Rick Dwyer serves as the Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, a public-private partnership dedicated to attracting, retaining, and growing federal facilities in Hampton Roads, Virginia.  Prior to becoming Executive Director, he served 6 years as the HRMFFA Deputy Executive Director.

Rick is a 1996 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.  He also holds master’s degrees in construction engineering and management from Virginia Tech, and military operational art and science from Air University.

A career Air Force officer, Rick served over 20 years on active duty as a civil engineer and worked in a number of installation level, RED HORSE (heavy construction unit), major command and Headquarters Air Force engineer positions.  As an Air Force civil engineer, he gained extensive experience working on facilities, infrastructure, environmental, housing, emergency management, fire emergency services, and explosive ordnance disposal issues.  He commanded three civil engineer squadrons within the continental United States and in the Southwest Asia area of operations.  As the Base Civil Engineer, Rick worked closely with surrounding communities on issues such as strategic planning, encroachment management and transportation issues.  He also deployed multiple times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, special operations throughout Southwest Asia, and Operation Freedom’s Sentinel in Afghanistan.  Prior to his retirement from military service in 2016, Mr. Dwyer most recently served on the Headquarters Air Combat Command and Installation and Mission Support Center staffs at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA.

Mr. Dwyer assumed his current duties in July of 2022.

Todd Nichols serves as the Deputy Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, a public-private partnership dedicated to attracting, retaining, and growing federal facilities in the region.

After enlisting in the United States Navy in 1983, Mr. Nichols served 13 years in the enlisted submarine service, after which he earned an officer’s commission in 1997.  His Officer tours spanned 27 years of service including several deployments to the Western Pacific and Arabian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation Enduring Freedom. On Mr. Nichols’ last deployment, he served as aircraft carrier Chief Engineer with the carrier strike group that executed the initial strikes against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS). His major staff assignments included key support positions for the Chief of Naval Operations, Chief of Naval Personnel and Nuclear Program Policy and Program Management.  A career naval officer, Mr. Nichols’ service includes 40 years on active duty during which he achieved the rank of Captain, most recently serving as Deputy Commander, Norfolk Naval Shipyard.

In 1992, Mr. Nichols was graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, IL with a bachelor’s degree in education, magna cum laude.  Subsequently in 2003 he was graduated from National University with a master’s degree in finance with honors.  He has completed additional coursework for a Doctor of Philosophy in finance from Northcentral University.

Mr. Nichols assumed his current duties at the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance in December 2022.