Leadership

Thomas Gadson is the Founder and President of Virginia Elite and the Elite Showcase Basketball Classic (ESBC). A native of Savannah, Georgia, Thomas has been involved with basketball for many years from his youth days playing basketball and football in the YMCA and Police Athletic Leagues (PAL) youth leagues in Savannah through high school and college.

After high school, he attended Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina which competes in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). After his freshman year, he transferred and graduated from Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina. Thomas holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Computer Science and a Master's in Computer Information Systems, as well as several technical and professional management certifications.

Bernaldo Ormond joined Virginia Elite in 2009 when he submitted a web article titled "Kendall Marshall: What Is So Special About Him," that was applauded by local high school coaches. Bernaldo has a bachelor's degree in Mass Media Arts/Print Journalism and a Master's degree in Quality Systems Management (QSM). He is currently a software/network engineer for the Federal government. Bernaldo is a native of Chicago, IL and credits basketball with keeping him safe and steering him in the direction of education.

Bernaldo has over 14 years of experience in youth athletics and has held several positions: Boys & Girls Club head coach, Recreational League head coach, Prince William Pacers AAU assistance coach, Gainesville Recreational League Commissioner, Gainesville Travel League Commissioner, Fairfax Christian School high school basketball caoch, GBA-Hoop Magic Tournament Director, and Fairfax County Youth Basketball Council Advisory Board member. Bernaldo feels passionate that this organization will give high school athletes in our area the exposure they need to become more marketable to colleges and universities. Bernaldo states, "There are a lot of young talented athletes in our area that just need to be given exposure and an opportunity to showcase their talents."

Michael Carter was born and raised in Tampa, FL where he played basketball for Hillsborough High School. After graduating from high school, he went on to play basketball at Columbus University in Columbus, GA. After one year, he transferred to Tuskegee University where he continued to play basketball for three more seasons. He graduated from Tuskegee witha  degree in Marketing. Michael then went on to play in professional leagues in Venezuela and Israel as a shooting guard. He has done marketing for fortune 500 companies such as Gatorage, Coca-Cola, The Ritz-Carlton Hotels, and Starwood Hotels.