Sign In
Free Newsletter
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: MICHAEL GEORGE
A 40-year hospitality industry veteran, George founded Crescent Hotels & Resorts in 2001. The company operates more than 90 hotels and resorts and more than 250 restaurants and bars in the U.S and Canada. Its hotel portfolio includes Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt brands, along with a collection of independent hotels and resorts. This spring, Crescent […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: AKHIL JAIN
For more than a decade, Jain has run Landmark Hotel Group, a hospitality company that manages, owns and develops hotels in North Carolina and Virginia under the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Radisson brands. In 2021, Landmark expanded into the housing market with the development of Ellipse Urban Apartments, a 287-unit luxury apartment complex in Hampton. […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: CLIFFORD B. ‘CLIFF’ FLEET
A corporate executive and college professor, Fleet became the ninth president of the world’s largest living history museum in 2020. He is charged with sharing America’s enduring story with new and diverse audiences, while improving its financial health. Before joining the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Fleet served as CEO and president of 22nd Century Group and, […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: NEEL DESAI
Desai joined LTD Hospitality Group in 1998 as the second generation of the family-owned hotel development and management company co-founded by Desai’s father in 1983. Perhaps entrepreneurism is in his DNA because Desai and longtime friend Bijal Patel founded S2K Hospitality in 2021 to manage and develop fast-casual restaurants. In May, the partners opened a […]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: REGGIE AGGARWAL
Cvent is a market-leading meeting, events and hospitality technology provider based in McLean. Originally trained as a lawyer, Cvent CEO Aggarwal received degrees from the University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University and Georgetown University Law Center. But he was seduced from the law by events management. After staging several hundred events as president of […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: CHRISTY S. COLEMAN
As head of the foundation administering two museums of early American history, Coleman is at the forefront of educators weaving a nuanced and inclusive story of American history. Coleman is the first woman and the first person of color to serve as executive director of the state agency that operates Jamestown Settlement and the American […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: ERIC TERRY
With four decades of hospitality experience, Terry has advocated for the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association’s 1,500-plus industry members since joining as president in 2014. During the pandemic, Terry led the VRLTA in persuading state legislators to allocate $250 million in federal stimulus funds for industry relief. He also spearheaded support for legislation approved [&h[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: THOMAS J. BALTIMORE JR.
Baltimore joined the lodging real estate investment trust in 2016, shortly before its 2017 spinoff from McLean-based Hilton Worldwide Holdings. He has led the company through some of its toughest times as the pandemic squelched business and leisure travel. Park continues to bounce back from the pandemic-related downturn, reporting $2.5 billion in 2022 revenue, up […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: BRUCE L. THOMPSON
A Norfolk native and Virginia Business’ 2021 Person of the Year, Thompson is one of Hampton Roads’ most prominent developers and hoteliers. He is best known for developing the Cavalier Resort, which includes the restored historic Cavalier Hotel as well as two new hotels, restaurants and residences on 21 acres at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. […]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: KEVIN W. LEMBKE
Lembke has spent his entire career in the amusement park industry, starting at SeaWorld Orlando in 2000, and he’s been president of Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Water Country USA since 2018 (except for a brief break in 2019). In preparation for the park’s 2023 season, he oversaw the opening of two new rides: DarKoaster, an […]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: NEIL AMIN
As CEO of one of Virginia’s largest hotel operators, Amin brings a mix of hands-on experience and MBA expertise to the company his Indian immigrant father and uncle started in the 1970s. Amin lived with his family in one of their hotels in Chesterfield County until he was 12, pitching in with maintenance and handling […]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: BRIDGETTE C. BYWATER
Coming out of pandemic-driven restrictions, “Kings Dominion will be the cure for cabin fever in 2023,” Bywater said in October 2022, announcing the 48-year-old amusement park’s intention to welcome guests year-round, adding weekends in January, February and March to its regular April to December season. Kings Dominion aimed to hire 2,500 employees this year; in […]
