Telecommunications 2023: J.D. MYERS II
Myers has been with Cox since 2006, leading its Virginia operations and now its East Coast region. Earlier this year, the home and business telecommunications and cable TV provider expanded Myers’ role, placing him in charge of day-to-day operations for much of the eastern U.S., including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Nor[...]
Health Care 2023: DR. SANDY L. CHUNG
Chung got hooked on medicine after a fourth-grade school project that called for her to represent a career. A neighbor who was a nurse helped her choose the profession, lending Chung a stethoscope and giving her shoe covers, a paper gown and tongue depressors. “It was amazing!” recalls Chung, this year’s president of t[...]
Economic Development 2023: CHRISTINA WINN
Winn, who became Prince William’s economic development head in 2019, is president of the Virginia Economic Developers Association. She came to the county after leading Arlington Economic Development’s Business Investment Group, where she was a key member of the team that landed Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ[...]
Education 2023: PETER BLAKE
Blake will leave quite a legacy when he steps down from his role as director of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia at the end of the year. SCHEV is establishing a search committee for his replacement and will work with the state education secretary’s office and others. During Blake’s 11 years at [&hel[...]
Transportation 2023: P. DALE BENNETT
Though he originally planned to pursue a law career, Bennett instead took a job for the predecessor organization of the Virginia Trucking Association. It was a job close to home for Bennett, whose father was a trucker for two decades. Nearly 40 years later, he continues to advocate for Virginia’s trucking industry. In 20[...]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: LORI RAYA
In 2021, Raya became president of Kroger’s mid-Atlantic division, overseeing more than 100 stores in five states and 18,000 employees. She brings more than three decades in the grocery business to the job, mostly spent at Safeway and Albertsons, including as president of Safeway’s Vons division from 2012 to 2015. In [...]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2023: LT. GEN. JAMES B. LASTER (USMC, RET.)
Toys for Tots is far more than a Christmastime charity. During its 2022 campaign, the foundation distributed more than 24.3 million toys, books and games to a record 9.9 million children in need during its 75th year. “There are approximately 11 million children in the U.S. who live at or below the poverty level,” says [&hell[...]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: ANDY EDMUNDS
When Hollywood productions like “Dopesick,” “Cold Mountain,” “Wonder Woman 1984” and others want to film in Virginia, they come to Edmunds to get the ball rolling. As director of the Virginia Film Office since 2011 — and the office’s locations manager for 14 years before that — Edmunds helps productions acc[...]
Finance | Insurance 2023: MARK A. FRANTZ
Blue Delta Capital Partners is an equity firm dedicated to supporting growth-stage companies providing technology solutions to the federal government. Since co-founding the firm in 2009, Frantz has guided it in creating three funds, including a $215 million investment fund launched in December 2021. The newest fund offers $10 mi[...]
Law 2023: FARHAD AGHDAMI
Aghdami’s practice focuses chiefly on tax planning for wealth transfer, business succession planning and fiduciary litigation. His client list is wide and varied, including individuals and families with high net worth, middle-market business owners, charities and others. Williams Mullen is one of Virginia’s largest f[...]
Professional Services 2023: CASSIE HARTOGS
In May, Hartogs was promoted to managing partner of tax people operations, a position in which she’s responsible for more than 3,800 tax professionals nationwide at professional services company BDO USA, the U.S. member firm of BDO Global, the world’s fifth largest accounting network. Based in McLean, Hartogs previou[...]
Economic Development 2023: VICTOR HOSKINS
Hoskins is well known in Virginia for the leading role he played in bringing Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ2 East Coast headquarters to Arlington County, where he previously led economic development. In 2019, he moved next door to lead Fairfax County’s authority. His wins so far have included last year’s ann[...]