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Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2024: DEBORAH M. DiCROCE
After spending more than 35 years as a university professor and college president in Virginia, DiCroce has led the Hampton Roads Community Foundation for more than a decade. The foundation is the largest grant and scholarship provider in southeastern Virginia, distributing more than $23 million in 2022. For the 2023-24 school ye[...]
Education 2024: ANNE M. KRESS
After starting her post-secondary education career as a faculty member teaching English, Kress now presides over Virginia’s largest community college — and one of the nation’s largest — with more than 70,000 students across six campuses, including NOVA’s Medical Education Campus in Springfield. Her tenure[...]
Living Legends 2024: Y. MICHELE KANG
Kang is known primarily as the founder and former CEO of Cognosante, which provides IT support to federal, state and local government agencies in public health; founder of Cognosante Ventures, an early-stage health IT startup investor; and the Cognosante Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes workforce access and opportunity for [...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: MATT CALKINS
A top economics graduate at Dartmouth and a world champion board gamer, Calkins co-founded cloud computing and enterprise software firm Appian in his basement in 1999. It grew to become the most successful software IPO of 2017. In 2023, Appian reaped $304.5 million in cloud subscription revenue, up 29% compared with 2022. The co[...]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2024: SORAYA CORREA
Correa assumed the positions of president and CEO of the National Industries for the Blind at the end of April. She replaced Kevin Lynch, who held the roles for 15 years before retiring from the nation’s largest employment resource for people who are blind or visually impaired. Lynch spent 44 years with the NIB and [&helli[...]
Transportation 2024: MARK A. PERRYMAN
Since joining the Norfolk Airport Authority as its leader in May 2022, Perryman has seen growth in passenger numbers and the Norfolk International Airport, in size and scope. In January, Perryman said he expects several major projects to be underway in the next few years, including a moving sidewalk to accommodate passengers and[...]
Law 2024: MELANIE D. WILSON
A former assistant U.S. attorney and University of Tennessee law dean, Wilson was inducted as president of the Association of American Law Schools in January. In her inaugural address, Wilson said law school academics will continue to accomplish ambitious goals, “provided we pursue our aims tenaciously and bravely with an open[...]
Real Estate 2024: ROBB ‘R.J.’ JOHNSON
With more than 30 years in the commercial real estate industry, Johnson started working for The Staubach Co. in 1995, ultimately serving as president for the mid-Atlantic region until the firm merged with JLL in 2008. A Fortune Global 500 commercial real estate and investment management company, JLL helps clients buy, build, o[...]
Banking | Finance 2024: THOMAS I. BARKIN
Barkin has served as head of one of 12 regional Fed banks since 2018. He’s also a voting member on the Fed’s interest-setting Federal Open Market Committee for 2024, holding one of four rotating seats on the committee. In June, Barkin told a gathering of the Richmond chapter of the Risk Management Association that th[...]
Real Estate 2024: TERRIE L. SUIT
Suit has led Virginia’s largest trade association, Virginia Realtors, since 2013. Her career in real estate began in 1985 and later transitioned into a 20-year career in mortgage lending. In 1996, Suit received a gubernatorial appointment to the Virginia Real Estate Board, and from 2000 to 2008 she served in the Virginia H[...]
Law 2024: BROOKS M. SMITH
In early 2019, Smith was named managing partner of the Atlanta-based Troutman Sanders’ Richmond office. Since then, the firm became Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders through a merger, but Smith held on to his leadership role. Today, he oversees more than 150 attorneys working in numerous practice areas, including the stra[...]
Real Estate 2024: BRETT HITT
Hitt Contracting, one of Virginia’s biggest general contracting firms, was started by Hitt’s grandparents in 1930. In 1984, Hitt joined his family’s company as an assistant project manager. He rose through the ranks to become co-president in 2005, and was named co-chairman of the newly formed board in 2017, ush[...]
