Charlie“Chuck” H. Mills, III

Philanthropist, professional and motivational speaker, Chuck Mills is founder and CEO of Salera Capital Management, a Sterling, VA financial services and business consulting firm. Salera has successfully provided financial advising and counseling to over 300 businesses. Among the honors Mills and his company have been recognized for, is the Small Business Administration's 2002 “Minority Small Business Advocate” of the year award.

Between 2002-2004, Mills was an appointee of Virginia governor Mark Warner as Director of the Virginia Department of Business Assistance. In this position, he led the Washington, D.C. region's second largest economic development agency, servicing over 200,000 existing businesses within the Commonwealth of Virginia. He also managed a $42 million budget and 60 personnel who provided programs ranging from access to capital and workforce training, to small business and incubator counseling, and to pro-active business problem solving.

Mills also spent several years with Bear Stearns & Company on Wall Street, first as a trader for a $300 million portfolio of US government bonds and then as vice president within the company's Emerging Markets unit. Mills is also a speaker for the US State Department and provided presentations throughout Argentina, Brazil, S. Africa, Indonesia and UAE on business, economic, strategic development and public policies relating to economic development.

He is a graduate of the US Naval Academy and served nine years in the US Marine Corps as a Cobra helicopter pilot. He lists his proudest professional accomplishment as being selected “Marine One” helicopter pilot for Presidents George H. Bush and William Clinton.

Mills resides in Loudoun County with his wife and three children.