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Manufacturing 2023: CHRIS KEFFER
Keffer took over leadership of U.S. operations for German chainsaw and power tools manufacturer Stihl in early August, after joining the company in 2022 as vice president for sales and marketing. He previously spent about two decades with Stanley Black and Decker. He replaced Terry Horan, who led the division for a little more than […]
Transportation 2023: JERROLD ‘JERRY’ MILLER
A veteran in the region’s ship repair industry, Miller is spearheading the $100 million development of Fairwinds Landing, a maritime operations and logistics hub supporting Hampton Roads’ offshore wind, defense and transportation industries. The 111-acre project at Norfolk Southern Corp.’s Lambert’s Points Docks in Norfolk across from Portsmouth Marine Terminal is a joint v[...]
Law 2023: JOHN M. RAMIREZ
Ramirez has headed Troutman Pepper’s Virginia Beach office for seven years. He joined the 125-year-old global law firm in 2005 and handles mergers and acquisitions, general corporate and limited liability company matters, joint ventures, private equity and licensing transactions. He also serves as outside general counsel to local and national businesses. Recognized nationally, Ramirez has [&[...]
Real Estate 2023: MATT MALONE
Seeking to provide job opportunities to blue-collar workers and skilled tradespeople, Malone started Groundworks in 2016. With more than 700 employees in the state and 4,300 worldwide, Groundworks provides residential foundation and water management solutions, including foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair and encapsulation, plumbing, gutter installation, and concrete lift[...]
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. […]
Law 2023: JEFFREY A. BREIT
A personal injury lawyer, Breit has represented plaintiffs in several prominent lawsuits. In 2010, a federal judge appointed Breit to the 15-lawyer plaintiff steering committee for the consolidated BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill lawsuits. Breit oversaw the case against Halliburton, which settled its portion for $1.24 billion. Alabama also retained Breit as one of its […]
Real Estate 2023: W. TAYLOR FRANKLIN
Franklin was promoted to CEO in January, succeeding his father, Wendell, who is now chairman of the real estate development, management and investment firm they co-founded in 2013. Previously chief operating officer, Taylor Franklin oversees about 680 employees, including nearly 500 in Virginia. In 2022, Franklin was the youngest-ever King Neptune at Virginia Beach‘s Neptune […]
Finance | Insurance 2023: HANS VonKRUGER
In college, VonKruger took a part-time job as a teller to help pay for tuition. After working for JPMorgan Chase for more than 20 years, VonKruger joined Bank of America in 2016, becoming consumer banking market leader for southeastern Virginia. He has been the Hampton Roads market executive since 2018, managing about 575 employees and […]
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 me[...]
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: 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 W[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: TOM WALKER
After a 17-year stint as a Navy officer, serving as a nuclear power engineer on submarines, and another 17 years as president of software company Web Teks, Walker launched DroneUp, a provider of aerial drone services, in 2016. The Virginia Beach tech company has grown quickly since then, purchasing Web Teks in 2021 and partnering […]
