Dr. Townsend is an Adult Congenital and Pediatric Cardiologist and is serving as the Executive Medical Director of Specialty Services for the Centra Medical Group, a multi-specialty medical group. He also serves as the current Chair of the Centra Foundation Board of Directors in support of advancing the health of the community. His experience includes the development of new clinical service divisions through service lines with a focus on disseminating Integrated Practice Units through the disparate geography and socio-economic strata of central Virginia. He is experienced in enterprise-wide EHR selection and implementation planning with a passion for empowering clinical workflows with technology.

Dr. Townsend works with start-ups in mobile-health application development to advance patient health empowerment. He has worked extensively in clinical quality alignment with strategic development and compensation related to the multi-specialty medical group enterprise. He is a leader in the innovation center at Centra Health in partnership with Centra's health plan and ACO.

Dr. Townsend is passionate about community health and co-founded Live Healthy Lynchburg. His community involvement is centered around community relationships in support of policy, systems and environmental changes. Through collaboration, he believes we will successfully advance health by using technological solutions to exchange and advance best practices.

George Hurt, MD, a longtime central Virginia neurosurgeon, leads the foundation today as its chairman, and he has been a member of the Centra Foundation Board of Directors since 1993. Dr. Hurt graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine.

Dr. Hurt and his wife, Cinda, made an endowment to fund nursing education in memory of Cinda’s aunt, Virginia Avenel Henderson. Miss Henderson, a nurse, was a nursing education professor and author of texts used throughout the world. The Hurts made the gift as a way to give back to the nurses who have helped Dr. Hurt though his career and to honor the life and memory of Miss Henderson.

Dr. Hurt is a member of the Lynchburg Academy of Medicine, the Medical Society of Virginia, the American Medical Association, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, Congress of Neurological Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.

A Lynchburg native, Mike Bradford is the Vice President of Institutional Advancement at Central Virginia Community College and executive director of the CVCC Educational Foundation.  Prior to joining CVCC in 2012, he had a 34-year career in commercial banking with Wells Fargo Bank and its predecessors and was the Lynchburg area president for the bank.
 
He is on the board of Piedmont Community Health Plan, Amazement Square, Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities and the Lynchburg Area Development Corporation. Over the years he has served on the boards of the United Way of Central Virginia, the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation (ex-officio), Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, STEP with Links, Junior Achievement, Lynchburg City Schools Educational Foundation and Kaleidoscope.
 
He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Duke University and a master’s degree in finance from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Beth Doyle, a Lynchburg native, holds a degree in economics from the University of Mary Washington.  Beth spent 30 years in nonprofit management before joining Centra in 2018.  She has worked with the Annenberg Washington Program in Washington, DC, the Virginia Legal Aid Society in Lynchburg, and prior to joining Centra spent 6 years serving as the Director of Development at the Academy Center of the Arts in downtown Lynchburg. Beth managed the Academy’s $16.6 million capital campaign to restore the historic Academy Theater, while simultaneously increasing overall operating contributions by 131% over her tenure. 

Robert R. (Bob) Chapman III is president and CEO of Bank of The James. After graduating from Virginia Military Institute and military service in the Army, Bob began his career in banking and helped establish the Bank of The James in 1999.

Mr. Chapman's civic memberships include the Lynchburg Rotary Club, The United Way and the Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce.

Melanie F. Christian is a graduate of Hollins University.  She is actively involved in the following Centra Foundation committees: Women & Philanthropy and the Resource Development Committee.

Ms. Christian is a respected community leader who serves on the boards of Thomas Jefferson's Poplar Forest, Virginia Center for Creative Arts (VCCA) and the Lynchburg Museum Foundation.

Theodore J. Craddock is an attorney with Caskie & Frost, P.C., of Lynchburg.  He holds a bachelor's degree from Washington & Lee University and a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

Thomas J. Delaney, MD, is a graduate of Cornell University, BA and Cornell University Medical College, MD.  He completed his residency and fellowship at the University of Virginia Medical Center in 1979.  Dr. Delaney is now an anesthesiologist at Lynchburg Anesthesia Associates with membership in the American Medical Association, the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists. 

Michael J. Diminick, MD, is a graduate of Duke University, BS (Magna Cum Laude with Distinction) and Harvard Medical School in 1993. He completed his internship at the Harvard Medical School/New England Deaconess Medical Center and his residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery/Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Diminick’s areas of specialty are total joint replacement surgery, hip resurfacing, partial knee replacements and sports medicine.

Dr. Diminick has professional affiliations with the AmericanAcademy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American College of Physician Executives and is a Board Certified Physician Executive. He is also the team physician for Liberty University.

MaryJane Dolan is president and CEO of Colonial Brokerage House, Inc.  She holds many professional memberships and was named the YWCA's Business & Industry Woman of the Year.  She serves on the YMCA Board of Directors, the Lynchburg College Business Advisory and the Point of Honor Museum Board.

Paul F. Fitzgerald, MD, was a founding partner of Piedmont Orthopaedic Surgery.  He and his partner performed the first joint replacement surgery in Lynchburg.  Dr. Fitzgerald is a graduate of the New York University School of Medicine. He has served on the Centra Board of Directors, the Lynchburg City School Board, Lynchburg Academy of Medicine and E.C. Glass High School Athletic Boosters.  Dr. Fitzgerald is also a clinical member of the orthopaedic faculty at the University of Virginia Medical Center.

Now semi-retired, Dr. Fitzgerald works in the Free Clinic of Central Virginia and also serves on the Johnson Health Center Board of Directors.

Robert (Bob) Gilliam retired in 2011 as president and CEO of First National Bank and its holding company, Pinnacle Bankshares Corporation.  The Bank was founded in 1908 and is the oldest business in continuous operation in the town of Altavista.  Mr. Gilliam was first introduced to banking as a child while visiting his mother at her workplace, a bank in Covington, VA.  He later graduated from Guilford College and the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management at the University of Virginia.

Mr. Gilliam served as President of the Virginia Bankers Association and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond.  He is active on the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation Board and the Virginia Community Capital Bank Development Board.

John J. Halpin, MD, retired in 2015 after a 45-year career as an oncologist, most recently at the Lynchburg Hematology/Oncology Clinic at the Centra Alan B. Pearson Regional Cancer Center.

Dr. Halpin graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine and moved to Lynchburg in 1978.  He has served as a member of the Lynchburg Academy of Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and the American Society of Hematology.

David Herrick retired in December 2018 after serving 38 years as a financial advisor.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida and a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina.

Mr. Herrick has served on the boards of The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, the Carillion Clinic Foundation, and the Disciples of Christ Church, which was instrumental in the formation of The Summit retirement community.

His philanthropic passions include participating in the annual Kyle Petty Charity Ride Across America, where participants ride motorcycles to raise money and awareness for Victory Junction, a camp in North Carolina for children with chronic illnesses.

Janet G. Hickman, MD, is a dermatologist with Dermatology Consultants, Inc.  She graduated from Harvard Medical School magna cum laude and Michigan State University with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry with high honors.  She also holds positions at the Education & Research Foundation, Inc. and is a medical consultant and principal investigator.

Dr. Hickman has professional memberships in the American Academy of Dermatology, Virginia Dermatologic Society, Lynchburg Academy of Medicine, Medical Society of Virginia, Women's Dermatologic Society Foundation and has served in many leadership capacities.

Dr. Hickman's community involvement includes Family Services of Virginia Board of Directors, Virginia School of the Arts Board of Directors, E.C. Glass High School Band Boosters and Hillside Garden Club.

Dr. Hickman serves as chair of the Centra Foundation Grants Committee.

​

Yuille (Skipper) Holt III retired in 2009 as the president and CEO of Campbell Insurance.  He is active in many local organizations and is known throughout the Lynchburg community as a good will ambassador for civic involvement.

Mr. Holt is involved with the Academy of Arts, Amazement Square Children's Museum, Central Virginia Industries, The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation and Meals on Wheels.

Mr. Holt has been the recipient of many awards, including the Lynchburg Exchange Club Book of Golden Deeds Award, Lynch's Landing Margaret Burnette Award, Greater Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce F. M. Dink Cloyd Award for Service and the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Award.

Andy Mueller, MD, is President and Chief Executive Officer for Centra.  Dr. Mueller began his employment career in college as a cooperative engineering intern at NASA's Johnson Space Center where he worked in support of the Space Shuttle Program. He completed his BS degree with honors in electrical engineering at North Carolina State University and received his Doctor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina.  Dr. Mueller completed his training in Family Medicine at Malcolm-Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base. While serving in the Air Force after residency, Dr. Mueller deployed twice overseas, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a flight surgeon. On May 15, 2019, he joined Centra as President and Chief Executive Officer.

Prior to joining Centra in 2019, Dr. Mueller served as a Senior Vice President at Novant Health, a large multi-state integrated healthcare delivery system. During the last four years at Novant Health, he served as President of the Greater Charlotte Market, the largest market within Novant Health. Under his leadership, the Greater Charlotte Market grew considerably across all service lines, developed new clinical programs and set new records for growth.

Augustus A. Petticolas Jr., DDS, is a Lynchburg dentist.  He has been instrumental in the development of The Free Clinic, volunteered his time to treat patients, served as its president and continues to be a member of the board of directors.

Dr. Petticolas has been appointed by the Governor to serve a four-year term on the Virginia Board of Dentistry.  He also serves on the Bank of the James Board of Directors and is a past president of the Churches for Urban Ministry.  He has been recognized for his community service and is the recipient of the Humanitarian Award from The National Conference of Christians and Jews, the Alpha Centennial Award and the Mayor's Award of Excellence.  He is a member and past president of the Lynchburg Dental Society and is a member of the Piedmont Dental Society, the American Dental Association, the National Dental Association and the NAACP.  He was inducted into the International College of Dentists in 1998.

Dr. Petticolas graduated from Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, and the University of Maryland Dental School.

Mr. Leroy (Lee) Pfeiffer has served as the treasurer for Cumberland County since 1996 and is a past president of the Treasurers’ Association of Virginia.  He holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Richmond and attained Treasurers’ Association of Virginia certification from the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center. 

Mr. Pfeiffer is a member of the Virginia Government Finance Officers’ Association.  He has been a member of the Board of Directors for Centra Southside Community Hospital since 2006, where he currently serves as secretary/treasurer.  He is also a member of the Board of Directors for The Woodland, Inc., in Farmville, VA.

Amy G. Ray is a retired CPA with 29 years of experience in public accounting.  She retired as a partner from Brown Edwards & Company  LLC in 2011.  

Ms. Ray has served on numerous boards  and in leadership positions with community and professional organizations over the past 30 years, including the Virginia Society of CPA's, The Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, and the Jones Memorial Library.  She was the first woman to serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Greater Lynchburg Chamber of Commerce and was awarded the F.M. "Dink" Cloyd award for Chamber Service in 2000.

Elliot S. Schewel, a dedicated public servant, passed away on December 15, 2019.  Mr. Schewel joined the Centra Foundation Board in 1996 and was integral to the work of Centra.  The Centra Foundation is grateful to Mr. Schewel for his twenty-three years of service.

Mr. Schewel was a graduate of Washington & Lee University and served as a Virginia State Senator for twenty years.  He was a veteran and part owner and president of Schewel Furniture company.

Mr. Schewel was most active in the community and served in numerous leadership roles for both national and local organizations.  Notably, Mr. Schewel was one of several organizers and vice president of the Friends of the Lynchburg Public Library, which was responsible for the creation of our present Public Library System.  

John (Jack) Sorrells III holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Washington & Lee University. 

Mr. Sorrells serves as chair of the Centra Foundation Finance Committee.