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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[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: ADAM RIDDLE
In April 2023, Riddle was named chairman and CEO of Rolls-Royce North America and president of its defense division. Riddle has more than a decade of experience under his belt with the British aerospace, defense and engineering company. Most recently, Riddle headed up Rolls-Royce’s global services division, which accounts for [...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: TOM ARSENEAULT
As president and CEO of BAE Systems Inc., the U.S. arm of British defense giant BAE Systems PLC, Arseneault has overseen developments such as the $5.55 billion acquisition in February of Colorado-based Ball Aerospace. In 2023, BAE Systems Inc. reported $13.6 billion in revenue; it employs 41,000 workers worldwide, including 5,20[...]
Manufacturing 2024: DAVID LEDESMA
Ledesma became the plant manager of DuPont’s Spruance site in 2021 after serving in the same role at its Buffalo, New York, facility. Built in 1929, DuPont’s Spruance site is the largest of the company’s manufacturing facilities worldwide; it has more than 2,000 employees and produces Tyvek, Nomex and Kevlar. In May, DuPon[...]
Government | Politics 2024: MARK WARNER
Virginia’s Democratic senior senator, Warner is particularly known for chairing the Senate’s Select Committee on Intelligence — and, thanks to a viral pandemic-era video, for making a tuna melt that has been variously described as “cursed” and “an atrocity.” The co-founder of Nextel and Capital Cellular, with an es[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2024: ERIC TERRY
With four decades of hospitality experience, Terry has advocated for the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association’s 1,500-plus industry members since joining as president in 2014. In February, Terry applauded the Virginia General Assembly for passing industry-supported legislation to legalize restaurants serving t[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: LAURA K. IPSEN
After 25 years in Silicon Valley working as an executive for Oracle, Microsoft and Cisco Systems, Ipsen was hired to lead higher education tech company Ellucian in 2017. With 3,800 employees worldwide — including 230 in Virginia — Ellucian boasts an annual revenue approaching $1 billion. In October 2023, Ellucian announced a[...]
