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Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2024: SHERRIE ARMSTRONG
Armstrong is only the second president and CEO of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond, established in 1968. She has held that position since 2015 after 26 years of leadership roles with United Way at local and national levels, including working as executive vice president of investor relations at United Way Worldwide[...]
Economic Development 2024: H. GARRETT HART III
Construction is progressing on The Lake, a 105-acre mixed-use development in Chesterfield County, which Hart hopes will help attract more businesses to the area. It will have a 13-acre artificial lake and a 6-acre surf park, one of a handful of such facilities nationwide that can generate waves large enough to surf. Hart also ha[...]
Real Estate 2024: TIMOTHY HELMIG
After joining Monday Properties in 2005, Helmig has led the company to capital investments of more than $16 billion, an expanded multifamily portfolio of 6,500 units, and execution of transactions totaling more than 36 million square feet. A developer and investor of multifamily housing, Monday Properties has expanded its footpr[...]
Banking | Finance 2024: EVELYN LEE
Lee’s role expanded in October to include oversight of Maryland, following the retirement of Greg Farno, whom Lee described as a friend and a “true leader” of both Baltimore and Truist. A William & Mary alumna, Lee has led the greater Washington market since 2019, following the merger of BB&T and SunTrust Banks t[...]
Education 2024: KATHERINE A. ROWE
Rowe became president of the nation’s second-oldest university in 2018, after serving as provost and dean of faculty at Smith College. She has shepherded the creation of William & Mary’s first sustainability plan, an entrepreneurship hub and the college’s strategic plan, Vision 2026. In October 2023, William & Mary[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: PHONG LE
If there’s one company making a big bet on bitcoin, it’s MicroStrategy. As of July 10, MicroStrategy owned more than $13 billion worth of the cryptocurrency after acquiring an additional $1 billion in bitcoin over the previous year. Le took the lead at MicroStrategy in August 2022 after Michael Saylor, the company’s high-p[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2024: MOLLY HARDIE; ROBERT HARDIE
H7 Holdings is a private family investment company that owns and manages Keswick Hall and Golf Club in Albemarle County and the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. Level One Partners is a venture capital firm that invests in the health care and life sciences sectors. The couple also runs the H7 Foundation, supporting educat[...]
Manufacturing 2024: WILLIAM F. ‘BILLY’ GIFFORD JR.
Joining the company at its subsidiary Philip Morris USA in 1994, Gifford became CEO of Fortune 500 tobacco products manufacturer Altria Group in 2020. He has held various executive posts at Altria for nearly three decades. Among Altria’s operating companies, in addition to Philip Morris USA, are U.S. Smokeless Tobacco, John Mi[...]
Education 2024: MICHAEL RAO
It’s been a bumpy year for Rao and VCU, first with an ongoing dispute over VCU Health paying $73 million to exit a redevelopment project, followed in the spring by demands from some students for Rao’s removal following a violent clash between VCU police and pro-Palestinian protesters. Former Gov. Doug Wilder called for Rao, [...]
Real Estate 2024: DONALD E. STONE JR.
Bringing more than 25 years of engineering and architecture industry experience, including 10 years of corporate operational leadership, Stone joined Dewberry in 2008 as the company’s chief operating officer. In 2010, he became CEO. Stone came to Dewberry from O’Brien & Gere, where he held several corporate leadership po[...]
Banking | Finance 2024: SHANE McLAUGHLIN
In his role, McLaughlin oversees 88 branch locations and more than 750 employees. A Virginia Tech alumnus, McLaughlin joined Wachovia in 2004, working as a licensed financial specialist in Richmond. He quickly climbed the ranks, first taking a position as a financial specialist sales leader and, later, becoming West End distri[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: STU SHEA
EDITOR’S NOTE: Shortly after the 2024-25 Virginia 500 was released, Shea announced he would step down as of Sept. 9. He is being succeeded by Steve Schorer, former CEO of Alion Science and Technology. Shea has been a fixture in the national security industry for decades. Since taking the helm when it was formed in […]
