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 Margaret Ballard
Vice President, Advocacy
mballard@retail-alliance.com
757-455-9395 (office)
Retail Alliance is the voice of retailers on the local, state and federal legislative fronts, and in her position, Margaret Ballard plays a key role in representing retailers. She brings more than 25 years of association/nonprofit experience to the job, with experience in legislative and marketing campaigns, business management, sales, media relations and community relations. She joined the Retail Alliance in 1998 as director of partnership development and was promoted to her current position in 2003. Prior to this, she was executive director of DRIVE SMART Hampton Roads for five years. She has also held positions as a CPA firm marketing director, vice president of a financial public relations agency and legislative director for a congressman. Margaret is very active in the community, serving as treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Norfolk Convention and Visitors Bureau Research and Training Foundation. She also serves on the boards of the D’Art Center of Hampton Roads and Norfolk United Facing Race. Margaret has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina.
 Tom Bond
Vice President, Retail Services
Tbond@retail-alliance.com
757-455-9305 (office)
As vice president of retail services, Tom Bond is responsible for acquiring new members and creating programs for members and to enhance membership. Recent projects include overseeing the move of Retail Alliance from Poplar Hall Drive to its new home in downtown Norfolk and working closely with the City of Virginia Beach in a project involving abandoned shopping carts. Tom moved to the area tin 1991 to assume the role of membership vice president of the Retail Alliance, then known as the retail Merchants Association of Tidewater. In 1998, he took over management of the collection services that became the Retail Alliance Recovery Services From 1998 to its sale to FirstPoint Resources in 2004 the Recovery service grew at an annual rate of around 20% and underwent a major overhaul of its computer system. Prior to moving her, Tom worked for CBC Companies, where he managed the Credit Bureau of Newark, Ohio, and several departments in the Credit Bureau of Columbus, Ohio CBC’s flagship credit bureau. Tom is a native of Ohio and majored in English and journalism at Ohio State University.
 Carlene Bowers
Director of Membership Development
cbowers@retail-alliance.com
NEED PHONE NUMBER (office)
Carlene Bowers, Director of Membership Development, has 19 years experience in Association and Credit Reporting work. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and went to school in Maryland at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and then to Temple University in Philadelphia.
Her desire to travel has led to living in Lancaster, PA, Houston, TX, Baton Rouge, LA and Saudi Arabia. She knows enough French and Arabic to be conversational. She is a worldwide traveler visiting such places like Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Greece, Jamaica, the Bahamas and her favorite The Seychelles Islands off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.
Carlene is single with a son, Marcus 24 years old and a daughter, Meghan 20 years old. She is a baby boomer enjoying the fruits of freedom and the empty nest. She calls the empty nest the “happy nest.”
As a Director of Membership Development, Carlene works directly with the retail community. She continually develops new membership opportunities for the Association in addition to working with the members to help facilitate growth and profitability through involvement with our services and programs. Her previous employment as a Sales Trainer and Operations Consultant for Sona MedSpa brings a wealth of experience in working with independent businesses owners and knowing the operational metrics which can lead to success.
Her community involvement is working with the Olde Towne Business Association (Portsmouth), The Chesapeake Economic Development Advisory Committee and a Sunday School Teacher and Women’s Committee Member for New Life Suffolk Church.
Her hobbies and interest include: watching soccer in all weather, dancing, swimming, reading, weaving and interior decorating.
 Sallie Finch
Receptionist
sfinch@retail-alliance.com
757-466-1600 (front desk)
Sallie Finch just recently joined the Retail Alliance team as our front desk receptionist. Sallie has two grown daughters and three grandchildren. Sallie was born and raised in Texas and enjoys reading, sewing and decorating. Sallie is also a total image dressing and make-up artist.
 Martha Hall
Executive Assistant
mhall@retail-alliance.com
757-455-9393 (office)
757-466-7492 (fax)
Martha Hall is the Executive Assistant to the Retail Alliance President/CEO Emeritus, C. Donald Porter. She is a Norfolk-native and has been with Retail Alliance for 19 years. She has two grown children, a son and a daughter, and two grandchildren.
 Kathy Ramella
Event Planning and Resource Services Manager
kramella@retail-alliance.com
757-455-9319 (office)
Kathy Ramella has worked at Retail Alliance for eight years, beginning as an administrative assistant to the vice president of operations before being promoted to her current position in 2001. She coordinates educational seminars, managers the Retail Alliance Resource Library, produces legislative alerts for members, works with the Loss Prevention Task Force and handles meeting room scheduling for members. Prior to working at Retail Alliance, she was an administrative assistant for a school district in California. She and her husband of 32 years moved to Virginia in 1997 where much of her family had migrated to from New Jersey. For the past 14 years, she has shared her home with her “wonderful” mother-in-law. Kathy and her husband have two daughters and one grandson. Kathy also volunteers with the Susan G. Komen Tidewater affiliate, serving on the volunteer committee and as the V.I.P Pink Ribbon chairwomen for the Race for the Cure. Kathy’s hobbies include reading, horseback riding, skiing, and she loves the outdoors.
 Jodi Weygand
Director of Membership Development, Peninsula
Jweygand@retail-alliance.com
757-224-0773 (office)
757-282-1476 (cell)
As director of membership development on the Peninsula, Jodi Weygand works to acquaint merchants with the services and benefits of joining Retail Alliance. She has experience in association and Chamber of Commerce work. Jodi moved to the Peninsula in 2002 from the “The Sin City” (Las Vegas). She is originally from a very small farming community in Northern Illinois where she attended college before moving to Southern California to work in the airline industry. Well traveled, having lived all across the United States, she is very community-minded and is a member of the Peninsula Jaycees, Oyster Point Mariners Lions Club and volunteers for the American Red Cross. She is also a member of the Coliseum Central Marketing Committee and currently serves as secretary of the Hampton Hospitality Association. Jodi lives in Hampton with her daughter, “the perfect 2 year old princess,” Madison and her 22-pound cat, “Big Guy.” Her hobbies include scrapbooking, traveling, watching CSI, and she enjoys volunteering and finding ways to improve her community.
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