Membership & Committees

Col. Michael Dick is the director of the Lewis B. Puller Veterans Benefits Clinic and a clinical associate professor of law at William & Mary Law School.

After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in history from VMI, he spent more than 26 years on active duty with the Marine Corps, mostly as an infantry officer.

After attending William & Mary Law School, as part of the class of 2006, he joined the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) through the Attorney General’s Honors Program and served with the Office of Intelligence. He later joined the Office of Internal Affairs (OIA) in the Criminal Division of the DOJ, and then became the associate director for policy, legislation, and multilateral affairs at the OIA.

Dick is also a graduate of the USMC Command and Staff College, USMC School of Advanced Warfighting, and the NATO Defense College in Rome, Italy.

Deke is a principal financial advisor for CAPTRUST, providing advice to high-net-worth individuals, families, corporations, and endowments. His wealth management career spans more than 30 years. Prior to joining CAPTRUST, he founded New Market Wealth, and, early in his career, he was the youngest institutional sales manager at Sanford Bernstein.

After graduating from VMI with a degree in economics, he earned a master’s degree in operations management from University of Arkansas. He served several terms as a trustee with the VMI Foundation.

Yolanda Green is an external affairs representative with Dominion Energy. She is responsible for state and local government relations and community affairs in Prince William County and the municipalities within it.

She has a degree in mass communications and advertising from Virginia Commonwealth University and has held various marketing roles for more than 20 years, implementing robust marketing strategies for organizations of all sizes. She is active in Prince William County on various boards and is a member of the UVA Community Health Unified Community board. She is also the proud grandmother of a current cadet.

Don Hall is the president and CEO of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association (VADA) and has been with the organization since 1988. VADA represents more than 450 franchised new car and truck dealerships across the commonwealth, directly and indirectly supporting more than 60,000 jobs.

Prior to joining the automotive industry, Hall served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1974 until 1980.

Don was a business/finance major at East Carolina University in Greenville, N.C. before leaving for a career opportunity in the banking field.

After graduating with Distinction with degrees in English and History from VMI, Janis attended the Defense Language Institute Russian Basic Course. He served at sea in submarines and destroyers as a special intelligence officer, qualifying as a Surface Warfare Officer and achieving the rank of Lieutenant Commander, United States Navy.

He graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law and is admitted to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Janis was elected five times to serve as a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates (2002-2012), and chosen by his colleagues to be Majority Whip.

He was subsequently appointed as Deputy Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Veterans Services, where he spearheaded the creation of “V3-Virginia Values Veterans,” an innovative economic development program which helps employers develop and implement successful, long-term strategies to recruit, hire, and retain Virginia Veterans. Janis has twice served as Alumni Class Agent.

Lester Johnson Jr. ’95 is the owner and managing partner of the popular Richmond restaurant Mama J’s, one of the most notable soul food restaurants in the country. He and a fellow VMI alumnus launched the restaurant in historic Jackson Ward in 2009. Prior to opening the restaurant, Johnson was with Verizon Communications and Reynolds Metals Company.

In addition to a degree in mechanical engineering from VMI, Johnson holds a master’s degree in business administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. He played basketball at VMI and was a captain of the team from 1994 to 1996. He was also a member of the Promaji Club.

Jim Joustra is an American businessman and retired military officer. He is a managing director with Triangle Healthcare Advisors, a business broker and advisor company to the Healthcare Services Industry. Jim has served as chairman of LocatorX a U.S. technology company, as director of mergers & acquisitions for Walgreens Boots Alliance, handling M&A responsibilities for $30 Billion in acquired companies, Jim has managed start-ups, most noteworthy, the Walgreen’s Mail Order Pharmacy business from inception to approximately $1 Billion in Sales. He served as an operations manager for Fujisawa Pharmaceuticals USA and also for Bristol Myers Squibb. 

LTC Jim Joustra is also a retired United States Army, Corps of Engineers officer, a life member of the Military Officers Association of America and The Association of the United States Army. He holds a B.S. degree in Biology from Virginia Military Institute, MBA from Niagara University, is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command & General Staff College and numerous other civil and military schools. He has served the VMI Alumni Association for approximately 20 years as a chapter president, regional director and director at large where he focused his efforts on helping alumni and cadets to get meaningful employment and to support the alumni body as a whole. He has served his church as a significant fund raiser and for a number of other philanthropic organizations.  

A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Rear Admiral Terry McKnight, USN (RET) graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in May 1978 and completed his master’s degree in International Relations at Salve Regina University in May 1998. Moreover, he graduated from the U.S. Army War College in 1994 and also attended the National Security Seminar at Syracuse University in 2001.

He commanded USS Whidbey Island (LSD 41) from January 1995 until November 1996 and USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) from July 2002 until December 2003.

McKnight also served as the 85th commandant of Naval District Washington, the oldest continuously operated Navy installation in the nation and the deputy commander, Joint Force Headquarters National Capital Region.

He assumed duties as Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, in September 2007 and served as the first Commander of Task Force 151 for counter-piracy operations in January 2009.

Personal decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Defense Meritorious Service Medal and Navy Meritorious Service Medal.

In 2012, he authored his first book, Pirate Alley: Commanding Task Force 151 off Somalia and was named Naval Proceedings “Notable Naval Book” of 2012.  Additionally, he has written several articles on maritime security that has appeared in a variety of international and domestic newspapers and magazines.  He continues to lecture extensively on the issues of global maritime piracy.

On his retirement from the Navy in 2009, he joined CAES, a defense firm, and holds the position as Vice President, Customer Relations and serves on the State of Virginia’s Defense Advisory Board.

Col. Anthony Meador retired from the U.S. Army with 27 years of service as a medical service corps officer. His final active-duty assignment was as chief of staff at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Following military retirement, Meador transitioned into executive hospital administration, serving as vice president of operations at MedStar Harbor Hospital in Baltimore. He later advanced to chief operating officer at Ascension Seton Medical Center in Austin, Texas, where he oversaw emergency and surgical services and contributed to the management of approximately $550 million in capital construction projects.

In May 2025, he assumed the role of vice president of operations for three hospitals in center city Philadelphia, providing operational oversight of $186 million in capital construction projects, ancillary and support services, and Level I trauma emergency departments. His military background also includes extensive experience as a master aviator across five deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.

After getting his degree from VMI, he earned an MBA from the University of Maryland University College, and a master’s in strategic studies from the U.S. Army War College. He is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

Gov. Ralph Northam served as the 73rd governor of Virginia, 2018 – 2022, the second VMI alumnus to serve as Virginia’s governor. His prior political roles include state senator and lieutenant governor.

After graduating from VMI with a degree in biology, he commissioned into the U.S. Army. He earned his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School and served eight years as an Army doctor, including treating battlefield casualties from Operation Desert Storm at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany. After serving as governor, Northam returned to practicing medicine and is a neurologist at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk.

Nancy Phillips has been a prominent business leader in the Blacksburg area for decades. She has served as president of Legacy Builders NRV, Inc., a custom home building business since 1997, and has practiced real estate with Coldwell Bank Townside REALTORS, Inc. for more than 30 years. Phillips is known for her expertise in business development, strategic planning, and problem solving.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College and a master’s degree in education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University.

Her father-in-law (1950B), husband (1987), and son (2017) are VMI alumni. Both of her children are active duty in the U.S. Army.

Major General James W. Ring is the 29^th Adjutant General of Virginia, assuming command June 3, 2023.

He is a native of Virginia and was commissioned a Distinguished Military Graduate from Virginia Military Institute in 1988. His military education includes the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Initial Entry Rotary Wing Flight School, Aviation Officer Advanced Course, Combined Arms Service Staff School, Army Command and General Staff College and the U.S. Army War College. He holds a Master’s degree from the Command and General Staff College in Military Arts and Science, and a Master’s degree from the U.S. Army War College in Strategic Studies. Additionally, he holds a certificate in executive education from the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government in Homeland Security and is a Syracuse University National Security Fellow.

Major General Ring’s Awards and Decorations include the Legion of Merit (with bronze oak leaf cluster), Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (with three bronze oak leaf clusters), Air Medal, Army Commendation Medal (with 3 bronze oak leaf clusters), Army Achievement Medal (with bronze oak leaf cluster), Navy Unit Commendation, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (with silver oak leaf cluster), National Defense Service Medal (with bronze service star), Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal (with two bronze stars), Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Armed Forces Service Medal, Armed Forces Reserve Medal (with silver hour glass device and mobilization device with numeral two), NATO Medal, Maryland Commendation Medal, Master Aviator Badge, Air Assault Badge.

Major General Ring has participated in multiple peacetime and combat deployments including: Operation JOINT FORGE, Operation NEW HORIZONS, Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, and Operation JUMP START along the U.S. South West border.

He is married to Leigh Anne Ring of Richmond, VA and they have two grown children, Caroline and Joshua.

Kate Todd is a partner with Torridon Law where she develops and coordinates high-stakes, multi-forum legal strategies for her clients.  She has a distinctive blend of government, private sector, non-profit, and academic experience.

Todd has served two U.S. Presidents in the Office of White House Counsel, and formerly served as Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel of the U.S. Chamber Litigation Center, the litigation arm of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.  She currently serves as a public member of the Administrative Conference of the United States and as a member of the board of directors of the Catholic Information Center in Washington, DC.  She resides in Virginia with her husband and their five children.

Damon Williams ’90 is a widely respected community leader whose career blends financial stewardship, youth development, and regional service. As a  Community Development Officer for a large financial institution, Williams champions initiatives that expand opportunity for underserved communities, strengthen nonprofit partnerships, and drive sustainable community development throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.

His leadership extends well beyond the banking sector. Williams is co‑founder and vice chairman of Youth Sports Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to pairing sports with academic enrichment to build character, resilience, and teamwork in young people. He also serves on the board of directors of Carilion Clinic, the Boys & Girls Club of Southwest Virginia and is active with other community service organizations, contributing to efforts that advance youth services, community health, and regional well‑being.

A 1990 graduate of Virginia Military Institute, Williams earned his degree in economics and participated on the Keydet basketball team, the Promaji Club, the New Cadet Retention Committee, and the Young Economists Society.

Thomas “Tom” W. Williamson Jr. ’72 is a lawyer in Richmond, focusing on litigating civil cases involving scientific, medical, and technical issues.

Williamson served as a trustee of the VMI Foundation from 2013 through 2021. During his tenure, he chaired the Foundation Audit Committee. He has funded an endowment awarding financial assistance to VMI cadets based upon need and academic promise. Prior to his service on the Board of Visitors, he served as a defense legal advisor, providing pro bono legal assistance to cadets charged with Honor Court offenses.

After graduating from VMI, Williamson completed his law degree at University of Richmond Law School. His past service to the legal profession includes serving as president of the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and chairing the Boyd Graves Conference composed of lawyers and judges who study how to improve Virginia civil justice and submit recommendations to the General Assembly and Supreme Court of Virginia. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and a fellow of International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Elise Woodworth founded Woodworth Enterprises in 2014, a firm that provides leadership consulting to improve the performance of board members of nonprofit organizations. She combines her military experiences with business acumen to transform nonprofits through her business and motivational speaking engagements.

She was the first alumna to serve on the VMI Foundation Board of Trustees. After graduating from VMI with a degree in biology, she commissioned into the Air Force and served as a logistics officer from 2007 until 2011. She earned an MBA from Capella University.