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Real Estate 2024: STEPHEN BALLARD
Working from home, Ballard and his sister, Brenda, founded S.B. Ballard Construction by completing small projects for the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and minor renovations for their neighbors. Over the course of the past 40 years, Ballard has served as a project manager, superintendent, estimator, carpenter and l[...]
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[...]
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[...]
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 f[...]
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[...]
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[...]
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 y[...]
Manufacturing 2024: ROB WERGE
In 2022, Werge became Cadence’s president and CEO. He previously held leadership positions at Nypro (now Jabil Healthcare), where he led its consumer and electronics business for the Americas region and led India operations. He also was vice president and general manager of Phillips-Medisize’s global commercial divis[...]
Professional Services 2024: CASSIE HARTOGS
Hartogs serves as BDO USA’s tax people operations managing principal and the firm’s tax market managing principal for the Greater Washington market. She oversees more than 550 tax professionals across 10 cities and leads the tax practice in operations, strategy, business development, recruiting and professional devel[...]
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[...]
Law 2024: KEN RANDALL
In 2023 and 2024, George Mason’s law school appeared in numerous articles about allegations of sexual misconduct by Joshua Wright, a tenured law professor who served on the Federal Trade Commission. In an August 2023 email to students, Randall wrote that Wright had resigned “rather than face a termination proceeding that[...]
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[...]
