Law 2023: LAURA FOOTE REIFF
A longtime immigration advocate, Reiff has 30-plus years of experience representing businesses and organizations in the immigration and compliance field. She oversees more than 50 attorneys as co-managing shareholder of the firm’s Northern Virginia office, a regional hub for the global firm. She is also co-founder of Greenberg[...]
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[...]
Manufacturing 2023: JEREMY HOFF
Hoff joined Hooker Furniture in 2017. He served consecutive terms as president of the upholstery, case goods and then legacy brands divisions before being named its first nonfamily CEO in 2021, the same year the company rebranded as Hooker Furnishings. Hoff serves as treasurer for the High Point Market Authority and is a board m[...]
Media 2023: JOSH EASTRIGHT
Eastright began his nearly 25-year career at Bloomberg as a college intern studying political science at Amherst College and then worked for Bloomberg LP, focusing on energy and commodities markets. He later moved to Bloomberg New Energy Finance before shifting to Bloomberg Government. In 2018, Eastright was named CEO of Bloombe[...]
Law 2023: A. BENJAMIN SPENCER
In 2020, Spencer became the first Black dean to lead William & Mary Law School. A year later, he was awarded the Marshall-Wythe School of Law Foundation Trustee Professorship. He previously held professorships and academic appointments at Harvard Law School, University of Chicago Law School, University of Virginia School of [...]
Law 2023: THE HON. S. BERNARD GOODWYN
Born in 1961 in Southampton County, Goodwyn was appointed to the state bench by Gov. Tim Kaine in 2007 to fill the court vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Elizabeth B. Lacy. In 2021, he was elected chief justice for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2022, filling the vacancy created when Chief Justice […]
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 […]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: PHEBE N. NOVAKOVIC
Since 2013, Novakovic has led the world’s sixth largest aerospace and defense company, with 105,000 employees worldwide and revenue of $39.4 billion in fiscal 2022. Ranked No. 30 on Forbes’ 2022 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list, she is a Smith College and University of Pennsylvania Wharton School graduate and is one of[...]
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 2019, [...]
2023 Virginia 500: Education
Makola M. Abdullah PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, ETTRICK Javaune Adams-Gaston PRESIDENT, NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY, NORFOLK Jonathan R. Alger PRESIDENT, JAMES MADISON UNIVERSITY, HARRISONBURG Peter Blake DIRECTOR, STATE COUNCIL OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR VIRGINIA, RICHMOND Lance R. Collins VICE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VIRGINIA TECH INNOVATION CAMPUS, ALEXANDRIA Maj. [&[...]
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 access [...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: JOHN HENEGHAN
A former English teacher who went into tech in the 21st century, Heneghan has led ASGN’s federal consulting subsidiary since 2022. He previously was the company’s chief operating officer, and Heneghan held executive roles at Stanley Associates and CGI Federal. ECS expanded last fall with ASGN’s acquisition of cybersecurity[...]




















