J. KNOX SINGLETON

J. Knox Singleton accepted a job as executive vice president for operations at Fairfax Hospital Association in 1983. A year later, he became president of the three-hospital, $500 million system with 1,000 employees, which he transformed into Inova Health System. By the time he retired in July 2018, Inova was a $3.5 billion regional health system with five hospitals, over 100 ambulatory locations, a health insurance company and 17,000 employees. Virginia Business’ 2015 Person of the Year, Singleton also was the catalyst for the Inova Center for Personalized Health.

Inova has continued the growth begun under Singleton; it now has 26,000 employees and had a 2024 net operating revenue of $6.5 billion.

Formerly CEO of Opportunity Scholars, Singleton is now board vice chair for the Winchester nonprofit he co-founded to help area low-income college students pursue postsecondary education and employment. The husband of Shenandoah University President Tracy Fitzsimmons, he serves as health care executive-in-residence for the university’s business school.

Additionally, Singleton is board president for Winchester Rescue Mission, a nonprofit serving people affected by poverty and homelessness, and he serves on the board of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. He is also co-founder and investment committee chair of The Global Good Fund, which supports entrepreneurs and organizations focused on social issues.

A past chair of publicly traded medical real estate firm Healthcare Realty Trust, Singleton holds a business administration degree from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree in health and hospital administration from Duke University.