At the CNEW Small Business & Nonprofit Fair, you’ll hear directly from leaders and experts who are making an impact in our region. These speakers bring a wealth of knowledge, practical strategies, and inspiring stories to help entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and community members grow and thrive. Explore their backgrounds below and get ready to gain insights you can put into action.
Arline A. Gause- CEO and Founder- GAD Youth Center, Inc
A retired federal civil servant with a career spanning over 32 years, Arline Gause has held key executive, financial, and administrative leadership positions with federal agencies including NASA, the Drug Enforcement Administration, TRICARE, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Justice. Throughout her career, she received numerous awards and recognitions for her exceptional leadership, analytical skill, and financial management expertise. As Director of Administration for the U.S. Attorneys Office, Eastern District of Virginia, Arline led a comprehensive administrative support program for 320 employees and a $21 million operating budget. She retired from federal service in 2015 and turned her four decades of leadership experience toward serving her community.
In 2022, Arline founded GAD Youth Center, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in response to a critical gap in youth services in Planning District 16. Her vision: rebuild and redefine the village it takes to raise a generation. She holds a B.S. from Southern Illinois University, an A.G.S. from Central Texas College, and a Certificate from the Joseph Business School. She is a member of Victorious Believers Community Church in Fredericksburg, where she served as Outreach Ministry Overseer for three years.
In her downtime, Arline enjoys reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband Ron, 4 adult children, 2 grandsons, and grand pets.
Charmain (Charlie) Evans- Owner & CEO- Faithfully Fit and Frugal
Charmain (Charlie) Evans is a retired Marine Corps Officer with over 26 years of DoD Financial Management expertise. She discovered her love for wellness and healthy living within a year of her appointment as a Marine Corps Officer, after making all the wrong choices while carrying her 2nd child, and never looked back. After her retirement from Active Duty in 2019, she founded Faithfully Fit & Frugal (F3) here in Stafford County in 2020, drawing on her background as a Master Trainer, Transformation Specialist, Nutrition Coach, Menopause Coaching Specialist, and Women’s Coaching Specialist. F3 is built on the belief that lasting change comes from support, consistency, and mindset, not punishment or perfection. That’s why Charlie shapes her approach to wellness around her belief in both structure and grace to help busy people sustain healthy habits, and so F3’s services and products fit seamlessly into their busy lives. This is evident in F3’s signature nutrition program, which is highly rated by multiple international fitness magazines and stands out for its realistic, mindset-focused approach that helps busy people make progress without restriction or shame. F3 is proud to meet busy people where they are and walk with them toward lasting transformation, one person at a time.
Susan Sigmon- Justice Service Director- Empowerhouse
Susan Sigmon is the Justice Services Director for Empowerhouse, the non-profit domestic violence support services agency located in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Specializing in domestic violence, she has dedicated her professional career to providing trauma-informed services to victims of crime. Susan’s passion for victim services includes a background investigating cases of child abuse and neglect, facilitating behavioral change programs for adult offenders, and delivering trauma informed advocacy services for survivors of domestic violence. During her 15 years with Empowerhouse, she has provided direct comprehensive advocacy support, risk assessment, safety planning, patient bedside response, court accompaniment, and supportive counseling services to over 3,000 survivors. Through regional, state, and national platforms, she provides education on intimate partner violence, including strangulation, for law enforcement, fire and rescue, civic groups, military agencies, and many other organizations. She is part of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office Domestic Violence Unit, and is the Coordinator for the Lethality Assessment Protocol, which is in partnership with the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia Office of Attorney General. Susan is a graduate of Leadership Fredericksburg, a program that develops leaders with vision and commitment to both their workplace and their community. Susan is also a member of the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services Victims Crisis Assistance and Response Team. She provided direct crisis intervention to victims of the Virginia Beach and University of Virginia mass shootings, and most recently at Old Dominion University. She is credentialed through the National Organization for Victim Advocacy as a Domestic Violence Intervention Specialist and has been certified in court as an expert witness on intimate partner violence. She was recognized by the Virginia Office of Attorney General as one of nineteen Virginians to receive the 2025 “Unsung Hero” award. She is a firm believer that all victims deserve dignity, safety, and peace.