Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: POUL WEIHRAUCH
Since taking over the reins at the candy and pet food giant in September 2022, Weihrauch has set a goal of doubling its sales by 2033. With $45 billion in sales in 2022, Mars is the largest privately held company in Virginia and the fourth largest in the nation. It has approximately 140,000 employees in […]
Energy 2023: ROBERT DUVALL
As president of VNG for the second time, Duvall is responsible for the delivery of natural gas to more than 310,000 customers in southeastern Virginia. A civil engineering graduate of Clemson University, Duvall started his career in 1984 as a distribution engineer at Atlanta Gas Light, a subsidiary of Southern Company Gas, VNG[...]
Real Estate 2023: LOUIS J. ROGERS
Since Rogers founded Capital Square in 2012, the real estate investment company has completed more than $7.5 billion in transaction volume and grew from handling mainly Delaware Statutory Trust 1031 Exchange offerings to launching a real estate investment trust and developing and operating multifamily properties across the natio[...]
Education 2023: GORDON P. ROBERTSON
In addition to succeeding his famous and controversial late father, the evangelical Christian leader Pat Robertson, as president and CEO of the Virginia Beach-based Christian Broadcasting Network and host of its flagship weekday news magazine show, “The 700 Club,” Robertson became Regent’s chancellor in July. Pat Rober[...]
Finance | Insurance 2023: JOSEPH W. ‘JOE’ MONTGOMERY
It’s coming up on Montgomery’s 50th anniversary of working at Optimal Service Group of Wells Fargo Advisors, a wealth management firm with about $28 billion in funds under advisement. A former All-American captain of William & Mary’s football team, Montgomery was inducted this year into the Virginia Sports [...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: CLIFFORD B. ‘CLIFF’ FLEET
A corporate executive and college professor, Fleet became the ninth president of the world’s largest living history museum in 2020. He is charged with sharing America’s enduring story with new and diverse audiences, while improving its financial health. Before joining the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, Fleet serve[...]
Real Estate 2023: TERRIE L. SUIT
When Suit started her career, she worked for a builder, then became a Realtor and later a mortgage loan officer. Today, after serving as the state’s first secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security, as well as a Republican state delegate for eight years, Suit now leads Virginia’s largest trade association. S[...]
Economic Development 2023: ROBERT J. ‘BOB’ STOLLE
Editor’s note: Stolle announced his resignation on Aug. 31, after publication of the Virginia 500. A former state secretary of commerce and trade under Gov. George Allen, Stolle brings years of experience in economic development and public policy to his role leading VIPC. Formerly the Center for Innovative Technology, VIPC[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: RYAN ANGOLD
Angold, a former Navy SEAL who graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, wore one of ADS’ wetsuits when he was deployed on missions. In 2005, Angold left the Navy and joined Blackbird Technologies, a solutions provider for the intelligence community that became part of Raytheon Technologies (now RTX). He joined ADS in 2010 as[...]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: 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, a company he founded in 1992 with the purchase of 31 Bob’s Big Boy restaurants. Thompson Hospitality p[...]
Media 2023: PAULA A. KERGER
Kerger holds the distinction of being the longest-serving president and CEO in PBS’ 54-year history. During her 17-year tenure, Kerger has helped deepen and increase the organization’s reach and impact by moving it from traditional TV broadcasting to multiplatform digital media. As the country’s largest noncomm[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: THEODORE ‘TED’ COLBERT III
Recent years have been brutal for Boeing, which has dealt with supply-chain disruptions and delays in its defense programs. Named head of the world’s fifth largest defense contractor’s defense, space and security division in 2022, Colbert said in June at the Paris Air Show that he expected second quarter 2023 losses [...]





















