12 The Hampton Roads Messenger


Volume 13 Number 4


January 2019


New Executive Director Named for CRHA


Around Hampton Roads Free Bank On Norfolk Classes


Chairman Linwood L. Nelms has announced the appointment of Justin D. Brooks as the new Executive Director for Chesapeake Redevelopment and Housing Authority (CRHA). Brooks replaces Brenda Willis, who is retiring after 24+ years of service to the Authority. Brooks will assume his new role on January 7, 2019, with a salary of $140,000.


"Justin's extensive experience working in housing, particularly housing redevelopment and his considerable leadership skills in the housing arena will serve CRHA, the City and its residents well," said Chairman Nelms.


Prior to coming to CRHA, Brooks, a native of Virginia, served as the VP of Real Estate Development and Capital Improvements for the Housing Authority of Birmingham District in Birmingham, AL. He has previously worked with the City of Suffolk as Community Development Coordinator, and with the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as a Senior Director for North and South Carolina.


Mr. Brooks shared his enthusiasm for this new undertaking, "I am honored to serve as the next Executive Director of CRHA and will work tirelessly to serve its residents, stakeholders, employees, and the broader community with character and integrity."


Brooks holds a Bachelor of Arts in Government and a Master of Public Administration degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (VA Tech} . His wife, Tabitha Brooks, is a youth minister and together they have six children ranging in age from eleven to 7 weeks. They also own and operate a small coffee company that will also relocate to Chesapeake.


WorkOne Center Opens to Help


Unemployed, Underemployed Hampton's new WorkOne Center at the Y.H. Thomas Complex officially opens on Jan. 7.


Located at 1300 Thomas St. on the public park side of the complex, the center will offer free educational services, occupational training and more, including financial literacy and job readiness assistance.


Partners in the center include Hampton Human Services, Virginia Career Works Greater Peninsula, Virginia Employment Center, Jobs for Life, Hampton University University College, New Horizons Youth Workforce Center, Goodwill Community Employment Center, Rose & Womble Realty, and Hampton City Schools.


"This is a fantastic partnership that enables the city of Hampton to advance its mission to provide the best possible opportunities for all residents who are seeking jobs," said Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck.


The goal of the center is to enhance the regional economy by offering demand-driven workforce services and training that meet the needs of local employers and workers. The center includes computers that people can use to access the internet for job searches and submitting job applications. There will also be weekly workshops on:


Services available for jobseekers Resume writing techniques Effective job search skills Interviewing skills


The WorkOne Center will be open from 8 a.m-noon Monday through Friday until March when hours will increase. Walk-ins are welcome but residents are asked to pre-register for all workshops.


For more information about the center and Hampton's broader workforce initiative, call 757-727-8311 or visit www.hampton.gov/workforce.


City of Newport News Small


New Life Church at Ghent 1420 Colonial Ave. 3rd Tuesday 6:30 – 8 pm Starting 1/15/19


Endtime United Ministries 7416 Evelyn Butts Ave. 4th Wednesday 6:30 – 8 pm Starting 1/23/19 Sign up at www.bankonhr.org or call 664-4761 for more information.


Community Organization Grant


Start in January NORFOLK, VA – Get the tools to financial freedom! Bank On Norfolk offers education and support to help you increase your income, grow savings, build your credit score, reduce debt and protect your assets. These free 10-month courses are starting soon and you don’t want to miss your chance to invest in yourself!


Applications Due Applications for the FY2020 Community and Regional Organizations Grant are now being accepted by the city of Portsmouth. The completion of an application will be used to determine the eligibility of select recipients and funding support levels.


The application, instructions, and guidelines for the program are available at portsmouthva.gov/267/Finance


Applications opened in December and are due to the city on or before Thursday, January 10, 2019 @ 5:00 PM. Any information received after the designated date will not be considered.


Please forward the information to: City of Portsmouth


Finance Department, 5th Floor Attn: Amanda McAdams 801 Crawford Street Portsmouth, VA 23704 mcadamsa@portsmouthva.gov


If there are questions regarding the information requested or the process, please contact Amanda McAdams by phone at (757) 393-8831, extension 6214 or by email at mcadamsa@portsmouthva.gov.


Suffolk Host’s Health Care


Program Graduation SUFFOLK, VA -- The Suffolk Workforce Development Center hosted the Paul D. Camp Community College (PDCCC) Fast Track Health Care Program Graduation recently, 157 North Main Street, Suffolk, Virgina. The Fast Track Health Care Program was designed to meet the needs of the health care industry in Suffolk and the Hampton Roads region. Students were in training for three industry-recognized credentials: Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA), Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT), and Certified EKG Technician (CET). Several students’ tuition was paid by the Hampton Roads Workforce Council, formally OPP Inc.


Business Workshop The Newport News Economic Development Authority and the City's Department of Development want to help small businesses and budding entrepreneurs to succeed and thrive. The next program in their series of small business workshops will highlight "How to Do Business with the City of Newport News". Attendance is open to the public and free of charge. To meet the schedules of business owners, three sessions will be held at locations around the City. For more information, see the HRM local events calendar on page 13.


College Scholarships from A-Z TheHBCUAdvocate.com


Angela Lawhorne, Director of the Workforce Development at PDCCC, had launched a pilot program in the Spring of 2018 at the Franklin campus. The Birdsong Trust Grant funded the equipment at the Suffolk Workforce Development Center to provide the same training at the Suffolk location. This will be the second graduating class for the program and the first at the Suffolk Workforce Development Center.


“We are happy to collaborate with partners like PDCCC to provide training and employment opportunities for Suffolk citizens and those in surrounding areas. The quality of training provided by PDCCC at the Suffolk Workforce Development Center yielded a 100% graduation rate which would not have been possible without the generous grant of $24,000 to PDCCC”, said Larry Brunson, Suffolk Workforce Development Center Coordinator. “These funds were used to purchase the medical equipment needed to train the students. Now after graduation, twelve deserving students will have the opportunity for a brighter and more self-sufficient future.”


“The Birdsong Trust Fund is excited to play a major part in this unique opportunity to help the citizens of Suffolk take advantage of Paul D. Camp’s


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