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2025 Living Legends: HOLTZMAN, WILLIAM B. ‘BILL’
Holtzman started his oil distribution business in 1972, purchasing Nelson Oil Co. According to the company’s history, Holtzman borrowed $37,000 from First Virginia Bank by using his Ford Thunderbird as collateral. He continued working at Turkey Knob Orchards, the Byrd family’s apple production business in Mount Jacks[...]
Government Contractors | Technology 2025: WASSON, JOHN
Since joining ICF International in 1987, Wasson has risen to become the global consulting and technology services provider’s chairman and CEO. During the past two decades, ICF has doubled in size every five years on average. It reported fiscal 2024 revenue of $2 billion, up 6% from the previous year. Wasson, an alumnus of [...]
Government Contractors | Technology 2025: SMITH, CAREY A.
A seven-time winner of Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 Award recognizing leading government contracting executives, Smith joined Fortune 1000 defense contractor Parsons in 2016 and quickly rose through its ranks. Smith helped take Parsons public in 2019 and led its acquisition and integration of many companies, including its $8[...]
Government Contractors | Technology 2025: BRADY, CHRIS
Brady has led General Dynamics Missions Systems, a business unit of the Reston-based Fortune 100 aerospace and defense contractor General Dynamics, since 2019, after serving as vice president of engineering. He oversees more than 12,000 workers across more than 75 facilities worldwide. GDMS manufactures and integrates intelligen[...]
Government Contractors | Technology 2025: TOWNES-WHITLEY, TONI
In 2023, Townes-Whitley took the reins of federal contractor SAIC, becoming one of only two Black women who currently lead Fortune 500 companies as CEOs. SAIC, which has about 24,000 employees, reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $7.48 billion, an increase from $7.44 billion from fiscal 2023. In June, SAIC received a $928 million U.[...]
Energy 2025: SABEL, MIKE
Sabel, a billionaire former investment banker, co-founded Venture Global in 2013 with finance lawyer Robert Pender, exporting U.S.-produced liquefied natural gas. In January the company went public, and shares opened nearly 4% below its $25 IPO price, earning a valuation of $58.2 billion, and its stock fell to a low of $7 in Apr[...]
Government Contractors | Technology 2025: WILKINSON, KARI
In January, Wilkinson took over leadership of Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of HII and the state’s largest industrial employer, with more than 26,000 workers. She succeeds Jennifer Boykin, who retired. Wilkinson spent three decades at HII’s Mississippi-based Ingalls Shipbuilding, becoming its president in 202[...]
Energy 2025: BLUE, ROBERT M. ‘BOB’
Blue oversees Fortune 500 utility Dominion, which has 14,700 employees and provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million customers in Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, and regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South Carolina. Blue began his career with Dominion as managing director of state aff[...]
Health Care 2025: PESICKA, EDWARD A.
Pesicka became CEO of Fortune 500 health care logistics and supply company Owens & Minor in 2019. In 2023, he announced a five-year strategic plan for the company to increase profits and reduce costs. Owens & Minor reported $10.7 billion in fiscal 2024 revenue, up from $10.3 billion in 2023. The company has been engaged [...]
Education 2025: COSTIN, MAJ. GEN. DONDI E. (U.S. AIR FORCE, RET.)
Costin, a retired 32-year Air Force veteran who went on to serve five years as president of Charleston Southern University, became president of Liberty in 2023 during a time of turmoil. The private evangelical university was rocked by the 2020 ouster of former President and Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr., the late founder’s [...]
Government Contractors | Technology 2025: WARDEN, KATHY
After previously serving as its president and chief operating officer, in 2019 Warden was named CEO of Northrop Grumman, one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies. No. 68 on Fortune’s 2025 list of the world’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Warden worked for General Dynamics and Veridian before joinin[...]
Education 2025: KRESS, ANNE M.
After starting her post-secondary education career as a faculty member teaching English, Kress now presides over Virginia’s largest community college — and one of the nation’s largest — with more than 70,000 students across six campuses, including NOVA’s Medical Education Campus in Springfield. This year, N[...]
