Gilbert T. Bland

Gilbert T. Bland is Chairman of The GilJoy Group. Mr. Bland has been a franchisee of Burger King and Pizza Hut for the past 25 years. In this capacity, he has owned and operated over 70 restaurants in Virginia, North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Mr. Bland is a charter member of the Burger King Diversity Action Council and has served on the Board of Directors for the Burger King National Franchise Association and the Southeast Pizza Hut franchise association. A respected member of the franchise community, Mr. Bland was elected to two consecutive terms as President of the Minority Franchise Association for Burger King Corp. Additionally, Mr. Bland was appointed to four 2-year terms for the national Burger King Marketing Advisory Council. Mr. Bland began his career as a commercial lending officer for the Continental Bank of Chicago and Vice-President of the Independence Bank of Chicago.

Mr. Bland has received numerous awards for his local community service including, in 2008, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award in recognition of his lifetime achievements . Locally, Mr. Bland has served on the Board of Directors at Sentara Hospital, South Hampton Roads YMCA and The Greater Norfolk Corporation, among other organizations. Statewide, Mr. Bland has served on the Board of Visitors at Old Dominion University, the Board of Trustees for the James Madison University Foundation and the Virginia Small Business Financing Authority. Mr. Bland presently serves as Chairman of the NCP Community Development Federal Credit Union. Mr. Bland received a B. A. in accounting and economics from James Madison University and an MBA from Atlanta University. He resides in Virginia Beach.