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Va. Leadership: The Power 50
What does power mean? How do you determine who wields more than others? How can you measure an intangible but very real force? In our annual list of the 50 most powerful leaders in Virginia, we set out to do just that, considering the number of employees an executive leads, personal wealth and other metrics. […]
Democrats sweep Va. General Assembly
Updated Nov. 8 Democrats regained control of the Virginia Senate and the House of Delegates in Tuesday’s elections, likely putting a damper on Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s legislative agenda and potential 2024 presidential aspirations. As of 11:45 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, Democrats won 21 out of 40 seats in the […]
Travis Hill to step down as Va. ABC’s CEO
Travis Hill, CEO of the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority, announced Thursday he plans to step down from his post at the ABC, where he’s worked since 2014. Hired nine years ago as the Virginia ABC’s chief operating officer, Hill became CEO in 2018 after managing the former state department’s transition to a semi-independent authority […]
Government | Politics 2023: WINSOME EARLE-SEARS
Earle-Sears wanted to be a lawyer, but after being accepted to law school, she had a change of heart, she says, and then “life got in the way.” Instead, she served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was elected to a term in the House of Delegates, managed a homeless shelter and spent a decade as […]
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 […]
Government | Politics 2023: SCOTT A. SUROVELL
A Democrat representing parts of Fairfax, Prince William and Stafford counties, Surovell is one of several state senators who could land top leadership roles in next year’s General Assembly. A trial lawyer with degrees from the University of Virginia and James Madison University, Surovell won election to the House of Delegates in 2009 and then […]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: TRAVIS HILL
Hill presides over Virginia ABC, a state agency that produced $1.4 billion in 2022 revenue, with $622.8 million going to the state general fund. Before becoming CEO in 2018, Hill served four years as the agency’s chief operating officer and previously was a state deputy secretary of agriculture and forestry. In June, reports emerged that […]
Government | Politics 2023: GLENN YOUNGKIN
Oft rumored to be considering a presidential run, Youngkin led a CNN education town hall in March. But he’s said he’s focused on state legislative races this fall, with control of the General Assembly at stake. Youngkin voiced frustration this summer as state legislators wouldn’t compromise on an amended state budget that would have included […]
Government | Politics 2023: KELLY T. GEE
Editor’s note: Gee was appointed secretary of the commonwealth Aug. 29, after the Virginia 500 print deadline. She was selected for the 2023 Virginia 500 list based on her prior position as the Virginia Lottery’s executive director. Director of the state lottery since June 2022, Gee leads an agency that generated $3.75 billion in sales […]
Government | Politics 2023: MAMIE E. LOCKE
Locke was the Atlanta Historical Society’s archivist in 1981, when she was asked to interview for a political science teaching position at Hampton University, where 42 years later she is a professor emeritus. She served as vice mayor and mayor of Hampton before her election to the state Senate in 2004. As many of her […]
Government | Politics 2023: CHARNIELE L. HERRING
When Democrats controlled the House from 2020 to 2022, Herring was the first woman and the first African American to serve as majority leader and as chair of the House Courts of Justice Committee. Herring kept her position as caucus chair after the GOP regained control of the chamber in 2022. A lawyer who is […]
Government | Politics 2023: BARRY KNIGHT
As one of the state’s budget leaders, Knight has been caught up in an election-year tug-of-war that, as of August, prevented an amended 2022-24 budget, despite a $5.1 billion state revenue surplus. Knight is a Virginia Beach Republican who chairs the House of Delegates’ powerful Appropriations Committee, which is charged with finalizing the state’s budget […]
