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Economic Development: JONATHAN BELCHER
Belcher leads the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority, which was created in 1988 to grow and diversify the region’s economy and help create jobs. Last year, the authority announced 46 new economic development projects plus 14 company expansions and retentions, creating a total of more than 1,000 jobs. Belcher[...]
Economic Development: BARRY DUVAL
In 2022, DuVal partnered with the Virginia Farm Bureau, the state’s real estate community and more than 100 local and regional chambers across the commonwealth to successfully win expanded and lower-cost health care coverage for small business owners. Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed the legislation earlier this year. The chambe[...]
Transportation: ED ALDRIDGE
As the nation continues to feel the crunch of supply chain shortages, French container ship company CMA CGM Group, the world’s third largest, announced an incentive to encourage the early return of shipping containers to eligible ports. Under the program, which ran for 60 days from May through July, the company offered a $[...]
Law: VICTOR CARDWELL
It‘s been a busy year for Cardwell. In January, the accomplished labor and employment attorney became the first Black president of the Virginia Bar Association. Then in July, his Roanoke-based firm, Woods Rogers, merged with Norfolk-based Vandeventer Black. The new Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black, now the state’s fift[...]
Real Estate: ALBERT G. ‘BEAU’ VAN METRE JR.
Van Metre has been involved in the operations of his family real estate company since 1963, when he first joined the company founded by his father eight years earlier. In 2002, he was appointed vice chairman, and in 2008, he was promoted to chairman. He also serves as a trustee for the Van Metre Family […]
Economic Development: JASON EL KOUBI
El Koubi succeeded Stephen Moret as leader of the state’s chief economic development organization in March, two months after being named interim president and CEO. Moret left to lead Indianapolis-based Strada Education Network, having earned a strong reputation for driving industry interest in Virginia, capped in 2018 with[...]
Federal Contractors/Technology: TOM BELL
Though its name conjures luxury, Rolls-Royce is also a major force in powering the U.S. military. In September 2021, Rolls Royce North America won a $500 million Air Force contract to manufacture 650 replacement engines for the service’s fleet of B-52 Stratofortresses, extending the life of the iconic bomber by three decades. The award could […]
Government/Politics: KELLY T. GEE
After serving as the Virginia Lottery’s acting executive director since January, Gee was made the lottery’s permanent leader by Gov. Glenn Youngkin in June. She heads an agency that generated $3.5 billion in fiscal 2022, with more than $770 million in lottery profits going to Virginia public schools. Gee has been wit[...]
Finance/Insurance: JEFF BENTLEY
Boasting more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, Bentley has served as president and CEO of Northwest Federal Credit Union since 2017. Bentley came to Northwest Federal from Florida’s Achieva Credit Union in 2014 to work as senior vice president of lending. During his career, Bentley held leade[...]
Finance/Insurance: ROB FINNEGAN
In October 2021, Finnegan announced that West Creek Financial Inc., the fintech firm that partners with more than 15,000 stores and online businesses to offer point-of-sale financing for essential items ranging from furniture to mattresses to tires, had changed its name to Koalafi (pronounced “qualify”). To go along with a n[...]
Health Care: EDWARD A. PESICKA
Pesicka leads a Hanover County Fortune 500 health care logistics and medical supplies company that reported almost $9.8 billion in 2021 revenue and employs more than 20,000 people worldwide, about 1,400 of whom are in Virginia. He spent 15 years at Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., leading go-to-market strategies as chief commercia[...]
Law: FARHAD AGHDAMI
An expert in tax and corporate law, Aghdami works with high net-worth individuals, middle-market business owners, institutional fiduciaries and charitable organizations on tax planning for wealth transfer, business succession, income tax planning and fiduciary litigation. A graduate of the University of Virginia and the Wake For[...]
