Delegate Keith Hodges (R)
District 98 (includes VIMS/Gloucester County)
Keith Hodges is eager to
represent the 98th District of Virginia's House of Delegates. With longtime ties to the area, Keith Hodges
has a keen understanding of the hopes and dreams of the Middle Peninsula. His maternal great grandparents were Polish
immigrants who settled near West Point and relied upon the fertile farmland and
abundant river resources from the Mattaponi River to make their American dream
come true.
Keith was instilled with a love and appreciation for the land he has always called home. Fishing, trapping and hunting were enjoyed pastimes and the idea of environmental stewardship is second nature to him. His grandparents, paternal great grandparents and his parents were employed by one of the largest factories on the Middle Peninsula, Chesapeake Corporation. Growing up just outside of West Point in King William County, Keith understands the economic importance of the manufacturing industry. Keith himself worked maintenance at "The Mill" during his college summers, developing an understanding of the rigors of factory work.
After graduating from the Medical College of Virginia School of Pharmacy, Keith married his high school sweetheart and Middlesex native, Shelley. He returned home to work and later purchase the town's independent pharmacy. At the tender age of 25, he was the youngest independent pharmacy owner in the state. Keith has lived on the banks of the York River in King and Queen County, among the cypress knees of the Piankatank River in Gloucester and in the town of Urbanna. He and his wife Shelley have two daughters, Chloe (11) and Ella (6). Shelley is a former teacher who helps manage the pharmacy they currently own in Gloucester. She is the Chairman of the Board of Management for the Middlesex Family YMCA.
Keith has held too many leadership positions to name and has been involved with the political process for many years. He has served as the PAC Chairman for EPIC Pharmacies. He has also chaired the National Legislative Committee for the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA). Keith currently is a member of the NCPA Board of Directors, the association that represents the nation's 23,000 independent pharmacies. He serves on the EPIC Pharmacies Board of Directors, a cooperative of over 1200 independent pharmacies.
Keith has represented his community by serving on a multitude of boards, including the Riverside Walter Reed Hospital Board, the BB&T Local Advisory Board, and the Riverside Walter Reed Hospice Board. As a business owner, he has been the President of the West Point Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Gloucester Chamber of Commerce. In 2008, the Virginia Retail Merchants Association recognized Keith as the "Virginia Retailer of the Year." Professionally, Keith has received numerous awards. Two years ago he was honored to receive the Wyeth Bowl of Hygeia, the most prestigious award in the profession of pharmacy.
