Virginia Home Mortgage

Buffy Barefoot is President of TowneBank Virginia Beach. Buffy has been in the banking industry for over thirty years. She joined TowneBank in 2013 as a Senior Credit Administrator and took over leadership of Virginia Beach in 2019. She received both her undergraduate and Master’s in Business Administration degrees at Virginia Tech. Buffy’s current community involvement includes the Neptune Festival, the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, the Virginia Beach Rescue Squad Foundation, Hampton Roads Alliance, and Tidewater Professional Sports. In 2025, she was named the first-ever Queen Neptune of the Virginia Beach Neptune Festival. The Neptune Festival began in 1974 and is now the largest event in Virginia, contributing more than $26 million in total economic impact to the region annually. “We make decisions based upon the needs of our community and our decision-making process is localized. We know the folks that we are doing business with. They are our neighbors."

JT is a Commercial Banking Officer who focuses on operating companies and has real estate development experience. JT holds a degree in finance from James Madison University and is a graduate of the Virginia Banker’s Association School of Bank Management. He has more than 2 decades of banking industry experience, and he joined TowneBank in 1999. JT volunteers with the Virginia Aquarium and is the former president of the Russell House at CHKD. “My passion is studying all facets of finance to help my members.”

Merrick has 15 years of banking experience with TowneBank. She partners with businesses to help them grow and accomplish their goals. She serves on the Children’s Health Foundation Board for CHKD, the Board for the Virginia Arts Festival and the Norfolk Academy Alumni Board. Merrick is a graduate of the University of Virginia where she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. “I am part of an incredible team where the culture of building relationships and community helps to make my job very rewarding.”