Our Board of Directors at the Urban League of Hampton Roads plays a vital role in guiding our mission to empower communities and promote social and economic equality.

As dedicated leaders from diverse industries, the Board provides strategic oversight, governance, and support to ensure that the Urban League’s programs and initiatives are effective, sustainable, and aligned with our long-term goals. Their commitment and expertise help drive the organization’s efforts to create opportunities, advocate for justice, and positively impact the lives of individuals throughout the Hampton Roads region.

Gilbert T. Bland is the president and chairman of the Urban League of Hampton Roads. He currently serves on the executive committee of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Virginia Complete Count Commission for the 2020 Census. He is chairman of the Virginia African American Advisory Board and chairman of the Eastern Virginia Medical School Community Advisory Board, which was created to examine the past and present cultural environment of the medical school and recommend best practices.

Bland serves on the boards of Sentara Healthcare, Sentara Foundation, Randolph-Macon College, Hampton Roads Community Foundation, Elevate Early Education, Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. He serves as board chairman and president of Healthy Neighborhood Enterprises, a community development corporation.

Bland began his career as a commercial lending officer for the Continental Bank of Chicago and served as a vice president of commercial lending for the Independence Bank of Chicago. He has been an owner/operator of quick-service restaurants for more than 30 years, primarily as a franchisee of Burger King and Pizza Hut. In this capacity, he has owned, constructed and operated more than 70 restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., employing more than 2,000 team members annually.

He has served 10 years on the national board of directors of the Burger King National Franchise Association and was elected to five terms as the national president of the Burger King Minority Franchise Association. He is a charter board member of Burger King’s inclusion advisory committee. The Burger King Corp. has honored Bland with the James McLamore Founder’s Award for outstanding contributions as a franchisee and has endowed a scholarship in his name at James Madison University.

Mr. Bland has received an honorary degree from Longwood University.  In 2021, Mr. Bland was inducted into the Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame and was recognized by Volunteer Hampton Roads to receive the region’s lifetime achievement award for volunteerism.  For the past eight years, he has been chosen by Virginia Business Magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential Virginians.

Maxine McNair
Claims Supervisor GEICO

Toiya Sosa
Board Member to Associate Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer
Riverside Health System-Corporate Office

Bryan K. Stephens
President/CEO
Hampton Roads Chamber

Louisa Strayhorn
President & CEO
LSA Consulting, LLC