Recent Articles from Virginia Business
Real Estate 2024: C. LEE WARFIELD
First joining Thalhimer as an associate broker in 1995, Warfield now leads the real estate firm’s seven offices and 450 associates in Virginia. In 2016, he became Thalhimer’s fourth CEO since its 1913 founding, adding to the role of president, which he has held since 2011. Warfield has been chairman of Thalhimer’s board since 2017. […]
Education 2024: SCOTT FLEMING
After a nationwide search, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) found its next leader under its nose — Fleming was serving his first term on SCHEV’s governing board when he was hired. Fleming began his new duties in May, replacing interim director Alan Edwards, who served after longtime SCHEV director Peter Blake stepped […]
Manufacturing 2024: SCOTT KEOGH
Keogh is leading German parent company Volkswagen AG’s new electric truck and sport utility vehicle division. Scout is a revamp of the iconic Scout all-terrain vehicle brand produced by International Harvester in the 1960s and ’70s. In 2021, Volkswagen acquired the rights to Scout’s name after buying Navistar International, which succeeded International Harvester, for $3.7 […]
Manufacturing 2024: G. DAVID OAKLEY JR.
Serving as president of Strongwell, Oakley joined the company in 2011, when its president for nearly 40 years and majority stockholder, John Tickle, transitioned to chairman of the board. Oakley previously served as president of Abingdon’s HAPCO Pole Products for nearly four years, and before that, was its vice president of product management. Strongwell creates […]
Manufacturing 2024: BRIAN D. PALIOTTI
Paliotti was named president of Afton Chemical in January 2023, succeeding Gina Harm, who retired at the end of 2022. The Richmond-based subsidiary of NewMarket produces and sells petroleum additives. Before assuming his role at its subsidiary, Paliotti had been with NewMarket since 2008, most recently as its vice president and chief financial officer. Before, […]
Law 2024: THE HON. MARK STEVEN DAVIS
As chief judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, Davis hears the stories of people’s lives, stories that are often terribly sad. There are armed carjackings and gang violence. Last summer, Davis listened to allegations that police officers had retaliated against a man for accusing a police officer of lying by putting false information on […]
Agriculture 2024: SHANE SMITH
Smith became CEO of Smithfield Foods in 2021, just as Smithfield, the world’s largest pork product manufacturer and hog producer, announced an end to slaughter operations in its hometown of Smithfield, the country’s self-proclaimed “ham capital.” In 2023, Smith navigated headwinds of low sales and high costs in the U.S. pork market. That year, Smithfield […]
Energy 2024: ROBERT ‘BOB’ M. BLUE
Blue oversees Fortune 500 utility Dominion, which has 14,400 employees and serves roughly 4 million customers in 13 states. Before joining Dominion in 2004, Blue was an attorney and served as counselor and director of policy under Gov. Mark Warner. In May, Dominion began installing foundation posts for its $9.8 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind […]
Health Care 2024: DR. MICHAEL McDERMOTT
A radiologist, McDermott has led Mary Washington Healthcare since 2015. Previously, he practiced with Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg. He has a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and an MBA from the University of Virginia. Mary Washington Healthcare began as an eight-room hospital in Fredericksburg in 1899 and now encompasses two […]
Professional Services 2024: ED KEARNEY
A Pennsylvania native, Kearney founded Kearney & Co., one of the nation’s largest CPA firms, in 1985. With $256 million in revenue and more than 1,200 employees, it’s ranked No. 31 on Accounting Today’s list of the nation’s top 100 firms. It’s also the largest U.S. firm focusing exclusively on financial management and professional services […]