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Real Estate 2024: W. TAYLOR FRANKLIN
Franklin became CEO in 2023, succeeding his father, Wendell, who is now chairman of the real estate development, management and investment firm. Previously chief operating officer, Franklin oversees approximately 700 employees, as well as a portfolio of 200 properties in 10 states and Washington, D.C. In 2013, Franklin, his fath[...]
Living Legends 2024: DAVID BALDACCI
In his March-released thriller, “A Calamity of Souls,” Baldacci tackles justice, racism and the power of partnerships. Those concepts don’t just permeate the global bestselling author’s writing; they also reflect his values. A Richmond native, Baldacci frequently creates tales centered around justice, often incorporating[...]
Retail 2024: WARREN THOMPSON
Thompson’s start as an entrepreneur came as a teen, when he purchased and ran his family’s hog farm in Windsor. He now heads the largest minority-owned food and facilities management corporation in the nation, which he founded in 1992 with the purchase of 31 Bob’s Big Boy restaurants. Thompson Hospitality provides dining s[...]
Education 2024: MAJ. GEN. DONDI E. COSTIN (U.S. AIR FORCE, RET.)
Costin, a retired 32-year Air Force veteran who went on to serve five years as president of Charleston Southern University, became president of Liberty in July 2023 during a time of turmoil. The private evangelical university was rocked by the 2020 ouster of former President and Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., the late founder’s[...]
Banking | Finance 2024: JAMES SCHENCK
Over the course of his military career, Schenck flew Black Hawk helicopters in Korea and trained others as a night vision goggle instructor pilot. He also served on the Army staff in the Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, a post with responsibilities for overseeing the flying hour program, which [&hell[...]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2024: ISAM GHANIM
Ghanim returned to ChildFund International in 2022, becoming its ninth president and CEO. He previously was vice president for the Africa region, vice president of global operations and executive vice president for programs before leaving to serve as president for Search for Common Ground in 2018. ChildFund, previously known a[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2024: JANE KAMENSKY
Named president of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation in October 2023, Kamensky started work in January. The nonprofit owns and operates Monticello, the mountaintop plantation of the third U.S. president. Kamensky previously served as the Jonathan Trumbull Professor of American History at Harvard University and as the Carl and Lily[...]
Telecommunications 2024: VINCE APRUZZESE JR.
Apruzzese has spent his entire career at AT&T. He was named AT&T Virginia’s president in 2010 before taking on the additional role of president of external affairs for Delaware, Maryland and Washington, D.C., in April 2023. In his current position, he leads AT&T’s legislative, public policy and philanthropic init[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: TONI TOWNES-WHITLEY
In October 2023, Townes-Whitley took the reins of federal contractor SAIC, becoming one of two Black female Fortune 500 CEOs and leading a company with fiscal 2023 revenue of $7.7 billion. She told USA Today that she wanted people to move beyond focusing on a CEO’s race and gender, but added, “If there is a […]
Government | Politics 2024: ABIGAIL SPANBERGER
The Democratic Spanberger first became a household name in 2018, when she narrowly defeated incumbent Dave Brat to flip control of a longtime Republican stronghold in Central Virginia. Now, with three terms in Congress under her belt, she’s set her sights on occupying the Executive Mansion. She’s currently the frontrunner fo[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: CANDICE LING
Since taking the lead of Microsoft’s federal arm in July 2023, Ling has focused on forging partnerships and advancing artificial intelligence, cloud computing and emerging technologies for federal customers. This year, Ling announced that Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI generative AI tool would be available to federal customers thr[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: TOM WALKER
DroneUp in March unveiled its new autonomous drone ecosystem, presenting a leap forward in last-mile delivery logistics. This system combines automated ground infrastructure where workers can deposit packages with autonomous pickup and delivery by drones. The drones are capable of operating at speeds up to 60 miles per hour over[...]
