership Imperative, a Handelsblatt’s Top 5 Business Book. Carrie has been recognized as a 2018 Enterprising Women of the Year Awardee.

Hooks Johnston

Hooks Johnston was a co-founder and a general partner at Valhalla Partners. Over his 25 years as an operating executive, venture investor, and board member, Mr. Johnston served as a CEO of a venture-backed company, the President of a public software company, managed four venture capital funds totaling $650 million, and served on 17 corporate boards of directors. Mr. Johnston was on the board of SEPATON, Inc. and Five Talents International. Additionally, he served on the Virginia Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority and the Inova Healthcare Services Board.

Mr. Johnston passed away on September 4, 2017.

Loretta Penn

Loretta Penn was the founder and President of PECC, LLC, an executive coaching and consulting company. She worked with senior executives, business owners, entrepreneurs and individuals to create greater alignment between business goals, vision and profitability. Penn brought over twenty-five years of leadership experience at the executive level. Previously she held the position of President of Spherion Staffing Services (2008-2011). In alignment with her coaching and consulting practice, she served as an adjunct professor and member of the Board of Directors for multiple corporations and educational institutes. Penn held a Bachelor of Science degree from North Texas University and a Certificate of Studies from Harvard University.

Loretta Penn passed away on February 27, 2024.