Finance/Insurance: LAWRENCE ‘LARRY’ DI RITA

Di Rita joined Bank of America in 2006 following a long and distinguished career in public service. Initially an external affairs executive, Di Rita was tapped in 2019 to be the bank’s market president for the greater Washington, D.C., area, including Northern Virginia.

From 1980 until 1993, Di Rita served as a U.S. naval officer. Following his military service, Di Rita worked as policy director for the 1996 presidential campaign of U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm and later as a legislative director for U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. From 2001 to 2006, he was special assistant to the secretary of defense and regularly played squash with then-Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.

Di Rita has a bachelor’s degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies. He sits on several boards, including on the Rumsfeld Foundation as secretary and the U.S. Navy Memorial.

BEST ADVICE FOR OTHERS: The harder you work, the luckier you get.

FIRST JOB: Janitor for several dentist offices

ONE THING I’D CHANGE ABOUT VIRGINIA: A few more bridges (and some tunnels) across the Potomac. Even if just for rush hour!