Matthew Hemenez ’90 matriculated to VMI in August 1986. As a Marine option NROTC scholarship cadet, he was first corporal, master sergeant, and Company C commander. In 1990, he graduated with distinction and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. Upon completion of the USMC Officers Basic School and Communications Officers school, both in Quantico, Virginia, the USMC sent him to Okinawa for 3 years, and then to his last duty station at MCB Twentynine Palms. After the Marine Corps, Hemenez entered the private sector, where he gained progressively more responsible positions in sales, marketing, product management, and project management at companies such as PairGain Technologies, Raytheon Corporation, and SureFire LLC. Eventually moving into general management, Hemenez was president of Silynx Communications, Inc. until transitioning to chief executive officer of Pneumatic Conveying, Inc., a private equity-owned manufacturer of dry bulk material processing equipment.
His past board experience includes serving as a Portable Lighting American Trade Organization board member and vice president, and Warrior Protective Readiness Coalition board member and treasurer. He served as Southern California Chapter president starting in 2004 until he was appointed to the VMIAA Board of Directors first as a director at large and then as director for Region I, eventually serving as vice president for 2 years before being appointed as VMIAA president and AAB chairman.
Matthew has been married to his Ring Figure date, Josie, for 31 years. He has two sons, Lucas, a senior at UC Irvine, and Cole, a freshman at the University of Utah.
William C. Collier ’06 graduated from VMI in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. As a cadet, Collier was a 4-year letterman on the lacrosse team, Company F guide sergeant, and 2nd Battalion S3 lieutenant. Since the fall of 2021, he has served as the class agent for the Class of 2006 and was the class fundraising co-chair for their last reunion. From July 2022 until July 2024, Collier served as the Northern Virginia/ D.C. co-regional director for the VMI Alumni Association. In July 2024, he was appointed VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors first vice president.
Collier’s professional experience started as a Transportation, Logistics, and Acquisitions officer while serving in the U.S. Army. He served 8 years on active duty and 4 years in the Army Reserves. Since leaving the Army, he has worked as a manager of logistics, vice president of supply chain, and contracts manager. Collier currently works for K2 Construction Consultants, Inc., as their contracts manager. His role as contracts manager for K2 covers all aspects of contract lifecycle management, including supporting proposals, developing and negotiating contracts, resolving contractual issues, and ensuring compliance with contracts, subcontracts, purchase orders, company policies and procedures, and government regulations.
His civilian education includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI and a Master of Science degree in management with a concentration in contract management and procurement from the University of Maryland University College. Collier’s awards include the Bronze Star Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (one Oak Leaf Cluster), the Army Commendation Medal, among many others, and the Meritorious Unit Citation. He is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act Contracting Level II certified and (SOLE) the International Society of Logistics, Demonstrated Master Logistician certified. He is also a proud graduate of Woodberry Forest School and an Eagle Scout. His professional organization memberships include USA Lacrosse, Sons of the American Revolution, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Association of the U.S. Army, National Eagle Scout Association, and Military Officers of America Association.
He currently lives in Stafford, Virginia, with his wife, the former Ms. Karen O’Donnell, their son William (10 years), their daughter Ann Caroline (6 years), their son James (1 year), and their 4-year-old German Shepherd, Lucy. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with family, coaching lacrosse, and watching VMI athletics, the Washington Commanders, Washington Capitals, and Baltimore Orioles.
Retired U.S. Navy Reserve Cmdr. Patrick J. Griffin ’80 graduated from VMI in the Class of 1980. During his cadetship, he held rank as a corporal, sergeant, and lieutenant in Charlie Company.
Upon graduation from VMI, Griffin commissioned in the U.S. Navy as a surface warfare officer, where he served aboard the USS Blue Ridge, LCC-19, flagship of the 7th fleet. He was subsequently selected for special duty assignment as a naval gunfire liaison officer with the United States Marine Corps 2nd Air and Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, 2nd ANGLICO, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. After leaving active duty, Griffin joined the U.S. Navy Reserve, where he served in various positions with units of the Naval Control of Shipping Organization and the U.S. Military Sealift Command, retiring as a commander. In 1987, Griffin began his federal career with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, where he served as a compliance safety and health officer, a compliance assistance specialist, and a compliance assistance coordinator and area director. He retired from OSHA in 2018 after 31 years with the agency. Griffin currently works as a safety consultant in the construction industry.
Griffin is very proud to have served the VMI Alumni Association in various positions for over 24 years. He served as the VMI Alumni Association New England Chapter president from 1990–96 and again from 2006–15. In 2015, e was elected as the VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors Region III – Northeast regional director. While on the BOD, Griffin served on the New Cadet Recruiting Committee and the Networking Committee and chaired the Outreach Committee for 3 years. Upon completing his term in 2021 and relocating to Lynchburg, Virginia, Griffin was selected as a VMI Alumni Association BOD special appointee to continue his work on the Networking Committee. In 2022, he was again elected to the VMI Alumni Association BOD, this time as the Region VIII – Southwest Virginia/Shenandoah Valley regional director. He continues to serve as a member of the Networking Committee. Additionally, Griffin is currently serving a 9-year term as a VMI Research Laboratories Board member responsible for vetting all academic department research project proposals. He also served on the VMI Parents Council from 2020–22, where he was an active participant and leader on the Parents Council Recruiting Committee and the Mess Hall Committee.
Griffin’s civilian board service includes the State of Rhode Island Federal Executive Council chairman, Quonochontaug Yacht Club commodore, and VMI Research Laboratories Board member. His military awards include the Navy Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and Meritorious Unit Citation. Griffin’s civilian awards include the U.S Secretary of Labor Honor Award, U.S. Secretary of Labor Exceptional Achievement Award, and Hurricane Katrina Response Award. His memberships include the Military Officers Association of America, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, and Kappa Alpha Order/Beta Commission.
Griffin and his wife, Beth, a Navy veteran, reside in Lynchburg, Virginia, and Charlestown, Rhode Island. They have two sons, Michael ’17 and John ’23.
Anthony Moore ’78 provides consultant services to review and analyze environmental programs to provide new and innovative solutions to meet corporate pollution reduction goals and corporate environmental goals. He has experience in renewable energy, bioremediation, stormwater management, and wastewater treatment technologies.
Moore served as the Commonwealth of Virginia deputy secretary of natural resources and assistant secretary of natural resources for Chesapeake Bay restoration from 2010–14. In these positions, he led the development and implementation of the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Watershed Implementation Plan and managed the agencies of the secretariat. Before serving the Commonwealth, Anthony was appointed to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency as a senior policy adviser for the Office of Water from 2003–09. In this position, he helped to develop innovative and sustainable market-based programs to protect and restore our environmental resources and managed the legislative affairs for the office.
Moore’s commitment to environmental conservation is evident in his roles as Virginia Department of Environmental Quality director of policy from 2000–02 and the Commonwealth’s assistant secretary of natural resources from 1998–2000. He managed legislative, regulatory, public affairs, and constituent service activities in these positions and worked with agencies to protect and restore our natural resources.
Moore worked as a chemist at Dominion from 1981–96. He has served as a Virginia Board of Medicine member, a Radford University Board of Visitors member, and VMI Alumni Association president.
Richard Coupland III ’91 matriculated in August 1987 as the third generation of his family to attend VMI (grandfather was a member of the Class of 1915, and father was ’50B). He served on the Color Guard in his 2nd Class year and as the 1st Battalion S1 in his 1st Class year before graduating in 1991 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also earned his Master of Business Administration degree from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University in 2002. As an alumnus, Coupland and his father founded the Maj. Gen. Richard C. Coupland 1915 Electrical Engineering Awards at VMI. These awards are awarded to a 2nd and 3rd Class cadet majoring in electrical engineering who have demonstrated academic excellence, outstanding leadership abilities, and high moral standards. Coupland served as chapter president of the VMI Arizona Alumni Chapter from 2018 to 2021 and currently serves as the Southwest Region regional director on the VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Following graduation, Coupland progressed through a 20-year career in the defense industry, working for Fortune 100 firms that included TRW, Motorola, and General Dynamics. Following 9/11, Coupland led the Science, Technology, and Products business at General Dynamics, focused on developing advanced technology and capabilities that could transition urgently into combat operations. During this time, he founded the EDGE Innovation Network, a global partnership of firms that focused annual research and development funds to join together, attack, and rapidly prototype urgent needs from defense customers. Through his leadership, the EDGE grew to over 600 firms and 12 innovation centers globally, responsible for delivering rapid prototype capabilities in an average of 71 days. In 2015, Coupland joined Republic Services, where he has served as the vice president of municipal sales. He is responsible for environmental services partnerships with approximately 2000 municipalities across 47 states.
Coupland has previously served on the Delta Information Systems Board of Directors and on the AMPEX Systems Advisory Board. He also served on the Men’s Board for the Fresh Start Women’s Foundation. He is currently a member of the International City and County Manager’s Association, as well as the Solid Waste Association of North America.
He met his wife Heidi 1 week after graduation from VMI, and they have been happily married since 1994. They have lived in Phoenix, Arizona, and raised their two daughters there since that time.
Matriculating from the Philippines, Mike Burke ’73 was one of the founders of the VMI Theatre his rat year, and he was managing editor of the VMI Cadet his 1st Class year. A four-year private, he graduated with honors in English and was chosen as valedictorian. During his 27 years in the Army, he served in the United States and overseas, was twice assigned to the U.S. Military Academy faculty, and deployed to the Gulf War with the 1st Armored Division. After retirement in 2000, he began teaching English, first at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and then at St. Louis Community College, until his final retirement as associate professor in 2024. He has been the new cadet recruiter for the St. Louis VMIAA chapter since 2001. He lives with his wife of 45 years, retired U.S. Army Dental Corps Col. Mary Burke, and their daughter, Emilie, in St Louis, Missouri.
Mark Gonsalves ’81 is a seasoned entrepreneur, business strategist, and leader with a diverse background that blends military service with extensive expertise in business development. After serving his country as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Gonsalves successfully transitioned into the private sector, where he has spent years helping business owners and entrepreneurs achieve their full potential. As a franchise owner with the Tony Robbins, New York Times best-selling author, Gonsalves gained invaluable experience in personal development and business growth, which he later leveraged as a member of the advisory board at Anthony Robbins & Associates.
During his 8 years of active duty in the U.S. Army, Gonsalves distinguished himself as a graduate of the Infantry Officer Basic Course, the Infantry Officer Advanced Course, and the U.S. Army Airborne School. A highly trained and capable leader, he became Ranger-qualified and attended the Special Forces Qualification Course. His military career culminated in his role as a HALO detachment commander with the 1st Special Forces Group. After transitioning out of active duty, Gonsalves continued to serve his country in the U.S. Army Reserves with the 12th Special Forces Group and the Vermont National Guard. He also held the role of Company Commander for the Vermont Mountain School, where he was responsible for leading specialized training operations.
Beyond his remarkable military career, Gonsalves has successfully owned, invested in, and operated a variety of businesses, particularly in the real estate and wine and spirits sectors. His unique ability to build successful ventures and develop impactful marketing strategies has made him a sought-after expert in seminar marketing. Gonsalves has worked with national businesses and high-profile celebrity brands, helping launch multimillion-dollar projects such as Daymond John’s Launch Academy and the Sopranos Wine Brand in collaboration with HBO. His talent for creating and scaling businesses has not only built lasting brands but has also connected a diverse range of audiences.
Gonsalves earned a bachelor’s degree in history from VMI, graduating as part of the esteemed Class of 1981. He remains deeply involved with his alma mater as an active member of the VMI Alumni Association. For the past 4 years, Gonsalves has served as the Alumni Association New York City – Long Island Chapter president, where he has worked tirelessly to increase engagement and support for the Institute. His leadership in the alumni community has helped strengthen the bond between VMI graduates and the school.
Currently, Gonsalves is the managing director of a hedge fund overseeing the Hawk and Horse Vineyards in Lake County, California, and several Amazon-based businesses in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. In addition to his professional ventures, Gonsalves is committed to philanthropy. He has actively supported several nonprofit organizations, including Friends of Karen, which assists terminally ill children and their families. His dedication to giving back reflects his strong sense of community and the values instilled during his military service.
Mark and his wife, Maria, live in New York, where they share a deep connection to their Mediterranean heritage. They enjoy their annual pilgrimage to the island of Patmos, where they have a family home. This tradition brings them both joy, renewal, and a strong sense of cultural and familial connection.
Michael Zirkle ’97 matriculated from Roanoke, Virginia, majoring in computer science. During his time at VMI, he was a member of F-Troop, the wrestling team, and served as editor of the Bomb for the 2nd Class Ring Figure Magazine, as well as the design and production editor of The Cadet newspaper. Zirkle is a leadership-level donor in both the Institute Society and the Keydet Club. He has served as chapter president and as a VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors member, contributing to the New Cadet Recruiting, Placement, and Nominating Committees and chairing the Communications and Chapter Operations Committees. He has held various leadership roles within the Alumni Association, including as the North Jersey Chapter president from 1998–2001, Board of Directors Special Appointee, NCR Committee 1999–2001, Central North Carolina – Raleigh Chapter president 2002–04, Alumni Association Board of Directors Director-At-Large 2003–09, George C. Marshall Chapter president 2005–07, Alumni Association Board of Directors Director-At-Large 2013–15. His service to the Institute extends beyond the Alumni Association, as he is also a member of the Corporate Advisory Board for the Department of Computer Information and Sciences. Zirkle currently serves as the Alumni Association Board of Directors Region V – Southeast regional director.
Recently, Zirkle served as the 5G Commercialization vice president for Verizon, the global leader in network and technology infrastructure. His primary responsibility was to create and deliver 5G, private wireless, and edge computing to Verizon’s global wireline and wireless enterprise, public sector, and business customers. Prior to that role, Zirkle held multiple senior leadership roles within Verizon, where he grew and transformed several lines of business, including global professional services and business equipment services. Additionally, he was the executive director of Transformation, where he identified, developed, and executed strategic business transformation opportunities with an aim to drive higher margins, enhance the customer experience, and increase productivity gains across the business. He also served as Business Operations director for Verizon Enterprise, where he was responsible for labor restructuring, executive strategic decision support, and digital transformation. Zirkle has 10 years of experience in the management and strategy consulting business, where, prior to Verizon, he served as the executive leader at Booz, Allen & Hamilton for mobile and wireless security, U.S. defense market cyber security in the Northeast area, and commercial operational transformations.
Max Hopkins ’97 is a native of Connecticut and Class of 1997 graduate. As a cadet, Hopkins was a 4-year varsity swimmer, a 3-year Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship recipient, and held the ranks of corporal, color sergeant, and lieutenant. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. Hopkins served twice as the San Diego Chapter president from 2010–14 and from 2017–20, and as a VMI Alumni Association director at large from 2020–21. Hopkins currently serves as the VMI Alumni Association Region VI – Carolinas co-director.
Hopkins spent 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps as an artillery officer, serving within the 11th Marine Regiment as a fire direction officer, forward observer, forward air controller, battery commander, battalion executive officer, assistant fire support coordinator, and Headquarters Battery Regiment commanding officer. His operational experiences include two deployments to the Western Pacific with Marine Expeditionary Units; a deployment to the Philippines with the Joint Special Operations Task Force – Philippines; a deployment to Iraq with Regimental Combat Team 7; and a deployment to Afghanistan as the Advisor Team officer in charge. His notable staff assignments have been as fire support officer and assistant operations officer with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit; Marine Artillery Exchange officer with the 75th Ranger Regiment; Naval Surface Fire Support Branch head at Expeditionary Warfare Training Group Pacific; regional operations planner for U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Special Operations Command with the II Marine Expeditionary Force G35 Future Operations; and deputy current operations officer and personnel recovery director with 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade. He also served as a series commander, Company Command, and protocol officer at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego. Hopkins retired from the Marine Corps in June 2017.
Hopkins joined Advanced Technology International in July 2017 as a project manager before becoming the program manager in support of the demonstration and assessment team, which supported the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head. Currently, he works as the ATI’s Business Development and Communications Department program manager.
Hopkins lives in Summerville, South Carolina, with his wife, the former Suzanne Sampson, and their son and daughter.
Lucas “Luke” Hale ’00 matriculated to VMI in 1996 from Pendleton, Indiana, on an Army ROTC scholarship. A civil engineering major, Hale served in the Corps of Cadets as a cadre corporal, color sergeant, and eventually Golf Company Commander. He also was a member of the VMI Glee Club and the Timmons-Gentry Society, where he attended numerous concerts across the East Coast. As a 1st Class cadet, Hale designed, built, and raced VMI’s first-ever concrete canoe, named Farfromflöten, in the American Society of Civil Engineers annual competition. As an alumnus, Hale has served as the Central North Carolina – Raleigh Alumni Chapter president and now serves as regional director for the Carolinas.
After graduation, Hale commissioned as an active duty officer in the Armor Branch, where he served in Germany with the 1st Armored Division. In 2004, Hale joined the Army Intelligence Corps, where he continued his active duty service in organizations like the National Reconnaissance Office, the National Security Agency, and the Joint Special Operations Command, among others. During his service, Hale deployed in support of the Global War on Terrorism on multiple occasions. He retired from active duty as a lieutenant colonel in 2021 after 20 years of service. He is now serving as a software product manager for IBM, where he is focused on the development of artificial intelligence-enabled business automation solutions.
Hale’s awards and qualifications include two master’s degrees (a Master of Science degree in strategic intelligence and a Master of Business Administration degree) and certificates in technology entrepreneurship and supply chain operations. Since his retirement, Hale has been honored as a McLaughlin Fellow with the Jenkins MBA program for his leadership displayed while a student at North Carolina State University. He is now serving as an alumni advisor to the North Carolina State Poole College of Management Career Center and admissions teams. Hale is also an IBM Pathfinder Mentor, partnering with North Carolina State students interested in the technology industry, and an occasional speaker at IBM veteran events.
James R. Chalkley ’73 matriculated to VMI in August 1969 and graduated in June 1973 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. While at VMI, he was a member of the basketball and track teams. He also served as a student assistant for boxing classes in the physical education department for 3 years, as a cadet waiter for 3 years, as the head waiter his 1st Class year, and as an A Company lieutenant. He was selected as a distinguished military graduate and received a U.S. Army commission. Since graduation, Chalkley has been active in his local VMI alumni chapter, assisted with New Cadet Recruiting activities, and served as a panel member covering the topic of Lessons Learned in Operation Desert Shield/Storm. He has been a longtime supporter of the VMI Keydet Club and served on the Board of Governors from 2004–10. He now serves as a VMI Alumni Association Region VII Florida regional director.
Chalkley began his Army career serving as a combat detail field artillery officer before transitioning to the Transportation Corps. He served in numerous assignments, including the 101st Airborne Division, the 37th Transportation Group, the University of Richmond as assistant professor of military science, the Military Personnel Center, the Pentagon, the 7th Transportation Group, and the 53rd Area Support Group. He commanded units at the company, battalion, and brigade level, culminating his career as the Headquarters United States Army Europe deputy chief of staff. After retirement from the Army, he served as Logistics Management Resources Inc. vice president, Global Real Estate and Support Services director for BearingPoint Inc., and as director of National Accounts for Apex Systems Inc.
In addition to his degree from VMI, he holds a Master of Science degree in logistics systems management from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College.
His military awards include the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star, and seven Meritorious Service Medal awards. He was also selected as a Distinguished Member of the Transportation Corps Regiment.
He and his wife, Sharon, dated through 4 years of VMI, married after graduation, and now live in Florida.
Charles W. “Charlie” Sachs, a proud member of the Class of 1979, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics, was a Company E cadet, and an NCAA tennis letterman. He later co-founded the Omaha, Nebraska Chapter of the VMI Alumni Association. Following distinguished military and corporate careers, Sachs now serves as the director of Region X–South, responsible for 11 alumni chapters in six states with over 1,500 alumni. He chairs the Outreach Committee, serves on the Executive Committee and Nominations Committee, and previously chaired the Engagement Committee.
Commissioned into the U.S. Air Force as a communications-electronics officer upon graduation, Sachs served 25 years across the active Air Force, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve. His notable assignments included serving as a flight crew member and communications team officer-in-charge on the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center, commander of a Special Operations combat communications squadron, and Iraq-deployed J6 director of communications supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also served as the first Air Force deputy director of irregular warfare requirements. Sachs retired as a colonel in 2010.
After retiring from the Air Force, Sachs held executive leadership roles at Bank of America, Harland Clarke Holdings Corporation, and USAA, specializing in business continuity, disaster recovery, and IT supplier governance.
He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Creighton University School of Law and a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air War College and Air Command and Staff College. Now retired from both public service and the private sector, Sachs currently advises Congressman Chip Roy on national security and veterans affairs and serves on the Military Officers Association of America Board of Directors.
Sachs is married to retired U.S. Air Force Reserve Lt. Col. Jacqueline Purdy, a 1990 graduate of Texas A&M (Corps of Cadets). They live in Southlake, Texas, with their lively household of three dogs and three cats.
For more than 30 years, Dr. Paul Hebert ’68, Ph.D., has worked to promote development and support humanitarian action in less-developed countries. He graduated from VMI in 1968 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering and earned a Master of Science and later a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served 2 years as a captain in the U.S. Army Medical Corps assigned to the US Army Environmental Hygiene Agency in Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland. Following a 1-year position with Bechtel Corporation in San Francisco as an environmental engineer, he began his dream of a career in development and humanitarian action through an assignment with the Near East Foundation in Iran from 1974–76, helping the government to improve water supplies, sanitation and tackling the environmental control of bilharzia (schistosomiasis), a parasitic disease, in southern Iran from 1974–1976 (pre-Iranian revolution).
His career as an environmental engineer and coordinator of humanitarian assistance work spanned four continents, including Asia (Southeast, South, and Southwest), the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and the Americas. He lived full-time in eight countries, including Iran, Philippines, Nepal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia (covering Serbia and Montenegro, Kosovo and Macedonia), Geneva, Switzerland (where he covered Iraq, the former Soviet Republics and the former Yugoslavia), Ethiopia, and Kenya. His development and humanitarian coordination work also took him to other countries in Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, Thailand); South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh); former Soviet Republics in the Caucasus (Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan) and in West Asia (Tajikistan) and in Southern Africa (Swaziland and Malawi).
Hebert retired from the United Nations in 2008, and he continued work as a consultant for the U.N. and several nonprofit organizations for several more years, as well as organizing programs for humanitarian conferences in Dubai, serving as a speaker at several such conferences.
The VMI Board of Visitors selected Hebert to be the third recipient of the Jonathan Daniels Humanitarian Award. In March 2011, he received the award before the entire Corps of Cadets, faculty, and staff.
Hebert was awarded the Floyd D. Gotwald Visiting Professorship for Leadership and Ethics for the fall semesters of 2013 and 2015 and served on the faculty of the VMI international studies department and the civil engineering department from 2013–18.
Paul is a member of Rotary International and the Steamboat Springs Rotary Club, where he chaired the International Service Committee. For several years, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Advocates for Routt County, serving Routt and Moffat counties in Colorado to support women who have been sexually or physically abused and to confront such abuse. He is currently a member of the Yampa Valley Sustainability Council Board of Directors in Steamboat Springs, a climate action nonprofit organization.
Hebert is an avid skier and enjoys sailing, reading, outdoor sports, and adventure. He has two grown children in Colorado and three grandchildren. His wife, Dr. Mayling Simpson, is a medical anthropologist and writer who had a noted international career. She recently completed and published a book about Hebert’s VMI Class of 1968, “Lives Guided by Honor – How VMI Shaped the Class of 1968.”
Garland Gray III ’10 matriculated at VMI in August 2006. A history major, he competed on the cross country and track and field teams in his rat and 3rd Class years and was a cadet assistant for both squads as a 2nd Class cadet. Gray was a 4-year private in Charlie Company and served on his class’s Ring Figure committee. Gray began his involvement with the VMI alumni community by attending events hosted by the VMI Club of Richmond. He joined the VMI Club of Richmond’s board in 2014 before serving as its secretary, vice president, and finally as its president in 2020. He has served as the Region XII (Central Virginia) regional director since July 2021.
Gray graduated from the University of Richmond School of Law in 2015 and is a member of the Virginia State Bar. He has worked at the law firm Kane Jeffries, LLP in Richmond since 2018. He focuses his practice on residential and commercial real estate transactions and related matters, including commercial leasing and business entity work.
Gray lives in Powhatan County, Virginia, with his wife and Ring Figure date, the former Valerie Paquette, two sons and two daughters.
Christopher McCallum ’96 serves as director, program support for MHI Ship Repair and Services, LLC. McCallum has spent over 30 years in operations management in the maritime industry. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from VMI, a Master of Arts degree from the Naval Postgraduate School, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the College of William & Mary.
In this role, McCallum leads a team of 40 people in the planning, execution, and certification of U.S. Navy and commercial ship maintenance, repair, and modernization, including supply chain management and subcontractor oversight. He joined MHI Ship Repair after serving over 25 years in uniform, including the honor of serving as captain of a U.S. Navy destroyer.
Wyatt Durrette ’61 arrived at VMI in August 1957 as a football recruit before the Rat Line began. He was elected class president in 1958, earned letters in football and track and field, and was All State and All Southern Conference in the latter. He was chosen among a dozen others in his class to Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, a distinction he also earned in law school at Washington and Lee University. He graduated from VMI with a degree in mathematics and from W&L, cum laude, in 1964. He was also president of his class at W&L, wrote for the law review, won the Burke Oral Argument Competition, and was chosen as the Moot Court Team chairman. While in law school, he taught algebra for a couple of semesters at VMI. He won a Gilman Fellowship to attend Johns Hopkins University, where he received a master’s degree in political science with honors in 1966.
Durrette then served a 3-year stint in the U.S. Air Force as a JAG officer with the final year at Udorn Air Base, Thailand. He began his law practice in Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1969. His interest in political science led him into politics, and he was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates, serving three terms before choosing to pursue statewide office. He was the Republican nominee for attorney general in 1981 and for governor in 1985, after which he returned to law practice. Meanwhile, his family moved to Midlothian in 1983. He and his wife, Cheryn, had eight children, 17 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. After a divorce, he remarried in 1993, and he and Monica, a licensed clinical psychologist, established her practice in Urbanna, Virginia, where they relocated in 2014. With Monica came her daughter, Sarah.
Durrette has had a varied and successful career. In the late 1970s, he was one of the founders of American Defense Systems, Inc. and served on its board of directors until it was sold in the mid-1980s. He taught various courses in political science at George Mason University, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Christopher Newport University. He has been involved in numerous charitable activities, including past service on the boards of directors of Project Concern, Inc., Virginia FREE, and Comfort Zone Camp. He currently serves on the Wason Center for Civic Leadership at CNU Advisory Board. He chaired the business litigation sections of the Virginia and American Trial Lawyers Associations. Most recently, he chaired the committee that drafted what became, after public referendum, the constitutional amendment creating an independent redistricting commission.
As a lawyer, Durrette has been recognized by all the leading surveys choosing the outstanding attorneys in their field, such as Super Lawyers (naming him one of the top 100 lawyers in Virginia), Legal Elite, and Best Lawyers in America. He is a Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America. He was named in 2007 as one of the Leaders in the Law in Virginia, and in 2018, he was selected for the first group of 33 honorees to be inducted into the newly created Virginia Lawyers Hall of Fame.
Andrew K. Bradshaw ’17 is a political science major and history minor from Christiansburg, Virginia. While a cadet, Bradshaw served on the S-5 Public Relations staff, participated in Cadet Peer Educators, worked in the quartermaster department, and was cadet in charge of the 2017 Spring FTX for those non-commissioning. Following graduation, Bradshaw moved to Alexandria, Virginia, and began working in the government contracting field and has served various DOD, OPM, DOJ, and DOD-adjacent customers, respectively. In June 2019, Bradshaw obtained a Master of Public Administration degree from Norwich University.
Since graduating from VMI, Bradshaw has been involved with the Career Networking Forum, originally attending back in 2017 and 2018. In April 2022, Bradshaw was asked to be a volunteer on the Alumni Association’s Career Networking Committee, and he has assisted several then-cadets, current cadets, and alumni, with their military or career transitions, with career networking advice related to the government contracting silo of industry. Bradshaw is currently engaged and is set to be married in Richmond, Virginia, in August 2025.
Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Steven Amato ’83 graduated from VMI in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering. During his cadetship, he earned an Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship, was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of AFROTC, and commissioned as a second lieutenant into the U.S. Air Force.
During Amato’s 27-plus years of active duty service, he was an instructor radar navigator and a senior standardization evaluation IRN in the B-52. Amato is a rated Master Navigator with over 3,400 flight hours, including combat time, and has flown in the T-37, T-43, B-52G, and B-52H. Amato’s career broadened in the logistics career, specifically into transportation, and he was a logistics readiness officer. While assigned to the 93rd Transportation Squadron, Castle AFB, California, he contributed to the squadron earning the 1993 Air Combat Command’s “Best Unit” and the prestigious National Defense Transportation Association Award.
Amato commanded the 2nd Transportation Squadron at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, which was the second-largest transportation squadron in the Air Force with 190 personnel, and during his tenure, the squadron was awarded four separate Air Combat Command-level awards, including runner-up for the ACC Best Unit NDTA. He completed tours in Headquarters Air Combat Command, Headquarters Air Force at the Pentagon, and a Joint Duty assignment with Headquarters Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, United States Army, as the executive agent for the Department of Defense’s Personal Property and Passenger Programs which was worth $2 billion per year.
Amato deployed three times in his military career: Twice with flight operations for Operation Desert Storm and Operation Desert Strike, and he volunteered to deploy for 1 year to Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, as an LRO in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom and Joint Task Force Horn of Africa. Amato culminated his Air Force career as the professor of aerospace studies and commander, Detachment 880 AFROTC at VMI from 2008–11. While he was Detachment 880 commander, the cadet enrollment increased to more than 520 cadets, making Detachment 880 the largest AFROTC unit of a total of 144 in the nation. In addition, 100 cadets commissioned into the USAF, the Detachment was the 2010 Southeast Region’s High Flight Award winner as the best large AFROTC unit and was the 2010 runner-up as the best large AFROTC unit of a total of 58 large units in the nation.
Amato earned his master’s degree in industrial technology from Texas A&M University, Commerce, Texas. His professional military education includes the Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, and Air War College. In 2011, Amato began his second career as a member of the federal government’s civilian service. He was assigned to five different divisions in the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and his last assignment was as an assistant section chief and program manager in the Victim Services Division, where he oversaw 275 victim service professions supporting victims of federal crimes. Amato deployed five times in support of communities affected by mass shootings. In 2024, Steve retired from the FBI with nearly 13 years of service and a total of 40 years of public service to our nation in both his Air Force and FBI careers. He is married to the former Mary Lagomarsino of Sacramento, California, and they reside in Northern Virginia. They have two sons and are blessed with seven grandchildren. He is engaged with family activities and with many friends. Amato is an active member of the Knights of Columbus, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the B-52 Stratofortress Association. He is a lecturer and Eucharistic minister in his local Catholic parish and is a former 1983 class agent (2018–23).
I entered VMI at the age of 16, the youngest cadet in the class, and graduated 4 years later at the age of 20 with a degree in biology. In my senior year of high school, my father, a World War II vet, said, “You’re going to VMI.” Being from New York, I had never heard of VMI, but that didn’t matter, that’s where I was going! It was a life-changing decision. I am a great believer in the VMI experience, and I attribute the success I have had in the business world to what I learned at VMI.
Following graduation from VMI, I served in the Army at Fort Gordon, followed by 8 years in the Army Reserve. Following active duty, I accepted a position with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. While there, at the age of 22, I decided I could do more. While working full-time, I went back to school and earned a second bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, graduating with honors. At the time, the challenge never fazed me; after all, I had been through much greater challenges at VMI.
Equipped with this new degree, I left the EPA to accept a position with Exxon Corporation. I held several engineering positions, which led to several management roles. From 1989–93, I was the operations manager for a portion of the refinery and chemical plant. This role required coordinating with other parts of the refinery/chem plant complex while meeting production and quality goals but always with a strong focus on safety and the environment, and while managing a large workforce. It was pretty much a 24/7 role. While at Exxon, I earned an MBA in finance from New York University, again graduating with honors, and followed that with an advanced certificate in finance, also from NYU, all while working full time. Again, this somewhat heavy workload was made much more manageable due to my VMI experience.
I worked for Exxon for 19 years. I was then asked to join an Exxon Corp./Shell Corp. privately held joint venture, Infineum, focused on fuel and lube additives. Infineum has been very successful, by most financial metrics, and continues as a prized asset of ExxonMobil and Shell.
My first position at Infineum was as Americas procurement manager. Three years later, I was named head of global procurement, leading a global team responsible for in excess of $1 billion in annual purchases. My responsibilities covered Infineum manufacturing plants and technology centers in more than 10 countries.
Following my procurement role, I was given the opportunity to head sales in North and South America. I was also made head of Infineum’s commercial operations board, to which all sales directors reported, and was the decision maker for most major global sales and marketing decisions. I was also a member of the Infineum executive leadership team.
Having experience on both the buy side as head of global procurement and on the sell side as head of Americas’ sales, I was often used as the lead negotiator for the higher value, more complex negotiations. I was also the go-to executive to lead crisis management teams when highly sensitive situations developed due to, for example, facility disruptions, severe supply situations, complex technical issues, or other events that could significantly impact the business.
While I very much enjoyed my role with Infineum, I decided to retire in 2017, 1 year later than initially planned. I turned down several contracting offers to focus on things I had not been able to do due to the responsibilities of the job and the constant global travel.
Since retirement, I have been able to follow one of my passions, which is to become more involved with VMI. I have represented VMI at many college fairs since my retirement. I have followed up with parents I met at the fairs and have assisted the Office of Admissions in contacting prospective cadets. Based on my experience talking to parents and students and from my corporate role, I met with the Admissions team in 2023 to share observations and suggestions to assist in recruiting and retention. One of the suggestions was to have a more formal alumni presence at Open Houses. I have now attended six Open Houses and talked to approximately 100 parents/students, with most sharing their appreciation for the one-on-one discussions. Several have since matriculated, and several parents have asked me to mentor their sons, which I am doing. Helping raise awareness of the immense value of a VMI education has been very rewarding. I was also selected as one of two alumni for the Admissions webcast “The Value of a VMI Education.”
I owe a lot to VMI and have a deep appreciation for what it has done for me and my family. I firmly believe VMI to be perhaps the greatest contributor to one’s ability to be successful in life.
Abigail (Dawson) Waterbury ’14 matriculated from Ashburn, Virginia, in August 2011. During her cadetship, she participated in Cadre, Rat Challenge Cadre, and the Leadership Book Club. She also worked in the Quartermaster Department and was the Club Volleyball cadet in charge. After graduation, she participated in various local chapter events in Northern Virginia, Charlottesville, North Carolina, and Kansas. She served as Region VI (Carolinas) regional director from 2019–21 and was the Region III (Northeast) regional director from 2021–22. She served on the planning committee for the 25th Anniversary Celebration of Women in 2022, as well as the outreach chair for her 10th Reunion in 2024. Waterbury currently serves as the VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors director at large.
Waterbury has 10 years of clinical research experience with 9 years in pharmacovigilance. She has managed global studies in all phases (Phase I-IV) throughout their life cycle across various therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, rare disease, hepatology, hematology, and autoimmune disease.
In her free time, Waterbury can be found on the volleyball court. She has coached 14 seasons in the scholastic and travel environment in Virginia, North Carolina, New York, and Kansas. She resides in Leavenworth, Kansas, with her husband, Benjamin Waterbury ’13.
A member of the Class of 1991, Charles “Chuck” H. Story Jr. ’91 was a member of the Bomb staff and The Cadet staff as a writer and photographer. He is a proud member of the 1st Class Private club.
After graduation, Story worked for nearly 15 years in the financial services industry as a financial adviser with companies ranging from MassMutual to Well Fargo Advisors. He left the industry in 2009 to pursue opportunities in the technology integration industry. He worked as a project manager and estimator for a regional network and security integration firm in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 2020, he transitioned from the construction side of the industry to wholesale distribution. Story is now the regional business development manager for Western Virginia for Wesco Distribution, the world’s largest electrical, electronic, and security distributor.
Story has been an active member of the Institute Society and/or Keydet Club for several years. He has served as the class agent for his class for almost 15 years and is currently serving his second term as a VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors director at large.
Story currently resides in Forest, Virginia, with his wife, Vicky. His youngest son is a member of the Class of 2025.
Retired U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Lynch ’69 is a 1969 graduate of VMI. He entered active duty in the Air Force in 1972 following graduation from law school at Emory University. He served 10 years on active duty as a judge advocate, followed by 22 years in the Air Force Reserve. His final Air Force assignment was mobilization assistant to the Judge Advocate General of the Air Force. While serving in the Air Force Reserve, his civilian position was assistant general counsel (manpower and reserve affairs) for the Department of the Navy, a career senior executive service position (Level 5). He is a recipient of the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal and the Department of the Navy Distinguished Service Medal.
Lynch joined the MOAA staff in 2010 as general counsel and corporate secretary. Founded in 1929, MOAA is the largest and most effective military advocacy organization in the United States with over 350,000 members. As the corporate secretary, he supported the board of directors and performed other duties associated with the operation of a large, nationwide corporation. As the general counsel, he advised the board of directors, president, and staff on a wide variety of corporate governance matters and directed MOAA’s legal affairs. He retired from his position at MOAA Jan. 31, 2025.
In addition to his duties as MOAA general counsel, Lynch has been actively involved in supporting the military community. He served as a member of the board of governors of the Army and Navy Club of Washington, D.C., and continues to serve on its finance, investment, and strategic planning committees. He also served on the boards of the PENFED Foundation and the Air Force Retired Judge Advocate Association. He and his late wife established the Major General and Mrs. Joseph G. Lynch Scholarship Fund at VMI to provide financial assistance to recent VMI graduates attending law school. He is a member of the Institute Society, the Washington Arch Society, and the George C. Marshall Order.
William Shannon ’10, M.D., matriculated to VMI from Richmond, Virginia. While at VMI, he served as Honor Court vice president, 2nd Battalion commander, and F-Troop Rat Challenge cadre. He was a distinguished graduate and an Honors Cadet as an Institute Honors Program member. He currently serves as a VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors director at large.
After VMI, he served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Marine Corps for 4 years, deploying twice. Afterward, he completed a post-baccalaureate premedical program at the University of Virginia before completing medical school at George Washington University on a U.S. Navy scholarship. After an intern year at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Virginia, he served as an undersea medical officer in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He is currently completing his residency in anesthesiology at NMCP.
Shannon currently lives in Norfolk, Virginia, with his wife, the former Maria Gohean, and three children.
Adrian A. Garcia ’87 matriculated Aug. 17, 1983, as an NROTC scholarship cadet. He was a private in Delta Company. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with a minor in English from VMI, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Phoenix, a Master of Arts degree in national security and strategic studies from the College of Naval Warfare at the U.S. Naval War College, and a Master of Science in Management degree from the University of North Florida’s Coggin College of Business. He has also completed a leadership development program held at Jacksonville University’s Davis College of Business.
Upon graduation from VMI, Garcia was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy. As a surface warfare officer, he served onboard the USS Canisteo (AO-99) and the USS Vreeland (FF-1068). While onboard USS Vreeland, he also participated in several operations, most significantly Operation Just Cause, Operation Desert Shield, and Operation Desert Storm. He transitioned to the reserve component in July 1992. He was assigned to various units, including the honor of being selected to serve in command on five occasions. While in the reserve, he was recalled to active duty to support several overseas contingency operations, including Operation Desert Fox, Operation Southern Watch, Operation Unified Response, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation New Dawn. Garcia retired from the Navy as a captain (O-6) in March 2015.
Within the private sector, Garcia has operational and executive-level experience, having led overall strategy, execution, and management of operations for a variety of organizations. As a people and mission-focused leader, he has developed expertise in various program/project management disciplines, including business analysis, strategic planning and analysis, leadership, management, financial controls and analysis, staff selection and development, and logistics. He has had great success in diverse professional environments ranging from business/operations management to residential real estate sales and mortgage financing to construction materials sales and production management.
Garcia’s VMI Alumni Association support activities/participation include being an active member and past president of the Northeast Florida – Jacksonville Chapter. In addition, he has supported the Institute’s visibility at college fairs and meetings with several potential candidates. He has coordinated/assisted in the coordination of chapter rat send-off outings. He served as a member of the Class of ’87 30th Reunion Committee. In July 2024, he was confirmed to serve as a VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors director at large.
Garcia and his wife, Kathy, have been happily married since July 3, 1993. They reside in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
Jeff Washington ’80 arrived on a beautiful and peaceful post in mid-August 1976 as a premier football recruit for the gridiron squad. However, things proceeded to get very hectic when the Rat Line began. Washington was an integral member of the 1977 Virginia Big Five and Southern Conference Championship football team and a contributor to the 1977 Southern Conference Indoor Track Championship team. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and proudly graduated from VMI in 1980 with his brother rats. He is currently a VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors member, where he has served on multiple committees, including the Executive and Nominating Committees. He served as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair and the One VMI Committee Chair.
Washington held multiple positions at Virginia Electric and Power Company—now Dominion Energy—in local, regional, and corporate offices and served in many capacities. He has worked in the customer service, energy efficiency, and customer contracts areas, maintaining relationships with local and state government accounts. After relocating to the Hampton Roads area, he managed the commercial, industrial, and governmental customer groups and managed the back office support staff for the Eastern Region Marketing Group.
Washington relocated back to Richmond in Dominion Energy’s corporate office as a Six Sigma Black Belt and led the company’s regulatory research group during the deregulation/reregulation period. He retired as a regulatory adviser in corporate regulatory affairs responsible for compliance with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and the North Carolina Utility Commission, collaborating with legal and public policy stakeholder groups.
He is a past recipient of Dominion’s Volunteer of the Year Award and leader of Dominion’s Lunch Buddy Program and was elected president of the Virginia Chapter of the American Association of Blacks in Energy.
He has maintained deep ties to the community. Washington was chair of the Chesapeake NAACP Labor and Industry Committee and served on the United Way of South Hampton Roads Funds Distribution/Governance Panel. He was treasurer of the East District Family Resource Center and Finance Committee Chair. He has been very active at his home church in Glen Allen, where he has served in multiple ministries.
Jeff and Renee have two adult ladies and one grand-dog.
Jim Dittrich ’76 is an educator, former senior corporate executive, career military officer, and historian. Dittrich came to VMI from Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, to study history. After 2 years of holding rank in the Corps, he reverted to becoming a 1st Class private, earning academic stars his 1st Class year. Dittrich commissioned into the U.S. Army infantry, commanded an infantry company in the 25th Infantry Division, and then returned to VMI as a TAC officer during the mid-1980s. He spent 10 years serving overseas in Europe and Asia. Dittrich then switched to logistics/quartermaster, held multiple jobs at the battalion and brigade levels, and spent 3 years in the 101st Airborne Division, including commanding a provisional logistics battalion and as director of logistics. As director of logistics, he maintained the division’s 400 helicopters with a $ 200 million repair parts budget. Next, he commanded a Defense Logistics Agency distribution depot in Red River, Texas, with 1,000 personnel, 83 buildings, and $5 billion in inventory. Dittrich retired after earning a promotion to colonel.
After retiring from the military, Dittrich became senior vice president for operations at Leisure Arts Inc., a publisher in Little Rock, Arkansas, owned at various times by Time Warner, Liberty Media, and Comcast. Jim served each of those companies in a variety of capacities, including with mergers and acquisitions and contract negotiation. His expertise included large distribution centers, third-party fulfillment sales, call centers, and sourcing products worldwide. He served the organization for 17 years. He automated the distribution and moved a large segment of printing to Asia, always focusing on cost reduction and speed to market. He expertly shipped to most of the nation’s large retailers where IT linkage was the norm.
When an offer came to teach as an adjunct professor at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Dittrich retired again and started a 4-year career teaching logistics and transportation courses as part of a new supply chain major. For 24 years he has served as the VMI Arkansas Alumni Chapter president.
In 2004, he was invited to attend VMI Alumni Association Board Meetings, serving on several committees over the past 20 years, including as the first Chapter Operations Committee chair. He served as regional director for two terms and has been on the Board’s Executive Committee since 2016. In 2019, he became the VMI Alumni Association Board of Directors historian. He lectures at Board of Director meetings and writes for the VMI Alumni Agencies. Alumni can find many of his articles in past Alumni Reviews, monthly Turnouts, or online. He also writes a weekly article for the Virginia Military Institute History Facebook website. He is always ready to talk about his passion, VMI history.
Dittrich is married to Laticia (Tish), and they have three adult children. They reside near Perryville, Arkansas, in a community called Williams-Junction.