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 frontr[...]
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[...]
Real Estate 2024: BRIAN F. BORTELL
Since starting his career with the company as an entry-level engineer and working his way up to his current role, Bortell has had a career with Timmons Group that’s spanned over three decades. As chairman and CEO, he sets the strategic direction for the 1,000-plus-person firm, including 700 in Virginia, and oversees its fo[...]
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 incor[...]
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[...]
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 custo[...]
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 founderR[...]
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[...]
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[...]
Real Estate 2024: CARL L. HARDEE
Hardee has been with Lawson Cos. for more than half of its 52-year tenure, and he became president and CEO in 2016. He oversees a 190-employee real estate company specializing in the development, construction and management of affordable, low-income and market-rate multifamily housing communities. Although the company got its st[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: WILLIAM H. ‘BILL’ DEAN
In August 2023, Dean opened the doors to a new, 168,000-square-foot building on his company’s manufacturing campus in Caroline County, completing a five-year, $63 million phase three expansion that created more than 500 jobs in Virginia. It’s just the latest development for Dean, who grew the relatively small busines[...]
Health Care 2024: DR. K. CRAIG KENT
Since joining UVA Health in 2020, Kent, a vascular surgeon who grew up in Nevada, has overseen significant expansion of the integrated health system. With University of Virginia President Jim Ryan, Kent helped establish the $350 million Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, which broke ground in late 2023. Recognizi[...]