IBQ Winter 2017

The Man Who Bet on Downtown How Buddy Gadams became one of Norfolk’s largest developers Social Capital: The New Philanthropy Cultural Alliance Keeps Arts Center-Stage

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IBQ | PUBLISHER’S LETTER Winter 2017 Vol. 4 INFLUENCING PEOPLE, BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY Mike Herron Publisher

Clay Barbour

Executive Editor

Jennifer Fenner Creative Director

Allyson Garner Art Director

Irvin B. Harrell Associate Editor

Mary Flachsenhaar Associate Editor

Ski Miller

Sales and Marketing

Michelle Norman Business Manager

Susan Cofer

I

love chess, but I rarely play anymore, other than the occasional game with my eldest granddaughter, Emma.

The game has long been a favorite in my family, though. My Uncle Egbert (real name) was a European champion and grand master. My oldest brother Larry was also one heck of a player. He beat Egbert, once. My brother Bob was good enough to occasionally beat Larry.

Now, I’ve beaten Bob, so technically, I’ve beaten a chess player who’s beaten a chess player who’s beaten the grand master of Europe. Hey, I know it’s a stretch, but at least it’s based on fact!

What all chess players love about the game is that you have to think several steps ahead – about your moves, as well as your opponent’s. Play long enough and that kind of thinking becomes instinctive.

That’s great for chess, but it is also good for business. Strategic decision-making is fundamentally important. Having one’s eyes and ears open to opportunities,

4 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

Production Director

trends and the community is integral to success.

I couldn’t help but think about chess as I considered the stories in this issue of IBQ. Inside we highlight new leaders like Buddy Gadams, who has been working several steps ahead to revitalize downtown Norfolk, and Jim Kibler, the new president of Virginia Natural Gas, who is reconfiguring his company’s social initiatives.

We also discuss the Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads, which continues to help arts in our area grow, and introduce you to two of our market’s well-known leaders, Deborah Stearns and Richard Glasser.

All of them have some wisdom to impart, especially regarding strategic thinking and always thinking ahead. The next move is yours.

Thanks for reading.

Shea Alvis Production

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Judy Cowling, Michael Glasser, Irvin B. Harrell, Esther Keane, Tom Robinson, Ben Swenson

STYLIST

Harman Kaur Pradhan

PHOTOGRAPHY Keith Lanpher, Eric Lusher

PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT Shea Alvis, Carlos Coleman

EDITORIAL INQUIRIES

Clay Barbour, 757.446.2379, Clay.Barbour@ pilotonline.com

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Ski Miller, 757.222.3993, Ski.Miller@ pilotonline.com

SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES 757.446.9000

IBQ is published by The Virginian-Pilot, a Pilot Media company.

NORFOLK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The Airport’s Value to the Region Airports across the world are economic engines for the communities they serve, and Norfolk International Airport is no exception. According to a 2017 Virginia Department of Aviation Economic Impact Study of the Virginia Airport System, Norfolk International Airport’s total annual economic impact supported 14,290 jobs with a payroll of over

$600 million and a total economic output of $1.8

billion.

Norfolk International Airport is a well-managed and financially stable entity that is self-sustained in its operations. Without receiving any local taxes, the airport partakes in a voluntary annual audit and upholds a long history of annual surpluses while maintaining an A3 Moody’s rating.

And there is more to come! With in fiscal year 2018 to support 32 including:

Runway Rehabilitation & Concourse A Expansion

New Elevators

$100,000,000 budgeted major development projects

Wayfinding Improvements

Ticket Lobby Baggage Screening Improvements

New Federal Inspection Facilities

Design and construction of parking garage D

Since 1938, Norfolk International Airport has been the region’s global gateway. We continue to proudly serve the travel needs of our community as we prepare for the future.

IBQ | CONTENTS

24 36

30 Contents 42

6 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

04 08 12 16 18 24

Publisher’s Letter Biz Buzz IBQuestionnaire Brain Food Office Fashion Chamber of Culture

30 36 42 46 50

WINTER 2017 VOL. 4 The Man Who Bet on Downtown Social Capital Fresh-er Market Let’s Do Lunch Mentors: Richard S. Glasser

“ WHEN LOCAL

BUSINESS THRIVES, WE ALL SUCCEED.” Rob Shuford, Jr. President & CEO

Old Point is 100% committed to this community. We all live, work, and shop in Hampton Roads.

We know your family.

We know your business.

You matter to us.

OldPoint.com | 757.728.1200 #localmatterstous Member FDIC ©2016 Old Point National Bank

IBQ | BIZ BUZZ

GET YOUR SHOP ON

The Selden Market opened in October, bringing with it a new approach to launching businesses downtown. The market, which will feature 12 storefront tenants and 18 initial pop-ups, has been dubbed an “incubator for new and emerging businesses.”

“Historically, Selden has served as a destination for small and unique businesses,” said Mayor Kenny Alexander in a release issued by the Downtown Norfolk Council. “We are excited to re-open Selden Market as a space … that will produce the next generation of Norfolk’s iconic businesses.”

Every week the market will host seven pop-up businesses along with the standing storefront businesses. The goal, say officials, is for the market to promote a constantly changing and dynamic environment where businesses can stay for as little as a day or as long as a month or more.

The following is a list of the storefronts: Doughminion Donuts, Flutterby Soap Company, Food, Clothing & Shelter, Hummingbird Chocolate & Tea Room, LORAK Jewelry, Merchant’s Reserve, Thank You Gift Shop, P.O.P., Velvet Witch, Vessel Craft Coffee, Werther Leather Goods, Werrell Woodworks.

8 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

CORPORATE RETREAT ON THE RIVER

Entertainment Cruises, the nation’s largest dining and sightseeing cruise company, recently launched the Virginia Elite, a new private charter yacht berthed at

Norfolk’s Town Point Park.

The 70-foot yacht will offer freshly prepared cuisine with customized menus, making it perfect for corporate outings, holiday parties, client entertaining and more. Interested?

Check out EntertainmentCruises.com or SpiritCruises.com.

Don’t miss the chance to network with some of the area’s brightest women (and men) at the Women’s Forum of Coastal Virginia Dec. 7 at Slover Library. The event is 5-7 p.m. Cost is $10. http://bit.ly/2yDXzw6

THE HEALTHY OPTION

Looking for something new at lunch?

Head over to your closest Fruitive. The restaurant, which calls itself the “first certified organic fast casual restaurant group in North America,” offers something different. And before you meat-eaters turn up your nose, check out the menu.

We bet you would love an avo cucumber sandwich or collard taco. How many burritos can you eat anyway?

We have all experienced boring corporate getaways that involve ridiculous trust falls and long, droning lectures. Here’s an idea for a new kind of team-building exercise that could actually energize your office.

Push Comedy Theater offers corporate improv training that can help your employees build listening skills, learn to think on their feet, become more cooperative and learn to trust each other in a new way.

It’s not as crazy as it sounds. In improv, you rarely say “No.” You say “Yes, and,” which keeps the scene moving and can lead to an entirely new scene. The same is true in office settings, where solutions often come from working together instead of shooting one another down.

KEEP ON BREWING IMPROVE YOUR PUBLIC SPEAKING

We have all been there. You have a great idea, you’re in the big meeting, but then you struggle to get the words out and the boss loses interest. Don’t let that happen to you anymore. Toasting the Tide Toastmaster’s Club (say that three times fast) is hosting a speech craft program Dec. 10 at Slover Library. Improve those presentation and communication skills.

To sign up, contact Bruce Powers at (757) 593-2159 or rpowers1@cox.net.

Cost is $30.

The explosion of craft beer in Hampton Roads does not appear to be slowing down. There are almost a dozen confirmed breweries opening over the next six months. Below are the upcoming breweries and their anticipated opening date (subject to change): • Billsburg Brewery | Williamsburg (Oct. 28) • Amber Ox Kitchen & Brewery | Williamsburg (Dec. 2017) • Capstan Bar Brewing Company | Hampton (Dec. 2017) • Smartmouth Brewing Company | Virginia Beach (Dec. 2017) • The Vanguard Brewpub & Distillery | Hampton (Dec. 2017) • The Bunker Brewpub | Virginia Beach (Jan. 2018) • 757 Brewing Company | Smithfield (Feb. 2018) • Back Bay’s Farmhouse Brewing Company | Virginia Beach (Feb. 2018) • Brick and Mortar Brewing Company | Suffolk (March 2018) • Cape Charles Brewing Company | Cape Charles (TBD) • Vibrant Shore Brewing Company | Virginia Beach (TBD) IBQMAG.COM 9

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VOL.37

Regent isTuned in to Your Success High school journalism classes sparked her love of the media. But it was an MBA from Regent University that helped promote Kari Jacobs to general manager of WVEC, where her principled leadership skills are elevating the whole organization. “Unlike other schools I considered, Regent lets you customize projects around real-life work issues. The professors challenge you and genuinely want you to succeed.”

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IBQ | IBQUESTIONNAIRE

Deborah Stearns Stearns is a senior vice president with JLL’s Hampton Roads office, bringing more than 35 years’ experience and leadership to the job. A consistent top producer, she was recognized as a CoStar Power Broker in 2017.

What is your idea of success?

For me, success is doing what you enjoy, doing it well and living a balanced life.

Who was the most influential leader in your life (not a family member)?

Robert Stanton, chairman of Stanton Partners, has been a mentor, a sponsor, a role model and a friend.

What to you is the difference between a leader and a manager?

Leaders make decisions; managers implement decisions.

A good boss does...?

A good boss respects each associate and their strengths, understands there are always two sides to a dispute, is willing to teach and mentor colleagues, and is willing to admit when they are wrong.

What is the most successful habit a person can have?

Being proactive.

What worries you most?

The divisiveness in our country today.

What excites you most?

Finding solutions for my clients.

How do you recover from setbacks?

I don’t believe in carrying negative

baggage. Let go of emotions and hard feelings from setbacks, review it for the lessons you can take away, assess your strengths, and move forward to the next opportunity with a positive attitude.

What object or objects will always be in your office?

A photo of my husband.

How do you achieve a healthy balance between work and home?

Experience helps. Years ago, when I was not achieving a healthy balance, my husband suggested I treat him with the same respect I would a client; for example, placing the same importance on arriving home on time to arriving to a meeting on time. It was a pretty reasonable request. I also believe strongly in the value of exercise. Daily exercise really helps me enjoy each day and face its challenges with a good attitude.

What are you listening to?

Lady Antebellum and Spencer Day. What are you reading?

“American Assassin” by Vince Flynn.

What three things do you save in a fire? My wedding ring; passport or driver’s license; and my iPhone.

What quality do you most like in a colleague?

Dependability.

What quality do you like least in a colleague?

Lack of ambition.

How do you foster cooperation at work?

Start by cooperating with others. Encourage people to leverage the individual strengths of teammates to both provide effective and comprehensive solutions to clients and to learn from each other.

How do you differ now from when you first started out in business?

There is no substitute for experience.

Each transaction, each opportunity and each failure produce experience that complements the next situation. What has never changed is a commitment to honesty and hard work.

What one thing would you change about yourself?

Be more patient.

If you had to change careers, what would you be? A lawyer.

What is your dream of the future?

Retirement with my terrific husband. Q IBQMAG.COM 13

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IBQ | BRAIN FOOD

A Dozen Smart Things to Read, Do or Buy in 2018 No one wants to start off already behind. This time of year it’s important to prepare for all of the challenges and opportunities that come your way.

Here are some things for your brain and your body in the new year.

READ

FRIEND & FOE: When to Cooperate, When to Compete, and How to Succeed at Both | This book by researchers Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer argues that people are wired to cooperate and fight in about equal measure. The key is finding a balance.

GRIT TO GREAT: How Perseverance, Passion, and Pluck Take You from Ordinary to Extraordinary | Some people think that successful people have extraordinary minds or incredible skills, but often, as authors Linda Kaplan Thaler and Robin Koval discovered, it is some internal drive to fight through adversity that propels surprisingly average people to great heights.

DO BECOME SOCIALLY AWARE | Don’t be one of those companies with an institutional tin ear. If you do have a social media strategy, make sure it has been developed with an awareness of the ever-changing social scene in your market and what is driving consumers. To ignore it is to court trouble.

16

IBQ DECEMBER 2017

THE 21 IRREFUTABLE LAWS OF LEADERSHIP | An updated classic by the internationally recognized leadership expert John C. Maxwell, this one has advice for just about every occasion. If you haven’t read it yet, make sure you do in 2018.

RESPECT (AND EMPLOY) EXPERTISE Everyone knows that retail is struggling as more people handle shopping needs online. Does that mean brick and mortar is dead? No, it means that any business wanting to attract customers will need to invest in expertise. The experience is what you have to sell. If you walk into a store, you want someone who can really help you. Otherwise you might as well do it from the comfort of your couch.

DO

GET MOBILE | Look, we get it, you are tired of your mom trying to “friend” your co-workers, but don’t let that keep you away from the social media platform giant. In fact, smartly using Facebook gives companies a chance to be in the pocket of nearly every consumer – literally. Experts say that by 2020 almost 60 percent of users will access the site with their phones. In fact, 80 percent of the company’s ad revenue is from mobile.

If you don’t have a mobile strategy that includes all of the possible platforms in 2018, you better get one or you’ll be as relevant as grandma’s chain email.

BUY

HEALTHIER OFFICE FURNITURE | Guess what? Your office can seriously hurt your health. Stress is bad, yeah, but life behind a desk can kill you. Sadly, almost 90 percent of American workers sit at a desk for most of the day. To protect against a whole host of health problems, and to promote health and cut down on time missed by employees, this year you should invest in some furniture like movable keyboard trays, sit-stand desks, monitor stands and ergonomically healthy chairs. Do it for yourself, or your employees.

ADD VIDEO | If you are a content producer, then you know that video is immensely important for brands. And not just any video will do. Length, style, skill, all decide whether what you post will attract viewers and improve your company social profile – and ultimately, its bottom line.

INVEST IN CONTENT | For many businesses, good communication is the difference between success and failure. There is no skimping on your content creators. Hire a professional who can create a story of your brand that will help you sell it to potential customers. And since it will soon be 2018, you need to hire someone who can craft content on multiple platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, etc. Think that move is not for you? Plenty of companies are doing it, from automakers to tax preparers.

A DECLUTTERER | If you work in an office, you are very aware of the mass of wires that often get tangled behind your monitor. This is especially an issue if, like many people, you frequently take your laptop out of the office. Several companies, including ONME, Neat Tree and BlueLounge, have created clips, holders and even a wire-containing box to help you declutter your office space.

AN ELECTRONIC MOTHER | Keeping with the healthy theme, Lumo has created a device it calls the Lumo Lift that monitors your posture and alerts you through vibrations that you are slouching. It may sound silly, but there was a reason your mom was obsessed with keeping you from doing that. Back pains, alignment issues, jaw pains and headaches have all been linked to bad posture.

(Sources: Inc.com, Forbes.com, SmartInsights.com)

A DIFFERENT KIND OF HOT SPOT If you thought having your very own barista in the office was cool, wait to see the Vantitas warmer, which keeps beverages heated on your desk while you work.

Get one of these and you can skip the dirty office microwave for the rest of your life. Q IBQMAG.COM 17

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IBQ | PROFILE

Chamber of Culture Cultural Alliance keeps arts center-stage.

by Ben Swenson

“Romeo and Juliet” with Momoko Hirata as Juliet. Photo by Andrew Ross cour tesy of the Virginia Ar ts Festival.

C

ities are made of brick and mortar, but culture brings them to life.

That’s why civic leaders in Hampton Roads support vibrant arts communities and initiatives in almost every city, from Virginia Beach’s ViBe Creative District and Norfolk’s NEON District to the Newport News Public Art Foundation.

But connecting the public with arts and culture is an endeavor fraught with financial and logistical challenges. Fortunately, there is a local organization that has been helping navigate those challenges for decades.

The Cultural Alliance of Greater Hampton Roads has been an unwavering champion for the arts in Southeastern Virginia for 35 years, providing advocacy and technical support for arts groups, fostering patronage and earning the types of invest-

ments that have transformed the region’s cultural landscape. No easy task, given the intricate web of management, financing and budgeting needed to be a success.

“The arts are always underfunded, considering the money they put back into the economy,” said Minette Cooper, vice president of the alliance and a 50-year advocate of the arts in Hampton Roads.

Arts and culture bring beauty to the world. They also bring jobs. There are nearly twice as many Americans in arts and cultural organizations as there are lawyers, some 1.15 million jobs supported by nonprofits alone.

The figures are compelling, with more than $166 billion in nonprofit arts-related spending in the United States annually and some 76,000 people working in “creative industries” in Virginia, according to Americans for the Arts.

IBQMAG.COM 25

IBQ | PROFILE

The effects develop locally, too.

Last year, the Virginia Beach Arts & Humanities Commission awarded grants that helped put on more than 500 events that reached 196,000 people. For every dollar the city allocated to the commission, 57 cents went directly back to the city in the form of taxes and rental fees, some $270,000 in revenue.

These economic ripples repeat themselves throughout Hampton Roads, not only in legacy cultural institutions such as Chrysler Museum of Art and the Virginia Arts Festival, but also in smaller entities that promote and perform, such as choruses and community theaters.

The growing number of arts districts are positioning local cities to capitalize on a cultural renaissance.

S

o the alliance’s advocacy is as much about cultivating an arts economy as it is about building an arts community.

Joan Rhodes-Copeland, president of the alliance, said that there is a multi-tiered approach to supporting the arts, and part of that is publicly identifying leaders in the field.

Each year, the alliance presents Alli Awards to people and institutions that support the arts locally. In 2016, one of the awards went to Arthur "Brother" Rutter and his wife, Meredith, who formed the Rutter Family Art Foundation, which supports local art and artists from Work | Release, its home in the renovated Texaco Building in the NEON District.

The foundation sponsors exhibits, lectures and performances, often by talented but little-known artists. Brother Rutter said that recognitions like the Alli Awards and exhibit space offer a sort of political capital that helps move the arts forward.

“Money for arts and culture is some26 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

“Money for arts and culture is sometimes hard to get. Public recognition is another type of currency that encourages people to be leaders in culture in the arts, to recognize them when there may not be other more traditional methods of recognizing people, something like a job or a position.”

– Arthur “Brother“ Rutter times hard to get,” Rutter said. “Public recognition is another type of currency that encourages people to be leaders in culture in the arts, to recognize them when there may not be other more traditional methods of recognizing people, something like a job or a position.”

Keeping the arts visible and accessible is important for creating the kind of culturally rich community that attracts investments such as the one the Rutters made. For public officials and private individuals to feel confident about making those investments, they need assurances that the institutions they are supporting are on firm financial footing.

The alliance facilitates business counseling for arts organizations to help build that foundation. Most arts nonprofits have a small staff and a shoestring budget, and the leadership may lack experience in a critical area, such as marketing, publishing or accounting.

Cooper said that every arts organization she has encountered over five decades is hyper-aware of its budget constraints. The problem, she said, is that the arts industry is labor-intensive with many necessary moving parts. A chamber ensemble can’t remove the violin and still have the same sound, nor can a ballet

company stage a performance without practice space. “These are expensive, ongoing costs,” she said.

Financially secure arts institutions ensure a diverse arts scene that is broad enough to appeal to a wide range of interests. That helps the alliance fulfill its ultimate goal. “We want to increase individuals’ encounters with the arts,” Rhodes-Copeland said.

The alliance employs novel initiatives to facilitate these encounters. People who join the alliance, for instance, have access to an arts passport, which offers incentives such as discounted entrance fees to dozens of local venues.

Another important component is reaching young people, because those formative experiences will cultivate lifelong artists and patrons, Rhodes-Copeland said. The alliance partners with schools, alerting students to opportunities available to them.

Every Norfolk Public Schools elementary school student gets the opportunity to see the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, a trip that many local families might not have the inclination or money to make. “Most of us got started because a family member long ago took us somewhere or gave us some experience, and that sparked a passion for art,” she said.

That passion and those investments in the arts and culture benefit the community at large. The cultural connection not only draws people to a specific location, according to Rutter, but it keeps a brain drain from hindering forward momentum. “The arts change the trajectory of a city because they change the desirability of people to live there,” he said. Q

Joan Rhodes-Copeland (left) and Minette Cooper. Photo by Eric Lusher.

IBQMAG.COM 27

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The Man Who Bet on Downtown Frank “Buddy” Gadams has ridden a series of shrewd investments to the top, becoming one of Norfolk’s largest developers

by Irvin B. Harrell | photo by Keith Lanpher

IBQ | PROFILE

P

The 24-story Icon apar tment building features a rooftop enter tainment lounge, spectacular views of downtown and the Elizabeth River, gas stoves, a wine vault, 24-hour gym, and even a coffee bar and jazz lounge. Photos cour tesy of Icon at City Walk.

32 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

ast the dust and dry wall, boards and bustle, the Icon at City Walk apartment building is taking shape, revealing a high-dollar gloss that could make it the next tier of downtown apartment living.

The 24-story residence, expected to open in late December, is flush with amenities: rooftop entertainment lounge, spectacular views of downtown and the Elizabeth River, gas stoves, a wine vault, 24-hour gym, and even a coffee bar and jazz lounge.

Frank “Buddy” Gadams, 47, purchased the former Bank of America building, along with an adjacent four-story building, in January 2016. He sold the office building this past summer for nearly $57 million after helping lure Automatic Data Processing (ADP) and about 1,800 jobs to Norfolk.

Unlike most of the apartments already downtown, the Icon has been designed to attract well-to-do empty-nesters, something officials hope will propel the area to its next stage of development.

If successful, it could be the crown jewel of an area that has experienced a renaissance the past five years, going from an afterthought in the shadow of Ghent to a legitimately thriving district that’s home to about 6,000 people.

Successful or not, it will cap a remarkable run downtown for Gadams, who has ridden a series of shrewd investments in a once forgotten part of the city to become one of the largest private landowners in Norfolk.

With Icon’s completion in late December, Gadams will have 25 properties downtown, housing 1,500 apartments, 22 retailers and 100,000 square feet of office space. Investing in downtown might have seemed risky when he did it, but Gadams says it just made sense.

“I had traveled quite a bit to other

big cities with established residential,” he says. “‘Why can’t we have that?’ I asked.

We have the waterfront – which is a wesome – we have the mall, we have the retail shopping. It’s right in the middle of the area. We have people in office towers, tens of thousands of people. We have really cool restaurants. The only thing that I felt that downtown was lacking was residential. I felt I could fill that hole.”

It makes sense, seems simple even.

But such a leap of faith was impressive when you consider that downtown was, until that point, home to the worst professional setback of Gadams’ life.

G

adams grew up in the farm town of Lawrenceburg, Tennessee, population 10,736. At the age of 12, his family moved to Dallas, where he would spend a few years before moving to Richmond. In 1989, Gadams attended James Madison University in Harrisonburg and received his finance degree in 1993.

Soon afterward, he came to Norfolk, working for seven years at American Funds, a mutual fund company.

“I was looking for a way to have some additional income on the side, and I always liked real estate,” he says. “I bought my first building in 1998 with some money that I had inherited from my grandmother. I bought a five-unit apartment building on Boissevain Avenue. In a couple years I flipped it and made five times my money. I figured this could be a pretty good business.”

Gadams started slowly picking off a building here and there, until 1999, when he started looking into historic properties downtown. He landed 419 Duke Street, a four-unit apartment building.

“Funny thing: I closed on it at 5 p.m. that day and turned on the 10 o’clock

“He knew what the younger generation was looking for and provided it, such as the really attractive common spaces he has created in his apartments.

He’s one of the best things to happen to downtown Norfolk.”

– Paul Fraim, Former Norfolk Mayor news, and I saw my property on it,” he says. “A huge thunderstorm had come through, and sheared the chimney off into the building next to it. That was quite the indoctrination into the downtown real estate business.”

But otherwise, things were looking up, Gadams says. Sure, historic properties had a lot of risks, but he was getting them at a good price, “because downtown Norfolk was still in bad shape.” For Gadams, it was all about potential.

“In 1997-1998, the city had just started work on the mall. I felt the city was making a big investment downtown,” he says. “With historic tax credits I was able to get my equity back in 12 to 24 months, which enabled me to do a lot of these deals without partners, because a lot of times … you have to bring in investors and they take 75 to 80 percent of the deal, so you’re not left with a lot.”

Former Norfolk Mayor Paul Fraim says he met Gadams around 2001, when he was developing a property along Granby. It didn’t take long for the developer to make a believer out of him.

“I had several discussions with him and I was impressed by his plan to redevelop historic buildings,” Fraim says.

“But with that boyish smile and look – yet winning personality – you couldn’t help but be a little skeptical.”

Then in 2006 Gadams started work

on an ambitious project that was to be built across from the old federal courthouse on Granby Street and Brambleton Avenue. The $180 million Granby condominium project would have been Norfolk’s tallest building.

“The government came knocking at my door saying they wanted to build a courthouse there. That chilled my sales, slowed down my project, and put me right in front of the great recession,” he says. “The great recession came; anyone owning real estate got crushed.”

The deal was scuttled in 2008 when his lender went bankrupt. Gadams’ company, 515 Granby LLC, faced numerous lawsuits for deposits placed on condominiums. Many were settled out of court, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Gadams says all of the deposits were refunded with interest. A construction company as well as subcontractors also sought repayment for construction costs.

“One day I felt like I had $100 million in real estate and by 2007 I felt like my real estate was underwater by $50 million,” he says.

Gadams says he didn’t work on any deals between 2007 and 2012. At the time he was dealing with about 20 lawsuits. “Seventy-five percent of my day was spent defending myself.”

In 2010, federal officials sued Gadams, offering him about $6.2 million for the property. Gadams says he owed the bank $7.2 million so he contested the suit. He eventually won an eminent domain settlement for $13.4 million, but the damage was done. “When the smoke cleared, I came out about even,” he says.

As for the property, it now sits empty – a large tract of grass in an ideal location, used occasionally as an impromptu dog park.

“One day I’d like to buy it back,” he says with his still boyish grin.

IBQMAG.COM 33

IBQ | PROFILE

View from the top of the former Bank of America building. Gadams purchased it, along with an adjacent four-story building, in January 2016.

Photo cour tesy of Icon at City Walk.

34 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

I

n 2012 Gadams, feeling the market had bottomed out, gathered some investors and started buying real estate notes, foreclosing on properties and converting them, including the Wainwright Building.

“In 2012, I bought its note from JP Morgan in an auction for $3 million,” he says. “The owners filed bankruptcy.

We were probably 60 to 70 percent preleased before we opened. After that deal, I started to look at all of the downtown possibilities.”

Gadams says most investors thought that by just doing one area he was overdo-

ing the market. But he stayed the course, and over the next five years accrued about 1,500 apartments downtown.

“Four out of five lenders I talked to about Wainwright said no,” he says.

“They thought downtown wasn’t going to be the sort of market that could support the kind of residential that the Wainwright had. But I got one bank to say yes.”

Union Bank & Trust in Virginia Beach – at the time named Stellar One – provided Gadams with $13.5 million in financing to refit the Wainwright. From there he acquired another downtown property off Granby near Freemason

from the Bank of the Commonwealth.

With about $10 million, he turned it into The James Apartments, with 77 units.

That too was financed by Union Bank.

“When I saw how successful the Wainwright was, I tried to keep it quiet,” he says. “I started mapping out block by block how I thought things could be and then I started approaching certain owners.”

Tom Dillon, the senior vice president for commercial banking for Union Bank, says the bank was looking for ways to expand and find new business when he heard about Gadams’ plan to refit the Wainwright.

“We had had prior success with the kind of funding for historic buildings that Gadams was looking for,” Dillon says. “The Wainwright had good bones, or a solid structure, and Gadams had some sound financial partners.”

The relationship between Gadams and Union has thrived since and Dillon says the bank – which also is part financier in the Cavalier Hotel project in Virginia Beach – has been very happy with its loans to Gadams.

“We continue to do business with him,” he says. “The Wainwright leased in half the time we expected it to. He paid

off the loan and also made sure that our bank got good publicity out of it.”

Gadams says his extensive support group over the years has kept him in the real estate game. Former Mayor Fraim is one person at the top of his list.

“From a leadership point of view, he’s probably someone that I believed in the most,” Gadams says. “He had this vision of greatness for downtown. He stood out and gave me the confidence to double down and triple down and quadruple down. He kept saying, ‘Hey, it’s going to be OK, this is what we’re going to do.’”

Fraim calls Gadams a visionary of sorts and says that Icon will be a real game-changer for downtown.

“Buddy caught the wave of millennials moving back to the city,” he says.

“He knew what the younger generation was looking for and provided it, such as the really attractive common spaces he has created in his apartments. He’s one of the best things to happen to downtown Norfolk.”

Gadams says he plans to diversify his portfolio a bit once Icon is completed, possibly getting into hedge funds. Success is a combination of strategy, timing and a little luck, Gadams says. Those pre-recession lessons have led directly to his recent successes.

“Looking back, I learned a lot,” he says. “While it was a gamble, the way that I did it, the way that I structured my loans, the way that I did the deals, there really wasn’t as much down side for me as when I was doing deals in pre-recession Norfolk.”

“The reason that I love apartments so much and the type of retail that I have is that you can’t outsource it; you can’t live in cyberspace. So, I rest my case. As long as Norfolk can continue to grow and add population, people are always going to need a place to live.” Q IBQMAG.COM 35

IBQ | PROFILE

Investing in Social Capital Virginia Natural Gas pipes energy into the community

by Tom Robinson photos by Eric Lusher

Jim Kibler, VNG president, has refocused the company’s philanthropic effor ts on environmental and veteran programs.

36 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

V

irginia Natural Gas delivers nearly $300,000 and countless volunteer hours to the Hampton Roads community each year. That’s not news to its employees, because they decide where every charitable dollar and minute goes.

Long a philanthropic force, Virginia Natural Gas has refocused its altruistic game in the year and a half since Jim Kibler became president.

Following an employee survey, the company formed a community engagement committee with 20 members from different departments. The group meets monthly to field requests for donations and manpower, and to advise external affairs director George Faatz on which issues employees feel most invested.

Employees strongly support environment and military/veterans programs. They are now prominent on the company’s philanthropic menu, along with its traditional support of children’s education, especially STEM-related programs, energy assistance and community enrichment.

Kibler, formerly head of external affairs and public policy for Virginia Natural Gas’s Atlanta-based parent Southern Company Gas, made employee buy-in a priority when he was promoted in July 2016.

In Atlanta, “I got real good at figuring out if we’re going to send 10 people to an event, what events are people actually going to show up for and be happy,” says Kibler, 54.

Previous experience with the Points of Light Foundation convinced him that “if you align your dollars with employees’ volunteer time, you’ll make a much bigger impact than just writing a check.”

VNG, active with the Nature Conservancy, has dedicated resources toward longleaf pine tree growth in Southeastern Virginia, planting six trees outside its Virginia Beach headquar ters.

38 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

Virginia Natural Gas writes plenty of checks, to be sure. Faatz says the utility, founded in 1850 as City Gas Light Company in Norfolk, annually returns $1 to the community for each of its customers, which currently number about 293,000.

In its pending request with the State Corporation Commission for a rate increase, the company reported total operating revenue as of Sept. 30, 2016, of more than $241 million.

Greater employee input and turnout also benefit the company by encouraging team-building and camaraderie, says Amy Rickard, a member of the community engagement committee.

“We’ve really gotten down to what it is that most excites our employees about getting involved,” says Rickard, who joined Virginia Natural Gas as corporate communications manager two years ago.

“It’s a different philosophy than I’m used

IBQ | PROFILE

to. It’s not necessarily talking the talk.

They walk the walk as well.”

In particular, Virginia Natural Gas is the longest-standing corporate sponsor of the Polar Plunge in Virginia Beach at 18 years. The event raises about $1 million a year, according to Special Olympics Virginia president Rick Jeffrey.

Virginia Natural Gas employees plan their Plunge effort most of the year, Jeffrey says. They offer major logistical leadership and recruit dozens of plungers who raise money in addition to their company’s corporate support.

“On their website they use the phrase ‘We put our energy into the community,’ and that certainly exemplifies what they do with us,” Jeffrey says. “We could not do what we do with the Polar Plunge without our great partnership with Virginia Natural Gas.” Another favorite company catchphrase is “We’re citizens wherever we serve.”

Exemplifying that slogan, the company recently teamed with Tidewater Community College to train transitioning military vets in natural-gas operations.

V

irginia Natural Gas also has become active within the Nature Conservancy’s effort to restore longleaf pine growth in Southeastern Virginia, even planting six trees outside its Virginia Beach headquarters.

“As a public service corporation, the only way we make money is by adding customers,” Kibler says. “The best way for our business to prosper is to really invest in the community. It’s one of those incredible opportunities where your self-centered interest aligns with what’s good for everyone.”

Kibler is a student of “social capital,” the networks that enable communities to function. He comes by that interest naturally.

He grew up in rural New Castle, a town of 150 near Roanoke. He is the son of the late James R. “Bobby” Kibler, the town’s mayor and a lifelong civic leader.

Numerous members of Kibler’s extended family also were involved in running the town, so his sense of civic responsibility runs deep. The same goes for his appreciation of nature, formed by fishing and hunting with his father.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, with a law degree from the University of Richmond, Kibler for a time lobbied in the Virginia General Assembly for natural gas producers. After the Assembly passed the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Act in 1988, he spent two years touring Eastern Virginia writing clean-water policy for the bay agency’s local assistance department.

Given his environmental awareness, Kibler admits to being sensitive to public criticism of his industry. He has written editorial pieces dispelling safety concerns regarding the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which would cover 600 miles from West Virginia to North Carolina.

Kibler says new, more efficient well identification and drilling techniques reduce the surface impact of fracking operations. Most Virginia Natural Gas suppliers are aiming for zero net water use over the next three years to prevent water contamination, he says.

Southern Company is among eight natural gas companies joined in the ONE Future coalition. They have pledged to limit methane emissions to 1 percent of gross natural gas production in the United States by 2025. “We’ve already met the commitment,” Kibler says.

Virginia Natural Gas serves 15 localities from the North Carolina line to Hanover County outside Richmond and spends $35 million a year to replace old pipes, Kibler says.

“The best way for our business to prosper is to really invest in the community. It’s one of those incredible opportunities where your self-centered interest aligns with what’s good for everyone.”

– Jim Kibler, President of Virginia Natural Gas “We’ve replaced more miles of pipe than any company in America, at least east of the Mississippi.”

That dovetails with the company’s documented reputation for safety and customer service. Cogent Reports, which polls residential customers of the largest U.S. utility companies, has named Virginia Natural Gas an “environmental champion” three consecutive years.

And in a 2016 survey of gas customers by J.D. Power, the company emerged second in customer satisfaction among southern mid-size utilities and third nationally.

“If we do four things well, the company is going to be in fantastic shape,” Kibler says. “Making our philanthropy best in class, the way we’ve made safety, reliability and customer service, means that we are fulfilling our mission as a company.” Q

IBQMAG.COM 39

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FRESH ER MARKET New Earth Farm Market is the next step in the farm-to-table movement

by Esther Keane | photos by Eric Lusher

Myra is the ofďŹ cial greeter at the New Ear th Farm Market.

IBQ | PROFILE

Kevin Jamison

“I never intended on opening a restaurant just to serve food to people.

It’s more of a mission as a business to promote the ideals we have and to do it in a very positive way.”

– Kevin Jamison, Owner of Commune

44 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

I

t all begins with a seed. For Kevin Jamison, owner of Commune restaurant, that seed was a desire to work in sustainable agriculture and cultivate the connection between customers and food.

With the success of his Virginia Beach and Norfolk restaurant locations, Jamison is introducing a new phase and bringing chefs and residents with him.

The purchase of New Earth Farm earlier this year and the grand opening of the New Earth Farm on-site market Sept.

22 have made it possible to put locally grown items directly in the hands of customers.

“I never intended on opening a restaurant just to serve food to people,” Jamison said. “It’s more of a mission as

a business to promote the ideals we have and to do it in a very positive way.”

A passion for quality seasonal ingredients has motivated much of Jamison’s career and is the philosophy at Commune, which serves fresh food daily.

Having earned a graduate degree in international law with a focus on food security from St. John’s University in Rome, Jamison spent some time in New York City before coming back to pursue work in agriculture and promote sustainability and conscientious eating.

New Earth Farm, which grows vegetables, herbs and fruit and has pastures for chickens, allows Jamison to farm year-round. The market, which holds remnants of the original farmhouse that date back to the 1800s, carries items such as honey, bee pollen, cheeses,

milk, yogurt, meats, jams and jelly, and grains. It gives residents and customers the opportunity to get up close and personal with their food.

“I think we’ve started something really big and important here,” Jamison said. “In other areas where this movement has begun it’s really hard to stop because people start to realize why it’s important. It’s not just a trendy, cool thing to do, but it’s actually extraordinarily important for the health of our community and the health of our environment to do things this way.”

The concept of chefs growing the food they serve is the next phase of the farm-to-table movement, and Jamison is one chef leading the way in Hampton Roads.

“I think that it’s only going to keep

growing,” he said. “Restaurants are adapting to the same sort of sourcing model that we use and having their chefs come out to the farm to talk about ingredients and what grows when.”

The need for a more dynamic, personal, authentic connection to the process and experience of food goes beyond choosing the right vendors. Chefs are seeking an intimate connection with what they cook, and the benefits are environmental, aesthetic and flavorful.

“We don’t want to talk about all the negative things; we just want to present people with a beautiful plate of food or a beautiful box of freshly picked vegetables and let people start to think about those things,” Jamison said. “It’s not about the gloom – it’s saying there’s a solution and this is it.” Q

Jamison par tnered with Paul Shultz, Marion Shultz (opposite page) and Eric Cardon to buy New Ear th Farm this year.

They recently opened the new on-site market to help the community foster a closer connection to the food they eat.

IBQMAG.COM 45

IBQ | LET’S DO LUNCH

Le Yaca French Restaurant Williamsburg mainstay opens a Beach location

I

by Judy Cowling photos by Eric Lusher

f you’re looking for a restaurant to impress your boss, some place where the décor is refined, the food on point and the wait staff attentive without hovering, then you better give Le Yaca French Restaurant a try.

Located in the Marketplace at Hilltop, in a spot that was previously home to Burton’s Grill, Le Yaca’s impeccable décor is open and airy. The walls, the ceiling, the linen tablecloths and the upholstered chairs are all varied tones of creamy white.

Large plantation shutters and translucent roller shades over the large plate glass windows filter the incoming light to give the restaurant a seamless feeling.

Decorative pale copper panels float down from the ceiling and kiss the top of light 46 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

bamboo floors.

And if you speak French, you’ll get a chance to shine as you translate the menu for those at your table. You can tell your guests côté mer means “of the sea” and côté terre means “of the earth” as you guide them to their preferred dishes.

And then there is the food. Lunch items can be ordered a la carte or in three courses for $18. Salad, signature mountain-style French onion soup or a seasonal soup of the day make a great first course.

For a second course you could go with the pan-seared chicken scallopini with brown butter sauce or the 5-ounce filet with port wine demi-glace or the twin pork tenderloin with apples chutney and a mushroom calvados cream sauce.

It’s hard to make a wrong choice.

But whatever you do, save room for the exquisite desserts. Crème brûlée with fresh berries, lemon mousse with a thin

almond crust and a trio of sorbets stand out on the menu. I can personally attest to the fondant au chocolat, a warm chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and candied hazelnuts.

The wait station sits in the center of the dining room so that all diners can see their server and the staff can keep an eye on the needs of their charges. Behind that, a glass-enclosed wine room glows and quietly beckons guests.

The formal dining room takes up three-quarters of the restaurant. A casual bistro and bar area makes up the rest with an impressive backlit onyx bar with plentiful seating and smaller wooden tables for four to six.

There’s also a private room available for meetings and special occasions for 26 guests equipped with a flat-screen television that can be used for a media presentation.

IBQ | LET’S DO LUNCH

Interested in hosting a Sunday brunch meeting? Le Yaca offers four courses beginning with a brunch drink, soup or salad, a choice of six entrees and your choice of six desserts for $30. And there’s no buffet line: It is all served at your table.

You may know Le Yaca from a visit to its Williamsburg location. It has been open to rave reviews since 1980. Chef Daniel Abid is the force behind that location and for now, will be going back and forth between the two restaurants. His wife, Joy Abid, oversees the private rooms at both restaurants and keeps an eye on Williamsburg in Daniel’s absence.

Daniel’s son Marcus Yves Abid, 27, will be in charge of the Virginia Beach location in the near future. He previously worked for Alain Ducasse in New York and then for popular restaurateur Daniel Boulud at his namesake restaurant, Daniel. His wife, Cecile Abid Chastanet, 26, met Marcus when they both worked for Ducasse.

Chastanet is the floor manager in Virginia Beach and has a sommelier title from France, her country of birth. They don’t have the same multi-level system as we do in the States, but she knows her wines and specializes in wines from France, California and the Finger Lakes Region in New York. She will be glad to help you chose a glass or a bottle and you will enjoy her lovely accent as she tells you about them.

At the end of your lunch meeting, you will be guaranteed to score major points with your boss and win over the new clients. Très bien! Q Le Yaca French Restaurant 741 First Colonial Road, Virginia Beach 757.500.4773, Facebook.com/LeYacaVB. Chef Daniel Abid, Cecile Abid Chastanet and Marcus Yves Abid

48 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

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IBQ | MENTORS

Richard S. Glasser Living with integrity

by Michael Glasser

(Front row, L-R) Richard S. Glasser, Rose Frances Glasser, Michael Glasser.

(Second row, L-R) Mar tha Glasser, Jane Glasser Frank, Lori Glasser.

(Photo on wall) Bernard Glasser.

50 IBQ DECEMBER 2017

F

or the past 39 years, I have practiced law with Glasser and Glasser PLC, based in Norfolk.

My life and legal career have been shaped by the values of integrity, hard work and love. Working in what started as a family firm was and remains special. From a humble start in 1932 with one lawyer, we now employ nearly 200 people. My father, Bernard Glasser, built a wonderful reputation in the law during his 51 years of practice until his death in 1983. Our firm continues to reap the benefits of the good name he left for us.

My oldest brother, Stuart, set the example

for hard work and attention to detail before retiring in 1984.

For all of my legal career, I have practiced law with my brother, Richard. Our relationship is very close, and always has been, even though he is 12 years older than me. One of my earliest memories is riding in his bicycle basket as a toddler.

Richard is actively engaged with the firm as a managing partner and has been a loving mentor to me.

I have learned many life lessons from Richard. Among those lessons is integrity. Integrity is much more than mere honesty. Integrity is a quality achieved over a long period of time. Integrity is the essential ingredient of a good reputation.

Once your reputation for integrity is well established, people know your goal will be to do the right thing every time.

Richard has told all our lawyers and staff here at Glasser and Glasser to “do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason” and always to “take the high road.” That message is always our standard whenever we are called upon to advise our clients, our families, or make tough decisions. It is not a short-term approach. It’s a way of living. Q Michael Glasser has practiced law since 1978, specializing in real estate, banking and finance. Recently he was recognized

by Best Lawyers as the 2016 Litigation Banking and Finance “Lawyer of the Year” for Norfolk.

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