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Progress
Henderson ’99 and Copenhaver ’99: “We Could Not Have Done This Alone”
By Molly Rolon, Associate Editor
Patrick Henderson ’99 and Chris Copenhaver ’99 are brother rats, best friends—and business partners. They started Protos Security in 2006, quit their day jobs in 2011, and two years ago, they sold part of the multimillion-dollar company.
“It’s been a blessing,” Henderson said. “It doesn’t get much better than that ... to be brother rats, but also best friends and to be able to build something.”
Their business, Protos Security, through disruption and bringing about needed internal change, turned an industry on its ear. It’s a tech enabled managed services model company—the Uber of the security guard industry, Henderson explained.
The company didn’t begin—or become successful—overnight. The idea came during church league bowling in 2006. Between frames, a friend who worked for Advance Auto Parts relayed some issues with retail security guards at his stores.
“They needed a better solution ... a better mousetrap,” Henderson said. “Chris quickly did some homework and studied the industry.” The two presented a plan to Advance Auto Parts, and “they gave us an area to test a pilot program.”
The business came together in short order. The brother rats give a lot of credit to the “speed of trust” and their shared background. The entire “fabric” of their business was based on VMI tenets—including the Honor Code. In the early days, the two had to make snap decisions and sometimes take risks with little time for pauses.
“If you don’t have that trust, you can’t do that,” Copenhaver said. VMI also teaches that “no matter how bad the day is, for the most part, you realize that ... not only will you survive it, but you’ll be better for it. You can find ways to kind of laugh about it ... it keeps you running lean and keeps you running forward instead of miring down in that ‘would have, could have’ and self-pity.”
Fifteen years ago, the retail security industry was not very transparent. Before Protos, industry norms were dominated by large companies. Many smaller, regional security companies followed the lead of the giants in their operations.
Security companies scheduled officers and billed retailers—whether or not the officers showed up or showed up on time. If officers reported an incident, the report went to the security company. Local managers sometimes saw these reports, but the information rarely trickled up to national managers.
Brother Rats Patrick Henderson and Chris Copenhaver, both Class of 1999, are partners in Protos Security. The business revolutionized the security guard industry. Both brother rats and their wives have worked with Ramon Williams ’90, VMI Alumni Agencies major gift officer, to endow scholarships for future cadets.—Photo courtesy Protos Security.
Officers felt little ownership in their jobs. The security officer’s standard procedures were often a coffee-stained, wrinkly stack of haphazardly stapled papers. Timecards were on paper and had to be mailed in, then processed by hand.
Beginning with little more than an excel spreadsheet and some grit, Protos streamlined the process. They contract with Fortune 500 retailers and subcontract local guard companies. They’ve built a successful platform that works nationwide.
The company’s software started as a “clunky desktop program”— that still produced results. It’s progressed through several stages of development to its current status, a web application. Developing the web application led Protos to “one our best hires, Brother Rat Cameron Tabor [’99], who came on as our chief technology officer in 2014,” Henderson said. “Cameron was a Godsend, who took our sub-par software and developed it into a world class software product.”
Tabor’s leadership and vision brought clients Protos’ current product: A real-time, one-stop shop portal for accountability and visibility into their guard programs. For clients, the immediate and continuous visibility is a “gamechanger,” Henderson explained.
Security officers can clock in and out using their own smartphone or the store’s phone.
Clients wanted accuracy and GPS validation, and Protos provides
that. Using the web application, officers can file incident reports, including photos. Retail clients can send updated procedures to the officers with pinpoint accuracy. The all-digital ecosystem has boosted efficiency across the board.
“The accountability that we provide in the security guard industry has disrupted the industry,” Henderson said. “To compete in this space now, you’d have to have some form of the tools we created.”
Protos started out with a large, steady client, Advance Auto Parts. For the first few years, Copenhaver and Henderson pitched their company to anyone who would listen.
Anyone included Food Lion’s loss prevention vice president, who, up until 2013, had put off the sales talks from Henderson and Copenhaver. One day, he called as he was driving through the area. He’d be in Roanoke in a few hours—and he wanted to talk.
At the time, Protos was operating out of an unremarkable “two and a half offices.” The pair looked around to see what they could do to improve—and impress the Food Lion vice president.
“We had to get the place looking good,” Henderson recalled. “[We’d] been waiting years for this.”
Somehow, they managed to temporarily appropriate an almostempty office in their building. The contractor who rented this office stored a few boxes there and was usually not in the office. They quickly moved in furniture and decorations for the meeting.
A very small company at the time, they called in part-timers and everyone who worked from home. They instructed them to “stomp around” and to make the phones ring by calling each other—anything to give the impression of a bustling, vibrant operation.
The Food Lion vice president arrived, and the partners launched into their proposal. Their potential client, the two BRs noticed, liked to lean back in his chair. Way back.
The chair’s bolts were creaking dangerously.
Henderson and Copenhaver knew they needed to wrap up their pitch before it ended prematurely with an unhappy Food Lion vice president sprawled on the floor. Their company’s future depended on the dubious strength of a few bolts holding a secondhand office chair together.
As Henderson was contemplating that future, the office’s rightful occupant wandered by in the hallway. He stopped and craned his neck to see what was going on—in his office. Thankfully, Henderson said, he continued walking without asking any awkward questions.
In the end, the bolts held. The Food Lion vice president said yes, to a few stores.
“If we do well with those, will you give us all your stores?” Henderson asked boldly. The Food Lion vice president began laughing. He said no—but he liked the way they thought.
Eventually, he did give them all the stores.
That wasn’t the beginning of Protos Security, but it did mark the beginning of their rapid increase in business volume, value, and revenue.
Henderson and Copenhaver are always looking for new oppor-
tunities. Two years ago, another company approached them about selling. For them, it was a great transition—they remain as minority owners. With the day-to-day operations in capable hands, Copenhaver and Henderson are free to focus on growing the company in other directions.
For growth ideas, one direction they always check is fellow alumni, and what they are doing. When their copies of the Alumni Review arrive, they scan through it and call up other alumni who are doing interesting things.
“You can miss opportunities if you don’t get out and talk to people and get to know people and what they’re doing,” Henderson said.
Over the last couple of years, Henderson and his wife, Heather, stepped back and looked at their lives. A devout Christian couple, they gave thanks to God for their blessings. They looked at who had helped them along the way and knew VMI had played a huge part in their current circumstances. Working with Ramon Williams ’90, senior major gift officer at the VMI Alumni Agencies, they endowed the Henderson Hope Scholarship.
The scholarship is aimed at someone from the Roanoke, Salem, Botetourt, and New River Valley areas who has “determination and grit,” Henderson said. “Not someone who’s a total academic, but someone who needs a little bit of assistance.”
“You’re looking for Rocky [Balboa],” Copenhaver put in.
Henderson agreed. He and Heather, who was his Ring Figure date, started the scholarship for someone who “wants to work hard,” has already proven a work ethic in high school, and who needs a scholarship. They’re looking forward to meeting their scholarship recipients in the future.
Giving back to VMI isn’t necessarily the first thing people think of, Henderson said. He encourages other successful alumni to think about how VMI has helped them—and to “turn around and think about ... the opportunity to give back.”
He and Copenhaver are living proof the “VMI family is alive and well, and that grit and determination can still produce and ... bear fruit. Having a Christ-like attitude ... respect and morals and those types of things do still pay off,” he said, pointing out that their success came through God’s blessings and hard work.
“If we can do this, you can do this, any alumni can do this. But it took both of us, along with the support and love from our wives. [We] could not have done this alone.”
Copenhaver and his wife, Jess (also his Ring Figure date), worked out their own VMI scholarship with Williams. It is called the Copenhaver Entrepreneur Opportunity Scholarship. Not to be outdone by his brother rat, Copenhaver added a tiny bit extra to his scholarship. The gift ends in 99 cents.
Williams ’90: Gift Officer Profile
“It was a pleasure to work with Patrick and Chris as they decided on how their giving would have a lasting impact on a young man or woman attending VMI,” said Ramon Williams ’90, VMI Alumni Agencies senior major gift officer. “As you read their story, it is easy to understand why they give ... to give another young person a chance to succeed without any barriers to do so,” Williams said. “No matter their
Williams ’90 background, if they are willing to grind, stay focused, and work hard—then anything is possible.”
As a major gift officer, Williams is in a position to see “exactly what VMI has meant and done for so many who have graduated from the Institute. I get to understand their story, why they chose the road less traveled, and how a VMI education has shaped them in ways that has led to their success in life, military, and/ or in business.”
“It’s exciting to see and know that VMI’s educational system works and hopefully will lead many others to give back to VMI in an impactful way,” Williams concluded.
Thank You! Fall Campaign Successful
The VMI Alumni Agencies hosted a crowdfunding campaign to raise support for funding the mission of VMI. With Founders Day as a focal point, It All Starts Here featured members of the Corps of Cadets expressing the things at the Institute they are most thankful for.
It All Starts Here raised $100,230. The donor goal was set at 181, in honor of the 181st year since VMI’s founding.
Thanks to you, the VMI family, the campaign exceeded the goal by 29%, totaling 237 donors to the campaign. It All Starts Here was successful in raising vital resources for the Institute. It offered an opportunity for alumni and friends of VMI to rally together during a significant day on the Institute’s calendar. When making their gift, donors were encouraged to share something that they are thankful for.
At a time when many events were postponed or canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, crowdfunding is still relevant as a means of connecting people with VMI’s mission and offering an opportunity for them to show their support.
Recognizing the fact that 25% of the Institute’s budget comes from private support, campaigns like It All Starts Here are an important part of the annual fundraising effort for the VMI Alumni Agencies. They increase giving to the Foundation Fund and the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund, which impact the lives of cadets each and every day.
Days of giving or other crowdfunding initiatives serve to drive competition between classes and increase annual giving donor counts, which improve alumni participation. Alumni donor participation is a key metric in college rankings, as published by U.S. News and World Report and other reporting bodies. VMI’s excellent alumni participation is one more metric that positions the Institute above other colleges and universities.
Wade ’05: Accidental Alumnus, Intentional Generosity
By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer
Jonathan Wade ’05, D.O., initially came to Lexington to look at Washington and Lee. The former baseball player runs direct DOC, a flat-rate medical service, in the Nashville, Tennessee, area. His time at VMI impacted him greatly, and he recently worked on a scholarship with Andrew Deal ’12, Keydet Club Vice President.—Photo courtesy Wade.
When Jonathan Wade ’05 traveled from his then-home north of Atlanta, Georgia, to visit Lexington, Virginia, more than 20 years ago, he did so to visit Washington and Lee University.
“I wanted to play baseball in college, and I had heard good things about Washington and Lee’s program and the school overall,” Wade remembered. “Initially, I wasn’t planning on visiting VMI, but my high school coach, who knew VMI’s coach, urged me to take a look around.”
Whatever he saw during that visit must have impressed him, because Wade began to examine VMI closely. What he discovered impressed him even more.
“Its alumni were accomplished leaders in their chosen professions. They were fiercely loyal to their school and to each other,” he said. “They had a great network.” VMI’s outsized reputation also struck him. “Whenever I mentioned VMI, someone always seemed to have some sort of connection to an alumnus or to have something good to say about it.”
At a winter baseball camp at Auburn University, Wade met Chris Finwood ’88. At VMI, Finwood had coached Tom Slater ’90, who headed VMI’s baseball team for three years beginning in 2000, as well as Slater’s assistant, Marlin Ikenberry ’95. Finwood, then coaching at Western Kentucky University, sized up Wade’s skills and then told Slater that Wade had the talent necessary to play Division I baseball.
When Wade learned he had been accepted into the prestigious Institute Scholars program, VMI became irresistible. “A chance to play baseball at the top level and a full-ride scholarship made it impossible to say, ‘No,’ to VMI.”
Wade describes his 4th Class year as “eyeopening and humbling. Humbling because, academically, high school was easy for me, and suddenly I was challenged in the classroom. In fact, I got a ‘D’ in my second semester of rat chemistry.”
The “eye-opening” part?
“The demands of being a cadet-athlete were relentless. There was class, practice, and the Rat Line, and Coach Slater and Coach ‘Ike’ demanded we do well in the barracks and the classroom as well as on the field.” With second semester came the end of the Rat Line, but it also meant the beginning of the baseball season and even more demands on Wade’s time. “There were games during the week and on weekends, and there was a lot of traveling.”
A biology major, Wade planned to head to medical school after VMI. So, he took steps to ensure his academic performance would not flag. They included returning for summer sessions in order to get ahead on credits so he could take fewer classes during baseball season. Another was overcoming a stereotype. “When I was a cadet, many faculty members thought that cadet-athletes cared primarily about athletic success. So, I made it a point to tell all my professors that I took my education seriously.”
Although he was successful as a student, before his 1st Class year, Wade faced a hard choice. “The team had made amazing progress. In my first season, we won just one game in the Southern Conference and 10 games overall. The next year, we posted a winning record in the SoCon and placed third in the conference tournament. The talent level was incredible. I think five guys from that 2003 team were drafted. I was making a solid contribution to the team—one of whom was our current coach, Jon Hadra ’04—and I loved being part of a wonderful group of men.”
“As great as all that was, my goal was medical school, and I knew I needed to ensure my grades were the best they could be.” So, he did not play his 1st Class year. “Coach Ikenberry fully understood my situation, and he supported my decision. Happily, Robert Crumpler ’07 stepped up to the first-base position and enjoyed a stellar career.”
Wade’s decision paid off, and he was admitted to medical school. “I owe a lot to everyone in the biology department. Particularly, Colonel James Turner [’65] guided me through a
summer research project, and Colonel Wade Bell did a lot to get me ready for applying for medical school, including preparing me for interviews.”
When he arrived at medical school, he had no doubts he was ready academically. “More important, though, my VMI experience gave me a strong work ethic, the ability to focus on what needs to be done, and the confidence that if I buckled down and focused, I could do anything.”
As to his medical career, Wade eschewed specializing and pursued family medicine. He liked the fact that family medicine would let him “practice medicine across its full breadth and take care of patients from cradle to grave. It would afford me the opportunity to work in hospitals, emergency rooms, standard medical offices, and hospices, and I could not do that if I had specialized in, say, orthopedics.”
And he has stayed true to that commitment to the point of adopting an approach to medicine known as direct primary care and, in 2018, co-founded a health care business called direct DOC in Nashville, Georgia.
Under the DPC model, patients pay direct DOC a flat, recurring monthly fee, which Wade likens to a membership in a gym. That fee guarantees patients full access to the practice’s services anytime and anywhere. The practice doesn’t ask for copayments or bill insurance companies, as the membership fee covers all costs.
Describing what he finds most attractive about DPC, Wade said, “I became a physician in order to make peoples’ lives better by improving their health. The best way to do that is to establish close doctor-patient relationships in order to promote wellness, and you can’t do that properly if insurance companies act as middlemen.”
While he approaches medicine like an oldfashioned family “doc,” Wade embraces technology. “Patients have 24/7 access by telephone, FaceTime, and email. In fact, more than 70% of our ‘visits’ are conducted using telemedicine.” For Wade that means that he can give any in-office patients the time and attention they deserve.
Wade’s practice has grown steadily. Now, businesses can provide memberships to their employees which generates considerable savings. In fact, one company is saving more than $500,000 a year. Wade points to the addition of a counselor to handle mental health issues and establishment of an on-site pharmacy that he says “offers drugs at prices lower than Walmart” as an illustration of DPC’s benefits. “Patients get first-rate service and exceptional medical care, and they end up keeping more money in their pockets.”
As he looked at the direct DOC’s success, he often thought of what had helped him achieve it. “I kept thinking how thankful I was for what VMI had done for me. And, really, not just me, but so many other alumni I know. VMI prepares you for success because it instills self-discipline and confidence and gives you the ability and the willingness to grab opportunities.”
So, Wade decided to make a commitment to VMI, the majority of which he dedicated to establishing the Jonathan Wade ’05 Baseball Scholarship. “The baseball program was a family to me while I was a cadet, and I wanted to pay that back a bit. More important than that, I wanted to give a young man the chance to play baseball at the Division I level for VMI.”
As to what he hopes a scholarship recipient will do with that chance, he said, “I hope he enjoys the camaraderie of a team, forms lasting friendships, makes a lot of cool memories, and develops poise, a strong work ethic, and selfdiscipline. I also hope he seizes every academic and leadership opportunity he finds. In short, I want him to make the most of his years at VMI because, if he does, he’ll give himself an excellent start in life.”
Deal ’12: Gift Officer Profile
Andrew Deal ’12, VMI Keydet Club vice president, recently worked with Jonathan Wade ’05 in establishing a scholarship. Both are former Keydet baseball players.
“My decision to attend VMI was much like Jon’s,” Deal said. “Baseball was everything to me growing up, and I was incredibly thankful that all my hard work paid off in the form of a scholarship.”
His years as a Keydet—and as a cadet— changed him for the better, Deal said.
“For me, the cadet-athlete experience was lifechanging. It molded me into a man,” he said. “It allowed me to grow as a person. It made me tougher, more responsible, more accountable. Being a part of a team is powerful. The lessons you learn, the adversity you go through—and trust me, there is a lot of it—sets you apart.”
In his current position, he sees the tremendous support the VMI family has for cadets. And, Deal never forgets the support he received from someone who came before him.
“I will be forever grateful to Elmon T. Gray ’46, who established the scholarship I received. Working for nine years at the VMI Keydet Club has been eye-opening and rewarding,” Deal said. “I wish every cadet could sit in my chair and see the powerful support from our alumni and friends and how it continues to make the VMI experience special.”
Collaborating with Wade to make his idea a reality was “a pleasure,” Deal said. “For me, a former baseball player, it was amazing to realize the impact it will have on the program. I certainly hope that the way he stepped up will encourage others to do the same.”
Thanks to You: VMI Family Provides Over $23 Million to VMI
By Scott Belliveau ’83, Communications Officer
A VMI education remains one of the most challenging and rewarding college experiences in the United States. The young people in the barracks are expected to excel as students, cadets, and athletes. They are expected as well to embrace the unshakeable demands of the Honor Code and to learn the basics of leadership through the regimental and the class systems. It is an exacting process; however, it is an effective one. In this crucible, young people are transformed into citizen-soldiers who are capable, purposeful, and honorable and imbued with a strong sense of service— men and women who will make real and enduring contributions to their communities,
our country, and the world.
The character of the education that VMI offers—and which attracts hundreds of young people to the Institute every year—is not one that can be replicated “virtually.” It demands the presence of cadets on post—interacting with each other and the Institute’s faculty and staff.
VMI’s bold decision to reopen on time and to maintain a schedule as close to normal as possible kept faith with the VMI family, especially its cadets. This is a magnificent achievement.
More important—much more important— is what it meant to the Corps of Cadets. This decision ensured cadets were provided with the experiences that will transform them—as they have transformed all of those who preceded them—into the leaders that our country always will need. It also showed them that alumni, faculty, staff, and friends resolutely support them.
Fundraising during a time of lingering uncertainty has created numerous challenges. But the leaders and staff of the VMI Alumni Agencies have met them head-on, embracing new approaches to refining familiar techniques of fundraising on VMI’s behalf. For example, in the fall, it conducted a limited “crowdfunding” campaign called It All Starts Here—which was centered on Founders Day. The Agencies is also using technology to support the alumni who are leading their class reunion campaigns.
The Agencies has been exploring imaginative ways to engage with alumni, parents, and friends through virtual events and cre-
ate unique stewardship opportunities. The Alumni Association hosted several “virtual reunions,” bringing together brother rats of numerous classes to strengthen their bonds with each other and VMI. The VMI Foundation’s annual Institute Society Dinner was held virtually—which actually allowed many members of The Institute Society to participate who otherwise might not have been able to be on post under normal circumstances.
You, the VMI family, have responded wonderfully. By the end of December 2020, alumni, parents, and friends had come forward with more than $12 million in gifts and commitments. Within that amount are many great stories. A total of 237 donors participated in It All Starts Here, giving more than $100,320. The VMI family has provided considerable support to VMI Annual Giving. Donors have given the Keydet Club Scholarship Fund more than $923,000 that will be used to support the cadet-athletes who represent VMI at the highest level of intercollegiate athletics. The Foundation Fund—which generates unrestricted money the Institute uses to advance academic and co-curricular programs—has enjoyed considerable support with giving up more than 10% over the amount at the same time last year. Private support provided VMI with $23 million in fiscal year 2020. With continued generosity from the VMI family, we remain on track to provide VMI with the resources it needs again in 2021.
As encouraging as this progress has been, this remains a challenging time for American higher education, to include VMI. Under the leadership of Maj. Gen. Cedric Wins ’85, the
Institute is committed to maintaining and strengthening that which makes its education both extraordinary in its nature and effective in its results. It is focused on ensuring the young people who come to VMI seeking to stand apart from their contemporaries receive the experiences in which they can test themselves and develop the traits of principled leadership. To do so, VMI will need its alumni, families, and friends to sustain their generous financial support of the Institute— and, if possible, to increase.
On behalf of the Institute, we here at the Alumni Agencies thank everyone in the VMI family who has made a gift or commitment in the Institute’s support. You are helping the Institute maintain its place in the top tier of American higher education at an important time in its history.
If you have not made a gift or commitment this fiscal year, please consider joining in this critical effort.
To give, visit vmialumni.org/give, call 800.444.1839, or mail checks to P.O. Box 932, Lexington, VA 24450.
