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Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: WATT R. FOSTER JR.
In 1989, Watt Foster Jr. bought Foster Fuels from his father, the late Watt R. “Bobby” Foster Sr. The younger Foster marks the third generation to run the family business, which was founded in 1921. In June, Foster was named one of 11 winners of Ernst & Young’s 2023 Entrepreneur of the Year Mid-Atlantic Award. [&he[...]
Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: VINCE SHEEHY IV
Sheehy carries on his father’s legacy as an auto dealer, manning the second largest dealership group in Virginia and No. 31 in the nation. His father, Vincent Sheehy III, founded Sheehy Ford in Maryland in 1965 as a suburban business near the newly built Capital Beltway. After graduating from Dickinson College, receiving a[...]
Government | Politics 2023: BARRY KNIGHT
As one of the state’s budget leaders, Knight has been caught up in an election-year tug-of-war that, as of August, prevented an amended 2022-24 budget, despite a $5.1 billion state revenue surplus. Knight is a Virginia Beach Republican who chairs the House of Delegates’ powerful Appropriations Committee, which is cha[...]
Health Care 2023: DR. MICHAEL J. DACEY
In January, Dacey, Riverside’s president, also became the health system’s CEO, succeeding Bill Downey, who transitioned to executive vice chairman and is remaining in an advisory role until his 2024 retirement. Dacey has also served as chief operating officer at Riverside, which has 9,000 employees and operates seven[...]
Law 2023: WENDY COLLINS PERDUE
“If you are not having fun,” says Perdue, “you are not doing it right.” A longtime leader in legal education, Perdue joined the faculty of Georgetown University Law Center in 1982, ultimately becoming an associate dean. Since 2011, she has been the University of Richmond’s law dean and specializes in civil procedur[...]
Living Legends 2023: GILBERT T. BLAND
As Urban League of Hampton Roads president and chairman, Bland guides an organization focused on enabling African Americans and others in Hampton Roads to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights through its services and programs. As a James Madison University student, the Harrisonburg native was a standout [...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: BRIAN KENNER
When Amazon.com was scouting for potential locations for its East Coast HQ2 headquarters years ago, Kenner was Washington, D.C.’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development, a position in which he worked hard to lure the e-tailer to the district, although ultimately Amazon picked nearby Arlington County. Now, Kenne[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: KATHY WARDEN
Warden was named CEO of the world’s third largest aerospace and defense company in 2019 after serving as its president and chief operating officer. Ranked No. 38 on Forbes’ 2022 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list, she previously worked for General Dynamics and Veridian before joining Northrop Grumman in 2008.[...]
Media 2023: KELLY TILL
In 2022, Till became the first woman to lead the Richmond Times-Dispatch in its 172-year history, after leading Southeastern U.S. regional advertising sales for parent company Lee Enterprises, a position she also holds. Before joining Lee, Till was an ad executive for The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press. An alumna of Old Dominio[...]
Finance | Insurance 2023: RICHARD FAIRBANK
With bachelor’s and MBA degrees from Stanford University under his belt, billionaire Fairbank began his path to a Fortune 500 corner office at Virginia’s Signet Bank. There, he teamed up with Nigel Morris, now managing partner of QED Investors, to co-found a credit card spinoff business that became Capital One Financ[...]
Finance | Insurance 2023: JAMES SCHENCK
Since becoming CEO in 2014, Schenck has led a period of growth for PenFed, the nation’s second largest federal credit union, with 2.9 million members. During his tenure, PenFed has grown its assets from $17.6 billion to $35.5 billion in 2022 and more than doubled its membership. The credit union reported $1.18 billion in 2[...]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: TONY BENNETT
The No. 4-seeded Cavaliers suffered a painful loss to No.13-seed Furman University in the first round of this year’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, but Bennett — who this season became the winningest coach in the team’s history — took the setback in stride, celebrating the Cavaliers’ 25th appearanc[...]
