Three Suffolkians named to top 40 list

None of them submitted his or her own application. One of them didn't even know he'd been nominated. All the same, three Suffolkians were recently named to Inside Business' Top 40 Under 40, a list that recognizes men and women from Hampton Roads under the age of 40 who are making moves in the business world.

It was the ninth annual Top 40 Under 40 for the Norfolk-based publication. More than 100 nominations were scored by each of five judges, all Hampton Roads business people themselves. The scores were then averaged and the judges met to determine the final 40 honorees.

Robert N. Baker IV, 33, known to most as "Blake." didn't have a clue he'd been nominated by his father's wife. When they called to tell him he was in the final 40, he thought they were soliciting R.W. Baker and Co. Funeral Home and Crematory for advertising. "They had to explain it to me," he said.

After working for Virginia Beach consulting fimr for several years, Baker returned to the family business, ready to take on the role of vice president by his father's side. He instituted several changes and ideas that have helped the funeral home, begun in 1885, stay modern.

One thing Baker helped to bring to the funeral home is the Compassionate Friends, a yearly remembrance service for families who have lost a sibling or a child. "People can come in and hear what other people have to say," Baker said. "It's something I really like that we do."

Baker has also instituted other services to the families, including a keepsake CD which blends photos and music to help families cherish memories. He also redid R.W. Baker's casket room. Insteadof mourning familes walking into a room full of caskets to choose one for their loved one, they now can just see corners of the styles, withe pullout drawers to view the interior fabric and other details.

"It's things like this that I'm proud of more so than anything," Baker said, sitting in the casket room. "It's taking pride in being able to provide families better options."

Outside of the business, Baker is on the board of directors and board of trustees at Main Street United Methodist Church, where the family has attended for generations. He also does logistics for the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

He and his wife have a 3-year-old daughter and a 6-month-old son. Ashley Greene, 38, another of Suffolk's Top 40 Under 40 winners, is the owner of Marketing Mojo, a company she describes as "fill-in-the-blank marketing."

"It's whatever you might need on a smaller budget." she said. "I can help open a new office, help with marketing ideas, help design a web site with not a whole lot of web site money."

Greene runs the business from her home, while keeping up with her four children, Arynne, 7, Addison, 5, Jackson, 4, and Parker, 2. Her husband, Andy, works in Petersburg, often leaving early in the morning and getting home late at night. "It's been crazy,"she said. Even so, she somehow found the time this year to create SMART, a quarterly luncheon series for women in Hampton Roads. Held in Suffolk, the luncheons bring in presenters to speak about women's issues. For example, the next luncheon, Jan. 22, will have Optima speaking about how stress affects women's health. About 80 women came to the first luncheon-the next one, almost 200. Greene expects at least 150 women in January.

Green was nominated by Lou Pollard, one of the women with whom she works in Suffolk 60 Care. "She told me she wanted to put my name in the pot," Greene said. "I said, 'They're goign to laugh when they see my application.'" "It was an honor for me that she would think of nominating me becuase she does so much," Greene said.

The third Suffolk winner, Debbie Russell, 38, was nominated by a friend and business associate, Jane Short. Russell is the senior financial operations unit at BearingPoint Inc.

Outside of the business world, however, is where Russell really shines. She is the president of the Junior League of Norfolk/Virginia Beach, which is part of the larger association of 293 such groups across the United States, Mexico, Canada and the United Kingdom. "We all have a common mission, which is a group of women developing the potential of women," Russell said. The group also focuses on improving the community and promoting volunteerism, and provide better service," she said.

"I was excited to learn there were not only three people from Suffolk, but also five women from the Junior League," she said. "I think it says a lot about our organization-we're smart, bright, professional and giving back to the community."

Russell, like Greene, was honored to be recognized not because of the accomplishments of the woman who nominated her. "I was extremely honored to be nominated by Jane because I have a lot of respect for her," Russell said. "I was just completely humbled by the honor."