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Recent Articles from Robyn Sidersky
Dominion Energy promotes exec to CFO
Richmond-based Dominion Energy Inc. has promoted Steven D. Ridge to chief financial officer and senior vice president, replacing James R. Chapman, who will leave the company, the Fortune 500 utility announced Friday. Currently vice president of investor relations, Ridge will start his new role later this month and will be responsible for corporate and financial […]
Innovation was at center of Mighty Dream Day 3
On the third and final day of Pharrell Williams’ Mighty Dream Forum in Norfolk, the theme was innovation. The first day‘s focus was diversity and equity, while Wednesday was largely dedicated to inspiring entrepreneurs to find and create opportunities. Panelists throughout the day Thursday encouraged attendees to innovate, seek out resources and do their homework […]
Mighty Dream Day 2: Finding and seizing opportunities
The second day of Pharrell Williams‘ Mighty Dream Forum in Norfolk included poetry, news about Williams’ Something in the Water music festival and advice for entrepreneurs. Just as Mighty Dream’s first day was focused around a central theme of diversity and equity, the second day was largely dedicated to inspiring entrepreneurs to find and create […]
Something in the Water will return to Va. Beach in 2023
Music superstar and Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams announced Wednesday that his signature three-day music festival, Something in the Water, will again be held in Virginia Beach on April 28-30, 2023, after the festival moved to Washington, D.C., this summer. The inaugural Something in the Water festival was held on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront in […]
Ferrum College president to step down
Ferrum College President David L. Johns will resign effective Nov. 7, the school announced Tuesday. The private college’s board of trustees will select an interim president as it begins a national search for its next president. Johns has been Ferrum College’s president since January 2018. “I am proud of all we have accomplished these past […]
Noblis names VP, chief solution architect
Reston-based Noblis Inc. has named Jim Soltys vice president of business development and chief solution architect, succeeding Lisa Gardner, who was named vice president of the company’s federal civilian solutions mission area in late October. “We are fortunate to have someone like Jim ready to step into this role,” Gardner said in a statement. “As […]
Pharrell urges Norfolk to speed up Military Circle development
During a news conference before his three-day Mighty Dream forum kicked off Tuesday, music superstar Pharrell Williams said he is waiting for Norfolk to officially approve his development team’s Wellness Circle project at Military Circle Mall, noting, “I’ve been told many times that we won it. … You have to ask the city. The ball’s […]
Belabored shortages
Faced with a shortage of drivers, Trevor Dunlap had to find a new way to recruit interested candidates for his Chesapeake-based trucking and warehousing companies, Givens Transportation Inc. and Givens Inc. “It’s very challenging to find qualified people and then be able to retain them,” he says, “and the wages we’re paying are substantially higher […]
Mortgage rates above 7% shock volatile housing market
Charlottesville Realtor Denise Ramey has a client who put in multiple bids for houses over the summer, when the market was booming, but they were all turned down. Now, with mortgage rates topping 7% for the first time in more than 20 years, he’s not sure if he will buy a house at all — […]
Genworth president gives $1.5M to W&M
William & Mary has established a new postdoctoral fellowship in its Global Research Institute, funded by a $1.5 million gift from Genworth Financial Inc. President and CEO Tom McInerney, the college announced Wednesday. The fellowship will advance the GRI’s international study and research collaborations. A multidisciplinary hub, the institute has facilitated applied research projects in[...]
Artemis I to launch with help from Va. contractors
EDITOR’S NOTE: Monday’s launch was scrubbed by NASA shortly after 8:33 a.m. because of an engine issue. Weather permitting, if the Artemis 1 moon mission launches from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Monday morning as planned, it will be powered in part by the work of Virginia-based contractors. The uncrewed flight test is the […]
Va. Tech extends president’s contract through 2027
Metallica won’t be playing “Exit Sandman” anytime soon — Virginia Tech President Tim Sands will stay on as the university’s president though the 2027 academic year. The university’s board of visitors voted unanimously to extend Sands’ contract during a quarterly meeting Tuesday, according to a news release. Sands is Tech’s 16th president and has served [[...]
Leidos to partner with Project HOPE to aid Ukraine
As Russia began its invasion of Ukraine in February, Leidos employees took to an internal blog and emailed senior executives to demonstrate support for the Eastern European nation. CEO Roger Krone remembers one employee who had family in the country and wanted to get them out. Six months later, the Reston-based Fortune 500 defense contractor […]
Va. hotel revenues up slightly over 2019
Northern Virginia’s hotel market continues to be a drag on the lodging industry’s performance in the commonwealth as a whole, according to recently released data from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group Inc. that provides market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. The latest data show rooms sold decreased by 4.6% in Virginia through […]
U.Va. program guarantees job interviews for certificate students
The University of Virginia is partnering with companies to guarantee job interviews for some certificate students. The program comes from an agreement between U.Va’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, which offers part-time, online programs, and various employers. It is designed to improve the workforce pipeline for in-demand fields, the university said in a news […]
Outgoing chamber leaders honored by state association
The Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives has honored two retiring leaders with lifetime achievement awards. Prince William Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Debbie Jones and Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Joyce Waugh received the awards during the VACCE’s 2022 executive leadership conference, held Wednesday in Chester, according to a […]
Rolls-Royce wins $1B Navy contract
Reston-based Rolls-Royce North America has received a contract totaling more than $1 billion to support the engines that power the Navy’s fleet of T-45 Goshawk training jets. The Pentagon announced the award Thursday, naming Indianapolis-based Rolls-Royce Corp. as the recipient. Rolls-Royce Corp. falls under the British aerospace and defense company’s North American operations. According t[...]
Torc Robotics names new CEO
Blacksburg-based self-driving truck company Torc Robotics has named Peter Vaughan Schmidt its next CEO, the Daimler Truck AG subsidiary announced Thursday. Currently head of Daimler Truck’s Autonomous Technology Group, Schmidt will take on his new role Oct. 1 and succeeds Michael Fleming. The company produces software for self-driving commercial vehicles and was started by a […]
TowneBank to acquire Farmers Bank
Suffolk-based TowneBank has agreed to acquire Windsor-headquartered Farmers Bankshares Inc., the parent company of Farmers Bank, the two companies announced Thursday. The deal is expected to close early next year. The $56 million deal, which would create a combined company worth $17.5 billion in total assets, loans of $10.9 billion and $14.5 billion, would add […]
Academy Sports + Outdoors opens first Va. location
Sporting goods retailer Academy Sports + Outdoors has opened its first store in Virginia with a location in Henrico County’s Short Pump area. The Texas-based Fortune 500 company opened Monday in a 58,075-square-foot store at 11861 W. Broad St. in The Corner at Short Pump, with 60 employees. Its grand opening is scheduled Friday, Aug. […]
