Meet the Foundation Board

The dedicated members of the VSPA Foundation’s Board of Directors are chosen for their leadership, experience and passion for serving their local communities and the members of law enforcement. They work diligently to ensure the foundation’s priorities and practices best serve its mission.

kevin kelly is the Chairman and CEO of Arcfield, a premier provider of innovative solutions in systems engineering and integration, C5ISR and digital transformation for air, sea, land, space and cyber domains in support of our nation’s most critical missions. Prior to Arcfield, Kevin was the CEO of LGS Innovations, a privately held independent technology company acquired by CACI Intl in March of 2019. After its acquisition, Kelly oversaw the company’s integration into CACI with the creation of a new high-tech sector named the National Security and Innovation Solutions Sector, where Kevin served as President. In this role, Kevin oversaw the operations of a $2B business consisting of the technology and products portions of several key acquisitions.

He brings 30 years of experience to the industry in the areas of research, engineering, strategic planning, and organization leadership. Prior to his tenure with LGS Innovations he held senior positions within General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems and Lockheed Martin. Kelly holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Penn State University and a master’s degree in engineering management from George Washington University. He has held board and advisory positions with a number of technology companies. He is also a proud member of the Engineering Hall of Fame at GWU SEAS.

julien patterson is the founder and former Chairman of OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation, a premier provider of high-quality security and investigative services for prestigious government and commercial customers.

His career began with the Central Intelligence Agency where he was responsible for a number of mission-critical activities. In 1997, he was named by Ernst & Young LLP, the NASDAQ Stock Market and others as the Greater Washington, DC Entrepreneur of the Year, from a field of over 890 nominees. He received his undergraduate and honorary doctorate degrees from Norfolk State University and has also served on numerous of distinguished committees and boards.

Among other activities, he is a Founding Director for the Boys & Girls Club of the Northern Neck, and currently owns various small businesses in Virginia with revenues exceeding $9 million per year, including opening COMPASS Entertainment Complex in 2020, creating jobs and stimulating economic development in the rural Northern Neck of Virginia region.

martin kent serves as President and CEO of The United Company, a diversified private investment company located in Bristol, Virginia. He leads the Company in its fifty-third year of operation as it pursues business acquisitions and seeks new opportunities for growth, particularly in the hospitality and leisure sector, throughout the country. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors of multiple public and private organizations advancing business, education, health and public policy initiatives.

Martin has served in numerous executive roles in Virginia during fifteen years of service in state government including Chief of Staff to the Governor as well as Chief Deputy Attorney General. In those roles he oversaw the daily operations of state government, interaction with the Virginia General Assembly, the federal government, Governors’ and Attorneys’ General Offices of other states, as well as legal representation of all state agencies. Prior to that service, Martin was engaged in the private practice of law.

Martin graduated from the University of Richmond with a B.S. in Business Administration and from Mercer University with a Juris Doctorate. He is a CPA and licensed attorney in Virginia.

bill desteph was elected to the Senate of Virginia in November 2015 and again in November 2019, having previously served in the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Beach City Council. A Desert Storm veteran, Senator DeSteph proudly served in the United States Navy, both as a Chief Petty Officer and as a Naval Special Warfare Intelligence Officer. Senator DeSteph currently sits on three Senate committees and two joint subcommittees. He is also a member of the Information Technology Advisory Council and the Technology and Innovation Caucus. DeSteph has served on the Board of Workforce Development, the Manufacturing Development Commission on Technology and Science, the Joint Subcommittee on Coastal Flooding and more. He is an active member of the General Assembly’s Military Caucus and Tourism Caucus, and is the former chairman of the Hampton Roads Caucus, a bipartisan group of legislators who meet regarding issues affecting our region.

DeSteph has given his time and resources to the community for years, coaching youth sports as well as volunteering for numerous organizations including the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters, Prevent Child Abuse Hampton Roads, the Noblemen, and the Naval Special Warfare Foundation. He serves on the Board of the Support Virginia Troopers Foundation Emergency Relief Fund, the Boy Scouts of America Tidewater Council, and Special Olympics Virginia, and is active with Law Enforcement United and the Judeo-Christian Outreach Center.

colonel m. wayne huggins is a former lobbyist and Executive Director for the Virginia State Police Association. Over the course of his life, he lived in several states before moving to Arlington, Virginia in 1970. Huggins was employed by the United States Secret Service Executive Protective Service from 1970 until 1971 and became a Virginia State Police trooper at the end of that year.

On December 9, 1974, the 25-year-old Huggins was elected the first president of the newly-formed Virginia State Police Association. He graduated from George Mason University with a B.A. in Psychology in 1978 and would begin his service with the Fairfax County Sheriff’s Office that same year.

On February 9, 1990, Huggins left the Sheriff’s Office when he was appointed by President George H. W. Bush as director of the National Institute of Corrections. In 1994, he was appointed Superintendent of the Virginia State Police by Governor George Allen. He resigned on January 28, 2000 to join Omniplex World Services.