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Law 2025: BREIT, JEFFREY

A Hampton Roads native, Breit is known for representing plaintiffs in high-profile personal injury cases.

Breit is a member of the team representing Abby Zwerner, the Newport News elementary school teacher who was shot by a 6-year-old student in 2023. In July, a circuit court judge allowed Zwerner to proceed with a lawsuit against the school’s former assistant principal. A jury trial is expected this fall.

In 2010, a federal judge appointed Breit to the 15-lawyer plaintiff steering committee for the consolidated BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill lawsuits. Breit oversaw the case against Halliburton, which settled its portion for $1.24 billion. Alabama also retained Breit as one of its and recovered $1 billion.

Breit also represented plaintiffs in Virginia, North Carolina and Georgia in a decade-long national lawsuit against Chinese drywall manufacturer Taishan Gypsum Co., which settled for $248 million in 2019.

In 2022, Breit Cantor Grana Buckner split into two firms: Breit Biniazan and Cantor Grana Buckner Bucci. Virginia Speaker of the House Don Scott is one of Breit Biniazan’s five partners.

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Law 2025: BEAMAN III, ROBERT P.

Beaman became office managing partner of Troutman Pepper’s Virginia Beach office in 2024. Since then the firm, which completed a merger with Texas-based Locke Lord in January, has changed its name to Troutman Pepper Locke, but Beaman’s role stayed the same.

Beaman is a member of the firm’s real estate practice group. He handles commercial real estate development, commercial leasing, real estate transactions and real estate litigation. His clients include leaders in the retail, manufacturing, energy, hospitality, entertainment and residential industries. He’s experienced in working with local government offices on zoning requests.

After graduating from the , Beaman worked as a title examiner for a year before earning his degree from William & Mary.

Beaman joined the firm then known as Troutman Sanders in 2007 and was named partner in 2017. He is a member of the board of directors for Virginia Beach Vision, a business advocacy group.

Troutman Pepper Locke has more than 1,600 in more than 30 offices in the United States and the United Kingdom.

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Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2025: ODOM, RYAN

Odom became head coach of the ’Hoos in March, after Tony Bennett’s unexpected October 2024 retirement less than three weeks before the start of the season.

Now in his fifth collegiate head coaching role, Odom previously led Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rams for two seasons, coaching them to a 52-21 record, an appearance in the 2025 NCAA tournament and victory in the 2025 Atlantic 10 tournament championship.

Odom, who has a 222-127 career record, also was head coach at Utah State University, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Lenoir-Rhyne University. In 2018, his UMBC team beat U.Va. in the Big Dance — the first time a No. 16 seed defeated a No. 1 seed in the tournament.

The Wahoos will face the University of Texas at Austin Dec. 3 in the ACC-SEC Challenge. The team is 1-1 in the challenge.

U.Va.’s 13th head coach spent third through 10th grades in Charlottesville while his father, Dave Odom, was a U.Va. assistant basketball coach. He was a ball boy for home games.

Odom was a starting point guard at his alma mater, Hampden-Sydney College, for four years.

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Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2025: PRY, BRENT

A former defensive coordinator at Vanderbilt University and Penn State and a player for the University at Buffalo until he suffered a career-ending injury, Pry became the Hokies’ 35th head coach in November 2021.

His first season, not surprisingly, was not exactly stellar, with a 3-8 record, but in 2023, the Hokies improved to 7-6 and beat Tulane in the Military Bowl. A disappointing 6-7 season followed in 2024. Afterward, Pry fired three assistant coaches, and his offensive coordinator left. Gearing up for the 2025 season, Tech announced four assistant coach hires in March. Quarterback Kyron Drones said in July that he’d recovered from a foot surgery in the spring. A Lexington native, Pry grew up in a family; his father, Jim Pry, was a quarterback at Marshall University beginning in 1971.

This is Pry’s second time on the coaching staff; from 1995 to 1997, he was a graduate assistant coach for the defensive line when the Hokies appeared in back-to-back bowl games. Pry previously spent eight seasons at Penn State, including six as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, before returning to Blacksburg.

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Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2025: SCHOFIELD, JENNIFER

With 34 years of industry experience, Schofield started her new role on May 31, succeeding Bridgette Bywater as head of the 400-acre following corporate restructuring. Previously vice president of retail at the Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio, Schofield holds a bachelor’s degree in hospitality and management from Grand Valley State University.

Six Flags Entertainment and Cedar Fair Entertainment (‘s former parent) completed an $8 billion merger in July 2024.

2025 marks Kings Dominion’s 50th anniversary. The park has more than 60 rides, shows and attractions, plus a 20-acre waterpark. In March, the park opened the 3,086-foot, 145-foot-tall Rapterra, billed as the world’s longest, tallest launched wing roller coaster.

FIRST JOB: When I was 15, I was hired as a games attendant at the amusement park in my hometown. To this day, I will still happily step behind a counter and assist a guest on their quest to win the big prize.

MOST VALUED POSSESSION: I have several pieces of furniture and mementos that belonged to my grandparents and great-grandparents. It is important to always remember where you come from.

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Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2025: JOHNSON, DWAYNE ‘THE ROCK’

Known as “The Rock,” Johnson shot to fame as a professional wrestler and is now one of the nation’s most popular and prolific movie and TV actors.

He’s also been a relatively quiet resident of Virginia for several years, although for its 2024 Men of the Year issue, GQ interviewed him at the Orange County horse farm that serves as his retreat from Hollywood. In addition to his movie career — including the “Fast & Furious” and “Jumanji” franchises — Johnson is a co-owner of the United League, a spring pro football league that started in 2024 after the merger of the United States Football League and the XFL.

His business partner and ex-wife, Dany Garcia, runs their production company, Seven Bucks Productions, which produces TV shows and movies, including the “Young Rock” and “Ballers” TV series.

Although Johnson’s known for his comedy and action movie career, in 2023 he made headlines for his philanthropy, making a seven-figure gift to the SAG-AFTRA Foundation during the writers’ and actors’ strike — a sum that SAG-AFTRA Foundation Chairman and President Courtney B. Vance declared was the largest single donation in the organization’s history.

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Arts | Entertainment | Sports 2025: EDMUNDS, ANDY

Edmunds originally began his career in the music industry. As a musician and songwriter, he produced a video for MTV, thus beginning his love affair with .

As director of the Virginia Film Office since 2011, Edmunds helps land TV and film projects that touch all parts of the commonwealth’s economy, from buying office supplies to renting helicopters.

He’s worked with top directors like Steven Spielberg, Ridley Scott and Clint Eastwood, assisting filmmakers in securing economic incentives and tax breaks and smoothing the way for film crews.

Recently, that included Universal Pictures’ coming-of-age musical “Golden” (previously titled “Atlantis”) about Pharrell Williams, which was shot in 2024 but canceled in postproduction.

Other projects have included Apple TV+ shows “Swagger,” loosely inspired by Kevin Durant, and “Dopesick,” based on Virginian Beth Macy’s best-selling book.

FIRST JOB: My first step into the entertainment business was at 12 years old, as a magician, performing magic shows for kid’s birthday parties for $7.50.

PERSONAL MOTTO: Optimism is free.

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Agriculture 2025: SINK, SCOTT E.

The Virginia Farm Bureau Federation has new leadership for the first time in 18 years. During the December 2024 annual meeting, voting delegates picked Sink as the leader of the state’s largest farmers’ advocacy group after Wayne Pryor decided not to seek re-election at the end of his ninth term.

Growing up on a multigenerational farm in Franklin County, Sink bought his first cow at the age of 10.

Today, Sink and his wife, Mendy, operate SES Agricultural Enterprise, which produces beef cattle and hay and provides agricultural services and agritourism opportunities in Franklin, Montgomery and Pulaski counties. The couple, who have two daughters, Mekinsley and Mehailyn, also own Riner Ridge Farm in Montgomery and Hethwood Market in Blacksburg.

Previously, Sink had served as the VFBF’s vice president. He is also past chair of the VFBF Young Farmers Committee and a past president of the Franklin County Farm Bureau.

HOW I DEFINE SUCCESS: The value we bring to helping others in our community, especially our members. When we are there for them and are able to help them through difficult times, then I consider that success.

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Agriculture 2025: GUM, DAVID

National Fruit Product Co. sells apple products ranging from applesauce to juice to vinegar, mostly under the White House Foods label. In an October 2024 episode of the “Conversations on Leadership with Dr. Dave” podcast, Gum said much of the operation is automated and that the company has about 150 employees.

National Fruit Product has been family-owned since its 1908 start. Gum began working there in 1981 at age 20 and worked in most every department before purchasing it from its founding family in 2006. The Gum family also owns Winchester-based furniture manufacturer Henkel Harris, acquired in 2013.

National Fruit, which bills itself as the nation’s top brand for distilled white vinegar and cleaning vinegar, launched two new products this year: all-natural cleaning vinegar wipes and an organic applesauce line.

Gum has served as a past board member for the Virginia Manufacturers Association, the Apple

Processing Association, Consumer Brands Advisory Board, Winchester Medical Center Foundation, and the USO of Metropolitan Washington Baltimore.

FIRST JOB: I grew up working in the construction business with my stepfather.

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Agriculture 2025: HEATWOLE, CORWIN

Sixth-generation chicken farmer Heatwole started his humane, sustainable and traceable chicken company in 2014. Originally named Shenandoah Valley Organic but rebranded as Farmer Focus in 2020, the company lets farmers own their flocks, make key decisions and receive fair compensation.

Farmer Focus has more than 120 farming partners and more than 1,300 team members. In March, the company announced that a redesign of its packaging by Truly Creative, a California design company, earned the 2024 Graphic Design USA Best-of-Year Award out of more than 8,000 entries. Each package contains a unique four-letter Farm ID that traces back to the chicken’s farm of origin.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene last year, Farmer Focus worked with the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina to donate more than 75,000 servings of chicken for those in need of meals.

According to a July Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Farmer Focus has raised $7 million, with the first sale in the raise occurring in January.

Heatwole moved from the CEO role to chairman of Farmer Focus’ board of managers in 2023. Stephen J. Shepard has worked as president and CEO since then.

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