Real Estate 2024: MILES LEON
As leader of one of the largest real estate development companies in the Southeastern United States, Leon is responsible for all company operations and new business development. Founded in 1906, the firm has a property management portfolio exceeding 30,000 multifamily units. Among other deals, the company is handling Texas con[...]
Retail 2024: GEOFFREY POHANKA
Pohanka’s family has been selling cars since Frank Pohanka opened a Washington, D.C., dealership in 1919. Today, the family’s business, headed by Frank’s grandson Geoffrey, has 20 locations in Virginia, Maryland and Texas, and is the third largest Virginia-based auto dealership. It had revenue of $1.8 billion a[...]
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 […[...]
Living Legends 2024: GREG J. BARONI
With interests ranging from sports, education, technology and health care to philanthropy, Baroni always has been something of a Renaissance man. But while his passions are far-ranging, at his core he always has been focused on innovation and mission-based projects. Attain Partners, which Baroni founded as Attain LLC in 2009, pr[...]
Real Estate 2024: BYRON L. BOSTON
Dynex Capital, a real estate investment trust, reported about $6.37 billion in total assets at the end of last year, compared with about $3.61 billion in 2022, with a strong fourth quarter capping a volatile year for REITs because of inflation and high interest rates. A St. Louis native, Boston joined Dynex in 2008 as […]
Media 2024: JOSH EASTRIGHT
In 2018, Eastright was named CEO at Bloomberg Industry Group, a Bloomberg affiliate company. His career at Bloomberg had begun more than 25 years earlier, when he was a college intern. He worked for Bloomberg LP, Bloomberg New Energy Finance and Bloomberg Government before becoming Industry Group CEO. Eastright received his bach[...]
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[...]
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[...]
Retail 2024: CHARLES E. TYSON
Tyson has headed up the flooring company formerly known as Lumber Liquidators since 2020, the year after LL Flooring agreed to pay $33 million to settle federal securities fraud charges. He joined the company in 2018 as chief customer experience officer after spending nine years at Advance Auto Parts. Prospects looked bright ear[...]
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[...]
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[...]
Retail 2024: WILLIAM W. ‘BILL’ LOVETTE
Lovette has been CEO of Sauer Brands since January 2023, his second time in the position; he served as executive chairman and interim CEO in 2019, when Charlotte, North Carolina-based Falfurrias Capital Group purchased the Richmond-based family-owned spice company C.F. Sauer. With more than 1,000 employees, the renamed Sauer Bra[...]





















