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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.[...]
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[...]
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: BRIDGETTE C. BYWATER
Under Bywater’s leadership since 2021, the 49-year-old Kings Dominion theme park continues to seek out new concepts and ideas to entice and excite guests. The 400-acre amusement park is home to more than 60 rides, shows and attractions, including 13 roller coasters and Soak City, a 20-acre waterpark. The latest thrill is a new[...]
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 […]
Transportation 2024: AUBREY L. LAYNE JR.
Layne, a former state secretary of finance and secretary of transportation under two governors, has worked at Sentara since July 2021, overseeing several teams, including legislative affairs, real estate, construction, supply chain, security, compliance, internal audit and privacy. He also chairs the Virginia Port Authority boar[...]
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[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2024: NICK PATEL
Born in West Bromwich, England, Patel relocated to the United States in 1982. He earned a bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1992, but his entrepreneurial spirit led him in a different direction. He opened a Sleep Inn in Richmond in 1996 with his parents’ support, and Kalyan Hospitality wa[...]
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[...]
Government | Politics 2024: LARRY SABATO
Virginia’s most notable political pundit, Sabato is the founding director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, which celebrated its 25th anniversary this year, breaking ground on a $10 million expansion. Widely quoted by national media, Sabato’s Crystal Ball newsletter, which handicaps political races, has [...]
Real Estate 2024: KIM ROY
In 2017, Roy was appointed the first nonfamily member to lead the then-80-year-old company. Interested in building from a young age, she graduated from Virginia Tech with a bachelor’s degree in construction. Roy joined Hitt in 1999 as an assistant project manager. Founded in 1937, Hitt has more than 1,600 employees in 14 U.S. [...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: REX D. GEVEDEN
Headquartered in Lynchburg, BWX Technologies manufactures nuclear reactors, fuel and components for the Navy, develops and manufactures microreactors for national security and space applications, and provides nuclear technical services at contractor-operated government labs and facilities. Geveden joined BWXT in 2015 as its chie[...]
