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Economic Development 2024: DOUG SMITH
In the first few months of 2024, freight business Total Quality Logistics announced it would open a new location in Norfolk, and Australian company Quality Maritime Surveyors said it was expanding to the Hampton Roads area. The announcements continue momentum from 2023, when the Hampton Roads Alliance’s 13 new project announce[...]
Education 2024: SCOTT FLEMING
After a nationwide search, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) found its next leader under its nose — Fleming was serving his first term on SCHEV’s governing board when he was hired. Fleming began his new duties in May, replacing interim director Alan Edwards, who served after longtime SCHEV director [...]
Banking | Finance 2024: THEODORE L. ‘TED’ CHANDLER JR.
Chandler has decades of business and legal experience to share with entrepreneurs as one of NRV’s founders. In 2011, he co-founded the startup investing firm — then known as New Richmond Ventures — with fellow Richmond business leaders Jim Ukrop and Bob Mooney. Today, the firm financially contributes to the Farmer Focus o[...]
Law 2024: THE HON. MARK STEVEN DAVIS
As chief judge for the Eastern District of Virginia, Davis hears the stories of people’s lives, stories that are often terribly sad. There are armed carjackings and gang violence. Last summer, Davis listened to allegations that police officers had retaliated against a man for accusing a police officer of lying by putting false[...]
Virginia 500 Spotlight: THOMAS L. MILBURN
THREE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME: Innovative. Compassionate. Driven. HOW I CHOSE MY CAREER: I initially majored in English [because I was] interested in storytelling and communication. I even spent some time in seminary, where I developed a strong sense of purpose and leadership. Ultimately, I realized that I could combine my analytic[...]
Health Care 2024: DR. MICHAEL McDERMOTT
A radiologist, McDermott has led Mary Washington Healthcare since 2015. Previously, he practiced with Radiologic Associates of Fredericksburg. He has a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and an MBA from the University of Virginia. Mary Washington Healthcare began as an eight-room hospital in Fre[...]
Agriculture 2024: SHANE SMITH
Smith became CEO of Smithfield Foods in 2021, just as Smithfield, the world’s largest pork product manufacturer and hog producer, announced an end to slaughter operations in its hometown of Smithfield, the country’s self-proclaimed “ham capital.” In 2023, Smith navigated headwinds of low sales and high costs in the U.S[...]
Professional Services 2024: ED KEARNEY
A Pennsylvania native, Kearney founded Kearney & Co., one of the nation’s largest CPA firms, in 1985. With $256 million in revenue and more than 1,200 employees, it’s ranked No. 31 on Accounting Today’s list of the nation’s top 100 firms. It’s also the largest U.S. firm focusing exclusively on financial management [...]
Energy 2024: ROBERT ‘BOB’ M. BLUE
Blue oversees Fortune 500 utility Dominion, which has 14,400 employees and serves roughly 4 million customers in 13 states. Before joining Dominion in 2004, Blue was an attorney and served as counselor and director of policy under Gov. Mark Warner. In May, Dominion began installing foundation posts for its $9.8 billion Coastal V[...]
Real Estate 2024: JASON GUILLOT
Guillot is a commercial real estate developer focused on mixed-use projects with Class A office, retail and multifamily. He joined Thalhimer in 2007 as an office broker and developer, and led the redevelopment of the former Westhampton Theater in Richmond’s West End into the Westhampton on Grove retail complex. In recent years[...]
Real Estate 2024: FRANK ‘BUDDY’ GADAMS
In 2000, Gadams founded Marathon Development Group, known for its commercial and residential projects in Hampton Roads, including the Icon Norfolk and the James Apartments residential buildings in Norfolk. Gadams also has led historic renovation projects such as the restoration of the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts. Late las[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: JENNIFER TAYLOR
Taylor leads the Northern Virginia Technology Council, one of the largest regional technology trade associations in the nation. Comprised of some 400 members, NVTC represents tech industry players ranging from startups to Fortune 500 companies to universities and nonprofits. Before taking the helm at NVTC in 2020, Taylor, an Ohi[...]
