Meet Your Board Members

This marks the start of a series to introduce some of the volunteers who serve on the 35-member ODU Alumni Association board of directors.

Fred D. Facka ’85
Degree: Financial management
City: Richmond
Occupation: Financial consultant, Smith Barney
Favorite ODU memory: “My favorite memories are the joy and sacrifice of being a student-athlete on the men’s basketball team, and the success the team achieved by going to two NIT tournaments and two NCAA tournaments in my four years. The high point academically was graduating with a degree from the College of Business. Today, it is being a part of the ODU Alumni Association and giving back in some small way to the progress and great future of ODU.”

Peter Griffin ’73
Degree: Business administration
City: Norfolk
Occupation: Senior vice president, Griffin Investment Group, Wachovia Securities
Favorite ODU memory: “Some of us were late bloomers in the late 1960s. A lot of time during my first swing through ODU was spent playing bridge at the Canterbury House, which was located across from where the 7-Eleven is now. There I met Laura Stanfield, who later married me and has been my encouragement and support for the last 36 years. After three years in the U.S. Army, I did my second and graduating swing through ODU. It’s amazing how much better your grades are with a wife and child. Many lifelong friends were established at the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity house.”

Erwin Sabile ’98
Degree: Civil engineering
City: Chesapeake
Occupation: Financial consultant, Booze, Allen and Hamilton
Favorite ODU memory: “I have many memories, including: the camaraderie and discussions at our Resident Assistant Night meetings; showing school pride as a student ambassador; and the Navy ROTC physical training, which began at 5 a.m. – there is nothing like cadence that early in the morning.”

Maxine G. Somerville ’85
Degree: Psychology
City: Waldorf, Md.
Occupation: Director of administration and human resources, United Nations Foundation
Favorite ODU memory: “The thing I remember most vividly is the true sense of community and caring for one another. This was not only true from the university perspective but most importantly from the perspective of the black student population. During my four years, the black population of students was small but very cohesive – you knew just about everyone. This foundation of community and caring has fostered my continued dedication to ODU, and is the reason I stay actively involved in the Black Alumni Council and the Alumni Association.”

Charles Wright (M.B.A. ’03)
Degree: Business administration
City: Virginia Beach
Occupation: Vice president, business banking, Wachovia Bank
Favorite ODU memory: “I was very impressed with the diversity of student backgrounds, professional experiences and perspectives. There were students from Asia and Europe, those attending full time and part time, both young and old, and those from every professional sector of Hampton Roads imaginable. This provided a great learning environment, while keeping the business school fully engaged with the business community in Hampton Roads.”