Board of Commissioners
NRHA is headed by a board of seven commissioners, appointed by Norfolk City Council, who are responsible for determining policy and direction. NRHA Commissioners are residents of Norfolk and serve staggered four-year terms. The board elects a chairman and vice chairman, as well as selects an executive director who is responsible for NRHA’s activities and operations. To contact a Commissioner, call 623-1679.
W. Sheppard Miller, III
Chairman of the Board
W. Sheppard Miller, III is Chairman of the Board of KITCO Fiber Optics and is President & CEO of Light Tech Fiber Optics, both based in Virginia Beach.
Along with his work for NHRA, Miller serves as Chairman of the Board of Hampton Roads Ventures, a for profit entity which secures and sell New market Tax Credits in the southeastern United States. Miller also serves on the Mayor’s Downtown Task Force, the Mayor’s Commission on Homelessness, and the boards of the Hampton Roads Economic Development Alliance, the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce and Monarch Bank’s Norfolk Division.
In addition, he is President of the Rotary Club of Norfolk for 2008-2009 and Chairman of HRBizPAC, the Hampton Roads Chamber's Political Action Committee. He was a member of the Norfolk Economic Development Authority for nine years, serving as chairman for five of those years before joining the NRHA Board.>
Bob Layton
Vice-chairman
L. Robert “Bob” Layton is a life long resident of Norfolk, only spending time away from the area during his college years and military service. He has been a Willoughby resident since 1979.
A graduate of Granby High School, Mr. Layton received his BA in Political Science and Economics from the University of Virginia. He received a Commission in the US Naval Reserve through the NROTC program and graduated from the Naval Supply Corps School in Athens, Georgia. Following his military service, Mr. Layton was employed by the family-owned business of Atlantic Equipment Corp. where he served as President from 1981 until he retired in 2004. He also served as Vice President of Elrell Corporation, a firm active in commercial real estate ownership and management. Prior to being appointed to the NRHA Board, Mr. Layton served on the Norfolk City Planning Commission from 1992 to 1998. He has also been a member of several City Council Task Forces.
Curtis Anderson
Curtis Anderson is Owner/General Manager of A-List Hospitality Group LLC/DBA: The Ultra Lounge and is also a marketing consultant with Max Marketing Group LLC. Previously, he was with Bank of America in Norfolk as Marketing Product Manager, Global Treasury Services, Government Card Services.
He is a graduate of Norfolk State University where he served as Student Government Vice President.
He co-founded the Coalition of Young Black Professionals Inc., is past president of Urban Financial Services Coalition (Southeastern Virginia Chapter) and Toastmasters International Club #674. He is also on the board of Youth Against Drugs and Disease.
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Hattie Anderson
Hattie Anderson retired from the Norfolk Shipbuilding & Drydock Corporation (NORSHIPCO). She is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School.
Ms. Anderson’s goal is to assist the residents of public housing, Berkley and the City of Norfolk to raise their quality of life through self-sufficiency. Ms. Anderson is accomplishing her goal through her various civic affiliations. She is an active member in the Norfolk Resident Organization, the Diggs Town Management Corporation, and the United Order of Tenants. She is also a member of the “Oldies but Goodies” – Berkley Neighborhood Charity Organization, on the Usher Board of St. Mark’s United Christian Church, a volunteer for the Tidewater Prosthetic Center, and serves on the Empowerment Zone Planning Board. Ms. Anderson also has an after school program at Tenet Management, where she employed Hampton University students to work with the youth in the Campostella area and she is a member of the Southside Coalition Team.
Ms. Anderson has received the following awards: NRHA/NRO Volunteer of the Year; NRHA/NRO Humanitarian Award; the Hampton Roads Volunteer Achievement Award; the Delta Sigma Theta Society, Inc. Community Service Award; the Norfolk Neighborhood Star Award; and was the recipient of the Jefferson Regional Award.
F. Nash Bilisoly
F. Nash Bilisoly has been a partner with Vandeventer Black since 1985 and concentrates his law practice in maritime matters, representing shipyards, terminals and vessels.
He received a B.A. from The College of William & Mary in 1976 and a J.D. from Tulane University School of Law in 1979, where he was the Notes and Comments Editor for The Tulane Maritime Lawyer.
His present business associations include Secretary of the Standing Committee on Stevedoring, Marine Terminals and Shoreside Services for The Maritime Law Association of the United States and a member of the National Advisory Board of the Tulane Admiralty Law Institute.
He is a member of the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (SEALI) where he recently spoke on the Transportation Worker's Identification Credential (TWIC). He has previously published articles with SEALI and in the Tulane Law Review.
He serves on the Executive Board of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Virginia and the Hermitage Foundation Museum and is a member of the Norfolk Mayor's Commission to End Homelessness.
Dr. Linda Horsey
Dr. Linda Horsey is Human Service Lecturer at Old Dominion University and previously was Executive Director of the Therapy Center in Norfolk. She is president of the Olde Huntersville Civic League.
She holds an undergraduate degree from Franklin College as well as Masters in Social Work, Columbia University, MBA, New York University and Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Columbia University Teachers College.
She has served on the boards of the Norfolk Community Services Board, ODU Institutional Review Board, Tidewater Children’s Foundation, Norfolk Interagency Consortium, Hunton YMCA as well as Norfolk Juvenile Courts Citizens Advisory Committee.
Robert J. Soble
Robert J. Soble was appointed by City Council in April, 2004 to serve as NRHA’s newest Commissioner. Mr. Soble is President and Owner of Pottery Art Studio. Mr. Soble has served on dozens of local boards and committees. He was formerly Vice Chairman of Norfolk’s Industrial Development Authority. Mr. Soble helped to establish Harborfest, Festevents, and Virginia Stage Company. Mr. Soble was Senior Vice President of the Virginia Zoological Society; he chaired the Fan Fair of Virginia orchestra group. He serves as advisor to Festevents, was Chairman of Zoo-to-Do and served on the 10th Anniversary of Scope Commission. Mr. Soble has also been a board member of the City’s Economic Development Authority, Virginia Symphony, Arthritis Foundation and Cultural Alliance of Hampton Roads.
In addition to the serving on numerous boards, Mr. Soble has also worked on committees for OpSail 2000, Holidays in the City, Virginia Opera Ball, Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters and many other organizations.
Mr. Soble sees the potential of the City and feels ‘there’s a lot of really important work to do in Norfolk’. He says “now that downtown has been reinvented, we at NRHA can help bring that same level of revitalization to the neighborhoods.”