In addition to founding SLI at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2001, bringing it to Richmond in 2008, and helping to start the programs in Harrisonburg and Winchester, Peter has been a generous SLI donor. He has also devoted substantial portions of his salary to establishing and supporting students through the SLI Founder’s Fund and university-based scholarships for SLI graduates. He continues to be the SLI program director at the University of Richmond, where he holds the George Matthews & Virginia Brinkley Modlin Chair in Leadership Studies in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond.

To increase underserved representation in healthcare, in 2022 Sentara Health awarded SLI a grant to support opportunities to develop SLI scholars’ leadership skills and access to skilled health careers, training for SLI mentors, and the strengthening of SLI’s long-term capacity to serve students. In addition, the grant supported Sentara SLI Scholar College Awards designed to empower SLI scholars to achieve health careers and recognize their leadership in related service and activities. In 2023 these funds helped SLI provide 18 scholarships for students pursuing health related studies and careers.

J.J. was the president and CEO of Valley Proteins and in 2020 was named the Community Foundation of the Northern Shenandoah Valley’s Community Star. He serves on the board of directors of First Bank and was honored recently as a trustee emeritus of Shenandoah University, a SLI partner. In addition to being a long-time supporter of SLI, in 2022 J.J. initiated a lead gift to establish the SLI Endowment, laying the foundation to fund SLI scholarships for years to come.