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Education 2023: MAJ. GEN. CEDRIC T. WINS (U.S. ARMY, RET.)
A 34-year U.S. Army veteran and 1985 VMI alumnus, Wins became the first Black superintendent to lead “the West Point of the South,” the nation’s oldest state military college, following the resignation of his predecessor in 2020. Wins joined at a time when VMI, known for its demanding “Rat Line” boot camp, was the [...]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: GEOFFREY POHANKA
Pohanka’s family has been selling cars since Frank Pohanka opened a Washington, D.C., dealership in 1919. Today, the family’s business, run by Frank’s grandson Geoffrey, has 18 locations in Virginia, Maryland and Texas, and is the third largest Virginia-based auto dealership. Geoffrey’s children now work [...]
Professional Services 2023: JENNIFER WOLD
Wold comes to Virginia from Wichita, Kansas. Wold, who became Forvis’ top executive in the commonwealth on June 1, oversees the top 10 accounting firm’s offices in Richmond and Norfolk. Coincidentally, June also marked the one-year anniversary of the merger between Missouri-based BKD CPAs & Advisors and North Car[...]
Professional Services 2023: STEPHANIE R. PETERS
Peters has led the state’s professional association for CPAs since 1997, representing more than 13,000 members who work in private and public sectors, including educational institutions. In April, the VSCPA announced its investment in the Center for Audit Quality’s Accounting+ program, a national campaign to attract [...]
Manufacturing 2023: MANMEET S. BHATIA
Bhatia joined Japanese-owned Toshiba Mitsubishi-Electric Industrial Systems Corp. (TMEIC) in 2003 as general manager of operations for Toshiba and Mitsubishi’s U.S.-based joint venture with General Electric that ultimately became TMEIC Americas, a regional subsidiary that designs and develops advanced automation systems, l[...]
Transportation 2023: CHARLES W. McDANIEL
As the third generation of his family to lead Hilldrup, McDaniel has been president and CEO since 2005. He started working at the now 120-year-old Fredericksburg-based moving, storage and logistics company at age 12. McDaniel also chairs the board for UniGroup, the Missouri-based parent company of United Van Lines and Mayflower [...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: JOHN GOODMAN
Formerly an associate professor at Harvard Business School and deputy undersecretary for industrial affairs and installations at the Department of Defense, Goodman now leads Accenture subsidiary AFS, a federal contractor offering IT services. He previously held several leadership roles at Accenture before becoming CEO of AFS in [...]
Law 2023: KEN RANDALL
As dean and George Mason University Foundation Professor of Law, Randall continues into his third year at the university’s law school. Previously, Randall served as dean of the University of Alabama School of Law for two decades. During his tenure, UA’s ranking rose from 96th to 21st on U.S. News & World Report&#[...]
Manufacturing 2023: THOMAS E. ‘TEDDY’ GOTTWALD
Gottwald is a third-generation leader of NewMarket, parent company of Afton Chemical and Ethyl. A VMI alumnus, he joined NewMarket in 1984 and worked in its petroleum additives and former plastics businesses before succeeding his father, Bruce, as chairman of the board two decades later. NewMarket traces its roots to Ethyl Gasol[...]
Media 2023: MIKE REED
Reed has held USA Today publisher Gannett’s top position since its 2019 merger with GateHouse Media owner New Media Investment Group, where he was CEO. Under his leadership, the company has not only been writing headlines but making them. On June 5, during Gannett’s annual shareholder meeting, hundreds of Gannett j[...]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: DAVID BALDACCI
Bestselling crime and thriller novelist Baldacci, a lifelong Virginian, has made it a mission to give back to the institutions that shaped him. A Virginia Commonwealth University alumnus and former board of visitors member, Baldacci — with his wife, Michelle — established two scholarships at VCU. One supports students in pol[...]
Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2023: DR. WILLIAM P. ‘BILL’ MAGEE JR.
Bringing smiles to the faces of children worldwide is a family affair for plastic and craniofacial surgeon Magee, who, with his wife, Kathy, a former nurse and clinical social worker who serves as the nonprofit’s president, founded Operation Smile in 1982. His oldest son, Dr. Billy Magee, serves as the organization’s[...]
