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Agriculture: WAYNE F. PRYOR
Pryor has a desk job, but he rarely misses an opportunity to get outside. “I will never tire of watching the sun come up over the farm in the morning, and then watching it set in the evening,” says the lifelong Goochland County hay and grain farmer. But he’s devoted decades to the Virginia Farm […]
Arts/Entertainment/Sports: ERIK H. NEIL
Neil oversees the 123-employee Chrysler Museum of Art, which serves as a key cultural amenity of the Hampton Roads area and in 2021 drew $9.47 million in revenue. Neil has worked in museums for more than 23 years, beginning with his seven-year role as director of the Newcomb Art Gallery of Tulane University. Then he […]
Education: KEVIN F. HALLOCK
When Hallock became the University of Richmond’s new president last summer, it was on the heels of controversy, as the private university’s board decided not to change the names of two buildings honoring two men who supported slavery and segregation, even though students and faculty protested. However, board members changed [...]
Federal Contractors/Technology: JAMES J. RHYU
In an essay for Forbes in March, Rhyu asked whether work is “something we do or something we are?” Challenging employers to rethink the necessity of a college degree, he pondered whether the education industry is allowing students to discover their passions. “Answering these questions will help get us closer to reimagining[...]
Finance/Insurance: KEVIN P. STEVENSON
In 1996, when Stevenson co-founded international debt-buying business PRA Group, he had a vision of building an altruistic company. And in May, the Hampton Roads Community Action Program presented Stevenson with a Community Builders Award, which recognizes individuals making a positive impact on the region. Over the years, PRA G[...]
Hospitality/Tourism: NEEL DESAI
Desai founded S2K Hospitality, a management and development company focused on fast-casual dining, with his lifelong friend, Bijal Patel, last year. According to a news report, the S2K name is a combination of the initials of Desai’s daughters, Savi and Seva, and Patel’s daughter, Kayla. In March, S2K announced a 10-store fr[...]
Hospitality/Tourism: BRUCE L. THOMPSON
The man responsible for helping to reshape the Virginia Beach Oceanfront once promoted bands including Grand Funk Railroad and the Allman Brothers Band. A bartending gig in Virginia Beach helped propel Thompson. When the bar’s owners opened a sail and ski shop, Thompson was tapped to help. Soon, he became the largest ski trave[...]
Professional Services: MARK ELLENBOGEN
With more than two decades of experience in public accounting, Ellenbogen is BDO’s assurance regional managing partner for the Atlantic region and leads the company’s public sector practice. He also serves on the company’s U.S. board of directors. Having joined the firm in 1997, Ellenbogen has worked extensively with clien[...]
Real Estate: GARY BOWMAN
Bowman, whose first job was as a carpenter’s helper working for his father, earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech. He was a principal for 15 years at Urban Engineering before founding Bowman Consulting Group, which was a five-person company at its inception in 1995. It now has 1,400 employees i[...]
Living Legends: JANE NEAL PARKE BATTEN
Batten was 19 when she married Frank Batten, who would go on to become chairman and CEO of Landmark Communications Inc. and co-founder of The Weather Channel. Together, they agreed that he would focus on business, and she would focus on civic giving and volunteerism. “Frank’s philanthropic focus was fairly narrow; mostly sup[...]
Finance/Insurance: JOHN C. ASBURY
A Radford native, Asbury became president of Atlantic Union Bankshares, the holding company for Atlantic Union Bank, in 2016. He was named CEO the following year, passing the presidency on to Maria Tedesco, who was named the bank’s chief operating officer in January, while continuing as president. Tedesco is now tasked with �[...]
Nonprofits/Philanthropy: TRAVIS STATON
Staton has spent the past decade of his 17 years as head of the United Way of Southwest Virginia shifting the organization toward a community impact model to improve the region’s health, education and financial stability. In late 2021, his United Way launched a $30 million initiative to build regional public-private partnershi[...]
