Bryan K. Stephens is President & CEO of the Hampton Roads Chamber.
Mr. Stephens returned to Hampton Roads in 2013 with extensive leadership and business experience having most recently served as President & CEO of Kalmar LLC in San Antonio, Texas; a $250M/year major manufacturer of material handling equipment. As President & CEO Mr. Stephens led the entire spectrum of research and development, product improvement, marketing, sales, supply chain management, production, quality control, distribution, and aftermarket parts, servicing and maintenance of Kalmar’s products worldwide.
Prior to Kalmar, Mr. Stephens served as Vice President of Military Programs for Allison Transmission, Inc. in Indianapolis, Indiana; the largest manufacturer of military transmissions in the world. Before leaving Hampton Roads, Mr. Stephens served as a Senior Account for SAIC in Suffolk, Virginia where he supported USJFCOM and U.S. Army TRADOC.
Mr. Stephens, a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army, served in a variety of progressive leadership roles over a distinguished 28-year career. His last assignments included Infantry Brigade Commander and Division Chief of Staff for the 10th Mountain Division (LI) and Chief of Operations and Chief of Staff at the Joint Warfighting Center, USJFCOM in Suffolk, Virginia. His military qualifications include Airborne, Ranger, Pathfinder, Air Assault and Joint Staff Officer.
Coming from a military family, Mr. Stephens is a graduate of West Virginia University with a degree in Political Science. He also received a Master of Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and a Master of Business Administration from Golden Gate University in San Francisco, California.
Welcome regional brand discussions with open minds
WHEN WORD bubbled up late last year that area corporate and business leaders planned to give regional branding another go, it brought forth a response that is as close to unanimous as they are likely to receive in this grand undertaking.
P4 - A “Win-Win” for Businesses and Military Bases
As a nation that has been at war for nearly 18 years, one of the most important concerns for military leaders is sustained training and readiness. Therefore, it is no surprise that the preponderance of Department of Defense funding goes to combat readiness. An unintended result of these budget priorities has been the shortfall of available funding for maintenance of real property at bases at home and overseas. This reality has sparked military installation leaders to question the necessity of running such facilities as golf courses, horse stables, storage facilities, and lodging properties. Perhaps now is the ideal time to let private companies run these operations, allowing military funding to go to improving combat readiness.
Hampton Roads is truly blessed be built on such a large foundation of military members and first responders throughout the region who each display a profound professional readiness to help the community every day. These are the local heroes who make it possible for the business community to function and thrive properly by knowing that our region is safe and protected. Through their grueling careers, they practice values that coincide with those of the Hampton Roads Chamber including excellence, selfless service, leadership, diversity, and integrity.