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Agriculture 2024: JOHN KING
After multinational food company Pilgrim’s Pride announced it was closing a Hinton poultry processing plant in 2004 — constituting a major hit to the local economy — Shenandoah Valley turkey growers formed the Virginia Poultry Growers Cooperative. The co-op employs roughly 500 people and has nearly 200 grower members; 100[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: TERRY RYAN
With more than 20 years of executive experience in the federal technical services market, Ryan was named CEO of global risk management firm Constellis Holdings in 2021, having previously served as its lead director. Before coming to Constellis, Ryan was CEO of Adroit Systems, VT Group and Tenax Aerospace. He also held senior exe[...]
Transportation 2024: KEITH HALL
In September 2023, Hall tasked Bob McGonigal, TFI International executive vice president, with helping turn around TFI’s U.S. less-than-truckload operation, which saw an operating ratio downturn last year, from 99% to 90.1%. TForce, previously owned by UPS, was purchased by Montreal-based TFI in 2021 for $800 million, and lost[...]
Transportation 2024: CAPT. JANET H. DAYS
In February 2023, Days made history as the first Black commanding officer of Naval Station Norfolk, the nation’s largest naval base, after serving as executive officer since 2021. Naval Station Norfolk supports the operational readiness of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and employs 89,000 military personnel and 52,000 civilians. A [...]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2024: CHARLES D. ‘CHUCK’ HENDERSON
Henderson joined the American Diabetes Association in January 2020 and was named permanent CEO in May 2022 after serving as interim CEO for six months. He previously worked in the private sector for 24 years, most recently as president and CEO of Texas-based emergency services company Champion Fire & Security. In 2023, the A[...]
Retail 2024: POUL WEIHRAUCH
Since taking the reins at the candy and pet food giant in September 2022, Weihrauch has been aiming to double its sales by 2033. In service to that expansion, Mars acquired six candy and veterinary companies in 2023 and 2024. These include Hotel Chocolat, the United Kingdom’s largest chocolate maker, and ownership stakes in Ce[...]
Economic Development 2024: JENNIFER WAKEFIELD
Before assuming her current role in 2021, Wakefield served as interim president and CEO twice for the Greater Richmond Partnership, a regional economic development organization for Richmond and the counties of Chesterfield, Hanover and Henrico. She has also been its chief operating officer and senior vice president of marketing.[...]
Law 2024: JEFFREY A. BREIT
A Hampton Roads native, Breit is known for representing plaintiffs in high-profile personal injury cases. In recent months, Breit’s name frequently has shown up in news articles for being part of the legal team representing Abby Zwerner, the Newport News elementary school teacher shot by a 6-year-old student in January 2023. I[...]
Professional Services 2024: MARK ELLENBOGEN
In July, BDO USA tapped Ellenbogen as its new chief operating officer, making him responsible for every business aspect of the U.S. member firm of BDO International, the fifth largest global accounting network. A member of BDO USA’s board of directors, he has chaired the firm’s governance committee and was a key player in es[...]
Law 2024: CALVIN W. ‘WOODY’ FOWLER JR.
In March, Williams Mullen tapped Fowler to serve a fourth three-year term as the president, CEO and chairman of the state’s third largest law firm. Under Fowler’s tenure, Williams Mullen, which has 437 employees, has enjoyed nine consecutive years of increased revenue and profits that increased by an average of 11.2% each ye[...]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2024: DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’ JOHNSON
Known as “The Rock,” Johnson shot to fame as a professional wrestler and is now one of the nation’s most popular and prolific movie and TV actors. He’s also been a relatively quiet resident of Virginia for several years, he acknowledged on social media posts in 2019. Johnson owns a horse farm in Orange County […]
Real Estate 2024: RYAN T. McLAUGHLIN
Head of one of the country’s largest regional Realtor associations, McLaughlin came to NVAR in 2015 after serving the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors in Pennsylvania for more than a decade. This year, McLaughlin was named to T3 Sixty’s 11th annual Swanepoel Power 200 rankings of the nation’s top real estate executives, mark[...]
