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 […]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: WILLIAM D. ‘BILL’ NASH
Nash began at CarMax in 1997 as an auction manager, working his way up to president and CEO in 2016. Founded in 1993 in Richmond as a subsidiary of electronics retailer Circuit City, CarMax is the country’s largest retailer of used cars, reporting $31.9 billion in 2022 revenue and employing more than 30,000 people. In […]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: JAMES J. RHYU
Rhyu has led online learning company Stride since January 2021. Founded in 2000 and formerly known as K12, the company provides K-12 education for students and schools, including career learning services for middle and high school curricula, and offers programs for the military and businesses, as well as professional skills training in health care and […]
Media 2023: DOUG DAVIS
Davis brought with him more than a quarter-century of experience in the Virginia broadcast world when he stepped into the role of senior vice president and regional manager of Nexstar Media Group in 2017. His first broadcasting job in the region was at WVEC-TV, followed by stints as local sales manager of Norfolk’s WAVY-TV 10, […]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2023: LAWRENCE A. ‘LARRY’ SELZER
Selzer has led The Conservation Fund, an environmental nonprofit that aims to restore nature while creating economic and recreational opportunities, since 2001. Last year was one of the fund’s most impactful years in its nearly 40-year history. The organization made significant strides in its efforts to expand public access to nature, protect at-risk Black history […]
Manufacturing 2023: JON MOORE
Head of the tobacco products manufacturer since 2019, Moore has worked under parent company Altria Group since 2003, serving as vice president of its heated tobacco products division and director of marketing for NuMark, Altria’s early e-vapor subsidiary started in 2013. Today, he leads the nation’s leading cigarette producer, established in 1847 in London. Today […]
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. […]
Real Estate 2023: LOUIS S. ‘LOU’ HADDAD
Haddad joined Armada Hoffler as an on-site construction superintendent in 1985. After several promotions, he was named president of Armada Hoffler Construction Co. in 1987, at age 29. In 1996, he was promoted to president of the parent company, and nearly 15 years after joining Armada Hoffler, he became the company’s CEO in 1999. He […]
Education 2023: TRACY FITZSIMMONS
SU’s president since 2008, Fitzsimmons is overseeing the renovation of a former National Guard armory on the private university’s main Winchester campus into the Hub for Innovators, Veterans and Entrepreneurs (HIVE). Scheduled to open in 2024, HIVE will support startups, offer career pathways for veterans and serve as home to SU’s technology programs. SU also […]
Professional Services 2023: JULIE SWEET
Sweet has been global CEO of IT services and consulting company Accenture since 2019 and became its chair in 2021. She joined the Fortune Global 500 company in 2010 and previously held roles including CEO of Accenture’s business in North America from 2015 to 2019. Accenture’s fiscal 2022 revenue was $61.6 billion, up 22% from […]
Government | Politics 2023: C. TODD GILBERT
A state legislator since 2006, Gilbert has risen quickly through the GOP House leadership. He served as Republican leader of the House for two terms before ascending to the powerful speakership in 2022 following the party regaining majority control of the chamber. The Shenandoah Valley conservative is a key ally of Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who […]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: JENNIFER CHRONIS
Chronis came aboard VMware in 2022 as vice president in charge of public sector business. A former Army paratrooper with 45 jumps under her belt, Chronis spent 21 years in the military, serving in Operations Desert Shield/Desert Storm and retiring as a lieutenant colonel. After that, she went to work for IBM, managing its Army […]