Sign In
Free Newsletter
Real Estate 2023: DONNA MacMILLAN-WHITAKER
As the development partner to fashion and music superstar Pharrell Williams, MacMillan-Whitaker has achieved a significant level of prominence in Hampton Roads, but she’s no flash in the pan. MacMillan-Whitaker has worked in the commercial retail industry since 1985, representing national retailers throughout the mid-Atlantic region. She also founded Commercial Real Estate Services, which merged[...]
Living Legends 2023: RAYMOND A. ‘RAY’ RITCHEY
Often regarded as one of the most influential players in the Washington, D.C., area’s real estate arena, Ritchey announced in March his plans to shift away from his full-time role with Boston Properties at the end of the year. He led the national real estate investment trust’s Washington-region operations, including 170 employees and 36 properties […]
Real Estate 2023: BRENDAN BECHTEL
Serving as CEO since 2016 and chairman since 2017, Bechtel is the fifth generation to lead his family-owned global engineering, construction and project management company. Ranked the nation’s second largest construction company by Engineering News-Record, Bechtel Corp. has completed more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries since its 1898 founding in San Francisco. The firm’s […]
Real Estate 2023: TIMOTHY HELMIG
After joining Monday Properties in 2005, Helmig has led the company to capital investments of more than $16 billion, an expanded multifamily portfolio of 5,300 units, and executed transactions totaling more than 35 million square feet. Helmig’s brother-in-law, Anthony Westreich, founded Monday Properties and acquired a 2.5 million-square-foot Rosslyn portfolio of buildings in 2007, two […[...]
Real Estate 2023: GERALD S. DIVARIS
Divaris co-founded Divaris Group in South Africa in 1974. Since 1981, the firm has been headquartered in Virginia. Divaris Real Estate, one of the companies under the Divaris Group umbrella, opened its first office in the United States in 1982 in Virginia. Along with its Virginia Beach headquarters, Divaris has offices in Newport News, Norfolk, […]
Real Estate 2023: FRANK ‘BUDDY’ GADAMS
Gadams and his firm are known for their commercial and residential projects, but he has also led community-based projects like the restoration of the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. Gadams founded Marathon in 2000. He is also one of the founders of the YPO (formerly Young Presidents’ Organization) Virginia Chapter. A Downtown Norfolk Council member, […]
Real Estate 2023: MICHAEL A. CULPEPPER
Culpepper serves as Venture Realty Group’s in-house attorney and managing partner, coordinating deal formation, land-use entitlement, and predevelopment services. He previously was an associate with law firm Williams Mullen’s real estate and land use team and was a principal with Fee Simple Legal, focusing on real estate transactions. Culpepper earned his bachelor’s degree from William [&hel[...]
Real Estate 2023: WILLIAM A. ‘BILL’ PAULETTE
In 1975, armed with $1,000 to invest, Paulette laid the foundation for what would eventually become KBS, a top-ranked mid-Atlantic construction firm. What started as a one-person company with an office in a sheet-metal shop has grown to a firm with 160-plus employees and offices in Richmond and Virginia Beach. KBS is known for projects […]
Real Estate 2023: CARL L. HARDEE
Lawson’s president and CEO since 2016, Hardee has been with the company for more than half of its 51 years. He oversees a 190-employee real estate development, construction and management company. In June, Lawson held a grand opening for Market Heights, a 164-unit apartment community in Norfolk, and the company is near completion of 80 […]
Real Estate 2023: BRIAN F. BORTELL
Bortell has been with Timmons Group for over three decades, starting his career with the company as an entry-level engineer and working his way up into his current role. He sets the strategic direction for the 1,000-plus-person firm and oversees its four operating divisions and 18 offices across the U.S. Under Bortell’s leadership, Timmons Group […]
Real Estate 2023: DERRICK SWAAK
Swaak became a partner at TTR Sotheby’s International Realty in 2007 and now holds the positions of co-chief operating officer and managing broker for the company’s Virginia offices, with more than 500 agents covering McLean and The Plains. His professional background extends to hotel development, acquisitions, and franchise sales for renowned national lodging chains. He […]
Real Estate 2023: GEORGE B. CLARKE IV
Clarke graduated from Virginia Tech in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering. That same year, he founded MEB. The company started with a handful of employees as a small federal government contractor serving military installations across the Hampton Roads area. Since then, Clarke has grown it into a 250-plus employee firm that completes […]
