Real Estate

J. SCOTT ADAMS

REGIONAL PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA AND RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA, COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL GROUP INC., NORFOLK

Asked to name one thing he’d change about Virginia, Adams says he’d like to see more collaboration between the commonwealth and North Carolina.

Chances are that has at least a little to do with the fact that in fall 2020, Adams began overseeing an effort to rebuild the Raleigh, North Carolina, market for Colliers while continuing to shepherd the company’s Central and Eastern Virginia teams, which employ more than 450 people. The work is going well, Adams says: “Raleigh is ahead of plan and accelerating with new employees, clients and substantial transactions.”

Adams began working in the industry nearly 30 years ago as an assistant project manager for CBRE, Colliers’ former parent company.

EDUCATION: B.A. and MBA, University of Virginia

FAVORITE SONG: Jackson Browne’s “Doctor, My Eyes”

SOMETHING I WOULD NEVER DO AGAIN: Max out my credit card.

ERIC E. APPERSON

PRESIDENT OF CONSTRUCTION, ARMADA HOFFLER PROPERTIES INC., VIRGINIA BEACH

A few years after graduating from Hampden-Sydney College in 1985, Apperson went to work for Armada Hoffler, which builds, acquires and manages office, retail and multifamily properties located primarily in the mid-Atlantic and Southeast United States.

He has been president of Armada Hoffler Construction since 2000, overseeing its management, growth and financial health.

In May, the first tenants moved into 27 Atlantic Apartments, a $100 million, 17-story apartment tower on the Virginia Beach oceanfront built by Armada Hoffler Construction, which had its most profitable year ever in 2020.

Armada Hoffler may be best known for constructing most of the buildings in Baltimore’s Harbor Point area. In December, the company announced plans for a joint venture with Baltimore-based Beatty Development Group to develop and build a global headquarters there for T. Rowe Price.

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: Our people, our employees.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: The importance of honesty and integrity.

STEPHEN B. BALLARD

PRESIDENT AND CEO, S.B. BALLARD CONSTRUCTION CO., VIRGINIA BEACH

A Norfolk native, Ballard launched his construction company in the late 1970s by completing projects for the Norfolk Redevelopment and Housing Authority and doing minor renovations for his neighbors. Initially, he centered the company on concrete contracting but later expanded into general contracting.

In the Hampton Roads area, S.B. Ballard Construction built Kellam High School and the Lyman B. Brooks Library at Norfolk State University and upgraded the football stadium at Old Dominion University, named S.B. Ballard Stadium in honor of his contributions to the school.

In February, Rush Street Gaming, developer and operator of the upcoming $300 million Rivers Casino Portsmouth, announced it had chosen a joint venture between Ballard Construction and Mississippi-based Yates Construction as the project’s general contractor.

Ballard also serves as one of seven members of the city of Virginia Beach’s Wetland​s Board. Selected by the City Council, the members review permit requests for the use, alteration or development of tidal wetlands, sand dunes and beaches.

BRENDAN BECHTEL

CHAIRMAN AND CEO, BECHTEL GROUP INC., RESTON

Bechtel, the fifth generation of his family to lead the prominent global engineering, construction and project management company, was appointed CEO in 2016 and chairman a year later, at age 36.

He started working for the family company during summer breaks in high school and later earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from Middlebury College in Vermont and two master’s degrees from Stanford University.

Over the years, Bechtel took on roles of increasing responsibility in field construction and project management, as well as overseeing several large projects, including the Dulles Corridor Metrorail extension. The pandemic drove down the company’s income last year to $17.6 billion, a 19% decrease from 2019.

“Despite the challenges of 2020, the toughest in our company’s history, we stood with our customers to drive progress and achieved one of the best safety records ever,” Bechtel said in a March 2021 statement about the company’s 2020 earnings.

BRIAN BORTELL

PRESIDENT, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, TIMMONS GROUP INC., RICHMOND

Bortell launched his career as an entry-level engineer at Timmons Group more than three decades ago. By 2004, he’d settled into his current executive role at the Richmond-based civil engineering, technology and surveying firm.

Timmons Group, which employs more than 400 people, has worked on several prominent projects in the Hampton Roads region, including the Tech Center and the Discovery STEM Academy, both in Newport News. It also is handling civil engineering work for Bon Secours’ forthcoming $30 million emergency center in Chesterfield County; construction started in May. In April, the company announced the addition of new offices in Newport News and Wilmington, North Carolina, and the company’s focus on wind energy projects is increasing, with a goal to have 100 employees in that sector by 2023.

The Virginia Tech alum, who holds an MBA from Averett University, is fond of competing in marathons and triathlons and has finished the Hawaiian Ironman race multiple times. He’s a member of Sports Backers’ board and is a graduate of Leadership Metro Richmond.

GARY BOWMAN

PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, PRESIDENT AND CEO, BOWMAN CONSULTING GROUP LTD., RESTON

Trained as a civil engineer at Virginia Tech, Bowman founded his Reston-based engineering services firm in 1995, and today it employs 750-plus people in more than 30 offices across the United States. Before starting his company, Bowman was a principal for 15 years at Urban Engineering.

This has been a big year for Bowman Consulting, which went public in May, raising $51.73 million by selling 3.69 million shares at $14 a share. In January, the company announced it had acquired Herndon-based engineering firm KTA Group Inc., which provides engineering, mechanical, electrical and plumbing services. Bowman Consulting has a wide array of projects on its plate, including working on data centers and Dominion Energy Inc.’s substation security system, designing more than 20 Walgreens stores and developing the Dulles International Park in Sterling. In the first quarter of 2021, the company generated just under $32 million in gross revenue.

“Adding KTA’s comprehensive skill sets and experience greatly enhances our ability to serve as a one-stop provider of design services to our clients,” Bowman said.

Bowman serves on the advisory board of Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering.

C. TORREY BREEDEN

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, THE BREEDEN CO. INC., VIRGINIA BEACH

Breeden, whose name is well-known across the Hampton Roads region and beyond, focuses on land acquisition and development of new communities across the Southeast U.S. for the multifamily, single-family and commercial construction company founded 60 years ago by his father, Ramon W. Breeden Jr.

The Breeden Co., which has 400 employees and reported about $355 million in 2020 revenue, has a portfolio encompassing more than 15,000 apartments and 2 million square feet of retail and office space. Torrey Breeden started at the company in 1997 after earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia. He enjoys traveling and pilots the company’s corporate jets and several helicopters.

Over the summer, the company broke ground on a $2.4 million expansion to its headquarters on Lynnhaven Parkway.

FIRST JOB: I was a Cutco knife salesperson. I did not sell door to door, but it was close.

WHAT I WAS LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL: I was athletic. I played football and baseball.

HOBBY/PASSION: Ballroom dancing. It is beautiful to watch; it is beautiful to participate.

BOB CLARK

Professional Engineer, President, BASKERVILL, RICHMOND

After working more than 25 years at Richmond-based engineering, architecture and interior design firm Baskervill, Clark still enjoys what he does. “We’re designing spaces where great work and great discovery is happening,” he says. “It’s powerful.”

The Virginia Military Institute alumnus came to Baskervill as a mechanical engineer in 1995 after five years serving as an engineering officer for the U.S. Air Force. He became company president in 2004.

Early in the pandemic, Baskervill laid off 25 employees and later furloughed others, but now the firm is back up to 100 employees across the United States and Poland.

WHAT A COMPETITOR WOULD SAY ABOUT MY FIRM: I hope they’d say the same about us as we would about them: that we celebrate great design, no matter its origin.

HOBBY/PASSION: I really enjoy snowboarding with my kids. In the early years, I would slow down so they could keep up, but now that they’re in their late teens, the dynamics have changed. The tables have turned!

GEORGE B. CLARKE IV

PRESIDENT, MEB, CHESAPEAKE

While earning his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech, Clarke worked for his father’s construction company, Kenbridge Construction Co. Shortly after graduation, Clarke launched MEB in 1982.

Today, he leads about 230 employees, with all but a handful working in Virginia. The company, which earned $216 million in 2020 revenue, shortened its name from MEB General Contractors to MEB last year after an 18-month rebranding process, and it also has refreshed and expanded its headquarters in Chesapeake.

MEB is the construction manager for a $112 million project designed to protect the historic Norfolk Grandy Village and Chesterfield Heights neighborhoods from flooding. The project involves building concrete retaining walls, raised roadways and two pump stations for stormwater removal, as well as making stormwater and utility improvements.

PERSON I ADMIRE: John R. Lawson II, executive chairman of W.M. Jordan Co. — a great friend and a great businessman.

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: Any Virginia Tech team.

JEFFREY S. ‘JEFF’ DETWILER

PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE LONG & FOSTER COS., CHANTILLY

After graduating from Princeton University with a degree in psychology in 1983, Detwiler worked for a variety of finance institutions, including Bank of America, Countrywide Home Loans and Credit Suisse First Boston. In 2009, he joined Long & Foster, Virginia’s largest residential real estate company, as its president and chief operating officer.

In 2017, after the family-owned company was sold to HomeServices of America Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary, Detwiler became its CEO.

“It’s like so many other things, you kind of fall into it. It just sort of unfolds in front of you,” Detwiler said of his career on an episode of the “Go With John Show” podcast, hosted by John Jorgensen, an agent in Long & Foster’s McLean office.

Detwiler leads 1,800 employees and 11,000 real estate agents in seven states and Washington, D.C. The company posts nearly $30 billion in annual sales. In January, Detwiler was ranked No. 35 on the Swanepoel Power 200 list, which ranks top executives in the residential real estate industry. Detwiler also serves on the boards for Upstream, a data management platform for the real estate industry, and the Greater Washington Board of Trade.

GERALD S. DIVARIS

CHAIRMAN AND CEO, DIVARIS GROUP, VIRGINIA BEACH

With prominent national real estate sales and management companies under the Divaris Group umbrella, Gerald Divaris and his cousin Michael Divaris have one of Hampton Roads’ most familiar last names. They arrived in Virginia Beach in 1981, relocating the company they founded seven years earlier in Cape Town, South Africa, their home country.

The two men still lead the corporation, which now has offices across the state as well as in North Carolina, South Carolina and California. Divaris Real Estate Inc. manages, sells and leases about 31 million square feet of office, retail and industrial space on the East Coast and employs about 175 people. Among the company’s high-profile tenants are Kohl’s, Best Buy, Banana Republic and P.F. Chang’s, and Divaris Group is perhaps best known for developing and managing Virginia Beach’s Town Center, a bustling mixed-use project with offices, retail, hotels and restaurants.

Gerald Divaris also sits on the board of Realty Resources, a national network of retail brokers that he co-founded, and is a founding member of the Central Business District Association, which supports the growth of Virginia Beach’s business community. He is a Virginia Beach regional board member of TowneBank and serves on the board of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts Foundation.

DANIEL FAUST

CHIEF EXECUTIVE – AMERICAS EAST, AECOM, ARLINGTON

Since 2016, Faust has led international infrastructure design firm AECOM’s design and consulting services business for the Eastern U.S. and Latin America, overseeing about 8,000 employees.

The top Virginia-based executive at the Los Angeles-based Fortune 500 company, Faust joined AECOM in 2005 after serving as the Delaware River Port Authority’s chief engineer. His duties have included supervising highway and bridge projects and leading AECOM’s surface transportation market sector.

A graduate of the University of Delaware and Drexel University, Faust says, “It’s important to be flexible and open to new opportunities. AECOM is unique in its breadth and depth of services, which allows our people to reinvent themselves and try new things.”

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: Our people — AECOM has the best expertise in the business. Our professionals are passionate about partnering with our clients and advancing the communities where we live and work.

TONY FIORILLO

PRESIDENT AND CEO, ECS GROUP OF COS., CHANTILLY

Fiorillo started at ECS, a Chantilly-based, employee-owned engineering firm, as a field technician in 1993, becoming president in 2020. In January, he was named CEO, managing approximately 2,000 employees.

ECS focuses on geotechnical, construction materials, environmental and facilities engineering, and it has more than 70 offices across the country. In its engineering portfolio are projects at Fairfax’s Metro Park, Inova Fairfax Hospital and the AP Moller-Maersk Shipping Terminal in Portsmouth.

Taking the helm of the company, Fiorillo stepped into the shoes of Henry Lucas, who co-founded ECS in 1988 and plans to stay on as board chairman through 2022. An alumnus of Auburn University, George Mason University’s business school and the University of Florida, Fiorillo prefers to cede the spotlight to others, noting in a 2020 interview that Lucas was a “tremendous mentor” and that succeeding him was “humbling and daunting at the same time.”

Fiorillo also is a board member for U.S. Hunger, a nonprofit formerly known as Feeding Children Everywhere, which has activated more than 830,000 volunteers to package and distribute 140 million meals for children in need.

JULIAN G. FRANCIS

PRESIDENT AND CEO, BEACON ROOFING SUPPLY INC., HERNDON

A United Kingdom native, Francis in 2019 took the reins at Herndon-based residential and commercial roofing materials distributor Beacon Roofing Supply, where he oversees more than 7,500 employees at 500-plus branches. The company was ranked No. 420 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list, reporting $6.94 billion in sales last year.

The largest publicly traded roofing materials company, Beacon saw strong sales in the first quarter of this year, posting revenues of more than $1.3 billion in March, although it saw an $80 million drop in profits in fiscal year 2020 compared with 2019. The company was started in 1928 in Charlestown, Massachusetts, with 32 regional employees.

Previously, Francis was president of Owens Corning’s insulation business, the Ohio company’s largest business segment. He also served as vice president and publishing director at Reed Business Information, now part of the LexisNexis portfolio.

Francis earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a doctorate in materials engineering at Swansea University in Wales, as well as an MBA from DePaul University in Chicago.

W. TAYLOR FRANKLIN

CO-FOUNDER AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, FRANKLIN JOHNSTON GROUP MANAGEMENT & DEVELOPMENT LLC, VIRGINIA BEACH

In 2013, Franklin and his father, Wendell Franklin, along with Steve Cooper and Tom Johnston, left Norfolk-based real estate firm S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co. to launch a new multifamily management and development company.

After starting with a portfolio of 3,551 residential units throughout Virginia and North Carolina, today’s Franklin Johnston Group has more than 500 employees who develop and manage over 115 properties and 19,000 units in seven states.

Taylor Franklin’s responsibilities at the company include overseeing company operations, new business and partner acquisitions, and new development opportunities.

Last year, the Franklin Johnston Group opened Coastal 61 at Oxford Village, a 248-unit complex near Virginia Wesleyan University, where Franklin earned his bachelor’s degree in 2004. “I remember going to college, driving past this site and thinking how underutilized it was,” Franklin said in 2019 at the groundbreaking.

In addition to his day job, Franklin sits on the board of directors for the Neptune Festival, is chairman and president of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation board and is past chair of Norfolk Collegiate School’s board.

FRANK ‘BUDDY’ GADAMS

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT, MARATHON DEVELOPMENT GROUP INC., NORFOLK

Gadams is well known for changing the landscape of Norfolk over the past decades, with multiple apartment developments shaping downtown. Lesser known is the impact he is making in developing new medical therapies.

As a major donor to the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Gadams also is a significant investor in the hospital’s ReAlta Life Sciences. ReAlta, which is developing anti-inflammatory treatments, recently closed on a $20 million financing package and secured a $3.2 million grant from The Virginia Catalyst fund. Gadams led the startup’s financing initiative.

Gadams’ Marathon Development was also in the news recently when two of his Norfolk luxury apartment complexes sold for $38.9 million to Waverton Associates of Portsmouth.

A James Madison University graduate, Gadams invested an inheritance from his grandmother in his first apartment building in Norfolk in 1998. He flipped the building, earning five times his investment.

Gadams has ridden booms and busts in real estate, including battling several lawsuits sparked by the 2008 Great Recession. But the developer bounced back, turning downtown Norfolk’s Bank of America building into a massive residential development called Icon Norfolk in 2017.

MATTHEW GANNON

MANAGING DIRECTOR AND MARKET LEADER, D.C. REGION, COLLIERS INTERNATIONAL LLC, WASHINGTON, D.C.

As managing director and market leader for Colliers’ Washington, D.C., region, Gannon is responsible for more than 50 real estate professionals who cover one of the busiest areas in the company.

An international real estate and investment management corporation, Colliers has a presence in 67 countries. In 2020, the company brought in $3.3 billion in corporate revenue and managed $40 billion in assets. For the quarter that ended March 31, 2021, Colliers reported revenues of $774.9 million.

Before joining Colliers in 2019, Gannon worked as vice president of leasing for Paramount Group Inc., a New York City-based company that owns and manages Class A office properties, overseeing its D.C.-area office portfolio. Before that, he served as Vornado Realty Trust’s vice president of leasing.

A graduate of Fordham University, Gannon serves on the board of directors of the Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Greater Washington, D.C.

DONALD D. GRAUL

CEO, THE BRANCH GROUP INC., ROANOKE

With more than 38 years of industry experience, Graul was hired to lead Roanoke-based construction company The Branch Group last December. He joined Branch from Centreville-based Parsons Corp., where Graul was executive vice president of construction and a senior executive for alternative project delivery. He also previously worked for AECOM.

The Branch Group, which posted $500 million in 2020 revenue, has more than 850 employees and is fully employee-owned.

A University of Nebraska civil engineering alumnus, Graul completed the senior executive program at London Business School. He has been inducted into the National Academy of Construction and is an active member of several professional associations. He sits on the board of directors of The Beavers, a national heavy engineering construction association.

PERSON I ADMIRE: Phil Jackson. He built championship teams out of dysfunctional teams.

BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Iced tea (unsweetened — frowned upon by my staff)

LOUIS S. ‘LOU’ HADDAD

PRESIDENT AND CEO, ARMADA HOFFLER PROPERTIES INC., VIRGINIA BEACH

Haddad came to Armada Hoffler Construction Co. in 1985 as an on-site construction superintendent, and two years later, a few months shy of age 30, he was promoted to president of that company. Haddad eventually became president of all the commercial real estate company’s entities, and in 1999, he rose to CEO.

Today, the company employs approximately 150 people, including 120 in Virginia. During a February earnings call, Haddad said that members of Armada Hoffler’s board and the company’s executives took voluntary pay reductions during the pandemic, but that all other members of their team received yearly pay increases on time in fall 2020, as well as year-end bonuses. “Their performance throughout this difficult year has been nothing short of remarkable,” he said, “and that performance must be rewarded.”

Haddad and his wife, Mary, co-founded a foundation in 1999 that develops and supports educational projects designed to assist at-risk students and provides scholarships for students who want to go on to earn certifications or attend college. In 2019, he was appointed to the University of Virginia board of visitors.

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: The ability to change skylines, foster careers and add to the greater good

MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “Project Hail Mary,” by Andy Weir

FAVORITE BEVERAGE: Iced tea

BRETT HITT

CO-CHAIRMAN, HITT CONTRACTING INC., FALLS CHURCH

After earning a bachelor’s degree in building construction from Georgia Tech in 1984, Hitt joined his family-owned company, starting as a project manager. He was named co-president in 2005, and 12 years later became co-chairman of the board.

Started by Hitt’s grandfather and grandmother, Warren and Myrtle Hitt, as a residential painting and decorating business in 1937, Hitt Contracting is one of Virginia’s largest general contractors, frequently taking on industrial projects such as warehouses and data centers. The company brought in $2.6 billion in revenue last year and has 1,200 employees across 12 locations, with 800 working in Virginia.

Last September, Hitt’s father, chairman emeritus Russell A. Hitt, died. “My dad’s focus has always been an incredible work ethic and taking care of the people around you,” Brett Hitt said. “These principles are the core ideology of Hitt today.”

HOBBY/PASSION: I love reading and learning new things.

NEW LIFE EXPERIENCE: The birth of his first grandchild: “Makes you realize that life is precious and so much bigger than just ourselves.”

MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “The Ministry of Common Sense: How to Eliminate Bureaucratic Red Tape, Bad Excuses, and Corporate BS,” by Martin Lindstrom

MARK HOURIGAN

FOUNDER AND CEO, HOURIGAN GROUP, RICHMOND

In 1993, Hourigan founded his Richmond-based construction and development firm, which operates throughout the mid-Atlantic and has offices in Richmond, Charlottesville and Virginia Beach.

Hourigan, in partnership with Washington, D.C.-based real estate investment company DSC Partners, broke ground in May on a 560,000-square-foot spec building at Deepwater Industrial Park near the Richmond Marine Terminal.

Additionally, Hourigan is working on Charlottesville’s Apex Plaza, an eight-story office building with sustainable design features that’s billed as Virginia’s tallest building made of timber.

The company also co-designed and built Dominion Energy Inc.’s distinctive, reflective corporate headquarters in downtown Richmond, while also overseeing the implosion of the utility’s former HQ building.

In June, Hourigan was selected as the Engineering News-Record mid-Atlantic Contractor of the Year. It saw a 40% increase in revenue in 2020, up from $335.37 million in 2019.

A University of Richmond business school alum, Hourigan sits on advisory boards for Virginia Tech’s College of Architecture and Urban Studies and the Myers-Lawson School of Construction. He also serves on the board of the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond and as the chair of the executive committee of ChamberRVA.

JON JENNINGS

PRESIDENT, L.F. JENNINGS INC., FALLS CHURCH

Led by Jennings since 2000, family-owned general contracting firm L.F. Jennings Inc. delivers everything from commercial to multifamily to parking garage projects.

Founded in 1952 by Lawrence Floyd Jennings, Jon Jennings’ grandfather, the company began as a masonry contracting business. Jon Jennings’ father, Larry T. Jennings, joined the enterprise in 1965. By the 1980s, the firm began building larger-scale properties for commercial developers.

Today, the company employs more than 350 people, with projects across the state, as well as in Maryland and Washington, D.C. Among its highlights are the new Fredericksburg Nationals baseball stadium, the 2020 renovation of the 110-year-old Stumpf Hotel in Richmond and Loudoun United’s Segra Field.

ROBB ‘R.J.’ JOHNSON

EXECUTIVE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BROKERAGE, MID-ATLANTIC REGION, JLL, TYSONS

Johnson develops and executes real estate planning and major facility acquisition projects for clients of international commercial real estate company JLL, where he’s worked since 2008.

With more than 30 years of experience in real estate, Johnson specializes in strategic planning, real estate finance and development, transaction structures and portfolio analytics.

After graduating from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in public policy, Johnson began his career as an associate for McLean real estate company Casey Miller Borris and Burns.

In 2019, he won the Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Association of Greater Washington, D.C.’s James L. Eichberg Broker of the Year award.

WHAT I WAS LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL: I focused my attention on parties and hot rod cars.

WHAT A COMPETITOR WOULD SAY ABOUT ME: Competent, driven, fair and, perhaps, overly detailed.

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: Collaborating with great people, creating client delight and the satisfaction from winning in business.

SOMETHING I WOULD NEVER DO AGAIN: Eat Beyond Meat.

STEVE JOHNSON

FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT,  JOHNSON COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, BRISTOL

Johnson founded Bristol-based Johnson Commercial Development in 1995. It may be best known for developing The Pinnacle, a $150 million, 240-acre shopping center that opened in 2014 directly off Interstate 81 in Bristol, Tennessee.

In early 2020, Johnson, along with Principal Chief Richard Sneed of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Indians, announced plans for a $500 million casino, lodging and entertainment complex at The Pinnacle. At the time, the General Assembly was already considering legislation to allow voters to decide whether to legalize casino gambling in five Virginia cities, including Bristol. But Bristol, Virginia, city officials instead backed the competing $400 million Bristol Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, which was approved by voters in November.

A former star tight end for the Virginia Tech Hokies football team, Johnson went on to play for the New England Patriots and the Dallas Cowboys, and he pledged $1 million in 2013 to build the Steve Johnson Practice Fields at Virginia Tech. Currently he is aiming to produce more housing in the Bristol region, Johnson said in March.

ROBERT C. ‘BOB’ KETTLER

FOUNDER AND CEO, KETTLER INC., McLEAN

A third-generation builder, Kettler founded a small construction business in 1977, growing it into a multimillion-dollar real estate company.

The company that bears his name has developed more than 25,000 multifamily residential units, 5 million square feet of commercial space, more than 71,000 homes and many mixed-use communities. Additionally, Kettler employees manage approximately 20,000 apartments in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.

The Kettler name is familiar among Washington Capitals fans as well, with the Arlington practice arena for the NHL team known for 12 years as the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. In 2018, Kettler dropped the naming rights for that facility in favor of the second floor at the Capital One Arena.

Last fall, Kettler broke ground on the Brentford at The Mile luxury apartments in Tysons. The construction of these 411 apartments is the second phase of development at The Mile, a 45-acre mixed-use project being developed by Kettler and PS Business Parks Inc.

Bob Kettler has served on the boards of the Trust for the National Mall, The Kennedy Center, George Mason University, Northern Virginia Community College and several other organizations.

ROBERT M. ‘BOB’ KING

PRESIDENT, RETAIL SALES AND LEASING, HARVEY LINDSAY COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE, NORFOLK

In 2019, after more than 40 years with the company, King took the helm of Harvey Lindsay Commercial Real Estate, which provides brokerage services and asset and property management in Hampton Roads. He stepped into the shoes of his brother, William E. King, who left to pursue private investment opportunities.

The King brothers are the adopted sons of Harvey L. Lindsay Jr., who married their mother after their father, a Navy pilot, was killed in an aircraft accident. Bob King, a graduate of Duke University and Old Dominion University, has led the firm’s retail leasing team since 1985. He also serves on the board of the ODU Educational Foundation, the university’s primary academic fundraising organization.

Harvey Lindsay Sr. founded the company in 1919, when its primary focus was on residential sales. Harvey Lindsay Jr., who remains active as chairman at age 92, steered the company toward expansion in sales, leasing, development and management of commercial properties.

LAURA DILLARD LAFAYETTE

CEO, RICHMOND ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, RICHMOND

Lafayette serves almost 7,000 members of the Richmond Association of Realtors and the Central Virginia Regional Multiple Listing Service. She’s also the executive director of the Partnership for Housing Affordability, a nonprofit that champions affordable housing policies and developments.

As a gubernatorial appointee to the Virginia Housing Commission, Lafayette studies issues related to the availability of safe and affordable housing for Virginians.

Additionally, Lafayette is the immediate past chair of the boards of HousingForward Virginia, which works to ensure affordable housing in Virginia, and the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust, which seeks to develop and steward permanently affordable housing opportunities to foster racially equitable communities. In addition to volunteering her time to other nonprofits, Lafayette serves on the vestry of Christ Church Episcopal in Glen Allen.

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in religion from William & Mary, Lafayette pursued postgraduate work at Yale Divinity School and the University of Virginia. Earlier in her career, Lafayette worked as press secretary and speechwriter for Gov. L. Douglas Wilder.

CARL HARDEE

PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE LAWSON COS., VIRGINIA BEACH

With more than three decades of experience at The Lawson Cos., Hardee has overseen the company’s operational and financial stability, as well as its organizational growth, since 2016, when he succeeded Lawson Cos. Chairman of the Board Steve Lawson as president and CEO.

Founded in 1972, Lawson manages and owns nearly 6,000 apartments, with about 1,200 units in development. The company’s Seaside Harbor Apartments in Virginia Beach were featured in a recent U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development case study, which highlights projects that use innovation in affordable housing. Completed in 2018, the project created 76 quality affordable housing units for people with developmental disabilities, families with accessibility needs and the workforce at the Oceanfront.

Hardee earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Military Institute in 1987 and is a U.S. Army veteran who served in the Gulf War. He serves on TowneBank’s Portsmouth/Suffolk board of directors and the local advisory committee of the Hampton Roads office of Local Initiatives Support Corp.

JOHN R. LAWSON II

EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN, W.M. JORDAN CO., NEWPORT NEWS

Lawson came to the Newport News-based construction company in 1975 as a field engineer. Over the years, he went on to work as an estimator, project engineer, superintendent and project manager before being named in 1986 as W.M. Jordan Co.’s president and CEO.

Lawson, who transitioned to executive chairman in 2018, funnels his energy into advancing innovation and fostering the company’s unique corporate culture.

W.M. “Bill” Jordan and Bob Lawson, John Lawson’s father, launched the company in 1958, and today it has about 300 employees and earned more than $649 million in 2020 revenue.

In 2017, Virginia Tech awarded Lawson, who graduated Tech with a bachelor’s degree in geophysics, the William H. Ruffner Medal, the university’s highest honor. Lawson lent his name to Virginia Tech’s Myers-Lawson School of Construction and served on the university’s board of visitors from 2002 to 2010.

BEST ADVICE FOR OTHERS: There are great opportunities everywhere. Keep your eyes open and antennas up. But the most important factor is execution.

WHAT I WAS LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL: Not a great student, but I was curious and liked to be organized … and I dressed well!

MILES LEON

PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, S.L. NUSBAUM REALTY CO., NORFOLK

Leon joined the Norfolk-based real estate company in the early 1990s after First Commercial Real Estate Services, an office and warehouse brokerage firm Leon co-founded, was folded into S.L. Nusbaum Realty Co.

As president, Leon oversees company operations and business development at the 115-year-old company, which manages, develops and provides sales and leasing services for shopping centers, apartment communities and office, industrial and investment properties throughout the mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions. The company has more than 1,000 employees, about 820 of whom are in Virginia.

Leon serves on numerous boards, including the Downtown Norfolk Council, The King’s Daughters Health System Children’s Health System and the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater. He’s also a trustee for Old Dominion University Real Estate Foundation.

PERSON I ADMIRE: My father, Arnold Leon, who didn’t start out with much, but his hard work as an attorney and businessman inspired me.

FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM: University of Georgia Bulldogs

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: I’m definitely not the smartest guy in the room and enjoy learning from others every day.

T. RICHARD LITTON JR.

PRESIDENT, HARBOR GROUP INTERNATIONAL, NORFOLK

In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations at the Norfolk-based real estate investment and management firm Harbor Group International, which has more than 1,200 employees worldwide, Litton chairs the HGI Investment Committee, manages HGI’s transactions group and is involved in institutional capital-raising efforts.

With $13.5 billion in real estate investment properties, HGI invests in and manages diversified property portfolios, including office, retail and multifamily properties.

In May 2021, HGI announced it had closed a $558 million commercial real estate collateralized loan obligation, a security backed by commercial real estate loans.

Prior to joining HGI in 2004, Litton worked as a corporate law partner at Hampton Roads law firm Kaufman & Canoles.

Litton earned his bachelor’s degree in foreign affairs and his law degree from the University of Virginia. He’s a founding director of Tidewater Friends of Foster Care and serves as its current secretary and treasurer, as well as a foster parent for the city of Norfolk. Litton also serves on the board of the ACCESS College Foundation, which has awarded scholarships for postsecondary education to more than 73,000 low-income students.

MATT MALONE

CEO AND OWNER, GROUNDWORKS COS., VIRGINIA BEACH

Groundworks has acquired 19 other foundation- services firms since 2016, when Malone formed the Virginia Beach-based holding company for businesses that conduct foundation repair, basement waterproofing, crawl space repair, water management systems and concrete lifting.

Today, Groundworks operates more than 40 offices in 27 states, with more than 3,200 employees. It appeared on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing privately held companies.

In January 2020, Groundworks announced a partnership with the Cortec Group, a multibillion-dollar private equity firm. “They grind just like the men and women of Groundworks, and, most importantly, they value people,” Malone said in a statement. “We did diligence on numerous potential growth capital partners, but, after speaking with the CEO of the Cortec portfolio company, YETI, I was sold.”

In 2009, Malone founded Succession Capital Partners, the only professional buyout firm headquartered in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area. Prior to that, he spent several years working in finance.

A Rotary International Ambassadorial Fellow, Malone earned a bachelor’s degree from Hampden-Sydney College and holds a master’s degree in international finance from the University of Glasgow in Scotland.

RYAN T. McLAUGHLIN

CEO, NORTHERN VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, FAIRFAX

McLaughlin, who took the helm at NVAR in 2015, oversees a 32-person staff, as well as a Realtor school and store. NVAR represents about 13,000 real estate professionals from the Washington, D.C., metro area, making it one of the largest regional Realtors associations in the United States.

Previously, McLaughlin was CEO of the Greater Lehigh Valley Realtors in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He served on the Lower Macungie Township (Pennsylvania) Board of Commissioners from 2009 to 2015, and he holds a bachelor’s degree from East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and a master’s degree in political science from the State University of New York at Albany.

McLaughlin also serves as vice chair on the National Association of Realtors 2021 Association Executives Committee Roster and is a member of the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce board.

FIRST JOB: I worked at a local Italian cafe making cappuccinos and espresso drinks before Starbucks was a thing.

ONE THING I WOULD CHANGE ABOUT VIRGINIA: The traffic in Northern Virginia.

FAVORITE SONG: “Seek and Destroy,” by Metallica

BOB MILKOVICH

CEO, RAND CONSTRUCTION CORP., ALEXANDRIA

Milkovich joined Rand Construction Corp. in January 2019 as its chief, the culmination of more than 30 years of commercial real estate and leadership experience.

The privately owned, national commercial general contractor specializes in retail and restaurant construction, as well as tenant interiors and building renovations, and its projects include headquarters for Arlington’s Avalon Bay and the March of Dimes. Last year, six Rand projects won awards from the Associated Builders and Contractors group in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and the company exceeded $400 million in sales last year.

Milkovich previously was CEO and trustee of First Potomac Realty Trust, a Bethesda, Maryland-based publicly traded real estate investment trust; president of Spaulding & Slye Investments, a comprehensive real estate services and investment company; and region director for Archon Group LP, an investment and management arm of the merchant banking division of Goldman Sachs.

He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Maryland, where Milkovich was quarterback on the football team. Today, he serves on the board of directors for the University System of Maryland Foundation.

WILLIAM A. ‘BILL’ PAULETTE

FOUNDER, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, KBS INC., RICHMOND

In 1975, Paulette founded a one-person construction company with $1,000. Today, KBS Inc. delivers multimillion-dollar projects, including the Virginia Department of Transportation headquarters, the Virginia State Police Joint Operations Center and the 2013 expansion and renovation of the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk.

Last year, KBS completed a $25 million expansion of Richmond’s Virginia War Memorial, adding educational facilities, administrative office space, a lecture hall and a parking deck, as well as a new shrine honoring veterans from the Global War on Terror. KBS also built the museum’s 2010 expansion, which tripled its size. According to the company, 85% of KBS’ current projects are from repeat customers.

Known as “Bunny” among his fellow cadets at Virginia Military Institute, Paulette graduated in 1969 with a civil engineering degree. He’s served on the institute’s board of visitors and as president of the VMI Keydet Club. KBS also constructed VMI’s Paulette Hall, which houses locker room facilities. Growing up in South Hill, Paulette lived across the street from his future wife, Carolyn.

JON M. PETERSON

CEO AND CHAIRMAN OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, PETERSON COS., FAIRFAX

When he ascended to Peterson Cos.’ top role in 2018, Jon Peterson stepped into the large shoes of his father, Milton V. Peterson.

The senior Peterson died in May at the age of 85, with a legacy of building some of the Washington, D.C., area’s earliest planned communities in the 1970s with fellow developer Til Hazel. Milt Peterson was the developer behind Maryland’s National Harbor, a mixed-use waterfront destination that’s home to residences, stores, restaurants, the MGM National Harbor casino resort and an observation wheel. It drew more than 28 million annual visitors in pre-COVID times.

A Middlebury College alum and lacrosse aficionado, Jon Peterson serves on the George Mason University board of visitors. He’s also a member of the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance board and the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties’ Northern Virginia regional board.

MIKE PHILLIPS

PRESIDENT, MID-ATLANTIC OPERATIONS, BALFOUR BEATTY US, FAIRFAX

A Balfour Beatty team member since 1987, Phillips has overseen construction of more than 45 projects totaling $4 billion, including the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico and the $1.4 billion National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) Campus East Headquarters at Fort Belvoir.

In recent company news, Balfour Beatty, partnering with Greensboro-based Samet Corp., broke ground in February on the new Forsyth County Courthouse in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It’s slated to open in April 2023.

The company announced last year it had been awarded a $127 million redevelopment project to turn Washington, D.C.’s Randall School, which historically served African-American students, into an arts campus and residential apartment building.

The U.S. branch of the London-based corporation employs 4,500 people and reported $5 billion in revenue in 2020.

Phillips is a member of the Associated General Contractors of Virginia Inc., the Society of American Military Engineers and the American Society of Civil Engineers. He earned his bachelor’s in civil engineering from Penn State.

STEWART D. ROBERSON

CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, MOSELEY ARCHITECTS, RICHMOND

For more than four decades, Roberson worked in K-12 education, a career that included 16 years as superintendent of schools in Hanover County. For his life’s next chapter, he decided to try something different.

In 2011, Roberson took the helm at Moseley Architects, which serves clients in the K-12, higher education, civic, justice, senior living and multifamily housing sectors. The firm has performed work on the Fredericksburg Courthouse, James Madison University’s School of Business and Old Dominion University’s Kornblau Field.

During Roberson’s tenure, Moseley has merged with three other firms, most recently the Charleston, South Carolina-based Cummings & McCrady.

Even as he leads the architectural, engineering, planning and interior design firm, Roberson continues to work for Virginia’s students. In February, Gov. Ralph Northam appointed Roberson to the state Board of Education, and he’s chair of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education and the Standards of Learning Innovation Committee. He also sits on the board of trustees of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges.

Roberson earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Virginia.

COLIN ROBINSON

AREA MANAGER AND RICHMOND BUSINESS UNIT LEADER, GILBANE BUILDING CO., RICHMOND

Robinson joined Gilbane as a project engineer in 2000. Today, he leads the Richmond office for the Providence, Rhode Island-based construction company.

At the time of Robinson’s 2020 promotion, Executive Vice President Paul Choquette III described him as having led “some of the most complex and technical projects Gilbane has ever completed.” Robinson was project manager for the renovations of Richmond’s Carpenter Theatre, which reopened in 2009, and the Altria Theater, which was completed in 2014.

Last year, Gilbane completed a renovation of Altria Group’s corporate headquarters in Henrico County that included an addition, and the company is finishing construction of the Virginia General Assembly’s new 14-story tower, a $181 million project started in 2016.

Gilbane has more than 3,000 employees and reported $6.5 billion in 2020 revenue. A James Madison University alum, Robinson is a Richmond native.

LOUIS J. ROGERS

FOUNDER AND CEO, CAPITAL SQUARE 1031, GLEN ALLEN

In 2012, Rogers founded Capital Square 1031, a firm that helps investors qualify for tax cuts (under IRS Section 1031) by spending their earnings on other properties.

Rogers came from Hirschler, where he founded and led the law firm’s real estate securities practice group from 1987 to 2004. Additionally, he helped form and lead Triple Net Properties LLC, which became the nation’s largest sponsor of securitized Section 1031 exchange programs.

Capital Square has completed more than $3 billion in transactions since its founding, although that could change with the American Families Plan, a $1.8 trillion federal spending bill that would cap the 1031 exchange at $500,000.

Rogers’ firm has recently entered real estate development, focusing on tax-advantaged properties. The company is currently building three mixed-use developments in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood.

WHAT MAKES ME PASSIONATE ABOUT MY WORK: I live to work, and work is like play when you genuinely enjoy what you do.

HOW MY ORGANIZATION WEATHERED THE PANDEMIC: Capital Square has experienced real estate professionals who are able to get the job done from home, while on the road or from the office.

BEVERAGE OF CHOICE: Margarita

PAUL C. SAVILLE

PRESIDENT AND CEO, NVR INC., RESTON

In 2005, Saville was named CEO of NVR, a publicly traded homebuilding company that sells and constructs homes under the Ryan Homes, NVHomes and Heartland Homes brands.

One of the nation’s leading homebuilders, NVR was founded in 1980 and now serves home buyers in 14 states. The company also operates a mortgage banking and title services business.

Saville, who joined Ryan Homes in 1981 and worked his way up to chief financial officer in 1993, now leads about 6,100 full-time employees, up by 400 from the end of 2019. NVR reported more than $7.5 billion in 2020 revenue.

In 2018, Saville was the highest-paid CEO of a publicly held Virginia company, receiving $39.1 million, mostly in option awards, but his earnings came back down to earth in 2019 and 2020. Last year, he made $4 million in salary and bonuses. Saville is an alum of William & Mary and the University of Pittsburgh’s business school.

BENJAMIN W. SCHALL

PRESIDENT, AVALONBAY COMMUNITIES INC., ARLINGTON

Schall joined AvalonBay in January as president of the publicly traded real estate investment trust. He will succeed Timothy J. Naughton as CEO at the end of 2021, with Naughton transitioning to executive chair after more than 30 years at the company.

AvalonBay acquires, develops and manages multifamily communities across the country, and more than 650 of its 3,100 employees are based in Virginia. The company was on the 2021 Fortune 1000 list. As of March 31, it owned or held interest in 290 apartment communities, with most of its Virginia holdings in Fairfax and Arlington counties and Alexandria.

A graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard Business School, Schall previously was president and CEO at Seritage Growth Properties, a New York-based publicly traded real estate investment trust. He also held executive roles at Rouse Properties Inc. and Vornado Realty Trust.

KYLE SCHOPPMANN

PRESIDENT, MID-ATLANTIC DIVISION, CBRE GROUP INC., WASHINGTON, D.C.

Schoppmann oversees day-to-day strategic direction, performance and growth of her division for all CBRE lines of business, and she is a member of CBRE’s diversity, equity and inclusion council, which has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for the last eight years.

After joining CBRE as managing director of brokerage services in 2007, Schoppmann quickly moved up to senior marketing director and later to executive managing director. The Duke University and University of Michigan graduate was managing director for CBRE’s tri-state region before taking her current post. She also has received several honors for her work, including being named one of Washingtonian magazine’s Most Powerful Women in Washington in 2019.

NEW LIFE EXPERIENCE: I enjoy cycling and used to race mountain and road bikes. When my local spin studio closed due to the pandemic, I bought a Peloton and love it!

FAVORITE VACATION DESTINATIONS: Paris and Kauai, Hawaii. For a quick getaway, Delray Beach, Florida.

WHAT I’VE LEARNED: Be yourself and play to your strengths, especially in new situations. Remember that no one can be you the way you can be you.

DONALD E. ‘DON’ STONE JR.

CEO, THE DEWBERRY COS. INC., FAIRFAX

Stone, who has more than 35 years of engineering experience, took the reins at Dewberry in 2010. Two years earlier, he arrived at the family-owned planning, design and construction firm as chief operating officer and leader of the infrastructure engineering services practice.

During his tenure, Stone has overseen several significant acquisitions, including Alabama-based Edmonds Engineering. Dewberry, which has more than 2,000 employees and more than 50 offices, reported $463 million in 2020 revenue.

In March, the firm won a $2.6 million contract to develop the state’s first Coastal Resilience Master Plan, and in May, the Virginia Department of Transportation selected the firm to provide engineering services for the $200 million widening of Interstate 81 in Roanoke County and Salem. Previously, Dewberry was lead consultant on Virginia Beach’s Sea Level Wise project and worked on developing a coastal protection plan for Louisiana.

Before joining Dewberry, Stone spent 25 years at O’Brien & Gere, where he rose to president of the company’s total water solutions division. A graduate of the Citadel, Stone served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, retiring as a captain in 1983.

TERRIE L. SUIT

CEO, VIRGINIA REALTORS, GLEN ALLEN

Suit was named CEO of Virginia Realtors, the state’s largest trade association, which supports about 36,000 Realtors and real estate professionals, about eight years ago.

Getting her start in the industry in 1985 as a Realtor, Suit went on to work for about two decades in mortgage lending.

In 1999, Suit, a Republican, was elected to the House of Delegates, serving until 2008. In 2010, Gov. Bob McDonnell appointed Suit to be assistant to the governor for commonwealth preparedness and later named her Virginia’s first secretary of veterans affairs and homeland security.

Suit earned her associate degree at Tidewater Community College, her bachelor’s degree in political science from Old Dominion University and an MBA from the University of Mary Washington.

HOBBY/PASSION: I am frequently called the Crazy Cat Lady due to my passion for taking in rescue cats. At one time we were up to 13, but now we are down to only five, with a sixth about to join our family.

MOST RECENT BOOK READ: “Where the Crawdads Sing,” by Delia Owens.

ONE THING I WOULD CHANGE ABOUT VIRGINIA: Not a thing. I love Virginia.

DERRICK SWAAK

PARTNER AND MANAGING BROKER, TTR SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY, McLEAN

Swaak came aboard TTR Sotheby’s International Realty as a partner in 2007, and he serves as managing broker for the high-end residential markets in McLean and The Plains.

A Cornell alumnus with degrees in hotel administration and business, Swaak is currently president of the Northern Virginia Association of Realtors, which has more than 12,000 members.

Before joining Sotheby’s, Swaak was vice president of national sales for Realogy Corp., and he was employed earlier in hotel development, acquisitions and franchise sales.

In 2018, he was appointed to a task force to develop a long-term redevelopment plan for downtown McLean, where his family lives, and Swaak previously served as board chair of the McLean Project for the Arts.

HOBBY: Hiking

WHAT I WAS LIKE IN HIGH SCHOOL: Studious and adventurous

FIRST JOB: Bellman in a hotel

ALBERT G. ‘BEAU’ VAN METRE JR.

CHAIRMAN AND PARTNER, VAN METRE COS. INC., FAIRFAX

Beau Van Metre’s father, Albert G. Van Metre Sr., founded Van Metre Cos. in 1955 as a builder of single-family homes. Today, the real estate company has about 500 employees and subsidiaries in development, construction, apartments and commercial real estate.

Beau Van Metre became vice chairman of the privately held company in 2002, and in 2008 he was appointed chairman. The firm is behind the construction of about 16,000 houses and major office and retail projects in Fairfax and Loudoun counties, and in 2020 the company earned $350 million in revenue, down from $436 million in 2019.

Van Metre and his sister, Alison Van Metre Paley, established the Van Metre Family Foundation, which benefits education, the arts, veterans, people living in poverty and animal welfare. The foundation has donated more than $3.3 million to charities since 2014, including donating a parcel of land in Loudoun for Capital Caring’s The Adler Center for palliative care. Van Metre also donated 37 acres in Ashburn to George Mason University in 2009.

Van Metre’s son-in-law is NASCAR driver Kurt Busch, and his daughter Ashley is a professional polo player who was on a 2018 team with Prince Harry.

LEE WARFIELD

PRESIDENT, CHAIRMAN AND CEO, CUSHMAN & WAKEFIELD | THALHIMER, RICHMOND

As president, chairman and CEO of one of Richmond’s oldest commercial real estate firms, Warfield is responsible for strategic direction and leadership for the firm’s 10 offices and 450 associates in Virginia and South Carolina. He’s overseen the successful launch of Thalhimer offices in Hampton Roads, western Virginia and the Carolinas.

Since joining Thalhimer as an associate broker in 1995, Warfield has represented national retailers such as Home Depot, Sam’s Club and Kroger. After rising through the ranks, Warfield was promoted to president in 2011. In 2016, he became the firm’s CEO, making him only the fourth person to hold that position since Thalhimer’s founding in 1913.

In May, the company announced a partnership with Richmond-based Cyberclean Systems to use robot vacuums to clean and disinfect commercial spaces.

Warfield serves on the board of directors of Sports Backers, a Richmond nonprofit that organizes annual races, including the VCU Health Richmond Marathon and the Ukrop’s Monument Avenue 10K. A James Madison University graduate, Warfield enjoys playing basketball and tennis and is a Boston Celtics fan.