The Economic Development Authority of the City of Lynchburg is pleased to announce its newest member and officers for the 2019-2020 fiscal year.
On September 10, Lynchburg City Council appointed Dr. Andy Mueller, M.D., President and CEO of Centra, to a four-year term on the Economic Development Authority.
Dr. Mueller began his employment career in college as a cooperative engineering intern at NASA’s Johnson Space Center where he worked in support of the Space Shuttle Program. He completed his B.S. degree with honors in electrical engineering at North Carolina State University and received his Doctor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina. Dr. Mueller completed his training in Family Medicine at Malcolm-Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base. While serving in the Air Force after residency, Dr. Mueller deployed twice overseas, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom as a flight surgeon. On May 15, 2019, he joined Centra as President and Chief Executive Officer.
Prior to joining Centra in 2019, Dr. Mueller served as a Senior Vice President at Novant Health, a large multi-state integrated healthcare delivery system. During the last four years at Novant Health, he served as President of the Greater Charlotte Market, the largest market within Novant Health. Under his leadership, the Greater Charlotte Market grew considerably across all service lines, developed new clinical programs and set new records for growth.
During his career, Dr. Mueller has had numerous experiences across many facets of the continuum of care and has a proven history of working collaboratively with independent as well as employed physicians. Dr. Mueller has continued to practice family medicine throughout his career and plans to continue seeing patients, as time allows, in Lynchburg.
Dr. Mueller is married to his wife Courtney of 27 years and has three daughters, Molly (22), Katie (20) and Abby (18). Dr. Mueller and his family reside in Lynchburg.
“I am honored and excited for the opportunity. I have quickly grown to love Lynchburg and the community,” said Dr. Mueller upon his appointment. “We need a region that can continue to grow and remain vibrant and Centra plays a large role in that future.”
The Economic Development Authority also appointed new officers to a one-year term at their August meeting.
Chair, Mark Strosnider
Mr. Strosnider has been a local banker in Lynchburg since 1986 and currently works as a commercial lender with American National Bank and Trust. Mark is a graduate of Virginia Tech, the VBA School of Bank Management, and ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking at Georgetown University.
Vice Chair, John M. Stone
Mr. Stone is a First Vice President / Investments with Stifel Nicolaus, a national financial services firm. A graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, John has more than 17 years of experience in wealth management. He holds the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) and AIF (Accredited Investment Fiduciary) designations. He is a member of the CFA Institute and Richmond Society of Financial Analysts. John currently serves as Board Chair of the Lynchburg Business Development Centre, on the Board of Directors of the Lynchburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, and as a Board Member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Lynchburg-Morning.
Secretary-Treasurer, William T. Lovern
Mr. Lovern grew up in Lynchburg, attended E. C. Glass High School, and graduated from the University of Virginia with a BA in Economics. His career began in New York, trading and marketing government securities for The Bankers Trust Company on Wall Street. Bill is now the co-founder and Executive Vice President of The Global Volunteer Partnership, an organization that is developing resources to enable skilled American volunteers and US nonprofits and companies to contribute to global development through projects targeting economic growth, education, health, the environment, information technology and agriculture.
Assistant Secretary-Treasurer, Gerard E. Swienton
Mr. Swienton is the Managing Partner of the Registered Investment Advisory firm Investment Leadership, LLC. Gerry is past Chair of the Lynchburg Planning Commission of which he served as a Planning Commissioner for over nine years. He is past President of CASA of Central Virginia, Inc. and has served on the Boards of Holy Cross School, The Ellington, and the Central Virginia Foundation for Economic Education and Improvement. In addition, he has coached basketball at the varsity level and has taught adult education investment classes for nearly a decade.
Other members of the EDA are:
Louise Mitchell
Ms. Mitchell has served on the EDA since 2009, has owned and operated two businesses, and currently serves as Business Manager at Credit Connection, Inc. She earned a Bachelor of Science from Bluefield State College and a M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Ms. Mitchell is active in a variety of community associations and organizations, including Miriam’s House, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Lynchburg Chapter of Links and MDM Networking, Inc., sponsor of the Pink Auction.
Georgeann Snead
Ms. Snead is President and CEO of Electronic Design and Manufacturing, an employee-owned manufacturer of printed circuit board assemblies started in the Lynchburg Business Development Centre in 1990. Prior to joining EDM, Georgeann served as the first director of the Lynchburg Business Development Centre. Georgeann is a graduate of Davidson College and is actively involved in the community, serving on several local boards. She and her husband Parks have two grown children.
The Economic Development Authority is a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Virginia and serves as the incentive arm of the City of Lynchburg. The Authority actively pursues investment and development opportunities, and elevates the economic development profile of the City. Authority members are appointed by City Council and may serve up to three consecutive four year terms.
The Economic Development Authority meets monthly on the 3rd Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in the Office of Economic Development & Tourism, City Hall. Any changes to this meeting schedule are posted in City Hall and released to the media. Meetings are open to the public. Learn more about the work of the Office of Economic Development & Tourism and the Economic Development Authority at www.opportunitylynchburg.com.