News & Events

Before the joyful exhilaration of Graduation, there is Vespers: An evening of contemplation and inspiration for seniors and those who have traveled every step of the journey with them, their parents. 

This year’s Vespers address was delivered by Douglas D. Ellis Sr., who has had a remarkable, decades-long career in real estate development and civic involvement in Hampton Roads.  

After graduating from Alleghany College and serving as a Navy SEAL, Ellis got his start in real estate with Goodman Segar Hogan, then formed his own company to develop offices, warehouses, distribution centers, and manufacturing plants. That company grew into the Ellis-Gibson Development Group and eventually, Venture Realty Group. Companies he has led have been responsible for the development, management, leasing, and sale of more than $1 billion in properties, including the Marketplace at Hilltop, Red Mill Commons, and Atlantic Surf Park. Mr. Ellis has served on the boards of many civic organizations, including the YMCA, CHKD, and the Virginia Beach Development Authority, and as chairman of the Neptune Festival. 

The importance of appreciating, and staying in touch with, the people you meet formed an opening theme of Ellis’s address, and he enumerated the constellation of NA connections that have shaped his life: Ellis’s wife, Ellen, Class of 1969; his two children, Cary Ellis Gaddy ’94, and Doug ’00; and his two grandchildren, Tucker Gaddy ’24, currently attending High Point University, and Carson Gaddy ’26, who will attend University of Virginia this fall. Ellis also highlighted his business partnership with Academy Trustee John L. Gibson III ’78, noting Gibson’s profession acumen. 

He followed with some tips for living, including resisting conformity; controlling your state of mind, particularly in tough circumstances; visualizing success; and capitalizing on momentum. He concluded with an extended reference to Teddy Roosevelt’s famous “Man in the Arena” speech, celebrating those who strive valiantly to do the deeds, undaunted by setbacks. 

“NA is a culture that emphasizes action, taking risks, facing failure,” Ellis said. “You’ve been in the Arena, because that’s the Bulldog way.” 

His rousing remarks were bookended by uplifting musical performances from the Tunstall Chorus and Band. Aarush Desai, the Senior Class President who will attend Washington and Lee University in the fall, presented the Senior Gift: a commissioned work of art that features aspects of life as a senior, including Senior Donuts and a shout-out to Mr. Peccie, the Senior Class advisor. He explained that this year's class had been asked to help improve the decor of the Senior Lounge area, and this artwork, which will hang there, concludes their efforts.

Families were treated to an elegant meal in the refectory, followed by concluding remarks from Head of School Travis Larrabee and a rendition of “For Good” by Stephen Schwartz, sung by Allison Keffer, a member of the class who will be attending University of Michigan on an ROTC scholarship. 

The song’s closing lines emphasized the power of connections, the night’s theme: “I do believe I have been changed for the better./Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.”