Recent Articles from Virginia Business
Economic Development 2025: SMITH, DOUG
Since 2019, Smith has led the Hampton Roads Alliance, a regional economic development organization representing 15 municipalities and numerous private sector investors. Before that, he served as city manager for Norfolk and as deputy city manager in both Virginia Beach and Portsmouth and is also a past president and CEO of Kaufman & Canoles Consulting. […]
Banking | Finance 2025: KARP, DAVID W.
In 2011, Karp and Paul Pagnato left Merrill Lynch to launch their own firm: PagnatoKarp. Initially, the outfit was part of Hightower Advisors, but PagnatoKarp dropped the affiliation in 2016. Four years later, Illinois-based investment firm Cresset Asset Management announced it had acquired PagnatoKarp, which then had $2.3 billion in assets under management. At Cresset, […]
Economic Development 2025: ROMANELLO, ANTHONY J.
Romanello announced in August that he plans to leave his post as Henrico’s economic development leader, a position he’s held since 2019, after working as a deputy county manager. He previously was county administrator for Stafford County and worked in local government for Richmond and West Point. In April, the Henrico EDA filed a lawsuit […]
Banking | Finance 2025: KUHLMANN, DIETRICH
Last year, Kuhlmann took the helm of the world’s largest credit union, with $180.8 billion in assets and more than 14 million members, succeeding former leader Mary McDuffie. After retiring from the U.S. Navy as a rear admiral, Kuhlmann joined Navy Federal in 2019 as head of branch operations. He later worked as chief real […]
Banking | Finance 2025: HODGES, CECILIA A.
Hodges has worked in banking for nearly four decades. Leading M&T Bank’s greater Washington, D.C., and Virginia regions since 2018, she manages teams across more than 55 branches. A Virginia Tech graduate, Hodges grew up in Rocky Mount, where her parents ran a construction supplies store. In 2009, M&T Bank acquired Provident Bank, where Hodges was […]
Economic Development 2025: WAKEFIELD, JENNIFER
Before assuming her current role leading the Greater Richmond Partnership in 2021, Wakefield twice served as interim president and CEO for the regional economic development organization representing Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. She has also been its chief operating officer and senior vice president of marketing. Wakefield previously served as Orlando […]
Banking | Finance 2025: FRANTZ, MARK A.
Co-founded by Frantz in 2009, Blue Delta is a venture capital firm that backs growth-stage companies providing services to the federal government. In September 2024, Arlington-based ITC Federal, an IT services provider for federal government agencies focused on law enforcement and national security, announced it had received an investment from Blue Delta to help it […]
Banking | Finance 2025: GRIMM, ANDREW ‘ANDY’
When Grimm assumed leadership of Apple Federal Credit Union in 2017, it had 190,000 members and nearly $2.4 billion in assets. Today, it has nearly 270,000 members, 25 branches and $5.3 billion in assets. A sliver of that growth stems from a merger with Fairfax’s NextMark Credit Union, which was completed in January. Prior to the […]
Banking | Finance 2025: RYAN, TOM
When Ryan arrived at Langley Federal in 2012, the credit union had about $1.7 billion in assets and 165,500 members. It now boasts $5.5 billion in assets and 395,000 members. Earlier this year, Ryan announced his plans to retire at the end of 2025. (A successor had not been named as of press time for this […]
Banking | Finance 2025: STACK, JEAN
Before joining Baird, Stack worked for more than two decades in the government services, aerospace and defense sector at California-based investment bank Houlihan Lokey. At Baird, Stack advises executives on mergers and acquisitions, raising capital and other corporate strategies. Earlier this year, Baird served as the exclusive financial adviser for Kudu Dynamics, a Chantilly tech […]



















