Board of Directors

Melissa Peele, MSW
Founder & Executive Director

Melissa Peele is the Founder and Executive Director of Firm Foundation of Virginia. Melissa earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Norfolk State University and a Bachelor’s of Human Services Counseling from Old Dominion University. She worked as a professional Social Worker for the cities of Newport News and Norfolk Social Services with foster care and adoption. She also worked with UMFS where she was a Regional Independent Living Consultant helping youth prepare to transition out of foster care.

In these professional roles and after experiencing her bout with homelessness, Melissa saw the need for transitional housing for pregnant mothers, youth aging out of foster care, and families who experienced homelessness. Driven by her passion for serving single mothers, Melissa founded Firm Foundation of Virginia, an organization that would provide women a nurturing environment where emotional, social, spiritual, and financial needs are addressed to move them from homelessness to home. In addition to leading Firm Foundation of Virginia, Melissa is currently working as an Adjunct Social Work Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and is a Deaconess in her local church.

Melissa is a native of North Carolina, but has resided in the Hampton Roads Area since 1991. Prior to her Social Work career, Melissa served in the United States Air Force.

Beth Lyon-Suhring
Board Member

Beth Lyon-Suhring is the Director of Christian Education at St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Suffolk. She is responsible for educational ministries at the church for all ages. Beth is a native of West Virginia and holds a BA in English from St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, NC, a Master’s Degree in Library Science from UNC-CH, and a Master’s Degree in Christian Education from Union Presbyterian Seminary. She and her husband Steve live in an old farmhouse in Suffolk which they rescued from the wrecking ball, and which, nearly forty years later, is still a work in progress. They have two adult children.

Charles L. Owens
Board Member

Charles retired from the US Navy after a successful 23-year career, of which, 17 were spent as a Public Affairs Officer where he was primary media spokesman for high-profile events such as the 2003 Gulf War, the attack on the USS COLE (DDG 67), and the USS GREENVILLE’s (SSN 772) collision with the Ehime Maru. Upon retiring from the Navy, Mr. Owens assumed responsibility for a Media and Marketing Services contract in Afghanistan, where he led the efforts of senior-level strategic communication planners, social scientists, and media analysts with applied planning, opinion research, analysis, and marketing campaign strategy experience. He successfully established and led strategic communication contracts in Stuttgart, Germany, Northern Africa, Bogotá, Colombia, and Miami, Florida. Mr. Owens’ articles on strategic communication have been published in Proceedings Magazine. Currently, Mr. Owens is working with leadership in the US submarine force analyzing, at the strategic and tactical levels, force requirements through 2030 and beyond. Analysis includes active engagements with NATO partners and assessing practical applications for machine learning, artificial intelligence, crewed/un-crewed systems and other new technologies. Mr. Owens serves the City of Suffolk as its Soil and Water Conservation Director and his community as a Deacon in his local church.

Lenore Henderson
Board Member

Lenore Henderson was born in the US Virgin Islands. At the age of 10, Lenore would have visions of herself sitting with someone helping them figure out their income and then she would provide them with employment and affordable living. As a little girl, Lenore thought this was just an imagination, however, it went on for years, while all the other children were outside playing, she always found herself inside pretending to help others.

At the age of 16 Lenore became a teen mom. In 2002, she met her husband, Mark Norman. Lenore and her husband owned a ship repair business Norman Industries Inc. located in Norfolk Virginia. Her husband died in 2014, and she is currently a widow.

Lenore is a minister at the Good Shepherd Church located in Chesapeake Virginia. She started Anchored Hearts Enterprise Inc., located in Norfolk Virginia. Anchored Hearts’ mission is to provide jobs, housing, and transportation to people who need assistance, especially single moms. In 2022, she obtained her certificate as a Life Coach, in addition, Lenore currently works as a Property Manager, where she manages properties in Newport News, Virginia.