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Government | Politics 2024: CHARNIELE HERRING
When Democrats took control of the House of Delegates in 2020, Herring became the first woman and first African American to serve as majority leader. After Republicans retook the chamber following the 2021 elections, she became caucus chair but returned to her majority leader role when her party narrowly reassumed power this yea[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: DAVID LEVY
In October 2023, Levy was tapped to lead Amazon Web Service’s worldwide public sector business, overseeing government contracting activities for Amazon.com’s cloud computing subsidiary, as well as business for educational, nonprofit and health care organizations. In 2023, AWS recorded $90 billion in net sales, up from $80 bi[...]
Real Estate 2024: JON M. PETERSON
Founded in 1965 by Peterson’s late father, Milt, Peterson Cos. is responsible for some of the most prominent and successful mixed-use retail, residential and office developments in Northern Virginia and Maryland, including Fairfax Corner, Fair Lakes, National Harbor, Burke Centre and Tysons McLean Office Park. Peterson, who be[...]
Banking | Finance 2024: JOHN C. ASBURY
In April, Atlantic Union Bankshares, the holding company for Atlantic Union Bank, completed its acquisition of Danville-based American National Bankshares, parent company of American National Bank and Trust — a transaction valued at about $507 million. The combined bank has $24.3 billion in total assets, $19.4 billion in depos[...]
Transportation 2024: JOSEPH P. ‘JOE’ RUDDY
Ruddy, who has served two terms as COO, from 2011 to 2014, and since 2021, oversees information technology, safety, security, expansion projects and maintenance for the Virginia Port Authority affiliate that runs the Port of Virginia. That’s always a big job, but the past year has added some extra challenges. This spring, the [...]
Health Care 2024: ANTHONY ‘TONY’ BAKER
Baker leads Fortune 500 pharma manufacturer Merck’s vaccine operations in Elkton. The company founded a plant in the Rockingham County town in 1941. Early in his career, Baker spent seven years at Pennsylvania-based Biopharm Project Solutions as a senior process specialist. He joined Merck in 2008 as a process engineer and wen[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: PHEBE N. NOVAKOVIC
Novakovic has led General Dynamics, the world’s sixth largest aerospace and defense company, since 2013. During her tenure as CEO, Northrop Grumman won the Navy’s largest-ever contract, $24.2 billion, to build nuclear submarines. The Fortune Global 500 company employs more than 100,000 people and recorded $42.3 billion in re[...]
Agriculture 2024: CORWIN HEATWOLE
Sixth-generation chicken farmer Heatwole started his 100% organic and humane-certified chicken company in 2014. Originally named Shenandoah Valley Organic but rebranded as Farmer Focus in 2020, the company lets farmers own their flocks, receive fair compensation and make key decisions. In August 2023, Farmer Focus announced that[...]
Real Estate 2024: LAURA D. LAFAYETTE
Between her leadership positions with the Richmond Association of Realtors and the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service, Lafayette serves more than 6,800 Realtors in Central Virginia. This year, she’s become an even more powerful voice in the Richmond real estate community in the wake of a landmark court settleme[...]
Transportation 2024: RYAN BANAS
Banas oversees the $3.9 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel Expansion, the largest highway construction project in Virginia’s history and one of the largest infrastructure projects in the country. Milestones this year included one on April 17 when the tunnel boring machine, nicknamed Mary, completed its much-anticipated journe[...]
Retail 2024: DREW PARKER
Carter Machinery has deep roots in Virginia, tracing back to 1928, when Robert Hill Carter founded Virginia Tractor in Richmond. The company was the state’s first Caterpillar dealership, and it is still going today as an independent dealer with more than 30 locations. It has more than 2,300 employees in Virginia, West Virginia[...]
Transportation 2024: JOHN E. ‘JACK’ POTTER
Potter oversees two of the busiest airports in the country — Ronald Reagan Washington National and Washington Dulles International — as well as the Dulles Toll Road. In 2023, 50.6 million passengers came through the two Northern Virginia airports, setting a new travel record. Meanwhile, Reagan National was at the center of c[...]
