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Recent Articles from Virginia Business
Transportation 2024: MONICA BACKMON
This year, Backmon was on hand for the completion of two projects funded by the NVTA: the $19.6 million Boundary Channel Drive Interchange Project in Arlington, for which the agency contributed more than $4.3 million, and the $313.9 million Route 7 Corridor Improvements Project in Fairfax County that NVTA provided with more than $22 million. […]
Manufacturing 2024: JOHN PARKINSON
Parkinson has served as Drake Extrusion’s CEO since 2001. A subsidiary of Duroc AB, a Swedish manufacturer specializing in filament yarn and staple fiber, the company established its roots in Henry County in 1996. In 2021, Drake acquired North Carolina-based yarn manufacturer Michael S. Becker. Drake has expanded its Henry County footprint twice in the […]
Agriculture 2024: NEIL A. HOUFF
Starting as a liquid fertilizer business on a Shenandoah family farm in 1975, Houff Corp. grew to provide a range of agricultural and industrial services, including agronomy, supply chain solutions, transloading and biosolids management. Two years ago, the company acquired 14 acres to expand its Doswell rail transload yard, where it’s laying more than a […]
Banking | Finance 2024: THOMAS RANSOM
Ransom boasts 24 years in the banking industry. At BB&T he started as a commercial banker in 2020 and went on to become greater Washington, D.C., market president. After Truist formed in 2018 through a merger of BB&T and SunTrust Banks, Ransom went to Charlotte, North Carolina, as an executive vice president before returning to […]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: DeETTE GRAY
After starting her career as a middle school math and science teacher, Gray’s interest in coding led her into the IT field, where she worked as a software developer. A former executive at Lockheed Martin and BAE Systems, Gray has won the Armed Forces Communications & Electronics Association International Women’s Appreciation Award for promoting STEM […]
Law 2024: RANDALL S. PARKS
Parks joined Hunton & Williams, Hunton Andrews Kurth’s predecessor, after graduating from law school at the University of Virginia in 1988. He has served as the chair of the state’s second largest law firm’s executive committee since 2022. With 35 years of experience under his belt, Parks handles complex corporate transactions, especially information technology and […]
Law 2024: W. RYAN SNOW
Benjamin D. Leigh, the immediate past president of the Virginia Bar Association, administered the oath of office to Snow in January, installing him as the 136th president of the voluntary organization composed of Virginia-based lawyers, judges, law school faculty members and students. The VBA was founded in 1888 and advocates for legislation, offers continuing legal […]
Professional Services 2024: JACOB BLONDIN
As leader of competitive retail pricing data provider RetailData, its parent company RD Holdings, and sister retail intelligence and consulting firm Intrics, Blondin has a lot on his plate. After seven years with RetailData, serving as chief operating officer and vice president of strategic initiatives, Blondin was tapped to become CEO in 2020. The following […]
Transportation 2024: REAR ADM. CARL A. LAHTI
In July, Lahti succeeded Navy Rear Adm. Wesley McCall as commander of the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, a group of 13 installations from Illinois to North Carolina, including Naval Station Norfolk. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate who most recently was commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Japan/Navy Region Japan, Lahti has studied alternative energy strategies for […]
Retail 2024: WATT R. FOSTER JR.
In 1989, Foster bought Foster Fuels from his father, the late Watt R. “Bobby” Foster Sr. The younger Foster marks the third generation to run the family business, which was founded in 1921. With about 240 employees, the company in fiscal 2023 had $215 million in revenue. Foster held the titles of CEO and president […]
