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 […]
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, […]
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: 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 […]
Building momentum
From olive oil to space rockets, 2022 saw a variety of companies seeking to invest — or reinvest — in the Hampton Roads region and Eastern Virginia. That kind of diversity of industries augurs well for the region’s economy, says Vinod Agarwal, professor of economics at Old Dominion University’s Strome College of Business. “In the […]
Williamsburg apartments sell for $100M
Alexandria-based real estate company Bonaventure has sold The Bend Arbordale apartments in Williamsburg for $100 million. Bonaventure sold the 289-unit apartment complex to Illinois-based The Inland Real Estate Group, Bonventure announced Friday. Located at 401 Bulifants Blvd., the community has two- and three-bedroom apartments with private balconies or patios. It has a swimming pool, fitness [&h[...]
Summer dreams
Tournaments at the Virginia Beach Sports Center. Events at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. A busy Oceanfront boardwalk. That was the scene in Virginia Beach during just one weekend in mid-March. And it was the perfect “prelude” to the summer travel season, says John Zirkle, general manager of the DoubleTree by Hilton Virginia Beach. “The […]
Capital Square acquires Williamsburg apartments for $70M
Henrico-based real estate investment firm Capital Square has acquired a 207-unit apartment complex in Williamsburg, the company announced April 12. Capital Square acquired Sterling Manor, a five-building luxury apartment complex with townhomes and garden-style apartments, from Chaucer Creek Capital for $70 million, a company spokeswoman told Virginia Business. The acquisition is on behalf of CS103[...]
April 2022 top five
The top trending major business stories on VirginiaBusiness.com from Feb. 15 to March 14 were led by news that Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder bought Virginia’s most costly home, once part of George Washington’s Mount Vernon. 1 | Dan Snyder owns Virginia’s most expensive house The owner of the Ashburn-based Washington Commanders bought the $48 […]