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Living Legends: BRUCE COBB GOTTWALD SR.
Gottwald is the former CEO of NewMarket Corp., the $2.4 billion parent company of Afton Chemical Corp. and Ethyl Corp. NewMarket’s history goes back to 1887 as Albemarle Paper Manufacturing Co., which Gottwald’s father, the late Floyd D. Gottwald Sr., led starting in 1941. Two decades later, he acquired Ethyl in a move that [...]
Hospitality/Tourism: AKHIL JAIN
Since 2010, Jain has been at the helm of Landmark Hotel Group LLC, a hospitality company specializing in the management, ownership and development of hotels. Landmark’s portfolio includes 11 properties, including the new Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott at Virginia Beach’s Town Center. Landmark’s chair is Akhil’s f[...]
Energy: JOHN HEWA
For more than 15 years, Hewa has worked for electric cooperatives in Florida, Texas and Virginia. He holds “a deep appreciation for the cooperative business model,” which, unlike a traditional utility, are nonprofits owned by the members they serve. Hewa joined Rappahannock, which serves nearly 172,000 members, in 2017 as vi[...]
Federal Contractors/Technology: JOHN S. MENGUCCI
In high school, Mengucci focused on music. He was one of two students from New York state chosen to play in the 1980 McDonald’s All-American High School Band and he also played drums at Carnegie Hall. But his father suggested a more stable career, so Mengucci earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science at Clarkson [&helli[...]
Real Estate: STEPHEN BALLARD
Ballard, the company’s founder, has more than 37 years of construction experience and has worked as a project manager, superintendent, estimator, carpenter and laborer. In May, his company raised the first steel beam in the construction of the Rivers Casino Portsmouth as part of a joint venture with Mississippi-based Yates Con[...]
Economic Development: ANTHONY J. ROMANELLO
In 2021, Romanello helped Henrico attract multiple major investments totaling $489 million, including a giant Amazon.com Inc. robotic fulfillment center near Richmond Raceway and expansions of SimpliSafe, Mondelez International Inc. and Red River Foods Groups Inc. This July, QTS Data Centers announced it would be embarking on a [...]
Real Estate: MARK D. EIN
An investor and entrepreneur, Ein has created, acquired, invested in and built companies across a diverse set of industries. Founded in 1972, Kastle is a provider of building and office security systems. The company may be most recognized lately for the regular reports it releases tracking how many companies have returned to in-[...]
Real Estate: MILES LEON
A University of Georgia and University of Miami graduate, Leon co-founded First Commercial Real Estate Services, which was purchased in the early 1990s by S.L. Nusbaum — a realty company founded in 1906. When the late Alan B. Nusbaum, great-grandson of the founder, became the company’s chairman in 1991, Leon was named presi[...]
Real Estate: LOUIS S. ‘LOU’ HADDAD
Haddad was recruited to Armada Hoffler in 1985 as an on-site construction superintendent. He rose through the ranks and became president of Armada Hoffler Construction Co. in 1987. He was promoted to president of parent company Armada Hoffler Holding Co. in 1996. Three years later, he became CEO. In 2013, Haddad led Armada Hoffl[...]
Real Estate: W. TAYLOR FRANKLIN
Franklin started The Franklin Johnston Group, a development, investment and management firm, with his father and two other former S.L. Nusbaum employees in 2013. Today they have 497 employees in Virginia and 76 workers in six other states. In recent news, the company offered $7 million to buy the Laskin Road Annex building in Vi[...]
Law: ROBERT M. ‘BOB’ TATA
A Hampton Roads native, Tata specializes in intellectual property litigation, including trade secrets, copyrights and patents, and 20 years ago, he won the state’s then-largest copyright award — $116 million — awarded by a jury over a home fire-escape ladder invented by a local businessman. He also has spent a great deal o[...]
Economic Development: NANCY L. GRDEN
In June, Grden became the leader of this regional economic development organization, stepping into the shoes of Jim Spore, who retired after six years. Grden’s name is familiar to Hampton Roads residents, as she was previously executive director of the Hampton Roads Maritime Collaborative for Growth & Innovation, as well a[...]
