About
Our Team

Advisory Council


The Veritas School Advisory Council is committed to operating under a spirit of grace as they seek God's direction for the school. Members are active and involved, pledging to advocate for and participate in the school community as they serve a two-year term that is renewable up to three times. The Advisory Council meets three times annually. 

List of 14 items.

  • David Barrett

    David R. Barrett is President/CEO of Barrett Capital Management, LLC. David graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business and Marketing, and he is and has been a member of many advisory boards and councils, including past chairman of the Board of the Virginia Council of CEOs and the past Chairman of the Board of the Christian Children’s Fund (now ChildFund International), an international children’s charity serving over 10 million children and their families in 33 countries worldwide.
  • Dan Carrell

    Dan Carrell has served on the Advisory Council since its inception in 2014. He is Chairman of the law firm of Carrell Blanton Ferris & Associates, PLC, with four offices across central Virginia.  With degrees from Davidson College, Oxford University (where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar), and Stanford Law School, as an Army Captain he served on the faculty of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, NY.  A long-time Elder at Stony Point Reformed Presbyterian Church, he is a former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church in America.  Dan and his wife, Janis, have two married daughters and three grandchildren.
  • Buddy Childress

    Buddy Childress is a native of Richmond and a graduate of Randolph-Macon College.  He and his wife Laura have four children and ten grandchildren, three of whom are Veritas students.  After a career with Xerox, Buddy joined The New England, where he was involved in sales and financial planning, before attending Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and graduating with a Masters of Theological Studies.  He is the founder and President of Needle's Eye Ministries, Inc., an interdenominational Christian organization that has been ministering to the men and women of metropolitan Richmond’s marketplace since 1977. Buddy is also the founder and former Executive Director of two other ministries, the Christian Counseling & Training Center and CrossOver Healthcare Ministry, a Christian outreach which provides medical and dental care to the homeless and inner-city impoverished of Richmond.  Buddy has been a member of Third Church since 1980. 
  • Bob Fitch

    Bob Fitch is the founder and former CEO of James River Wealth Advisors and a former member of the Veritas School Board of Directors. Bob received a B.A. in Economics from Campbell University and is now retired, living with his wife Susan in Urbanna, VA. Bob and Susie have two grandchildren attending Veritas and four Veritas alumni/ae.
  • Earl Johnson

    R. Earl Johnson joined the Veritas Advisory Council in 2018. He and his wife, Gail, have lived in Richmond since 1972, and he is a graduate of Randolph-Macon College and of Virginia Tech. Earl and Gail are the founders and owners of Leafspring Schools, retiring in 2015. Four of their grandchildren have attended Veritas.
  • Bruce Kay

    Bruce A. Kay is a Markel Corporation retired executive, where he handled investor relations and real estate for over 35 years. He earned a degree in Economics from Colgate University and an MBA from the University of Richmond. He and his wife Janet are long-time members of Third Church and have two grandchildren currently attending Veritas.
  • Janet Kelly

    Janet Kelly is based in Richmond, VA, and serves as VP of America's Kids Belong and President of Virginia's Kids Belong. As an adoptive mom, Janet gained first-hand knowledge of the struggles and joys of parenting a child in foster care while she was serving as Virginia's Secretary of the Commonwealth. She also acquired a healthy discontent with the state of the current foster care system and a deep desire for an environment where every child has true belonging. She enjoys engaging leaders from all backgrounds and beliefs to focus on the common goal of ending Virginia's foster care and adoption crisis. Janet and her husband Ryan have two children who attend Veritas, and their family attends Third Church.
  • Bill Phillips

    Bill Phillips is a graduate of Virginia Tech where he earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree. He is a Senior Associate of commercial real estate brokerage at Joyner Commercial with a focus on sales and leasing of investment property. Bill and his wife, Julie, have one child who attends Veritas.
  • Gerard Robinson

    Gerard Robinson Vice President for Education at the Advanced Studies in Culture Foundation located in Charlottesville, VA. He is an education, criminal justice, economic mobility, and legislation expert with nearly 30 years of experience spanning the private and public sector. He is co-editor of Education for Liberation: The Politics of Promise and Reform Inside and Beyond America’s Prisons (2019), and Education Savings Accounts: The New Frontier in School Choice (2017). Robinson is published or quoted in The Hill, The New York TimesThe Washington ExaminerThe Washington PostThe Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and U.S. News & World Report. Robinson earned an Ed.M. from Harvard University, a B.A. from Howard University, and an A.A. from El Camino Community College, and is married and has three daughters. He is a former Secretary of Education for the Commonwealth of Virginia.
  • Litt Thompson

    Litt Thompson has always had a passion for business, and for the past thirty years he has bought, started, run, and sold businesses across many different industries from manufacturing to retail, service to distribution. During those years, Litt developed a love for real estate investments and is the owner of Washington DC South. Litt is married to Kath and has three sons, Gavin, Parker and Litt. He received his degree in business from the University of Richmond and resides in Richmond, where he pursues his passion for helping others find their path and potential in life.
  • Lynda Vickers-Smith

    Lynda Vickers-Smith was born and raised in Northern Virginia. She worked for her family’s real estate management and development company, serving as president for 18 years, and has also served on the boards of several companies and organizations. Upon retirement, she moved to Richmond to be near family. Lynda has a granddaughter who attends Veritas.
  • John Whitlock

    John Whitlock is Chairman of The Whitlock Group.  John earned a degree in Business from the University of Georgia and his J.D. from the University of Richmond Law School.  He and his wife, Margaret, have five children, two sons-in-law, and two grandchildren.
  • Chris Withers

    Chris Withers is President of D Chris Withers, Inc., a fundraising consulting firm. Prior to this, he served as Vice President of Advancement at the University of Richmond. Originally from upstate New York, he has both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Alfred University. Chris is father of three, including a daughter who is in full time ministry in Africa, and grandfather of eight. Chris and his wife Sue attend West End Assembly of God.
  • Tom Zachry

    Tom Zachry is Director of Middle Market Banking for South State Bank in Virginia.  Tom holds undergraduate degrees in Economics and Business Administration from the University of Mary Washington and earned a Master of Science degree in Finance from Virginia Commonwealth University.  Tom also serves as Finance Committee Chairman and a member of the Board of Trustees at St. Joseph’s Villa.  He and his wife Kate have two daughters and attend West End Presbyterian Church.