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Real Estate 2023: DONALD D. GRAUL
With nearly 40 years of industry experience, Graul joined Branch in 2020 from Centreville-based Parsons Corp., where he was president of construction and a senior executive for alternative project delivery. He also worked previously for AECOM. Founded in 1963, Branch has 1,100 employees and reported $509 million in revenue for f[...]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: ERIK H. NEIL
Neil has been director of the Chrysler Museum of Art since 2014, but his title changed in late 2022 when the position was endowed through a $34 million gift to the museum. He’s now the Macon and Joan Brock director, with the post named for the late Dollar Tree founder and his widow, Joan, both […]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: TOM ARSENEAULT
As head of one of the Pentagon’s 10 biggest prime contractors, Arseneault has spent his career heading complex organizations on challenging missions. BAE Systems Inc. is the U.S. arm of the British defense giant and reported $12.6 billion in revenue in 2022. It has 31,300 employees in the U.S., including more than 5,000 in Vir[...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: AMY GILLILAND
A former Navy surface warfare officer, Gilliland is responsible for leading an $8.5 billion IT company with 30,000 employees worldwide, 8,000 of whom work in Virginia. Gilliland joined parent company General Dynamics in 2005 and became president of GDIT in 2017. In addition to overseeing numerous federal contracts — including [...]
Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: JOHN SERAFINI
Serafini founded his geospatial analytics company in 2015. From its constellation of satellites, HawkEye 360 collects radio frequency data that can identify and track human activity and trends for military, maritime and intelligence clients. It has helped detect illegal fishing for the Australian government, and in Ukraine, it t[...]
Government | Politics 2023: ABIGAIL SPANBERGER
Redistricted into a new Congressional district that includes Fredericksburg, Caroline County and part of Prince William County, the moderate Democrat won her third term in November 2022 against GOP challenger Yesli Vega. A former CIA officer and U.S. Postal Inspection Service law enforcement officer, Spanberger in 2018 narrowly [...]
Manufacturing 2023: DAVID LEDESMA
Formerly the head of DuPont’s plant in Buffalo, New York, Ledesma moved south to lead its facility in Chesterfield County in 2021. Founded in 1929, the Spruance plant is DuPont’s largest manufacturing site in the world, and it produces Tyvek, Nomex and Kevlar, materials that were in great demand at the start of the pandemic [...]
A powerful history
Welcome to the fourth edition of the Virginia 500 — The 2023 Power List. Our hope is that you will find it to be an insightful and helpful guide to the commonwealth’s top leaders in business, government and higher education. Virginia’s long reputation as a power center — producing eight U.S. presidents, including George [...]
Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2023: TODD ‘PARNEY’ PARNELL
In his 30-plus years in Minor League Baseball, Parnell has built a reputation for bringing in the crowds. In 2022, the Squirrels — the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants — led all 30 Double-A teams in total and average attendance. It was the first time in franchise history the team achieved that milestone. [&hell[...]
Economic Development 2023: H. GARRETT HART III
A major success for Hart this year was the announcement of the Springline at District 60 mixed-use development project in Chesterfield County. Long in the making, it features apartments, office, entertainment and retail areas. Demolition of the old Spring Rock Green shopping center began in March, making way for a $210 million, [...]
Finance | Insurance 2023: THEODORE L. ‘TED’ CHANDLER JR.
Chandler partnered with Richmond businessmen Jim Ukrop and Bob Mooney to found New Richmond Ventures in 2011. With its name now shortened to NRV, the venture capital firm launched its Early Stage Growth Fund in 2017, garnering $33 million from 83 investors, and provides counseling, connections and capital to a variety of early-[...]
Hospitality | Tourism 2023: RITA D. McCLENNY
As head of the state’s tourism agency since 2012, McClenny has seen the industry through ups and downs. In the wake of the pandemic, she helped secure federal dollars to assist statewide tourism rebound. In 2021, 102 million visitors spent $25.2 billion in Virginia, according to a study released by the agency last fall, still [...]
