Our Business Council Members - Artists & Athletes Alliance

Shaza L. Andersen

CEO | Trustar Bank

Shaza L. Andersen was most recently Vice Chair of the Board of Sandy Spring Bank. Prior to joining the Board, Ms. Andersen founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of WashingtonFirst Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of WashingtonFirst Bankshares, Inc. Ms. Andersen’s leadership grew the Bank from a single De Novo branch to over $2 billion in assets, with 19 branches in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Ms. Andersen completed the sale WFBI to Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDQ: SASR) for $489M in stock, which equates to 256% of its tangible book value. By dollar value, it is the largest banking deal in the Mid-Atlantic region and ranks among the 10 largest deals in the country.

Ms. Andersen is also a member of the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Casualty Insurance Company and a past member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, where she was the Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Housing Committee and also served on the Treasury Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Ms. Andersen founded the WashingtonFirst Youth Foundation (WFYF), a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the physical, social, and mental well-being of children in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area. In addition, Ms. Andersen donates her time and talent to organizations that focus on children, entrepreneurship and education including: the Washington Redskins Leadership Council, the INOVA Foundation Health Board, the National Association of Women Business Owners Leadership Circle, the Executive Board of the Blitz for the Better Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, the George Mason University Dean’s Advisory Council, the International Women’s Forum of Washington, DC, and the Global Good Fund Advisory Board. She previously served on the Board of Trustees for Youth For Tomorrow, the Board of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, and was a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Recognized by American Banker as one of the Top 25 Women to Watch and named a Top Banker by SmartCEO Magazine (twice), Ms. Andersen has also been honored with an ABC7 WJLA-TV & Toyota Dealers’ Tribute to Working Women award. She has been named one of the Top 100 Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine and designated by the Washington Business Journal as one of their Power 100, 50 Fastest Growing Companies (twice), Women Who Mean Business, and Most Admired CEO. Capitol File Magazine recently selected Ms. Andersen for “The List” of prominent business and community leaders in the Washington, DC area. A favored and sought-after authority on banking and capital market issues, Ms. Andersen has appeared on CNBC and Fox News, and been featured in Forbes Magazine, the Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian Magazine.

Louis Renjel

Executive Vice President, External Affairs & Communications | Duke Energy Corp.

Louis Renjel is senior vice president of external affairs and communications for Duke Energy. In this role, he is responsible for corporate communications, federal government affairs, strategic policy, sustainability, stakeholder engagement and the Duke Energy Foundation.

Before assuming his current position in May 2021, Renjel served as Duke Energy's senior vice president of federal government and corporate affairs and, prior to that, as vice president of federal government affairs and strategic policy.

Renjel joined Duke Energy in March 2017 from Jacksonville, Fla.-based transportation company CSX Corp., where he served as vice president of strategic infrastructure. In this position since 2009, his responsibilities included aligning CSX's strategy with federal, state and local governmental advocacy; structuring and executing public-private partnerships; securing governmental approvals for large-scale critical infrastructure projects; and leading environmental and energy public policy initiatives. He also served as director of environmental and government affairs at CSX from 2006 to 2008.

Prior to joining CSX, Renjel served as director of government relations for Cummins Inc., where he was responsible for managing energy, environmental, transportation and corporate matters before Congress and the executive branch. His government relations experience also includes serving on the staff of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Renjel’s public sector experience includes serving as deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where he was the committee chairman's principal environmental policy and political advisor. Additionally, he served as legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma and staff member on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.

He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University, a Master of Science degree in environmental sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from Randolph-Macon College.

Renjel and his wife, Nan, have a son and a daughter.

Shaza L. Andersen

CEO | Trustar Bank

Shaza L. Andersen was most recently Vice Chair of the Board of Sandy Spring Bank. Prior to joining the Board, Ms. Andersen founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of WashingtonFirst Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of WashingtonFirst Bankshares, Inc. Ms. Andersen’s leadership grew the Bank from a single De Novo branch to over $2 billion in assets, with 19 branches in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Ms. Andersen completed the sale WFBI to Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDQ: SASR) for $489M in stock, which equates to 256% of its tangible book value. By dollar value, it is the largest banking deal in the Mid-Atlantic region and ranks among the 10 largest deals in the country.

Ms. Andersen is also a member of the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Casualty Insurance Company and a past member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, where she was the Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Housing Committee and also served on the Treasury Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Ms. Andersen founded the WashingtonFirst Youth Foundation (WFYF), a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the physical, social, and mental well-being of children in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area. In addition, Ms. Andersen donates her time and talent to organizations that focus on children, entrepreneurship and education including: the Washington Redskins Leadership Council, the INOVA Foundation Health Board, the National Association of Women Business Owners Leadership Circle, the Executive Board of the Blitz for the Better Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, the George Mason University Dean’s Advisory Council, the International Women’s Forum of Washington, DC, and the Global Good Fund Advisory Board. She previously served on the Board of Trustees for Youth For Tomorrow, the Board of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, and was a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Recognized by American Banker as one of the Top 25 Women to Watch and named a Top Banker by SmartCEO Magazine (twice), Ms. Andersen has also been honored with an ABC7 WJLA-TV & Toyota Dealers’ Tribute to Working Women award. She has been named one of the Top 100 Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine and designated by the Washington Business Journal as one of their Power 100, 50 Fastest Growing Companies (twice), Women Who Mean Business, and Most Admired CEO. Capitol File Magazine recently selected Ms. Andersen for “The List” of prominent business and community leaders in the Washington, DC area. A favored and sought-after authority on banking and capital market issues, Ms. Andersen has appeared on CNBC and Fox News, and been featured in Forbes Magazine, the Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian Magazine.

Louis Renjel

Executive Vice President, External Affairs & Communications | Duke Energy Corp.

Louis Renjel is senior vice president of external affairs and communications for Duke Energy. In this role, he is responsible for corporate communications, federal government affairs, strategic policy, sustainability, stakeholder engagement and the Duke Energy Foundation.

Before assuming his current position in May 2021, Renjel served as Duke Energy's senior vice president of federal government and corporate affairs and, prior to that, as vice president of federal government affairs and strategic policy.

Renjel joined Duke Energy in March 2017 from Jacksonville, Fla.-based transportation company CSX Corp., where he served as vice president of strategic infrastructure. In this position since 2009, his responsibilities included aligning CSX's strategy with federal, state and local governmental advocacy; structuring and executing public-private partnerships; securing governmental approvals for large-scale critical infrastructure projects; and leading environmental and energy public policy initiatives. He also served as director of environmental and government affairs at CSX from 2006 to 2008.

Prior to joining CSX, Renjel served as director of government relations for Cummins Inc., where he was responsible for managing energy, environmental, transportation and corporate matters before Congress and the executive branch. His government relations experience also includes serving on the staff of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Renjel’s public sector experience includes serving as deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where he was the committee chairman's principal environmental policy and political advisor. Additionally, he served as legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma and staff member on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.

He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University, a Master of Science degree in environmental sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from Randolph-Macon College.

Renjel and his wife, Nan, have a son and a daughter.

Shaza L. Andersen

CEO | Trustar Bank

Shaza L. Andersen was most recently Vice Chair of the Board of Sandy Spring Bank. Prior to joining the Board, Ms. Andersen founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of WashingtonFirst Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of WashingtonFirst Bankshares, Inc. Ms. Andersen’s leadership grew the Bank from a single De Novo branch to over $2 billion in assets, with 19 branches in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Ms. Andersen completed the sale WFBI to Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDQ: SASR) for $489M in stock, which equates to 256% of its tangible book value. By dollar value, it is the largest banking deal in the Mid-Atlantic region and ranks among the 10 largest deals in the country.

Ms. Andersen is also a member of the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Casualty Insurance Company and a past member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, where she was the Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Housing Committee and also served on the Treasury Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Ms. Andersen founded the WashingtonFirst Youth Foundation (WFYF), a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the physical, social, and mental well-being of children in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area. In addition, Ms. Andersen donates her time and talent to organizations that focus on children, entrepreneurship and education including: the Washington Redskins Leadership Council, the INOVA Foundation Health Board, the National Association of Women Business Owners Leadership Circle, the Executive Board of the Blitz for the Better Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, the George Mason University Dean’s Advisory Council, the International Women’s Forum of Washington, DC, and the Global Good Fund Advisory Board. She previously served on the Board of Trustees for Youth For Tomorrow, the Board of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, and was a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Recognized by American Banker as one of the Top 25 Women to Watch and named a Top Banker by SmartCEO Magazine (twice), Ms. Andersen has also been honored with an ABC7 WJLA-TV & Toyota Dealers’ Tribute to Working Women award. She has been named one of the Top 100 Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine and designated by the Washington Business Journal as one of their Power 100, 50 Fastest Growing Companies (twice), Women Who Mean Business, and Most Admired CEO. Capitol File Magazine recently selected Ms. Andersen for “The List” of prominent business and community leaders in the Washington, DC area. A favored and sought-after authority on banking and capital market issues, Ms. Andersen has appeared on CNBC and Fox News, and been featured in Forbes Magazine, the Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian Magazine.

Louis Renjel

Executive Vice President, External Affairs & Communications | Duke Energy Corp.

Louis Renjel is senior vice president of external affairs and communications for Duke Energy. In this role, he is responsible for corporate communications, federal government affairs, strategic policy, sustainability, stakeholder engagement and the Duke Energy Foundation.

Before assuming his current position in May 2021, Renjel served as Duke Energy's senior vice president of federal government and corporate affairs and, prior to that, as vice president of federal government affairs and strategic policy.

Renjel joined Duke Energy in March 2017 from Jacksonville, Fla.-based transportation company CSX Corp., where he served as vice president of strategic infrastructure. In this position since 2009, his responsibilities included aligning CSX's strategy with federal, state and local governmental advocacy; structuring and executing public-private partnerships; securing governmental approvals for large-scale critical infrastructure projects; and leading environmental and energy public policy initiatives. He also served as director of environmental and government affairs at CSX from 2006 to 2008.

Prior to joining CSX, Renjel served as director of government relations for Cummins Inc., where he was responsible for managing energy, environmental, transportation and corporate matters before Congress and the executive branch. His government relations experience also includes serving on the staff of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Renjel’s public sector experience includes serving as deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where he was the committee chairman's principal environmental policy and political advisor. Additionally, he served as legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma and staff member on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.

He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University, a Master of Science degree in environmental sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from Randolph-Macon College.

Renjel and his wife, Nan, have a son and a daughter.

Shaza L. Andersen

CEO | Trustar Bank

Shaza L. Andersen was most recently Vice Chair of the Board of Sandy Spring Bank. Prior to joining the Board, Ms. Andersen founded and served as Chief Executive Officer of WashingtonFirst Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of WashingtonFirst Bankshares, Inc. Ms. Andersen’s leadership grew the Bank from a single De Novo branch to over $2 billion in assets, with 19 branches in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC. Ms. Andersen completed the sale WFBI to Sandy Spring Bancorp (NASDQ: SASR) for $489M in stock, which equates to 256% of its tangible book value. By dollar value, it is the largest banking deal in the Mid-Atlantic region and ranks among the 10 largest deals in the country.

Ms. Andersen is also a member of the Board of Directors of Amalgamated Casualty Insurance Company and a past member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta, where she was the Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance Committee and a member of the Housing Committee and also served on the Treasury Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Ms. Andersen founded the WashingtonFirst Youth Foundation (WFYF), a local not-for-profit organization dedicated to enriching the physical, social, and mental well-being of children in the Washington, DC, Metropolitan area. In addition, Ms. Andersen donates her time and talent to organizations that focus on children, entrepreneurship and education including: the Washington Redskins Leadership Council, the INOVA Foundation Health Board, the National Association of Women Business Owners Leadership Circle, the Executive Board of the Blitz for the Better Foundation, the Board of Directors of the Washington Tennis and Education Foundation, the George Mason University Dean’s Advisory Council, the International Women’s Forum of Washington, DC, and the Global Good Fund Advisory Board. She previously served on the Board of Trustees for Youth For Tomorrow, the Board of Directors of the Wolf Trap Foundation, the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for Junior Achievement of Greater Washington, and was a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO).

Recognized by American Banker as one of the Top 25 Women to Watch and named a Top Banker by SmartCEO Magazine (twice), Ms. Andersen has also been honored with an ABC7 WJLA-TV & Toyota Dealers’ Tribute to Working Women award. She has been named one of the Top 100 Powerful Women by Washingtonian Magazine and designated by the Washington Business Journal as one of their Power 100, 50 Fastest Growing Companies (twice), Women Who Mean Business, and Most Admired CEO. Capitol File Magazine recently selected Ms. Andersen for “The List” of prominent business and community leaders in the Washington, DC area. A favored and sought-after authority on banking and capital market issues, Ms. Andersen has appeared on CNBC and Fox News, and been featured in Forbes Magazine, the Washington Business Journal and Washingtonian Magazine.

Louis Renjel

Executive Vice President, External Affairs & Communications | Duke Energy Corp.

Louis Renjel is senior vice president of external affairs and communications for Duke Energy. In this role, he is responsible for corporate communications, federal government affairs, strategic policy, sustainability, stakeholder engagement and the Duke Energy Foundation.

Before assuming his current position in May 2021, Renjel served as Duke Energy's senior vice president of federal government and corporate affairs and, prior to that, as vice president of federal government affairs and strategic policy.

Renjel joined Duke Energy in March 2017 from Jacksonville, Fla.-based transportation company CSX Corp., where he served as vice president of strategic infrastructure. In this position since 2009, his responsibilities included aligning CSX's strategy with federal, state and local governmental advocacy; structuring and executing public-private partnerships; securing governmental approvals for large-scale critical infrastructure projects; and leading environmental and energy public policy initiatives. He also served as director of environmental and government affairs at CSX from 2006 to 2008.

Prior to joining CSX, Renjel served as director of government relations for Cummins Inc., where he was responsible for managing energy, environmental, transportation and corporate matters before Congress and the executive branch. His government relations experience also includes serving on the staff of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Renjel’s public sector experience includes serving as deputy staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, where he was the committee chairman's principal environmental policy and political advisor. Additionally, he served as legislative assistant to U.S. Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma and staff member on the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce.

He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Duke University, a Master of Science degree in environmental sciences from Johns Hopkins University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from Randolph-Macon College.

Renjel and his wife, Nan, have a son and a daughter.

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Shaza L. Andersen

Brian Donohue

Louis Renjel

Matthew R. Shay

Shaza L. Andersen

Brian Donohue

Louis Renjel

Matthew R. Shay

Shaza L. Andersen

Brian Donohue

Louis Renjel

Matthew R. Shay

Shaza L. Andersen

Brian Donohue

Louis Renjel

Matthew R. Shay

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