Dean's Council on Advancement
The council is made up of volunteers who are tasked with advancing the stature of the school by providing guidance, assistance, advocacy, and philanthropic investment in support of the school’s strategic objectives.
Current Members
Lorraine Arias, Retired, Associate Professor, Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Paul Dallas, Internal Medicine Physician, Carilion Clinic Professor, Internal Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Jay Foster, CEO, Flex Metrics
Janet Frantz, Commercial Banking, Bank of America
Ashley Gerrish, General Surgery Resident, Carilion Clinic/Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Daniel Harrington, Retired Vice President for Academic Affairs, Carilion Clinic
Retiring Vice Dean, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Janet Johnson, Dean Emerita, Virginia Tech’s College of Human Resources and Education
Professor Emerita, Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
Jim Kurz, Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, North Chatham Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Maxine Lee, Anesthesiologist, Carilion Medical Center
George Levicki, Retired President and CEO, Delta Dental of Virginia, Roanoke
Charles Schleupner, Chair, Institutional Review Board, Carilion Clinic
Sidney Smith, Professor of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Troy Smith, President, Avis Constructions Company, Inc.
Adam Tate, VTCSOM Alumnus, Resident, Family and Community Medicine
Chris Vieau, Family Medicine Physician, Union Family Practice
Mark Watts, Family Physician, Carilion Family Medicine - Vinton
Jacqueline Wieland, First Vice President/Investments, Stifel Investment Services, Greensboro, NC
Bart Wilner, President, Entré Computer Center
Lorraine M. Arias, MD
Retired, Associate Professor, Anesthesiology, Wake Forest School of Medicine
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Alumna of Virginia Tech, 1979
Bio: In her retirement, Dr. Arias has decided to return to her Hokie roots by joining the Dean’s Advisory Council in the spring of 2021. Dr. Arias attended Virginia Tech in the late 1970’s and obtained a BS in Biology in 1979. She then went on to obtain her MD degree at the Medical College of Virginia (VCU School of Medicine). After her anesthesiology residency at the University of Michigan, she pursued fellowship training in Pain Management/Regional Anesthesiology at the Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Upon completion, she joined the faculty at Jefferson, where she assumed the Directorship position of their Pain Control Center.
After several lovely years in Philadelphia, she and husband (James J. O’Brien, MD: pediatrician, pediatric cardiologist, and anesthesiologist), both native Virginians, decided on a long awaited return to the South. They joined the anesthesiology faculty at Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1992, where they raised their two children in Winston Salem, NC. Dr. Arias’s active anesthesiology career involved medical student and resident direct clinical education and she has authored numerous academic publications. Dr. Arias, was an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at Wake upon her retirement in 2018; both she and her husband have been elected to Best Doctors of America since 2012. In her free time Dr. Arias enjoys time with her husband, children and grandchildren, gardening and water color painting.
The academic calling remains strong for Dr. Arias and therefore she is delighted to join her alma mater’s team on the VTC Dean’s Advisory Council.
Education:
BS, Biology, Virginia Tech, 1979
MD, Medical College of Virginia (VCU School of Medicine), 1983 Internship and Residency: University of Michigan, Anesthesiology, 1986
Fellowship: Thomas Jefferson University School of Medicine, Pain Management 1987
Paul Dallas
Internal Medicine Physician, Carilion Clinic Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Assistant professor of internal medicine for the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Bio: Dr. Apostolos (Paul) Dallas is an internal medicine physician at Carilion Clinic. Dallas directs the ultrasound curriculum at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia (MCV), and completed residency at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. Dallas volunteers on the Rescue Mission Health Center Advisory Board, Western Virginia Foundation for the Arts and Sciences Board of Directors, Bradley Free Clinic Board of Directors, and Roanoke Science Museum’s Healthy Bodies Exhibit Board. He also helped develop the Roanoke Greek Festival.
Education:
BA, Biology, University of Virginia
MD, VCU Medical College of Medicine (MCV)
Jay Foster
CEO, Flex Metrics
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Alumnus of Virginia Tech and Advisory Board Member for the Management School at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business
Bio: As CEO and Founder of Flex Metrics, Foster has earned a reputation as a subject matter expert on the role of real-time feedback and the ‘Internet of Things’ in driving manufacturing results. The award winning Flex software can be found in manufacturing facilities ranging from Volvo Trucks to USA Today newspapers to 5 Star Notebooks. Foster served as President of the RBTC Technology Council in 2003, and continues to serve on the Advisory Board. He also served as a Regional Commissioner for the 5th District Planning District of Virginia as well as advisory boards for RAMP, the Roanoke City School System, the Management School at the Virginia Tech Pamplin College of Business, and the international board for the Book Manufacturing Institute association. Foster enjoys traveling with his wife and two daughters, as well as playing tennis and guitar in his spare time.
Education:
BS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Virginia Tech
MBA, Virginia Tech
Janet Frantz
Commercial Banking, Bank of America
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Board member of the Carilion Medical Center Board of Directors
Bio: Frantz has a background in commercial banking, spending her entire career with Bank of America and its predecessors. She is a former national board member of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and a former board member of the Susan G. Komen – Virginia Blue Ridge Foundation affliliate. She serves on the board for the Carilion Medical Center Board of Directors.
Education:
BA, Economics, Wake Forest University
Ashley Gerrish
General Surgery Resident, Carilion Clinic - Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, Class of 2014
Bio: Dr. Ashley Gerrish is a member of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine Charter Class and a current 4th year general surgery resident at Carilion Clinic. Gerrish has enjoyed being a part of the Roanoke medical community both during and after medical school. She is excited to be able to remain connected and able to contribute back to her alma mater as a part of the Dean’s Advancement Advisory Council.
Education:
BS, Chemistry, Washington & Lee University
MD, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Daniel Harrington
Retired Vice President for Academic Affairs, Carilion Clinic
Retiring Vice Dean, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Retiring Vice dean and professor at VTCSOM. Established the Morgan Dana Harrington Scholarship.
Bio: Dr. Daniel Harrington received a B.S. in Pharmacy and an M.D. from West Virginia University. He completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Psychiatry at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center. Following residency, Harrington remained at the University of Virginia. In 1990, Harrington came to Roanoke to help establish the Psychiatry Residency at Carilion. Until 2007, Harrington served as Medical Director for Carilion Behavioral Health, Carilion Medical Center’s Psychiatric Service and Carilion Saint Albans Hospital. Harrington retired as Vice President for Academic Affairs for Carilion Clinic where he supervised the expansion of graduate medical education and the development of the research, simulation, and professional development departments at Carilion Medical Center. Dr. Harrington was instrumental in the early development of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and is currently Professor and retiring Vice Dean at Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine.
Education:
BS, Pharmacy, West Virginia University
MD, West Virginia University
Janet Johnson
Dean Emerita, Virginia Tech’s College of Human Resources and Education
Professor Emerita, Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Dean Emerita, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and Professor Emerita, Human Nutrition, Foods, and Exercise
Bio: Dr. Janet Johnson was originally from Indiana and taught High School in Indiana and Missouri before pursuing graduate degrees at Cornell. On completion of graduate degrees she took the position of Assistant Professor, Human Nutrition Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech. While on the faculty she served on a number of student organization committees, student research committees and University governing committees. Since retirement as Dean of the College, she has volunteered with the Roanoke Symphony, Virginians for the Arts, Rotary and Virginia Cooperative Extension Boards.
Education:
BS, Home Economics, Purdue University
MS, Foods and Nutrition, Cornell University
PhD, Foods and Nutrition, Cornell University
Jim Kurz, MD
Pediatrics and Internal Medicine, North Chatham Pediatrics and Internal Medicine
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Virginia Tech Alumnus, 1988
Bio: “I became a doctor because I was very interested in the science of medicine and wanted to do something of benefit to others. I believe it is important to have good communication with the patient, understanding their goals and main concerns. I like a team approach with each patient and family. I am married with four children, which takes all my time. I do like to read (about 10 minutes before I fall asleep). I used to play outdoor sports and fish – coaching my kids and their teams is the closest I get to sports now.”
Education:
BS, Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, 1988
MD, University of Missouri, Columbia, 1993
Residency: UNC, Internal Medicine & Pediatrics, 1997
Fellowship: UNC, Internal Medicine, 2003
Maxine Lee
Anesthesiologist, Carilion Medical Center
Affiliation with Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Anesthesiologist and Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Bio: Dr. Maxine Lee has been an anesthesiologist at Carilion Medical Center (CMC) for twenty years. She attended Harvard Medical School and completed anesthesiology residency at Yale. Additional education included a Howard Hughes Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for Physicians and an MBA from Radford University. She has served as President of the Roanoke Valley Academy of Medicine, President of the Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists and on the Virginia Board of Medicine. She has served the Carilion community as CMC, Vice-president for Medical Affairs, as a board member for The Jefferson College of Health Sciences and as President of ACV, Inc, the group providing anesthesia services to CMC. She currently serves on the Carilion Clinic Credentials Committee.
Education:
BS, Biology, Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT
MBA, Radford University, Radford, VA
MD, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
George Levicki
Retired President and CEO, Delta Dental of Virginia, Roanoke
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Alumnus of Virginia Tech (Biological Sciences, ‘69)
Bio: George A. Levicki, DDS, is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Delta Dental of Virginia. Delta Dental is a national organization of 39 independent, affiliated member companies in the United States and Puerto Rico, who dental care services per year to more than 75 million people. He is a member of the American and Virginia Dental Associations and serves on the Board of Directors for Corvesta, Inc., Delta Dental of Virginia, Revolv, Corvesta Life Insurance Company, C3-Jian, Inc., Encara, Inc., Healthentic, Inc. and the Foundation for the Roanoke Valley. He is an active participant in the Roanoke Business Council and the Executive Health Care Forum.
Education:
BS, Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech
DDS, Virginia Commonwealth University
Charles Schleupner
Chair, Institutional Review Board, Carilion Clinic
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Professor of Internal Medicine for the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Carilion Clinic
Bio: Charles Schleupner received a BS in biological sciences from Loyola University - Maryland then went to the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health where he earned an master’s degree in hygiene and microbiology. Schleupner earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He was an intern, resident, and fellow at the University of Utah Medical Center, with his fellowship focused on infectious diseases. Schleupner joined the University of Virginia School of Medicine faculty in 1977. From there, he served as faculty at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, the University of Florida Health Science Center, and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine before joining the faculty at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Carilion Clinic in 2009.
Education:
BS, Biological Sciences, Loyola University - Maryland
MSc Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh
MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine
Sidney Smith
Professor of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Former chair of the Dean's Council on Advancement at VTCSOM; Alumnus in chemical engineering at Virginia Tech.
Bio: Sidney C. Smith, Jr., M.D. is Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Dr Smith received his medical degree from Yale Medical School and completed his medical internship, residency, and cardiology fellowship at Peter Bent Brigham (now Brigham and Women’s) Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston. Smith is a past president of the American Heart Association (AHA) and past member of AHA Board of Directors. He is also past president of the World Heart Federation. Smith served as Chair of the Executive Committee for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health’s Integrated Guidelines for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and was a Senior Advisor to the NHLBI during that period of time. Smith has authored or co-authored more than 380 published papers and chapters and has served on the editorial boards for the Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine, Journal of Clinical and Experimental Cardiology, Journal of the American College of Cardiology and Circulation. Yearly since 1998, he has been elected to Best Doctors in America.
Education:
BS, Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech
MD, Yale Medical School
Troy Smith
President, Avis Construction Company, Inc.
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Alumnus, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, Virginia Tech. Son also attends Virginia Tech.
Bio: Smith is president of Avis Construction Company, based in Roanoke, Virginia. Avis is a full-service contractor that provides a range of construction services to diverse industries such as commercial, industrial, institutional, and medical. Smith has been with Avis since 2010, taking on the role as president in 2011. He previously worked at Smith-Packett Med-Com LLC. Smith also serves on an advisory board for the Department of Business and Economics at Roanoke College. He and his wife, Michelle, have two children.
Education:
BS, Building Construction, Virginia Tech
Adam Tate, MD
Resident, Family and Community Medicine
Eastern Virginia Medical School - Ghent Family Medicine, Norfolk
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: VTCSOM alumnus, 2018, Class of 2018 president, VTCSOM Sam and Priscilla McCall scholarship recipient
Bio: Adam Tate grew up in Southwest Virginia. He has a professional interest in rural primary care and the provision of health care resources to underserved areas. After residency his goal is to return to the Roanoke area. Prior to pursuing his medical degree Dr. Tate had a career in health education and public health research.
Education:
BS, Anthropology, University of Virginia
MSPH, John Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health
MD, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Chris Vieau
Family Medicine Physician, Union Family Practice
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: VTCSOM alumni, Class of 2014
Bio: Vieau is originally from Syracuse, New York. He graduated from Manhattan College '08 and competed on men's varsity Golf Team in Div. 1 Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference. Vieau was a member of the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine’s Charter Class VTC '14. He completed his internship and residency at Carolinas Healthcare Center (now Atrium Healthcare System) in Family Medicine '17 and is currently practicing family medicine at Union Family Practice in Monroe, NC, which is affiliated with the Atrium Healthcare Family Medicine Residency Program, Rural tract. Vieau is an avid golfer and Syracuse Orange fan. He is excited to have continuing involvement in the VTC community and pursue continued excellence within the program.
Education:
BS, Manhattan College
MD, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Mark Watts
Family Physician, Carilion Family Medicine - Vinton
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Clinical Preceptor, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine
Bio: Watts has proudly served as a Family Physician locally for the past 30 years and has also been involved in organized medicine at the local, state, and national levels. Watts has served as President of Roanoke Valley Academy of Medicine and helped found Project Access of the Roanoke Valley to expand healthcare resources for our community’s underserved. Watts has been President of the Virginia Academy of Medicine and currently serves as Alternate Delegate to the Congress of Delegates of the American (VIRGINIA) Academy of Family Physicians.
Education:
BA, Biology, University of Virginia
MD, University of Virginia School of Medicine
Jacqueline Wieland
First Vice President/Investments, Stifel Investment Services, Greensboro, NC
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Alumna of Virginia Tech, 1983
Bio: Wieland has over 35 years’ experience in the financial industry and holds her Accredited Investment Fiduciary® (AIF®). Over the past few decades, she has served on numerous non-profit boards. Currently is serving as the Chairman of the Investment Committee for Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro (CFGG), as well as a founding member for the Women to Women Endowment within CFGG. Wieland is a member of the Chancellor’s Council for the Institute of World Politics. She was immediate past Chairman of the Board for the Women's Resource Center and past Trustee for Bennett College. Wieland was a gubernatorial appointee for the North Carolina's Financial Literacy Commission. In 2012, she was appointed by the governor-elect to serve on the transition team for tax reform. Jackie and her husband, Bruce, have been married for 24 years and reside in Greensboro, NC.
Education:
BA, Political Science, Virginia Tech
BS, Sociology, Virginia Tech
Bart Wilner
President, Entré Computer Center
Affiliation with Virginia Tech and/or Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine: Alumnus of Virginia Tech
Bio: Bart Wilner is the founder and president of Entre Computer Center. Wilner grew up in Miami, Florida, then attended and graduated from Virginia Tech. Soon after, he settled in Roanoke, Virginia. He and his wife, Lynn, are active citizens in the community, holding leadership roles with Roanoke City Public Schools, the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra, United Way of the Roanoke Valley, Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, Virginia Western Community College Foundation, the Roanoke Regional Chamber, Better Business Bureau of Western Virginia, Business Leadership Fund, Opera Roanoke, Roanoke College, and The Shenandoah Club. They were also executive producers of the movie, “Lake Effects,” which was filmed at Smith Mountain Lake and Roanoke and starred Jane Seymour.
Education:
BS, Business, Virginia Tech