Ghent Neighborhood League Officers and Board
Ghent Neighborhood League Leadership
President - Eleise Theuer
Eleise Theuer has lived in Ghent for most of her life. Her family has a long history in Ghent. Her great-great Grandfather Etheldred Beale bought a house in Ghent in 1904 to work on the Jamestown Exposition. Eleise spent much of her childhood in North Carolina but has wonderful memories of visiting her Grandmother at her Ghent apartment. A child of the suburbs, Ghent was a magical place to her. It still is. Eleise has enjoyed helping reinvent the League, creating lots of events and activities for Ghent residents and advocating for services and policies that best serve the neighborhood. Green Spaces, beautification and neighborly areas of peace, recreation and respite are her particular focus. She and her husband renovated their Ghent house and raised their sons there. She did not name either of her boys Etheldred, to their everlasting gratitude.
Vice President - Jennifer Dawn
Jennifer Dawn is a REALTOR® in Hampton Roads. She serves on numerous boards and committees, including the Hampton Roads REALTOR® Association Board of Directors, Government Affairs Committee Vice Chair, and serves as an Association Brokerage Ambassador. Additionally, she serves on the Public Policy Committee for Virginia Association of REALTORS®, as well as a current member of VLA, their Leadership Academy cohort. She is a Commitment to Excellence State Ambassador for the National Association of REALTORs®. After moving to Hampton Roads from NC in 2017, she relocated to Ghent with her 2 pups in May 2023. She has since engaged as a member of the Ghent Neighborhood League, as well as co-chairing the Events/Programming committee. Most recently, she has been appointed to the NFK2050 Advisory Committee, for the purpose of assisting the City Planning Commission in the development of a proposed new Comprehensive Plan. Before becoming a REALTOR®, Jennifer was a National Board-Certified educator, mentor, and coach for almost 2 decades.
2nd Vice President - Shawn Z. Tarrant
Shawn Z. Tarrant, Candidate for 2nd Vice President GNL Shawn was born and raised in Long Island, New York. Shawn spent most of his professional career in Baltimore, Maryland. He and his wife Latisha recently moved to Ghent from Chesapeake with their youngest son and have a blended family of five adult children.
Shawn is the Graduate Advisor Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc, at Old Dominion University Eta Omega Chapter and the past President of Norfolk State University, Chesapeake Alumni Chapter. Shawn was also elected to Maryland General Assembly House of Delegates and the Baltimore State Delegate serving two 4-year terms.
He is also the Past President/Vice President of Ashburton Area Association and he has served on the Boards of the Maryland Zoo, SPCA & Baltimore City Community College Foundation.
Secretary-Lynne Seagle
Lynne Seagle has lived in Ghent for over 40 years. She attended ODU and received her bachelor’s degree in special education and master’s degree in public administration. She was hired at Hope House Foundation in 1978 while living on Redgate Ave, and then later moved to Graydon Ave, where she resides today.
Under Lynne’s leadership, Hope House has become internationally known for its innovative, person-centered approach. One of her proudest accomplishments was guiding Hope House through its transition from group homes to supporting people in their own apartments in the early nineties.
In 1986, Lynne was honored as the Virginia Administrator of the Year by the Virginia Community Living Association (CLAMR), and also received an Innovation Award from the same organization. In 1990, she received the Leadership Award from the American Association on Intellectual Disabilities, and in 1998, she received the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation's International Future Leader Award. In 2011, she was appointed to the Arc of Virginia’s board of directors. She has also served on the President's Commission on Intellectual Disabilities and is on the advisory board of the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation.
Lynne is passionate about social justice and equality for all people, particularly those with intellectual or developmental disabilities. She also enjoys reading, travel, Mexican cuisine, and the beach. Having recently retired Lynne is very interested in her community and contributing to the success and continued improvement of her neighborhood. Lynne is concurrently a consultant for not for profits and corporations, specifically concerning leadership and strategic planning.
Board Member - Nat McCormick
Nat McCormick is a native of Boston and a graduate of Williams College. He received his Masters of Architecture with a certificate in Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia. Nat worked for architecture firms in Boston, Paris and Norfolk, participating in numerous preservation projects including the renovation of the Governor’s Mansion in Richmond. He joined Norfolk Redevelopment & Housing Authority in 2004 and is involved in the planning and implementation of redevelopment initiatives throughout the city. Nat and his wife Thaler moved to Ghent in 2015 and are delighted to be part of its diverse and historic community. Nat has served on the Ghent Neighborhood League for the past four years and chairs the Project Review Committee. Nat and Thaler have daughters “remotely attending” Granby High School and Miami University and two dogs that do not attend school but should.
Board Member - Rebekah Knable
Rebekah has a deep-rooted love for the Ghent neighborhood, having first lived here in the early 2000s while working at Old Dominion University. After spending time in Leesburg, Virginia, and New York City, she returned to Ghent, drawn back by its charm. She especially appreciates the neighborhood’s historic architecture, proximity to the water, and walkability.
Rebekah is a seasoned marketing professional with experience leading strategic initiatives, managing creative campaigns, and fostering community engagement. She is excited about the opportunity to bring her experience to support and grow the Ghent Neighborhood League’s (GNL) membership and recruitment initiatives.
She is passionate about public green spaces and neighborhood hospitality, Rebekah enjoys being part of initiatives that bring people together and make shared spaces more welcoming. Her hobbies include paddleboarding, caring for her growing collection of plants, learning watercolor painting, and participating in book clubs.
Board Member - Debbie Walsh
Debbie Walsh moved to Norfolk 2 years ago, previously residing in San Diego and Indiana. She has been an RN for 30 years, 17 years as a family nurse practitioner. She is currently a nurse practitioner with Sentara Community Care, working at various mobile sites in the city of Norfolk and the Union Mission shelter. She and her husband are members of the Norfolk community garden, and joined the GNL earlier this year. She is a member of the book club. Issues regarding social justice are her passion. They love living in Ghent and look forward to seeing continued community and business development.
