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Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: McDOUGLE, SEN. RYAN

A 23-year veteran legislator, McDougle was tapped as minority leader after Republicans failed to regain control of the state Senate in the November 2023 elections. He’s served as an ally to Gov. Glenn Youngkin, pushing for tax cuts and to return Virginia to federal vehicle emissions standards rather than the California rules the state has followed since a Democratic-backed law passed in 2021.

He also backed a cap on college tuition in the 2025 session, a measure that failed. In January, during the Richmond water crisis that delayed the start of the General Assembly’s session, McDougle said he wanted to look into the city’s spending of state funds to make sure they “were spent responsibly.”
McDougle, an attorney in private practice, previously worked as a prosecutor for Hanover County, specializing in domestic violence cases and co-founding the county’s Child Advocate Response Team.

McDougle serves on the Senate Commerce and Labor, Courts of Justice, Finance and Appropriations, Rehabilitation and Social Services, and Rules committees. He is a graduate of James Madison University and William & Mary.

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Education 2025: ABDULLAH, MAKOLA M.

A scan of Abdullah’s accomplishments since joining the public, historically Black university in 2016 makes clear why his résumé includes so many accolades, prestigious board appointments and spots on top 10 and “best of” lists — not to mention a multimillion-dollar contract to stay on as president through 2029.

Under his leadership, VSU has seen enrollment grow more than 22% to more than 5,600 students, according to the State Council of for Virginia.

The 142-year-old university has an unprecedented number of capital projects underway, including a 30,000-square-foot admissions building, a research and cooperative extension facility, improvements to Rogers Stadium and the new

$120 million Alfred W. Harris Academic Commons. In February, VSU earned the prestigious designation of an R2 “High Research Activity” institution, placing it among only 139 U.S. and fewer than 15 HBCUs.

The Chicago native earned a degree in civil engineering from Howard University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Northwestern University. Abdullah also served on former President Joe Biden’s HBCU advisory board and is former chair of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities board.

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2025 Living Legends: SANGHANI, MEHUL P.

Sanghani announced his departure in February from the technology firm he founded nearly 20 years ago, writing, “Octo is not just something I built; it’s a part of me, as essential as any bodily organ. It is not something that can ever be transplanted or excised.”

Sanghani was born in India and raised in Blacksburg, where his family operated a Red Carpet Inn. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1998 and worked in Silicon Valley before returning to Virginia to start Octo in 2006 at age 30. In 2022, IBM purchased Octo from Arlington Capital Partners for $1.3 billion.

In 2020, Sanghani and wife, Hema — also a Virginia Tech grad — donated $10 million to their alma mater. Part of that funding supports the Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics at Virginia Tech’s Innovation Campus in Alexandria; it also funds scholarships for minority students studying AI.

Sanghani has served as vice president of Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business advisory council and also serves on the advisory board for Tech’s Innovation Campus. In his next act, he says he looks forward to spending time with his family, serving as a mentor and dedicating time to causes like food security, health care and educational access.

Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: MIYARES, JASON

Miyares, the son of a Cuban refugee, became the first Hispanic person elected to statewide office in Virginia after voters backed his attorney general bid in 2021. This year, the Republican seeks a second term in office, facing former Del. Jay Jones as the Democratic nominee.

Miyares has touted successes in reducing crime through Operation Ceasefire, an initiative targeting 13 cities with high gun violence rates that his office said resulted in a 30% decline in homicides in 2024. Along with Gov. Glenn Youngkin, he’s also devoted significant attention to the opioid epidemic.

In January, Miyares announced that Virginia stands to receive up to $107.4 million in a multistate settlement proposed by OxyContin producer Purdue Pharma and its owners, the Sackler family. The attorney general’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit also collaborated with U.S. attorneys to investigate McKinsey & Co.’s role in advising Purdue.

The former Virginia Beach state delegate has launched multiple investigations into Northern Virginia schools, including two civil rights probes at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology. After he called for the Trump administration to investigate the school’s admissions, the feds agreed to intervene in May.

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Government Contractors | Technology 2025: STOTTLEMYER, TODD

With nearly eight years leading Acentra Health, Stottlemyer oversees a health care solutions company that employs approximately 3,000 people across the United States and India. Founded in 1994 as Client Network Services, the company was acquired by Carlyle Group in 2021, then merged with Nashville, Tennessee-based health care management and quality oversight company Kepro.

Following the merger, the company rebranded as Acentra Health in 2023. Today, it processes medical claims, billing and health benefits for Medicaid and Medicare, serving more than 140 million people. In 2024, Acentra Health announced it had renewed its $298 million contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Stottlemyer is a venture partner at Blue Delta Capital Partners and a Serco board member. He is also vice chairman of state economic development initiative GO Virginia’s powerful and influential state board and serves on the executive committee of the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s board of directors. He is a graduate of William & Mary and Georgetown University Law Center.

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Government Contractors | Technology 2025: CASWELL, BRUCE L.

Caswell joined contractor Maximus in 2004 and has served as president since 2014; he became CEO in 2018. He started his career at what’s now PricewaterhouseCoopers before moving on to IBM.

Headquartered in Tysons, Maximus reached the half-century mark in 2025. It provides administrative support for programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, welfare-to-work, health care reform and student loan servicing. Maximus reported $5.3 billion in revenue for fiscal 2024, up from $4.9 billion in 2023.

Caswell holds a bachelor’s degree from Haverford College and a master’s in from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. He has chaired the Northern Virginia Technology Council’s board since 2022.

In January, WashingtonExec named Caswell a top executive to watch after the company was re-awarded several Veterans Benefits Administration contracts to provide medical disability exams. In 2024, the company won a $20 million Office of Personnel Management contract to provide contact services for the Postal Service Benefits Program.

In November 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services backed off rebidding the company’s $6.6 billion contract to operate a call center for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

Government Contractors | Technology 2025: WATSON, TOM

Watson became CEO of federal contractor Serco in 2022, after four years as senior vice president of business at the North American subsidiary of British parent company Serco Group. He previously worked for Science Applications International Corp. for 22 years, including as senior vice president of SAIC’s Navy and Marine Corps customer group. He also served six years in the Navy.

Serco provides professional, technology and management services to the U.S. military, U.S. federal civilian agencies and other clients.

In May, Serco completed its $327 million purchase of Northrop Grumman’s mission training and satellite ground network communications software business. Last October, Serco won a spot on a Department of Defense Information Analysis Center contract valued up to $33 billion to provide research and development services across the Department of Defense.

Watson started as an engineering technician for Resource Consultants Inc. (RCI), which was acquired by Serco in 2005. He earned his MBA from the University of Maryland and a bachelor’s degree in information technology from National University. Earlier this year, Watson received his second Wash100 Award from Executive Mosaic, recognizing top contracting .

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Government Contractors | Technology 2025: WINTER, LINDSAY BERRY

A Hampton Roads native, Winter oversees the e-commerce giant’s economic and community investments in Virginia, where has its East Coast HQ2 headquarters in Arlington County. Since 2010, Amazon has invested more than $135 billion in Virginia through infrastructure and compensation for its 42,000 employees in the state.

Before joining Amazon in 2021, Winter worked for Anthem, Amerigroup and law firm Kaufman & Canoles. A James Madison University alumna, she serves on the boards of multiple influential organizations, including the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Innovation Partnership Authority, and the Hampton Roads Alliance.

In recent months, Amazon announced a Goochland County robotics fulfillment center and launched new delivery stations in Virginia Beach, Hampton and Roanoke. However, in July, Amazon canceled plans for a third data center in Louisa County, following local backlash.

MUST-LISTEN PODCASTS: I start every day listening to a whole host of podcasts, from Politico’s “The Playbook” and “NPR ” to “Politico Tech.” “The Virginia Press Room” and “Freakonomics Radio” remain two of my favorites.

PERSONAL MOTTO: Persistence paralyzes resistance.

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Education 2025: WILLIAMS, LT. GEN. DARRELL K. (U.S. ARMY, RET.)

Williams served more than 37 years in the U.S. military and in 2022 became president of Hampton University, a private, historically Black university founded in 1868 — and Williams’ alma mater.

A retired Army lieutenant general, Williams was the first Black director of the Department of ‘s Defense Logistics Agency, where he oversaw nine supply chains supporting the military and more than 25,000 military and civilian employees. After his retirement from the military in 2020, he served as vice president for contractor Leidos’ U.K. operations. In December, Leidos announced a $750,000 donation to Hampton.

In May, Hampton University launched a new degree in aviation management and was recognized as an “Opportunity College” by Carnegie Classifications for successfully enrolling students who reflect the communities they serve and whose alumni go on to earn competitive wages compared to their peers.

Williams received master’s degrees from Pennsylvania State University, the Army Command and General Staff College, and the National War College. The recipient of a Bronze Star and the Legion of Merit, Williams also led the Fort Lee Army post and the Army Combined Arms Support Command.

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Education 2025: HENRY, DONNA PRICE

Henry is the college’s first female chancellor since its founding in 1954 as a junior college with two buildings. She presides over a four-year liberal arts college encompassing 396 acres with 26 main buildings, attended by more than 1,900 students.

Chancellor since 2013, Henry previously spent 16 years in a variety of positions at Florida Gulf Coast University, including as dean of its College of Arts and Sciences.

Her accomplishments since joining U.Va. Wise include improving the college’s first-year retention rate and securing better salaries for faculty. The college’s enrollment is also growing, Henry reported in June, thanks to its “Year at Wise” program through which waitlisted University of Virginia students can be guaranteed admission if they first study at U.Va. Wise for a year, earning a minimum of 30 credits and maintaining at least a “B” average.

Henry is a trustee for the Southwest Virginia Center. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

WHAT I DO FOR FUN: Play with my goldendoodles, Shark and Honey. They are the U.Va. Wise pups and share their stories on Instagram.

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