Larry Murphy - President & CEO
Larry Murphy founded Urban Development Corporation in 2004 and is currently President & CEO. He started the company 20 years ago with a vision of building a first-class construction, remodeling, and services company for Central Virginia. As a licensed Class A contractor, Larry has successfully developed commercial and residential projects across the region.
Larry retired from Altria (NYSE: MO) after a successful career spanning three decades in Engineering, Plant Management, and Global Quality roles. In addition to corporate leadership, he has held senior leadership roles for community organizations like the Urban League of Greater Richmond (current President) and the Home Builders Association of Southside Virginia. Through his passion for serving others, Larry also volunteers his time on advisory boards that include the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development, Communities in Schools of Chesterfield County, and the Chester Family YMCA.
Larry earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Tennessee and an MBA from the Robins School of Business at the University of Richmond.
Bernard Murphy - Vice President
Bernard Murphy joined Urban Development as Vice President in 2023. He joined the organization, from IDEX Corporation (NYSE: IEX), an industrial manufacturer, where he was a Vice President of Operations. During his time at IDEX, Bernard led manufacturing teams, invested in new production lines, and improved fulfilment to key customers. Bernard started his career at General Electric (NYSE: GE) and has experience building teams, driving operational improvement, and creating value within global organizations.
Bernard earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Maryland and a MBA from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.
John Conwell - Project Manager
John Conwell joined Urban Development as a Project Manager in 2024. He has extensive experience in industrial manufacturing and retired from Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) after a 30 year career. During his time, he served in a number of Plant Maintenance & Facilities Supervisory roles for the Honeywell plant in Hopewell, Va. John has a track record of working with HVAC, pipefitters, welders, and electrical & mechanical equipment. Over his career he has been a key go-to person to execute projects and to support production.
In addition, John spent 7 years working for the City of Petersburg as a code compliance officer within the Building Inspection Department; specifically focused on mechanical, plumbing and electrical inspections. Through his passion for teaching and guiding others, John enjoys mentoring high school students who are interested in the building trades.
John is a man of faith and in addition to his industrial work, he has been a Pastor for over 30 years. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Methodist College in Fayetteville North Carolina and a Masters of Science from Virginia State University.
Email: jconwell@urbandevelopmentva.com