2025 Virginia Black Business Leaders Awards: Jeff Bourne

Although Bourne has been with Roanoke’s Branch Group since 2018, he’s well known in Richmond as a former state delegate and, previously, deputy attorney general for the state’s transportation, real estate and construction litigation division. Bourne also served on the Richmond School Board before winning a seat in 2016 to the House of Delegates.

MOST MEANINGFUL JOB: Being on a talented team of dedicated people who day-in and day-out build communities and make them better. Whether our heavy civil division is building a new road or enhancing an existing one, or our vertical building division is creating world-class educational space for young people, the work we do truly builds better communities.

WHY I CHOSE MY PROFESSION: Being an attorney/lawyer is one of the fields that allows you to help people and organizations solve difficult problems. Both my prior elected experience and being chief legal officer allowed me to help solve complex challenges in meaningful ways.

PROUDEST PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENT: Being elected to the Richmond City School Board and the Virginia House of Delegates and serving as deputy attorney general. Each of those roles allowed me to marry passions of politics, public policy and the law. Each day in my current role, I use lessons learned from those experiences to better serve my company.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: No matter where you start, you can end up where you want to be.

PODCAST I’D RECOMMEND: I love the “Pivot” podcast because it uses sports to talk about life.

HOBBIES: I love to bass fish.