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Education 2025: SCHMIDT, JAMES C.

Hired in March, Schmidt became JMU’s new president in July. He was most recently chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, where he was recognized as a “stellar fundraiser” and brought in one of the largest gifts in that university’s history: a $70 million athletics donation.
Schmidt’s 30-year career in higher , as well as his own education, has mainly taken place in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He received his doctorate in educational policy and administration from the University of Minnesota, and was vice president for university advancement at Winona State University in Minnesota.

Schmidt says that JMU has an opportunity to grow industry partnerships, collaborate with Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, and contribute to the economic success of Virginia.

JMU, the state’s fifth largest university, has plenty going on this fall, including a new residence hall’s opening, the renovation and expansion of Carrier Library, and work on the next master plan.

INTERESTING PLACE I’VE TRAVELED: The Sultanate of Oman

WHAT PEOPLE WOULD BE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT ME: I’m a big Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac fan. I’ve passed that love on to my three sons, who are coming with me to their second Stevie concert in August.

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Government | Politics | Lobbying 2025: LUCAS, SEN. L. LOUISE

Since Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s election, Lucas has become the face of Virginia Democrats’ “blue brick wall” strategy to block Republican priorities in Richmond. Key to her public image is the state senator’s brash and outspoken presence on X, where she has more than 82,000 followers.

She was instrumental in blocking Youngkin’s $2 billion arena plan for Alexandria in 2024, which Lucas nicknamed the “Glenn Dome.” As chair of the powerful Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee, in 2025 Lucas felled other Youngkin proposals, including private school vouchers and a Virginia Commission amendment.

In July, Lucas was one of nine Senate Democrats who sued to prevent three from seating eight rejected Youngkin appointees to their boards. Her side won, although the attorney general’s office is appealing the decision.

The first female shipfitter at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and a businesswoman whose ventures include a cannabis store, Lucas came to the Senate from Portsmouth City Council in 1992. When Democrats retook control of the General Assembly in 2020, she became president pro tempore.

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Energy 2025: BAINE, EDWARD H. ‘ED’

Raised on a Lunenburg County tobacco farm, Baine attended Virginia Tech, earning an electrical engineering degree. Starting out as an associate engineer, Baine has worked for Fortune 500 utility Dominion for 30 years.

Baine became president of Dominion Energy Virginia in 2020. Since January, following the retirement of Diane Leopold, Dominion Energy’s former executive vice president and chief operating officer, Baine had been overseeing all of Dominion’s utility operations, consisting of Dominion Energy Virginia and Dominion Energy South Carolina, which includes more than 4 million customer accounts. In July, Baine was given a new title: executive vice president of utility operations for Dominion Energy. Baine will continue reporting to Dominion Energy Chair, President and CEO Robert Blue, who, in a statement, called Baine a “valued leader.”

Baine sits on several boards including Venture Richmond and the Southeastern Exchange. Additionally, he is rector of Virginia Tech’s board of visitors and a member of the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission.

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Education 2025: FITZSIMMONS, TRACY

Shenandoah’s president since 2008, Fitzsimmons joined the private liberal arts school in 2001 as dean of the College of Arts & Sciences.

This year, the university celebrated its 150th anniversary and had its largest graduating class in history. For the sixth consecutive year, Shenandoah was named a College of Distinction and it opened its Hub for Innovators, Veterans & Entrepreneurs (HIVE) in fall 2024.

In 2024, Shenandoah received a record-breaking $20 million donation from alumnus Wilbur Dove and his wife, Clare, toward building a performing and visual arts center on campus.

Also last year, Shenandoah launched an undergraduate engineering program, master’s programs in mental health counseling and speech language pathology, and a doctorate in science during the past academic year.

Fitzsimmons has a master’s degree in Latin American studies and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University. She also serves as vice chair of Edinburg-based telecommunications company Shentel’s board.

BOOK I’D RECOMMEND: “What Owe Democracy,” by Ronald J. Daniels

FAVORITE FASHION ACCESSORY: That’s easy —high heels!.

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Hospitality | Tourism 2025: COLEMAN, CHRISTY S.

As head of the foundation administering two museums of early American history, Coleman is at the forefront of educators weaving a nuanced and inclusive story of American history.

She is the first woman and the first person of color to serve as executive director of the state agency that operates Jamestown Settlement and the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown.

Coleman hosts the Jamestown Settlement’s Director’s Series, now in its fourth year, leading conversations with figures such as journalist Michele Norris, a former host of National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered.” Other guests in the series include historians James Pepper Henry and Rick Atkinson. She also serves on the VA250 Commission, which is organizing the state’s commemoration of the United States’ 250th anniversary.

With more than 30 years of experience in museum work, Coleman received the 2023 David McCullough Prize for Excellence in American Public History for her work furthering the public’s understanding of American history.

Before joining the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, she was CEO of the American Civil War Museum in Richmond.

Coleman earned a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in museum studies from Hampton University.

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Hospitality | Tourism 2025: TERRY, ERIC

With four decades of experience, Terry has advocated for the Virginia Restaurant, & Travel Association’s 1,500-plus industry members since joining as president in 2014.

VRLTA and Virginia Corp. announced in June that the 2026 VA1 Governor’s Tourism Summit — an annual gathering of 500-plus tourism professionals — will be at the Kalahari Resort in Spotsylvania County in November 2026, the resort’s opening month.

Before joining VRLTA, Terry held marketing and sales leadership roles at Redstone Companies Hospitality, Benchmark Hospitality and Malibu Entertainment Worldwide. He also served as president of Xelerate Group, a marketing agency he launched in 2002.

Over the course of his career, Terry has worked for Hollywood Casino/Pratt Hotel, Marriott & Resorts, and the Busch Gardens theme park when it was owned by Anheuser-Busch.

He received a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from Virginia Tech in 1982. Terry serves on the Virginia Tech Hospitality & Tourism Management Advisory Board. He’s also a member of the AHLA Foundation’s board.

FIRST JOB: Pizza cook at Busch Gardens Williamsburg

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Virginia Tech Hokies

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Hospitality | Tourism 2025: KNIGHT, JUSTIN

As CEO of Apple , a publicly traded real estate investment trust, Knight oversees more than 220 , mainly Hilton and Marriott brands, across 37 states and Washington, D.C. He joined the company in 2000 and took over from his father, founder Glade Knight, in 2014. The elder Knight serves as the REIT’s executive chairman.

For 2024, Apple Hospitality reported $1.43 billion in revenue, up from about $1.34 billion in 2023. As of Dec. 31, 2024, the company had more than $4.96 billion in assets.

In June, Apple Hospitality announced it had acquired the Homewood Suites by Hilton Tampa-Brandon in Florida for $18.8 million. The company has under contract a Motto by Hilton being developed in Nashville, Tennessee — an expected $98.2 million purchase anticipated to close in late 2025, after construction ends.

Earlier this year, Apple sold two hotels for a combined $21 million. It expects the $16 million sale of the Houston Marriott Corridor to close in the third quarter.

Knight earned his bachelor’s degree and MBA from Brigham Young University. He is a member of the board of trustees for Venture Richmond.

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Health Care 2025: ROSNER, DR. MITCHELL

A nephrologist who joined the University of Virginia’s school as a professor in 2005, Rosner stepped in as interim executive vice president for health affairs in February. His predecessor, Dr. K. Craig Kent, resigned after an investigation into allegations in a letter of “no confidence” signed by 128 physicians in 2024.

Despite Kent’s departure, Rosner has dealt with multiple challenges in recent months, including sparring between former and current health system board officials and medical school faculty members, as well as the departures of Dr. Melina Kibbe, the medical school’s dean, and the CEO of the U.Va. Medical Center. In his role, Rosner oversees UVA Health, which includes the medical center, three community and regional clinics.

Meanwhile, though, the university is building the $350 million Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, working to develop cures for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. The institute’s 350,000-square-foot facility is under construction, with completion expected in 2027.

ADVICE FOR NEW COLLEGE GRADS: Be open to new experiences, embrace change, build strong relationships and continuously learn.

MOST VALUED POSSESSION: 1969 New York Mets baseball card set

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Hospitality | Tourism 2025: JAIN, AKHIL

Jain has run Landmark Group for over a decade. With nearly 500 employees, the hospitality company manages, owns and develops in North Carolina and Virginia under brands such as Marriott, Hyatt and Radisson. The company also expanded into housing in 2021, developing a
287-unit luxury apartment complex in Hampton.

As part of the $200 million Pembroke Square redevelopment in Virginia Beach, Landmark is developing a 163-room Tempo by Hilton hotel, expected to open in 2027. Construction began in May.

Jain joined Landmark in 1999 as a general manager. He has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in hospitality management from Cornell University.

Jain chairs the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters’ Health System board, and also serves on TowneBank’s Virginia Beach local board. He was named King Neptune for Virginia Beach’s 50th Neptune Festival in 2024, recognizing his community contributions.

His father founded Landmark in 1983 and remains its chair.

TRAITS I ADMIRE: I admire people who possess humble authenticity, along with determination and perseverance.

FIRST JOB: Sweeping hotel parking lots at age 9 for quarters to play in the video game arcade

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Health Care 2025: LUNN, DR. WILLIAM

In 2023, Lunn was promoted to president of Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA’s Capital Division, which includes 19 across three states, including Virginia.

In October 2024, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery in Christiansburg opened a $14 million, 10,000-square-foot freestanding emergency room. In December, the Reston Hospital Center opened an inpatient cancer care unit with eight rooms as the first phase of its oncology program expansion. This summer, HCA filed plans with the state health department for a $260 million, 60-bed new hospital in Chesterfield County.

A pulmonologist, Lunn was formerly CEO of HCA’s Chippenham and Johnston-Willis hospitals in Richmond and Chesterfield County. He also previously was president and CEO of Tulane Health System in New Orleans. Additionally, Lunn was assistant dean of clinical affairs at Baylor College of .

Lunn received his bachelor’s degree in history from Tulane University and his degree from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. HCA reported $70.6 billion in 2024 revenue, compared to about $64.97 billion in 2023.

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