Law 2024: A. BENJAMIN SPENCER
James Randolph Spencer was the first Black federal judge in Virginia and, later, the first Black chief judge serving on the Eastern District of Virginia bench. His wife, Margaret P. Spencer, was a 13th Judicial Circuit judge for 16 years, as well as a law professor at William & Mary. Their son Benjamin Spencer is […[...]
Government | Politics 2024: JASON MIYARES
Miyares, the son of a Cuban refugee, became the first Hispanic elected to statewide office in Virginia after voters backed his attorney general bid in 2021. Along with Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears, he is widely expected to seek the Republican nomination for governor in 2025. As attorney general, Miyares has touted successes in r[...]
Government | Politics 2024: DON SCOTT JR.
After bumping longtime Del. Eileen Filler-Corn from the top House role in a 2022 shakeup, Scott became Virginia’s first Black speaker in January. It wasn’t the only unexpected turn in his history: In 1994, as he was finishing up his law degree, Scott was arrested on federal drug charges. He would serve more than seven [&hell[...]
Law 2024: JOHN ‘JACK’ LAVOIE
Joining Cooley in 2008, Lavoie leads the firm’s real estate practice group. His practice centers on real estate transactions, including buying, selling, developing and leasing office, industrial and retail properties. Lavoie represents landlords, tenants, lenders and borrowers in the leasing, financing and repositioning of com[...]
Health Care 2024: STEVE ARNER
In July, just a little over a year after he was promoted to president of Carilion Clinic, Arner was tapped to succeed Nancy Howell Agee as the Roanoke-based health system’s CEO, effective Oct. 1. Agee, who is retiring and will take the title of CEO emeritus, had led the $2.4 billion not-for-profit health system since […[...]
Banking | Finance 2024: JEFF BENTLEY
In September 2023, the Washington Commanders announced a multiyear partnership with Northwest Federal, making it the official credit union of the team and, for a few months, former Commanders quarterback Sam Howell was NWFCU’s spokesperson before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks. Bentley has more than three decades of expe[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: GARY J. SHAPIRO
Lawyer, author and lobbyist Shapiro is the longtime leader of the Consumer Technology Association, a trade organization representing more than 1,300 consumer technology companies. CTA owns and produces CES, the world’s largest consumer technology trade show, which has been held in Las Vegas since 1978. With more than three dec[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: JOHN USTICA
Before being named president and CEO in October 2022 of Siemens Government Technologies, the U.S. contracting arm of German tech conglomerate Siemens, Ustica served as its senior vice president and chief financial officer. Now, he oversees a government contracting firm focused on securing and modernizing technology infrastructur[...]
Real Estate 2024: WHITSON HUFFMAN
At Capital Square, a fast-growing real estate investment fund sponsor and commercial real estate development company established in 2012, Huffman became co-CEO in 2022. The son-in-law of founder and co-CEO Louis J. Rogers, Huffman joined Capital Square in 2018 and was previously chief strategy and investment officer, leading rea[...]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2024: M. SANJAYAN
Time magazine named Sanjayan to its inaugural Time100 Climate list in November 2023, recognizing the climate scientist and nonprofit executive as one of the most innovative leaders driving businesses to act on climate change. The magazine praised his skills as a science communicator who has helped Conservation International form[...]
Real Estate 2024: BOB CLARK
A childhood passion for taking things apart, putting them back together and figuring out how they worked led Clark to Virginia Military Institute for a degree in mechanical engineering. With an MBA from William & Mary, Clark started as a mechanical engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding and served as an Air Force officer for [...]
Insurance 2024: THOMAS J. McINERNEY
McInerney has led Genworth Financial, which offers mortgage and long-term care insurance products, since 2013. Genworth posted 2023 revenue of about $7.5 billion, flat from the previous year. Enact, Genworth’s private mortgage insurance subsidiary, had what McInerney described as an “outstanding year,” delivering an adjust[...]