2025 Virginia C-Suite Awards: Large Private Companies

JOE CALIRI

PRESIDENT, SIMVENTIONS, FREDERICKSBURG

Caliri joined SimVentions, a 25-year-old employee-owned defense contractor, in 2009 as its vice president of tactical systems and business development, rising through the ranks to president and soon to the top of the company, succeeding CEO Larry Root, who plans to retire this year.

Caliri became president of SimVentions in 2019 and oversaw the private company’s transition to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Throughout his tenure, the company has seen revenue and employee numbers grow. Since becoming an ESOP in 2020, SimVentions has recorded 46% growth in share price.

Root calls Caliri “a leader that maintains a high level of integrity and has little patience for someone that does not ‘walk their talk.’ Joe is certainly a man of his word, meaning what he says and saying what he means, and then following through.”
A Navy veteran who was an electronics warfare chief and surface warfare specialist, Caliri is a graduate of Saint Leo University and the Florida Institute of Technology, where he earned his MBA. He serves as chairman of the Fredericksburg Regional Military Affairs Council and is an adjunct professor at the University of Mary Washington’s College of Business.

On my business’ responsibility to the community: I live by the idea that a rising tide lifts all ships, and the tides are changing quickly, with many rogue waves causing disruption. This is especially true in these times. For me or my company to succeed, our customers and stakeholders must first be successful.

TIMOTHY A. FAULKNER

PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE BREEDEN CO., VIRGINIA BEACH

Faulkner joined The Breeden Co. in 2004 as president of its property management arm, rising to chief operating officer and then president and CEO in 2022. A West Point graduate who earned a degree in operations research and systems analysis, Faulkner spent four years in the U.S. Army, including as a platoon leader. As a civilian, Faulkner worked for Procter & Gamble and Lawton Lumber, where he became president and chief operating officer.

Always a major player in real estate development and property management, Breeden was founded by Ramon W. Breeden Jr., whom Faulkner succeeded as CEO. The company has a portfolio of more than 25,000 apartments and 2 million square feet of retail and office space. The company appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in 2022 and 2023, with 205% growth attributed to expansions in its third-party construction and property management divisions.

Outside of work, Faulkner chairs the Virginia Symphony Orchestra board, and he says that supporting animal protection organizations and protecting the Hampton Roads region from sea-level rise are important priorities for him. “By raising awareness and advocating for proactive measures, I aim to address the challenges posed by climate change and protect our community’s future,” he says.

Best advice I’ve received: Work hard at the right things and prioritize, and never develop tired eyes — meaning, maintain attention to detail and don’t walk past things that aren’t right.

CALVIN W. ‘WOODY’ FOWLER JR.

CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, WILLIAMS MULLEN, RICHMOND

Fowler joined Williams Mullen more than three decades ago, and he’s currently in his fourth three-year term leading the state’s second largest law firm. With more than 260 attorneys on staff, Williams Mullen saw its profits rise from $106 million in 2013 to $195 million in 2024.

Fowler earned his bachelor’s and law degrees at the University of Virginia and counts among his clients several colleges and universities, health care systems and insurance companies. He was litigation chair at Williams Mullen before becoming the firm’s CEO and president in 2015. David Burton, a partner at the firm, notes that Fowler “is what you want in your CEO: He is direct, responsive and fair.” In addition to his other legal work, Fowler has served as an arbitrator and mediator in alternative dispute resolutions. Under his leadership, the firm has grown its roster of national and international clients, maintaining offices in Richmond, Charlottesville, Virginia Beach, Tysons and the Carolinas.

Fowler is also involved in several civic organizations, including serving on boards for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and RVA757 Connects, as well as serving as former board chair and Heart Walk chair for the American Heart Association’s Richmond chapter. Fowler has been recognized by his peers annually as one of Virginia Business’ Legal Elite since 2008.

How I foster a positive culture: It’s hard to have a happy life if you don’t find satisfaction and joy in your work. We found that our employees are happier, more productive and more engaged when they clearly understand their role in supporting our strategic plan and see our progress toward meeting our goals. We do that by being very transparent about our results each month.

CRAIG HALLIDAY

CEO, UNANET, DULLES

A tech leader whose experience extends from Oracle to Intelex Technologies, Halliday joined Unanet in 2019, driving growth at the Dulles software company. In November 2024, the company acquired Washington, D.C.-based GovPro AI, which provides AI-powered proposal-writing software for government contractors, and in February, Unanet picked up Contraqer, which produces procurement and market intelligence software for the GovCon industry. Unanet also purchased Cosential, a Texas-based customer relationship management software company, in 2020.

Halliday is among 19 Virginia business leaders who are finalists for Ernst & Young’s 2025 Mid-Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year award, with winners set to be announced June 18. And Unanet has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. companies annually since 2019. Halliday also has appeared on Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 Awards list for the past three years, recognizing his prominence in federal contracting.

Acknowledging the current environment of uncertainty among government contractors, he writes, “The wave of austerity measures, tariffs and government contracting cancelations and modifications coming from Washington, D.C., has been destabilizing not just for businesses but for people. … As the head of a company, I feel I have a responsibility to our customers (many of which are government contractors) and to our employees to communicate consistently and transparently with them.”

Best advice I ever received: The best advice I ever got came early in my career from my managing partner at Arthur Andersen. He told me that you should always do what you say you will do. That’s how you earn trust from people.

WHITSON HUFFMAN

CO-CEO AND CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, CAPITAL SQUARE, GLEN ALLEN

One of Virginia’s fastest-growing real estate investment and development companies, Capital Square is deeply involved in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood, where it has six multifamily properties that are expected to top out with 1,220 residential units. The Henrico County firm also manages more than $6 billion in assets, mainly in the Southeastern U.S., including a high-rise apartment tower in Raleigh, North Carolina, and major projects in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Charleston, South Carolina.

Huffman joined Capital Square, which was founded by his father-in-law, Louis J. Rogers, as chief strategy and investment officer in 2018, and in 2022, he was named co-CEO. Huffman was instrumental in starting Capital Square Living, the firm’s property management branch, and the company has taken 33 Delaware statutory trusts (DSTs) full cycle since 2018, resulting in 169.15% average total returns, with an average 12.89% rate of return to investors. He previously was an associate with Maryland real estate investment trust JBG Smith Properties.

Huffman also has raised money for the Children’s Tower at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, and has volunteered for the March of Dimes, World Pediatrics and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

A quote I live by: My grandfather always told me, “No one can take the ultimate weight of decision-making off your shoulders. But the more you know about how things really are, the lighter the burden will be.” Learning is essential. Continuous exploration and analysis are essential. Decision-making can feel like a weight, but nothing is insurmountable with the right knowledge and the right team in place.

JOSEPH SCHMUCKLER

CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, CARY STREET PARTNERS, RICHMOND

A Wall Street veteran who joined Richmond-based wealth management firm Cary Street Partners (CSP) in 2015, Schmuckler previously worked for Tokyo-based Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group as a senior executive officer and spent 17 years at Nomura Holdings, gaining experience in leading securities and capital markets worldwide. Schmuckler is a graduate of the University of Delaware and New York University, where he earned an MBA in finance. He started his career at Kidder, Peabody & Co., where he became a partner.

Since Schmuckler joined Cary Street, the company has grown from 10 to 19 offices, increasing its assets under management from $2 billion to over $10 billion and representing about 7,000 clients. In April, the firm announced that it plans to sell a majority stake to CIVC Partners, a Chicago private equity firm. In 2022, CSP purchased Atlantic Union Bank’s registered investment adviser (RIA) subsidiary, Dixon, Hubard, Feinour & Brown, for $1.6 billion, and Atlantic Union bought a minority stake in Cary Street.

Schmuckler says that accountability and leading by example are two of his pillars of leadership, as well as addressing mistakes when they occur.

On success: When we thrive, we’re able to reward our people and their families, offering competitive pay, benefits and more. Success also enables us to create career opportunities for our current team, as well as for others in the community who might not have access to these chances otherwise.