Our Staff

Whitney Saunders practiced law in the cities of Hampton Roads for more than forty years before being elected as the President and CEO of The Blocker Foundation in 2020. 

Whitney is a graduate of Woodberry Forest School, Swarthmore College and the University of Virginia School of Law. He also received an English-Speaking Union Fellowship to St. Edmund’s School in Canterbury, England. Whitney has chaired the boards of Edmarc Hospice for Children, the Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts, the YMCA of South Hampton Roads, the Planning Council, Nansemond-Suffolk Academy, the Virginia State Bar Disciplinary Board and the Suffolk Foundation. He is also a former member of the board of the Beasley Foundation. Whitney is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Sentara Healthcare, the Pruden Foundation, Community Action Coalition of Virginia and the Suffolk Foundation. In recognition of his record of community and professional service, Whitney has been the recipient of numerous awards, including designation as Suffolk’s First Citizen in 2006.

After graduating from Old Dominion University with a degree in Business Administration, Sarah began her work as a Health and Wellness Director for the YMCA.  Here she focused on physical activity and healthy eating, developing and growing programs to positively impact communities.  Wanting to enhance her knowledge and work, Sarah took a position as Director of FIT Works for Physical Therapy Works in Suffolk.  Here she had the opportunity to enhance her skills in pre and post rehab, including wellness for chronic conditions, and coordinate efforts with the American College of Sports Medicine to expand their Exercise for Medicine program. This ultimately led to her opening her own wellness solutions business here in Hampton Roads.   

Seeking to enhance the impact of her work, Sarah returned to the YMCA at a regional level to help move the mark of community-based health forward through partnership and program innovation, serving as the Association Director for Healthy Living for the YMCA of South Hampton Roads. 

Sarah comes to The Blocker Foundation from the Obici Healthcare Foundation where she served as a Program Officer in Western Tidewater, working with their Healthy Behaviors and Early Childhood Education program areas.

A native of Hampton Roads, Pat grew up in Newport News and is currently a resident of Suffolk. Having attended both Radford University and Christopher Newport University, she ultimately obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Network Security at ECPI Technical Institute.

Pat worked with a Credit Union for 13 years and then with a local bank for 5 years. She then took a position with Saunders & Ojeda, P.C. where she served as Administrative Assistant and Auditor for the Suffolk Commissioner of Accounts for more than 15 years. 

Pat brings her vast knowledge to The Blocker Foundation as Account Assistant.