Law 2024: BROOKS M. SMITH
In early 2019, Smith was named managing partner of the Atlanta-based Troutman Sanders’ Richmond office. Since then, the firm became Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders through a merger, but Smith held on to his leadership role. Today, he oversees more than 150 attorneys working in numerous practice areas, including the strategi[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: MATT CALKINS
A top economics graduate at Dartmouth and a world champion board gamer, Calkins co-founded cloud computing and enterprise software firm Appian in his basement in 1999. It grew to become the most successful software IPO of 2017. In 2023, Appian reaped $304.5 million in cloud subscription revenue, up 29% compared with 2022. The co[...]
Transportation 2024: MARK A. PERRYMAN
Since joining the Norfolk Airport Authority as its leader in May 2022, Perryman has seen growth in passenger numbers and the Norfolk International Airport, in size and scope. In January, Perryman said he expects several major projects to be underway in the next few years, including a moving sidewalk to accommodate passengers and[...]
Real Estate 2024: ROBB ‘R.J.’ JOHNSON
With more than 30 years in the commercial real estate industry, Johnson started working for The Staubach Co. in 1995, ultimately serving as president for the mid-Atlantic region until the firm merged with JLL in 2008. A Fortune Global 500 commercial real estate and investment management company, JLL helps clients buy, build, o[...]
Banking | Finance 2024: THOMAS I. BARKIN
Barkin has served as head of one of 12 regional Fed banks since 2018. He’s also a voting member on the Fed’s interest-setting Federal Open Market Committee for 2024, holding one of four rotating seats on the committee. In June, Barkin told a gathering of the Richmond chapter of the Risk Management Association that the [&hell[...]
Living Legends 2024: Y. MICHELE KANG
Kang is known primarily as the founder and former CEO of Cognosante, which provides IT support to federal, state and local government agencies in public health; founder of Cognosante Ventures, an early-stage health IT startup investor; and the Cognosante Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes workforce access and opportunity for [...]
Real Estate 2024: BRETT HITT
Hitt Contracting, one of Virginia’s biggest general contracting firms, was started by Hitt’s grandparents in 1930. In 1984, Hitt joined his family’s company as an assistant project manager. He rose through the ranks to become co-president in 2005, and was named co-chairman of the newly formed board in 2017, ushering in a n[...]
Agriculture 2024: DAVID GUM
National Fruit Product Co., which sells apple products east of the Mississippi mostly under the White House Foods label, has been family owned since 1908. Gum started working at the company in 1981 at age 20 in an entry-level accounting position. He purchased it from its founding family in 2006. The Gum family also owns [&hellip[...]
Education 2024: REAR ADM. WILLIAM G. KELLY (U.S. COAST GUARD, RET.)
After nearly four decades of service in the U.S. Coast Guard, Kelly became the sixth president of CNU in July 2023. Founded in 1960 as Christopher Newport College, a two-year branch of William & Mary, CNU is now a four-year public university that enrolls some 5,000 students in the liberal arts and sciences. Kelly previously [...]
Professional Services 2024: HORACIO D. ROZANSKI
Born in Argentina, Rozanski joined Fortune 500 global management, technology, engineering and consulting firm Booz Allen in 1991 as an intern in Buenos Aires. In 2015, Rozanski was named president and CEO after holding other leadership positions, including chief operating officer, chief strategy and talent officer, and chief per[...]
Law 2024: CAMERON ROUNTREE
Promoted in 2022 to become head of the Virginia State Bar, Rountree leads a team of more than 90 employees who are responsible for the licensing of the state’s 50,000 lawyers. The bar is the administrative agency for the Supreme Court of Virginia, and it disciplines attorneys who violate the court’s rules of professional con[...]
Energy 2024: DIANE LEOPOLD
Since joining Dominion as a power station engineer in 1995, Leopold has risen through the ranks to become one of the utility’s C-suite leaders. In her role, Leopold is responsible for the company’s operating segments, functions and contracted assets, including the Fortune 500 utility’s branches in Virginia and South Caroli[...]