Charlottesville regional chamber names prez and CEO
Natalie S. Masri will assume the role of president and CEO of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce on June 1, the chamber announced Tuesday. She succeeds Andrea Copeland, who has served as the chamber’s interim president since February and will become the chamber’s chief operating officer. Masri most rece[...]
VPAP names new director
Chris Piper, former commissioner of the Virginia Department of Elections under Gov. Ralph Northam, will be the next director of the Virginia Public Access Project (VPAP) after founder David Poole retires on June 30, the organization announced. Founded in 1997, VPAP started as a joint effort by the state’s five largest news[...]
VCU names new engineering dean
Azim Eskandarian, a Virginia Tech mechanical engineering professor and department head, has been named the next dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University College of Engineering, VCU announced Tuesday. Eskandarian, whose appointment takes effect Aug. 1, will also serve as the William H. Goodwin Jr. Endowed Chair of the enginee[...]
Forvis names new Va. managing partner
Forvis has named Jennifer Wold as managing partner of its Virginia practice unit, the accounting firm announced Monday. Wold’s role becomes effective June 1. She succeeds Tom Hazelwood, who has served as managing partner for the past year. Wold will oversee offices in Richmond, where she will be based, and in Norfolk. She [...]
Richmond loft apartment community sells for $14.8M
A 70-unit apartment community in Richmond‘s Manchester neighborhood sold for $14.8 million May 12. Putnam Mill LLC, an entity connected to First Priority Management of Washington, D.C., purchased The Mill at Manchester Lofts, a former paper mill and warehouse that now consists of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom loft [...]
Markel to change name
Glen Allen Fortune 500 insurance and investment firm Markel Corp. will change its name to Markel Group Inc. on May 26, the firm announced Tuesday. The change is to “provide greater definition around the nature of [the] holding company, which includes three engines of insurance, investments and a group of diverse businesses in Markel Ventures,” […]
CoStar makes $18M pledge to VCU for arts building
CoStar Group, the Washington, D.C.-based real estate data analytics company with a large presence in Richmond, has committed to give $18 million to Virginia Commonwealth University to build an arts and innovation academic building in Richmond, the company announced Friday. The building, which will tentatively be named the CoStar[...]
Altria settles 6,000 Juul-related lawsuits for $235M
Henrico County-based Altria Group Inc. has settled at least 6,000 state and federal lawsuits related to Juul Labs Inc. for $235 million, the Fortune 500 tobacco manufacturer announced Wednesday. The settlements will be paid in the second quarter of 2023. Altria purchased a 35% stake in e-cigarette company Juul for $12.8 billion [...]
Richmond City Council approves Diamond District
Richmond City Council members voted unanimously Monday to approve the $2.44 billion Diamond District mixed-use development, which aims to include a replacement for the 38-year-old stadium of the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels baseball team by the end of 2025. Councilors also approved an ordinance to convey 61 acres of city-o[...]
Blue Ridge Bank names CEO
G. William “Billy” Beale became CEO of Blue Ridge Bank National Association on Sunday, giving the bank a leader separate from that of its parent company, Charlottesville-based Blue Ridge Bankshares Inc. “I am excited to have the opportunity to join this team at a critical time in the banking industry,” Beale said in a st[...]
VCU Health paid $72.9M to back out of development
VCU Health paid nearly $73 million to back out of a $325 million development deal earlier this year, according to Dr. Marlon Levy, CEO of the health system and Virginia Commonwealth University’s interim senior vice president for health sciences. The project, known as the Clay Street Project, included plans for a medical [...]
Agtech startup to invest $25M in Albemarle expansion
Agricultural biotech startup AgroSpheres will invest $25 million to expand in Albemarle County, creating an estimated 50 jobs, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced Thursday. The company will increase production at its facility at 1180 Seminole Trail and build a research and development and demonstration facility for new products, which will be a pilot plant for a […]