Leadership

Helen has served as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Dragas Companies, sustaining a passion for the real estate industry that began as a 10-year- old girl trailing her father as he launched a mortgage business.

A Virginia Beach native, Helen graduated from Norfolk Academy, where she served as a trustee for 20 years. She received B.A.’s in Foreign Affairs and Economics from the University of Virginia, where she also went on to earn her MBA from The Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

In 1996, Helen became president of The Dragas Companies, which had grown into a diversified Hampton Roads real estate enterprise. She has since led the business to new heights, thriving through multiple economic cycles.  For her work, Helen was awarded the inaugural Lee Evans Award for Building Management Excellence by the National Association of Homebuilders and Builder Magazine in 1999 and again in 2009.  Under her leadership, The Dragas Companies was also honored with Builder Magazine’s designation as "America's Best Builder" in 2009.

Beyond her role as President and CEO, Helen directs her philanthropic efforts to issues of homelessness, poverty, and education. In 2015, she founded a nonprofit foundation, Partners for College Affordability and Public Trust, to catalyze and accelerate change at America’s public colleges and universities that results in lower costs and greater access to students from all walks of life, while maintaining or enhancing academic quality.

Helen has also served many Virginia gubernatorial appointments, including to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, State Council on Higher Education for Virginia, the University of Virginia, and the Governor's Economic Development and Jobs Creation Commission. Locally, she has served on the Hampton Roads Partnership, the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance, and Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission, among others.

Helen’s civic engagement and philanthropic leadership have led to many awards and designations, including First Citizen of Virginia Beach, Influential Woman of Virginia by Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Humanitarian Award from the Center for Inclusive Communities of Virginia, Hampton Roads Business Hall of Fame, and Habitat for Humanity’s Dream Builder award.

Rob is CFO of The Dragas Companies, where he began as a controller in 1992. Rob oversees the finance team and is also responsible for all treasury, risk management and employee benefit plan needs. A graduate of Old Dominion University, Rob was a partner in a small, local CPA firm before joining The Dragas Companies. A native Nova Scotian, Rob is an avid tennis player, scuba diver, and sailboat racer in training. He is always looking for new opportunities to enjoy the natural beauty of the Hampton Roads area.

As the Director of Field Operations, Louie utilizes his background in “Lean Manufacturing,” and home building to focus on customer service and continuous improvements within the production department. 

Louie is a Navy veteran who has made Virginia Beach his home since 1997.  After fulfilling his military commitment, Louie went on to attend Tidewater Community College where he earned an Associate Degree of Applied Science.  He later earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at Liberty University. 

Prior to Dragas, Louie was an operations manager for a national automotive dealership.  His passion to learn and continue his career growth led him into the home building industry where he sharpened his skills as a Project Manager for a national home builder.  Ultimately, Louie was drawn towards the Dragas Companies because of their dedication to the Hampton Roads community and its rich history of above and beyond service for their customers.

Louie uses his process improvement experiences and expertise to develop the production and warranty staff.   He challenges them to seek new and innovative methods that improve quality, timeliness, and customer service.

Louie spends most of his free time seeking outdoor adventures with his family. He is a fan of D.C. sports and enjoys exercising, mountain biking, and any type of fishing.  

Laura is the Marketing and Communications Director at Dragas Companies. She brings over 10 years of marketing experience with the last 5 years specifically in the real estate development and mortgage industries. Laura brings a special blend of expertise in brand awareness and growth, strategic digital marketing, and design. She provides marketing direction and support for all divisions and departments across Dragas Companies including Dragas Mortgage Company and Dragas Companies Realty. Laura is part of the Hampton Roads Realtor Association's New Homes Committee and enjoys working with Habitat For Humanity's local Women's Build Week each year.
 
Laura was born and raised in northern Wisconsin and holds her bachelor’s degree in mass communications and design from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. After graduating, she moved to the Virginia Beach area where she has resided for the last decade. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors and going on adventures with her husband and two young sons.

Brian began his career at Dragas Companies in 2005, working his way from Punch-Out to his current position.  As Vice President of Land Development and Preconstruction, he oversees the real estate development process from raw land to finished sites. This includes the development of site and building plans, selection of consultants and trade partners, and construction management.

Brian has overseen the development and construction of over two thousand homes in over a dozen neighborhoods. He is a Class A qualified individual for Dragas Companies’ building contractor’s license, as well as a Responsible Land Disturber.

Before joining Dragas Companies, he served as Director of Operations for Clear Channel Entertainment. When he’s not working, he enjoys spending time with his family - and playing golf poorly.

Brian earned his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Management from Old Dominion University.

Working with local architects, engineers & trade partners for nearly 20 years as part of the Dragas team to create a signature aesthetic for our communities, Sue has coordinated our built environment using skills honed during more than 40 years in the architectural and design industry.

Taking pride in creating timeless exterior designs & developing a variety of outstandingly efficient floor plans, Sue has completed more than 30 Dragas residential and apartment projects selecting exterior materials and building color schemes. Her role also includes the development of overall community landscape design and original plans for Dragas’ commercial buildings such as community, fitness and leasing centers.

Sue holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and is a professional member of the American Society of Interior Designers. Outside of work, she spends much of her time landscaping, promoting recycling in all forms and supporting her family and friends.

Lina began her career at Dragas Companies in 2014. Prior to her current position, Lina held the roles of a senior staff accountant, an accounting manager, and a controller. As Vice President of Finance, she oversees all sides of accounting operations. Lina is responsible for directing and coordinating accounting functions, preparing financials statements, managing the budget process, and coordinating activities of external auditors. 

Lina has been a resident of Hampton Roads for over 20 years. Before joining Dragas Companies, she worked as a corporate tax accountant at a local CPA firm. Lina earned her B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Old Dominion University. She is a licensed CPA in the state of Virginia.

Outside of work, Lina enjoys traveling, hiking, running, and watching her daughters play soccer. 

Drew is responsible for researching and coordinating land acquisitions for new signature Dragas Communities. He directs site layout design, compiles market data, facilitates localized public outreach, and works with local governments to advance land entitlement.

He began his career at Dragas Companies as a Business Development Associate prior to his current position as Vice President of Business Development. Drew currently serves on the Samaritan House Real Estate Board, and he is a licensed Realtor and member of the Hampton Roads Realtors Association. Prior to joining the Dragas Companies’ team, Drew earned B.A.’s in Foreign Affairs and Economics from the University of Virginia.

Drew was born and raised in Virginia Beach and continues to enjoy spending his free time at the beach, biking, landscaping, and boating.

Sally began as Head Underwriter at Dragas Mortgage Company in 1999 before moving to Sales in 2005. Today, she manages Dragas Companies’ new home sales teams.

Sally leads Dragas Companies’ community outreach efforts, working closely with nonprofit partners, including ForKids, Girls on the Run, and Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Virginia. Sally is a licensed realtor and a member of the Hampton Roads Realtors Association. As a self-proclaimed “new homes geek,” she has a passion for helping people realize their dream of owning a home.

Sally is an avid runner and a member of the J&A Racing Ambassador Team, where she promotes positivity and giving back in the Hampton Roads running community.

Mac joined The Dragas Companies’ new development team in 2022 after an eight-year career as a Vice President with CBRE and Colliers in Norfolk where he specialized in commercial leasing and sales. Mac supports the development team with site identification and acquisition, market and demographic research, and all rezoning activities.

Mac is also a licensed Realtor and serves as a Vice President of Dragas Companies Realty, with a focus on commercial real estate brokerage and acquisitions. A lifelong Hampton Roads native and University of Virginia graduate, Mac has a well-founded knowledge of the local market and has negotiated over 350 transactions valued at over $250 million. Clients have included defense contractors, REITS, national corporations, medical practices and local businesses and developers. At Dragas Companies Realty, Mac provides Tenant/Buyer and Landlord/Seller representation services including market evaluation, lease renewal vs relocation analysis, lease/purchase agreement negotiation support and workplace strategy.

Mac has served various civic organizations including the Hampton Roads Association for Commercial Real Estate, the Commercial Real Estate Council of Hampton Roads, and the CBRE Cares Committee. He also serves on the board of RiseVB, a local non-profit focused on program initiatives that enact meaningful change for the tidewater area.

Joyce has been part of Dragas since 1975, when The Dragas Companies was a small team of four, including Dragas founders George and Mark Dragas and a part-time bookkeeper. She has seen and supported the company through growth to 90 full-time employees and 13 sales associates.

Joyce continues to see her role as a caring and invested employee who takes a personal interest in every aspect of her work. Today, Joyce oversees condominium management for several large communities in various stages of construction as well as working communities slated to open.

Joyce has been a licensed real estate agent for over 50 years and a member of the Virginia Real Estate Board and Hampton Roads Realty Association during that time. She continues to take courses to stay up to date with new real estate practices and laws. Joyce spends her time outside the office with her grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, volunteering for outreach ministries with her church or enjoying the outdoors.

Faye brings more than 18 years of human resources and payroll management experience to her role at Dragas Companies. She is responsible for all functions of Human Resources, including recruiting, selection, benefits administration, compliance, and employee relations.

Prior to joining Dragas Companies, Faye has primarily worked in the construction industry. This includes her role with a prominent local government contractor specializing in construction management. There, she successfully established their human resources and payroll administration department.

At Dragas Companies, Faye dedicates herself to bringing in qualified candidates whose work philosophy is aligned with Dragas Companies’ core values. She focuses on supporting all Dragas employees to provide the resources they need to be successful.

Faye is a proud native of the Hampton Roads area. She is a graduate of Old Dominion University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Management concentrating in Human Resources and Development. She is a member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and holds both the PHR and SHRM-CP certifications.

Faye enjoys spending quality time with her family. She enjoys working out and is a member of a local running group.

Wayne has been a resident of the Hampton Roads area since 1959. He graduated from Princess Anne High School and Virginia Wesleyan University. Using his degree in Biology, Wayne taught Earth Science at Western Branch Junior High School, assisted with wrestling and coached girl’s gymnastics. After leaving the education system, Wayne has collected more than 35 years’ experience in the Real Estate and Mortgage industries. He was a Realtor with Goodman Segar Hogan.  Within the Mortgage sector, he has worked as a Senior Loan Officer, Sales Manager, and Corporate Trainer. It is these avenues that brought Wayne to Dragas Mortgage Company where he is responsible for the daily oversight of production and operations of the residential lending division. A great passion is the outdoors and hiking throughout many of the National Parks within the United States and Canada.