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Real Estate 2023: JON 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. In 2021, the[...]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: ARIE KOTLER
In June, Arko, the nation’s sixth largest convenience store chain, with more than 1,500 company-operated stores in 30 states, made the Fortune 500 list for the second time, ranked at No. 460, 38 places higher than its 2022 debut. The parent company of Henrico-based GPM Investments, Arko brought in $72 million in net income[...]
Government | Politics 2023: WINSOME EARLE-SEARS
Earle-Sears wanted to be a lawyer, but after being accepted to law school, she had a change of heart, she says, and then “life got in the way.” Instead, she served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was elected to a term in the House of Delegates, managed a homeless shelter and spent a decade as […]
Finance | Insurance 2023: JEFF WRIGHT
Well into his second year as CEO of the German travel insurance and assistance company’s U.S. subsidiary, Wright carries with him a “love for extreme technical financial concepts” that led him to choose a career in the insurance industry. Wright earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond and his[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: JIM BRINKER
Brinker runs Intel’s Fairfax-based federal contracting arm, overseeing strategy, business development, sales, contracts, program management and engineering. A University of Florida graduate, Brinker joined Intel in 2015 as director of extreme scale computing, and was promoted to his current position in 2019. Before that, h[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: AKHIL JAIN
For more than a decade, Jain has run Landmark Hotel Group, a hospitality company that manages, owns and develops hotels in North Carolina and Virginia under the Marriott, Hilton, Hyatt and Radisson brands. In 2021, Landmark expanded into the housing market with the development of Ellipse Urban Apartments, a 287-unit luxury apart[...]
Law 2023: COURTNEY MOATES PAULK
As president of Hirschler and head of the firm’s litigation section, Paulk brings deep and broad experience in the construction industry, advising public and private owners, developers, contractors and subcontractors. Paulk graduated from the University of Mary Washington (then Mary Washington College) with honors and rece[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: JAMES J. RHYU
Rhyu has led online learning company Stride since January 2021. Founded in 2000 and formerly known as K12, the company provides K-12 education for students and schools, including career learning services for middle and high school curricula, and offers programs for the military and businesses, as well as professional skills trai[...]
Economic Development 2023: BRYAN K. STEPHENS
Stephens has headed the Hampton Roads Chamber for the past 10 years, promoting business concerns in the region, home to Naval Station Norfolk, the world’s largest naval complex, as well as significant manufacturing and hospitality sectors. The chamber maintained its U.S. Chamber of Commerce five-star accreditation in 202[...]
Real Estate 2023: LOUIS S. ‘LOU’ HADDAD
Haddad joined Armada Hoffler as an on-site construction superintendent in 1985. After several promotions, he was named president of Armada Hoffler Construction Co. in 1987, at age 29. In 1996, he was promoted to president of the parent company, and nearly 15 years after joining Armada Hoffler, he became the company’s CEO i[...]
Transportation 2023: WILLIAM E. ‘BILL’ WOODHOUR
Woodhour has spent 32 years with Maersk Line, starting in sales and marketing, working his way up to president and CEO in 2016. Maersk Line is the Virginia-based U.S. arm of Danish shipping giant A.P. Møller-Mærsk, founded in 1983 to support the Navy. With offices in Norfolk and Dulles, it specializes in providing transportati[...]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: WILLIAM D. ‘BILL’ NASH
Nash began at CarMax in 1997 as an auction manager, working his way up to president and CEO in 2016. Founded in 1993 in Richmond as a subsidiary of electronics retailer Circuit City, CarMax is the country’s largest retailer of used cars, reporting $31.9 billion in 2022 revenue and employing more than 30,000 people. In [&he[...]
