Retail | Wholesale | Food | Beverage 2023: LORI RAYA
In 2021, Raya became president of Kroger’s mid-Atlantic division, overseeing more than 100 stores in five states and 18,000 employees. She brings more than three decades in the grocery business to the job, mostly spent at Safeway and Albertsons, including as president of Safeway’s Vons division from 2012 to 2015. In 2018, Al[...]
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[...]
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. [&[...]
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 […]
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, [...]
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[...]
Law 2023: FARHAD AGHDAMI
Aghdami’s practice focuses chiefly on tax planning for wealth transfer, business succession planning and fiduciary litigation. His client list is wide and varied, including individuals and families with high net worth, middle-market business owners, charities and others. Williams Mullen is one of Virginia’s largest firms and[...]
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[...]
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 [...]
Economic Development 2023: VICTOR HOSKINS
Hoskins is well known in Virginia for the leading role he played in bringing Amazon.com’s $2.5 billion-plus HQ2 East Coast headquarters to Arlington County, where he previously led economic development. In 2019, he moved next door to lead Fairfax County’s authority. His wins so far have included last year’s announcement th[...]
Manufacturing 2023: JOHN M. STEITZ
A global manufacturer of plastic films and aluminum extrusions, Tredegar is a 1989 spinoff of Richmond fuel additives company Ethyl. Steitz was named president and CEO in 2019 following the retirement of John D. Gottwald, who had served in the role for 30 years. Steitz had served on Tredegar’s board of directors since 2017 whi[...]
Health Care 2023: LT. GEN. TELITA CROSLAND
Previously deputy surgeon general for the U.S. Army, Crosland became director of the Defense Health Agency in January, following her confirmation last year by the U.S. Senate. With a staff of nearly 140,000 civilians and military personnel and a budget of more than $54 billion, the decade-old Defense Health Agency is responsible[...]