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Visit Williamsburg names new CEO
The Williamsburg Tourism Council, also known as Visit Williamsburg, has named Edward Harris its new CEO, the organization announced Wednesday. Former CEO Victoria Cimino stepped down from the role in January after more than four years leading the destination marketing organization for Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown. With more than two decades of marketing and tourism […]
W&M receives $30M anonymous donation
An anonymous William & Mary alumna has donated $30 million to renovate and rename a building in honor of former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, who is currently the university’s chancellor. Robert M. Gates Hall will house three academic centers — the Global Research Institute, the Institute for Integrative Conservation and the Whole […]
Three Va. biz schools make top 50 in Poets&Quants rankings
Three Virginia business schools placed in the top 50 of 91 schools in Poets&Quants’ 2024 rankings of undergraduate business schools, released Monday. Poets&Quants for Undergrads, an online publication and forum dedicated to business schools, ranks schools by three categories: admissions standards, academic experience and career outcomes. Each category is evenly weighted, although met[...]
Williamsburg medical office sells for $1.75M
A medical office in Williamsburg has sold for $1.75 million. 320 Monticello LLC sold the 9,000-square-foot office building at 320 Monticello Ave. to Stellar Ventures LLC as an investment. The building is 100% leased and located directly across the street from William and Mary’s School of Education and Midtown Row apartments. Current tenants include a […]
Colonial Williamsburg, W&M launch leadership institute
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and William & Mary have partnered to form a leadership development institute in Williamsburg, the two entities announced Monday. Former Hewlett-Packard CEO and onetime GOP presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina will chair the Williamsburg Institute, which will have Walt Disney veteran Christopher Caracci as its executive director. The institute’s mission [...]
William & Mary law dean becomes of counsel at McGuireWoods
William & Mary Law School Dean A. Benjamin Spencer is consulting for McGuireWoods as a part-time, of counsel attorney, the law firm announced Thursday. Spencer, who is also a trustee professor at the law school, will consult with McGuireWoods lawyers and clients on pending legal matters and work on learning initiatives and client development. “We […]
Finance | Insurance 2023: JOSEPH W. ‘JOE’ MONTGOMERY
It’s coming up on Montgomery’s 50th anniversary of working at Optimal Service Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, a wealth management firm with about $28 billion in funds under advisement. A former All-American captain of William & Mary’s football team, Montgomery was inducted this year into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. When he wasn’t chosen […]
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: 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 […]
Law 2023: A. BENJAMIN SPENCER
In 2020, Spencer became the first Black dean to lead William & Mary Law School. A year later, he was awarded the Marshall-Wythe School of Law Foundation Trustee Professorship. He previously held professorships and academic appointments at Harvard Law School, University of Chicago Law School, University of Virginia School of Law and others. Spencer started his […]
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 […]
Shoring up
Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown are all significant parts of the nation’s foundation, and historic tourism drove the region’s economy during the 20th century. But Colonial Williamsburg hasn’t been enough to keep big crowds coming to the area consistently in the 21st century, even before the pandemic. Visitation dropped from 960,000 in 1999 to 534,000 in […]
