The Thompsons with President Tim Sands (right) in 2017. (Photo credit: Jim Stroup)
The Thompsons with President Tim Sands (right) in 2017. (Photo credit: Jim Stroup)

Gregory C. Thompson (ACCT ’77), and his wife Kathryn L. Thompson, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, have made a $1 million commitment in support of the GBAC. Greg Thompson is the executive vice president and chief financial officer of KEMET Electronics Corp. Before joining KEMET, he served in the same role at Axiall Corp. and has held senior leadership positions at other manufacturing, medical products, and technology companies. Thompson serves on the cabinet of the Pamplin Advisory Council. He has served as PAC president and as cabinet chair.

Michael W. Clarke (FIN ’83) and his wife Kathy Clarke (CT ’84), of Vienna, Virginia, have made a $1 million commitment in support of the GBAC. Mike Clarke is the founder and former CEO of Access National Corporation, which was acquired by Union Bankshares Corporation last year, and currently a member of the board of directors of the merged entity, Atlantic Union Bank. He serves on PAC as a member of the cabinet and the strategic initiatives committee. He also chairs the finance department’s advisory board.

The Clarkes share a light moment with Bob Brown (right) at the 2019 Hokies on Wall Street reception. (Photo credit: Dana Maxson)
The Clarkes share a light moment with Bob Brown (right) at the 2019 Hokies on Wall Street reception. (Photo credit: Dana Maxson)

John S. Sepple (MBA ’88), and his wife Valerie Sepple, of Highlands Ranch, Colorado, have made a $500,000 commitment in support of the GBAC. Jack Sepple is a senior managing director of Accenture, where he has developed a 30-plus year career that includes leading teams in its cloud practice, infrastructure services, and network operations. Sepple is a member of the advisory board for Virginia Tech’s master of information technology program.

EY partners who are Virginia Tech alumni have made a $1.6 million commitment in support of the GBAC. Their past philanthropy has included donations to an employer-matching gifts fund for the accounting and information systems department. EY, which received the college’s 2019 Corporate Ambassador Award, is one of the top five employers of Pamplin graduates.

Pamplin dean Robert Sumichrast (second from right) with Pamplin alumni who work at EY: Brian Benson, Baback Bazri, Negar Jamshidimehr, Shirley Edwards, Dan Lasik, and Tom Bornemann. (Photo credit: Brett Lemon)
Pamplin dean Robert Sumichrast (second from right) with Pamplin alumni who work at EY: Brian Benson, Baback Bazri, Negar Jamshidimehr, Shirley Edwards, Dan Lasik, and Tom Bornemann. (Photo credit: Brett Lemon)