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Recent Articles from Virginia Business
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: BILL MONET
Monet leads Akima, an Alaska Native corporation that handles federal contracts for the for-profit NANA Regional business owned by Indigenous Iñupiat shareholders. Akima has more than 10,000 employees across the world. With more than 30 years of experience in modernizing processes for federal, state, local and commercial clients, Monet is chief operating officer of NANA […]
Insurance 2024: FRANK LUCIA
Since 2017, Lucia has led Delta Dental of Virginia, one of the state’s largest dental benefits providers, and its holding company, Corvesta. Delta has about 250 employees in Virginia and posted $780 million in 2023 revenue. Previously, Lucia was president and CEO of Dean Health Plan in Madison, Wisconsin, and worked in finance for Cigna […]
2024 Virginia 500: Law
FARHAD AGHDAMI MANAGING PARTNER, RICHMOND OFFICE, WILLIAMS MULLEN, RICHMOND JEFFREY A. BREIT PARTNER, BREIT BINIAZAN, VIRGINIA BEACH ROBERT P. BEAMAN III VIRGINIA BEACH OFFICE MANAGING PARTNER, TROUTMAN PEPPER HAMILTON SANDERS, VIRGINIA BEACH DAVID C. BURTON REGIONAL MANAGING PARTNER FOR HAMPTON ROADS, WILLIAMS MULLEN, VIRGINIA BEACH V[...]
Real Estate 2024: GEORGE B. CLARKE IV
In 1982, Clarke didn’t just graduate from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering; he also founded MEB General Contractors, a full-service construction firm and master builder. Launched with a handful of employees as a small federal govern-ment contractor serving military installations across the Hampton Roads area, MEB has since grown into a […]
Real Estate 2024: DONNA MacMILLAN-WHITAKER
MacMillan-Whitaker has a history of working on major projects. As the development partner to Virginia Beach-raised music and fashion superstar Pharrell Williams, she’s been in the news most recently for the Atlantic Park project near the Oceanfront, the largest public-private partnership in Virginia Beach’s history. The $350 million mixed-use entertainment project, scheduled to open in [&helli[...]
Education 2024: MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH
A scan of Abdullah’s accomplishments since joining the public, historically Black university in 2016 makes clear why his résumé includes so many accolades, prestigious board appointments and spots on top 10 and “best of” lists — not to mention a multimillion-dollar contract to stay on as president through 2029. Under his leadership, VSU has seen […]
Manufacturing 2024: TOM HAYES
Hayes began working for the tobacco products manufacturer in 2006, serving as chief financial officer and senior vice president before becoming president of Swedish Match in 2020. Swedish Match manufactures and distributes chew bags, moist snuff, cigars, tobacco-free nicotine pouches, matches and lighters. Among its notable brands are Zyn nicotine pouches, Red Man chewing tobacco […]
Living Legends 2024: PAUL B. MANNING
In January 2023, Manning and his wife, Diane, donated $100 million to the University of Virginia to create the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, which will advance research into new medical treatments, such as cellular and gene therapies, nanotechnology and immunotherapy. U.Va. broke ground on the institute in December 2023; its expected completion […]
Media 2024: KELLY TILL
After 24 years as an advertising executive with Tribune Publishing’s The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press, Till became the first female publisher in the 172-year history of the Richmond Times-Dispatch in 2022. She also serves as regional vice president of sales for the newspaper’s parent company, Lee Enterprises. Till joined Lee Enterprises in 2020 as vice […]
Economic Development 2024: WILL PAYNE
Payne and his team helped secure a 65,000-acre development deal in Southwest Virginia, announced in November 2023, with Fortune 100 energy company Energy Transfer as part of the Energy DELTA Lab initiative. His team is leading a 10-year strategy, developing the land with projects that could generate 1 gigawatt of power. The deal also includes […]
