Law 2023: JOHN M. RAMIREZ
Ramirez has headed Troutman Pepper’s Virginia Beach office for seven years. He joined the 125-year-old global law firm in 2005 and handles mergers and acquisitions, general corporate and limited liability company matters, joint ventures, private equity and licensing transactions. He also serves as outside general counsel to lo[...]
Real Estate 2023: BRETT HITT
Hitt’s grandparents started the family business in 1930, now one of Virginia’s biggest general contracting firms, earning $5.41 billion in 2022 construction revenue and landing in the top 20 of Engineering News-Record’s 2023 Top Contractors list. Hitt joined his family’s company as an assistant project manager in 1984. H[...]
Government | Politics 2023: GLENN YOUNGKIN
Oft rumored to be considering a presidential run, Youngkin led a CNN education town hall in March. But he’s said he’s focused on state legislative races this fall, with control of the General Assembly at stake. Youngkin voiced frustration this summer as state legislators wouldn’t compromise on an amended state budget that [...]
Economic Development 2023: NANCY L. GRDEN
In April, Grden oversaw the merger of Reinvent Hampton Roads, which she had led since 2022, with the Hampton Roads Business Roundtable to form the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable. Grden will lead the new organization, which is focused on realigning the region’s economic development initiatives to boost growth. For the past [...]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2023: JACK DYER ‘J.D.’ CROUCH II
Following a long and distinguished diplomatic and national security career that included leadership roles in the public and private sectors, Crouch became the USO’s 23rd president and CEO in 2014. Since 1941, the USO has served as an American nonprofit charitable corporation supporting the men and women in the U.S. military an[...]
Government | Politics 2023: LARRY J. SABATO
A Norfolk native and University of Virginia stalwart with a national profile as a political commentator, Sabato founded and leads the 25-year-old U.Va. Center for Politics. His Crystal Ball newsletter, which handicaps political races, had a 99% accuracy rate in 2004 and was up in the high 90s at other times, although Sabato had [...]
Law 2023: MICHAEL N. HERRING
In his role as managing partner of the firm’s Richmond office, Herring represents people and corporations accused of white-collar crimes or involved in commercial litigation or government investigations. Herring served for 13 years as Richmond’s commonwealth’s attorney before joining McGuireWoods in 2019. In 2021, the firm[...]
Transportation 2023: NISSIM YOCHAI
Zim American Integrated Shipping Services, a subsidiary of Israeli cargo shipping company Zim Integrated Shipping Services, announced in June its plans to move its headquarters from Norfolk to Virginia Beach, an expansion expected to create several hundred jobs over the next five years in Virginia. Yochai, who joined Zim’s par[...]
2023 Virginia 500: Hospitality | Tourism
Neil Amin CEO, SHAMIN HOTELS, RICHMOND Thomas J. Baltimore Jr. CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, PARK HOTELS & RESORTS, TYSONS Doug Bradburn PRESIDENT AND CEO, GEORGE WASHINGTON’S MOUNT VERNON, MOUNT VERNON James Carroll PRESIDENT AND CEO, CRESTLINE HOTELS AND RESORTS, FAIRFAX Christy S. Coleman EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JAMESTOWN-YORKTOWN FOUNDATION, […][...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: REGGIE AGGARWAL
Cvent is a market-leading meeting, events and hospitality technology provider based in McLean. Originally trained as a lawyer, Cvent CEO Aggarwal received degrees from the University of Virginia, Washington and Lee University and Georgetown University Law Center. But he was seduced from the law by events management. After stagin[...]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: JERRY MURRELL
Five Guys founder Murrell’s mother always told him, “If you can give a good haircut, or if you can serve a good drink at a bar, or if you can serve a good hamburger, you can always make money in America.” His mom was right. Husband and wife Jerry and Janie Murrell opened a carryout […]
Government | Politics 2023: KELLY T. GEE
Editor’s note: Gee was appointed secretary of the commonwealth Aug. 29, after the Virginia 500 print deadline. She was selected for the 2023 Virginia 500 list based on her prior position as the Virginia Lottery’s executive director. Director of the state lottery since June 2022, Gee leads an agency that generated $3.75[...]