Mustafa Farzad joined Williams Mullen’s Virginia Beach office as an associate in the finance and real estate section. Farzad advises clients on commercial finance and real estate transactions. His practice focuses on banking and commercial lending matters. He earned a juris doctor degree from the American University Washington College of Law.
Following a national search, Brad N. Hall was named president and CEO of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Most recently, Hall was vice president of external affairs for Appalachian Power. In that role, he provided executive leadership for the company’s government affairs, economic development, communications, customer relations, and community engagement departments across its three-state service territory of Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee. Hall was also previously served as president and CEO of the Southeast Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. He succeeds Keith Martin, who had served as interim CEO since August 2025. Martin will remain with the chamber as executive vice president of public policy and general counsel.
Brad N. Hall (Courtesy photo)
Anniversary
Patient First is celebrating 45 years this year. The company’s first location, opened on the outskirts of Richmond in 1981, was built on the idea of providing friendly, convenient and cost-effective medical care without an appointment, 365 days a year. Today the company has 79 medical centers across Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Since its inception, Patient First has expanded its services to include primary care, occupational health, and telehealth.
Awards and honors
Auto Club Enterprises earned the 2026 Great Place To Work Certification. The award is based entirely on employee feedback. This year, 71% of employees said it is a great place to work, compared with 57% of employees at a typical U.S.-based company. Auto Club Enterprises is the largest organization within the national AAA Federation, and its nearly 17,000 employees serve more than 18 million members across 24 states. It provides automotive, travel, insurance, and financial services, along with emergency roadside assistance.
Vigor Marine MHI Norfolk received The Shipbuilders Council of America’s improvement in safety and excellence in safety awards for 2025. The awards recognize shipyards for their dedication to safety, operational excellence, and accident prevention. The local shipyard was one of 21 nationally recognized for ongoing progress in workplace safety. The council is a national association representing the U.S. shipbuilding, maintenance and repair industry.
Chartway Credit Union is a 2026 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence and Industry Award winner for innovation, work-life flexibility, leadership, purpose and values, professional development, employee well-being, employee appreciation, and financial services. Several of the honors are multi-year awards. Energage runs the Top Workplaces program. The awards are based on feedback from a research-supported team member engagement survey.
The leadership of Newport Post Acute and Virginia Health Services recently honored the members of Newport News Fire Department Station 10 for their service. Fire Chief Wesley Rogers accepted an appreciation plaque from the skilled nursing center on behalf of the station. Located at 11141 Warwick Blvd. in Newport News, Newport Post Acute is part of company portfolio that includes six skilled nursing facilities, three assisted living and senior living communities, and ancillary companies. Formerly known as Newport Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, the facility provides post-hospital care, short-term rehab and long-term residential care.
Courtesy/Virginia Lottery
Parker Kiser, a math teacher at Cesar Tarrant Middle School in Hampton, was randomly selected as a Thank a Teacher grand prize winner and received $2,500 in cash from the Virginia Lottery and its partners. (Courtesy/Virginia Lottery)
Parker Kiser, a math teacher at Cesar Tarrant Middle School in Hampton, was randomly selected as a Thank a Teacher grand prize winner and received $2,500 in cash from the Virginia Lottery and its partners, Brightstar Lottery and NeoPollard Interactive. In addition, Kiser’s school will receive a $2,500 credit for school supplies from program partner The Supply Room. The winning entry was selected from thousands of teachers statewide. The Virginia Lottery surprised Kiser with the news during a special presentation at the school in June.
Grants and donations
The Williamsburg Health Foundation board of trustees recently approved $4.5 million in grant funding to 35 nonprofit organizations and government agencies working to enhance health in Williamsburg, James City County and York County. The grant awards span three focus areas: access to care, economic advancement and healthy living. The foundation awarded 14 first-time programs or organizations with three granted in the recently developed economic advancement category. Grant recipients include Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Greater Williamsburg initiative at the DeGood Foundation, which provides free, age-appropriate books each month to Williamsburg-area children under age 5; the Menchville House’s Emergency Family Shelter for Greater Williamsburg Families program, which helps area families experiencing homelessness regain stability and transition into permanent housing by providing emergency housing, case management, and supportive services; and the Williamsburg-James City County Community Action Agency.
Suffolk Transit received two statewide awards from the Virginia Transit Association. The organization received the small agency outstanding public transit marketing award and the inaugural Hill Spencer Ridership Award-small group, which recognizes transit agencies that achieve significant ridership growth. Shown here is Suffolk Transit Manager Maria Ptakowski, right, accepting an award on the behalf of Suffolk Transit at the Virginia Transit Association Annual Conference. (Courtesy/Suffolk Transit)
Healthcare
Sentara Health and BAMF Health are launching a joint venture to create Virginia’s first comprehensive vertically integrated theranostics program. Theranostics is an emerging approach to precision medicine, featuring molecular imaging to diagnose cancers, followed by targeted radiopharmaceutical therapies customized to attack patients’ unique cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy, which can also kill healthy cells, theranostics identifies molecular targets unique to specific diseases. The customized radiopharmaceuticals, delivered by IV, attach themselves to cancerous cells and deliver targeted radiation over a period of weeks, thus minimizing damage to healthy tissue. Although Sentara already offers molecular imaging through PET-CT scanning, BAMF Health is a leader in designing, building, and operating vertically integrated theranostics centers that bring together radiopharmaceutical production, molecular imaging, molecular therapy, and clinical trials. Theranostics offers new treatment options and new hope for patients with highly complex or treatment-resistant conditions. While the current focus is on cancer, clinical trials are investigating the use of theranostics to diagnose and treat neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s, cardiovascular conditions and other diseases.
Mergers and acquisitions
Norfolk-based Mantra Inspired Furniture, a manufacturer of commercial furniture, has acquired Created Hardwood, an Ohio-based manufacturer specializing in custom solid American hardwood furniture. The acquisition strengthens Mantra’s manufacturing capabilities, expands its customization and production capacity, and positions the company to better serve designers, dealers, and commercial clients seeking durable, sustainably made furniture. The combined organization will also offer broader product capabilities, and enhanced scalability for larger and more complex commercial projects while maintaining a commitment to longevity, sustainability, and American-made quality. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Workforce development
A workplace safety analysis of the Hampton Roads area found 15.3 safety managers per 10,000 workers in the region in 2025, the fifth most among all large U.S. metros. Hampton Roads had 1,950 total workplace safety managers; that’s down by 40% from 2022 through last year. Those individuals earned an annual salary of $83,857, according to the analysis. By comparison, the analysis found the U.S. had 11 safety managers per 10,000 workers and saw a nearly 29% uptick in employment in the field. The national median salary was slightly higher at $85,042. Nationally, workplace safety manager jobs are growing. Employment rose 165% from 2010 to 2025, outpacing 22% growth across all U.S. jobs. Demand for occupational health and safety specialist and technician employment is expected to grow 12% from 2024 to 2034, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by Trace One, a product lifecycle management company.