When we asked readers to nominate the next wave of Roanoke’s leaders, we received a slew of impressive submissions in a variety of categories. Applicants were judged not only on their career achievements but also on their involvement in the community and other factors; choosing only 40 was an incredibly difficult decision for our editorial team!
Meet our Class of 2021 in our latest issue, and learn more about them in our online portion below.
Thank you to all who nominated, and to every single nominee making a difference in our community. Keep up the great work! Congratulations to our 40 Under 40 Class of 2021!
The Class of 2021 is listed in alphabetical order by last name.
Brandon Alterio, 33 / Police Officer, Vinton Police Department
Margaret Ashburn, 31 / Assistant News Director, WSLS10
Maureen Best, 39 / Executive Director, Local Environmental Agriculture Project (LEAP)
Jessica Bohn Bishop, 33 / Entrepreneur, KEEPin’ Up with J Bohn
Matthew Brown, 29 / Customer Solutions Expert, Shelterluv
Lesley Butterfield-Harrop, 38 / Community Nurse & Care Coordinator, Magellan Health
Johnny Camacho, 31 / Comedian / Assistant Manager, Deschutes Tasting Room
Xavier Duckett, 29 / CEO/Mentor, The Humble Hustle Company
Steven Elovich, 36 / Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Salem Red Sox
Brandon Evans, 36 / Executive Director of Healthcare Services, Friendship Retirement Community
Sarah Gayle Early, 36 / Safety and Occupational Health Manager, BAE Systems – Radford Army Ammunition Plant
Alicha Grubb, 29 / Commercial Litigation Attorney, Gentry Locke Attorneys
Kate Hailey, 34 / Teacher, Green Valley Elementary School (Roanoke County Schools)
Eboni Harrington, 29 / Math Teacher, Lucy Addison Middle School (Roanoke City Public Schools)
Brent Hershey, 38 / State Farm Agent/Rocket Mortgage Professional, Brent Hershey Insurance and Financial Services Inc.
John Hull, 38 / Director of Market Intelligence, Roanoke Regional Partnership
David Jones, 37 / Owner/Orthodontist, Roanoke Valley Orthodontics
Tara Marciniak, 36 / VP for Institutional Advancement, Center in the Square
Katie Martin, 38 / NICU Registered Nurse, Carilion Clinic
Brittny McGraw, 39 / News Anchor, WSLS10
Candace Monaghan, 38 / Designer/Owner, Candace Monaghan Fine Art & Design
Amanda Nastiuk, 33 / Executive Director, West End Center for Youth
Jaclyn Nunziato, MS, MD, 38 / Assistant Professor, Obstetrics and Gynecology Carilion Clinic Virginia Tech School of Medicine / Executive Director and Founder of Huddle Up Moms
Tim Pohlad-Thomas, 36 / Outreach and Communications Specialist, RIDE Solutions
Christina Rouse, 38 / Children’s Advocacy Center Director/Lead Forensic Interviewer, Children’s Trust
Chloe Shelton, 21 / Filmmaker, Chloe Shelton Films
Michael Shelton, 36 / Owner/Financial Planner, 360 Financial Solutions
Beth Simms, 33 / Cultural and Economic Development Director, Town of Rocky Mount
Nathaniel Sloan, 32 / Owner/Executive Chef, bloom | restaurant & wine-bar
Devon Rood Slovensky, 35 / Owner/Attorney, Slovensky Law PLLC
Leah Stiegler, 30 / Attorney, Woods Rogers PLC
Matthew Thomas, 34 / Vice President, Business Risk and Control Officer, Wells Fargo
Spencer Thomason, 32 / Lead Producer for Project Southwest, Blue Ridge PBS
Brooke Tolley, 33 / General Director, Opera Roanoke
Thania Torres, 31 / Volunteer Coordinator, Casa Latina
Zach Toth, 36 / Owner, Benny’s Pizza, Golden Cactus Brewing
Chris Vail, 29 / Real Estate Appraiser, Vail Appraisal, LLC
Thomas Vinopal, 21 / Client Coordinator, Joe Kraft Team / Lichtenstein Rowan, Realtors
Michelle Williams, 26 / Digital Marketing Specialist, R&K Solutions, Inc.
Fredy Wright, 36 / Digital Director, Wheeler Digital
