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Northrop Grumman awarded nearly $200M in DOD contracts

Falls Church-based Fortune 500 defense contractor Corp. has been awarded two contracts worth nearly $200 million to complete projects for the , according to a March 31 Department of Defense announcement.

One contract, worth more than $98 million, calls for providing materials, including sensors, assemblies and battery kits to support the Navy’s Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures systems, which defend aircraft against surface-to-air infrared missiles. Northrop Grumman will integrate the systems, which counter missiles with a high-intensity laser beam, for Navy, Marine Corps, Army and Air Force aircraft, according to the Pentagon.

Another $99.6 million contract calls for the design, procurement, development, testing and integration of hardware and software of satellite communications equipment for Relay Ground Station-Asia, located in Guam. The work will enable continued operations of early missile warning and missile defense satellites and sensors. Work is expected to be complete by March 31, 2027.

 

White House taps Va. HBCU presidents for advisory board

The presidents of and are on the list of intended appointees to the ‘s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the Biden administration announced on March 31.

Virginia State University President Makola M. Abdullah, Norfolk State University President Javaune Adams-Gaston and Janeen Uzzell, CEO of the Alexandria-based National Society of Black Engineers made the list from the commonwealth. Other board members from outside Virginia include Academy Award-nominated actress Taraji P. Henson, United Airlines President Brett Hart, TIAA President and CEO Thasunda Brown Duckett and NBA star Chris Paul of the Phoenix Suns.

The board will work to advance the Initiative, which President Jimmy Carter’s administration originally established to increase the participation of in federally sponsored programs and reduce and eliminate barriers to participating in those programs. signed an executive order in September 2021 reestablishing the initiative.

In February, Biden appointed Dietra Trent as executive director of the HBCU Initiative. Trent served as state secretary of education under former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and then as chief of staff to former state Secretary of Education Anne Holton, U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine’s wife, when Holton served as George Mason University’s interim president.

Abdullah became Virginia State University’s 14th president in 2016. Before that, he served as provost and senior vice president at Bethune-Cookman University. He previously was the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Memorial University, and prior to that, dean and director of 1890 land grant programs at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University.

“This initiative gives me an opportunity, in my capacity as VSU president, to also work closely with the Executive Office of the U.S. President on key administration priorities related to advancing educational , excellence and economic opportunities for HBCUs,” Abdullah said in a statement. “I am proud to serve on this board which allows me to continue to advocate for the transformative work of HBCUs.”

Abdullah holds bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees in civil . He received his undergraduate degree from Howard University and his master’s and doctorate degrees from Northwestern University. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. and a member of multiple boards and committees, including the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College and the Council of Presidents for Virginia Institutions of .

Adams-Gaston became the seventh president of NSU in June 2019. Since then, the school has secured more than $7 million in public and private partnerships with corporations including Apple Inc., Netflix Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Bank of America Corp. and Dominion Energy Inc.

Adams-Gaston

“I am honored to serve on President Biden’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” Adams-Gaston said in a statement. “I appreciate the confidence the administration has in appointing me to serve on such a distinguished board. I look forward to collaborating with my fellow board members as we work to improve the outcomes for students who attend our historic institutions.”

Prior to becoming NSU’s president, Adams-Gaston served as senior vice president for student life at The Ohio State University. Before that, she had held several roles at the University of Maryland, including associate dean in academic affairs, assistant athletic director and graduate faculty member. She had a practice as a licensed psychologist for 25 years.

Uzzell is CEO of the Alexandria-based National Society of Black Engineers, a student-governed organization. She was previously the chief operating officer of Wikimedia Foundation Inc., which operates Wikipedia, where she helped launch the Wikimedia Knowledge Equity Fund to address racial inequities in free knowledge.

She previously held several roles in General Electric Co.’s health care technologies sector, including as head of women in technology. Uzzell also served as global director of external affairs and technology programs, director of health care programs at GE Africa and director of global health care programs.

Uzzell received her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and an MBA from Fairleigh Dickinson University. She has been recognized with a United Nations Global Leadership Award.

Prince William chamber leader announces retirement

Prince William and CEO Debbie Jones will retire at the end of the year, the organization announced Monday.

Jones has served in the position since July 2014 after joining the chamber in 2010 to serve as its chief operating officer. She previously served 17 years as the president and CEO of the Prince William County-Greater Manassas Chamber, which merged in 2010 with the Prince William Regional Chamber to form the Prince William Chamber.

Gayle Whitlock, chair of the chamber’s board of directors, said in a statement that Jones led through “good times and the hard with energy, enthusiasm, optimism and confidence in our region’s business community.”

“She has been a connector, cheerleader and good friend to businesses and organizations both large and small,” Whitlock said, adding that Jones leaves the chamber “in a great place – with a strong base, capable and committed staff, strong leadership on the board, and a membership ready to tackle today’s opportunities and challenges.”

Jones told Virginia Business that she’s proud of the chamber for surviving a worldwide pandemic, including “coming out really stronger on the other side.” Jones said a transition group from the chamber will convene to begin a search for a new leader.

“I’ve had the opportunity to really work with so many great over these years,” Jones said.

Mitre Corp. names new VP of enterprise operations

The has promoted to a new role of vice for enterprise operations, the McLean- and Bedford, Massachusetts-based nonprofit announced March 30.

Kirin, a retired Army colonel, will be responsible for the operation, planning and measurement of ‘s corporate strategy, objective and long-term measures, according to a news release. He joined Mitre in 2002 and has held senior leadership roles at the organization supporting the and the U.S. Department of . He most recently directed Mitre’s Office of Strategy and Talent Management.

“Steve has deep technical expertise and knowledge of Mitre’s mission critical programs for our government sponsors and possesses the highest level of integrity,” said Mitre President and CEO Jason Providakes in a statement. “He brings an ability to set a vision, devise a strategy, and influence and collaborate with executives in a complex environment.”

Kirin spent 27 years in the Army and in his last tour, served as its senior military analyst leading teams in applying advanced operations research and simulations to address the service’s organizational and operational problems.

Kirin has served on a Defense Science Board study to explore the use of experimentation to enable future technological superiority. He also completed a two-year fellowship with the Rand Corp., studying public policy and strategic defense issues. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and has a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College as well as two master’s degrees in operations research and applied mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Mitre manages federally funded research and development centers. It was founded in 1958 and has 8,200 employees.

Virginians bet $402M on sports in February

Virginians bet almost $402 million in February, according to data released April 1 by the Virginia .

Virginia sports bettors won more than $374 million in February. Since the state legalized in mid-January 2021, Virginia has recorded $4.1 billion in wagers.

February’s gross revenue was a decrease of more than $83.6 million from January, when the state reaped about $485.5 million. Bets on the , which was played Feb. 13, totaled almost $33.16 million, according to the Lottery.

“January was the majority of the NFL playoffs, and casual sports bettors love nothing more than NFL playoffs and March Madness,” said , the managing editor of PlayVirginia and PlayFL. “So there were just more games that they were willing to bet on. Even though the Super Bowl is incredibly popular and one of the most heavily bet on events of the year, in February, that’s it.”

Year-over-year comparisons are better indicators of market maturity than month-over-month because of the calendar of sporting events, Schult said. Virginians wagered about $265.78 million in February 2021.

“Essentially this is what we expected to see because of the growth in the market,” Schult said. “The first year we saw pretty explosive growth in Virginia, and that’s due to mainly the way that they set up the market,” allowing online and mobile or app-based betting — more convenient for bettors — instead of waiting for brick-and-mortar locations.

Although sports betting sees seasonal slumps, this year’s monthly revenues should exceed the previous year’s totals.

“Since it’s still a somewhat new market, we expect to see growth even through the rest of the year,” Schult said.

The 11 licensed operators included in February’s reporting were Betfair Interactive US LLC (FanDuel) in partnership with the Washington Commanders; Crown Virginia Gaming LLC (Draft Kings); BetMGM LLC; Rivers Portsmouth Gaming LLC (Rivers Portsmouth); Caesars Virginia LLC (William Hill); WSI US LLC (Wynn); Golden Nugget Online Gaming VA LLC, Bally’s Corp.; Penn Sports Interactive LLC; Unibet Interactive Inc.; Colonial Downs Group LLC; Digital Gaming Corp. VA LLC; VHL, VA LLC; and HR LLC.

The state placed a 15% tax on sports betting activity based on each permit holder’s adjusted gross revenue. With four operators reporting net positive adjusted gross revenue, the monthly for February totaled $1.4 million. Since its approval to date, the state has reaped about $24.62 million in taxes.

Midlothian lighting company promotes exec to CFO

Midlothian-based and company promoted Sean Acton to chief officer on Thursday.

Acton was the company’s controller for about two years, and he will continue to oversee the team until the company hires an accounting manager. Acton will take on oversight of the purchasing, inventory and production teams.

“Shades of Light has been around for a number of years,” Acton said, “and being part of something that’s continuing to grow year after year is exciting.”

The former , Denise Burr, will continue to serve as chief operating officer for Shades of Light. She was serving as both CFO and COO, but the company is splitting the role because of its growth in headcount and complexity.

Before he joined Shades of Light, Acton was controller for Zamma Corp., and before that, he served as vice of finance for Cerro Fabricated Products. Acton previously was the senior controller for Devils Backbone Brewing Co. Prior to that, he served as vice president of operations for Woolrich Inc., where he was also in charge of inventory and purchasing.

“Expanding into some of the other areas I’ve been responsible for outside of just finance is also exciting,” Acton said.

Acton holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania.

Founded in in 1986, Shades of Light is now headquartered in and has a customer service call center, a warehouse and an outlet there, as well as a retail store in Richmond. The company has more than 200 employees and ships to every state.

Bristol temporary casino to open July 8

Hard Rock International Inc. will open its in July 8, the company announced Thursday.

The 30,000-square-foot temporary full-service featuring 900 gaming slots and 20 tables for gaming operations will open at 500 Gate City Highway, the former . It is expected to generate 600 .

In February, the casino named Allie Evangelista its president.

“We are excited to open the casino, and welcome guests,” said Jon Lucas, chief operating officer of Hard Rock International, in a statement. “As Virginia’s first casino, ‘Bristol Casino – Future Home of Hard Rock’ will be a wonderful addition to the Hard Rock global portfolio of dining, hotel and entertainment properties.”

The permanent casino remains on track to open in July 2024, two years after the opening of the temporary casino, a spokesperson said. The 90,000-square-foot permanent facility will include a 3,200-seat performance venue and a 20,000-person capacity outdoor entertainment venue.

Hard Rock has hired about 100 employees so far, with the bulk of them due to start within 3o to 45 days of the opening of the temporary casino, a spokesperson said. More local hiring events are planned, including two this week.

 

 

Hunton Andrews Kurth promotes execs

Virginia’s second-largest firm, -based LLP, has named a new executive committee chair, the firm announced Monday.

Randall S. Parks will succeed George C. Howell III as the chair of the firm’s executive committee. Parks joined the firm (then Hunton & Williams LLP) in 1988. Howell served as chair for five years, and is now chair emeritus. He will continue his active tax practice as a partner, a firm spokesperson said.

“Randy is a resolute leader who is dedicated to the firm’s strategic vision,” Managing Partner Wally Martinez said in a statement. “His demonstrated commitment to the success of the firm and our core values will continue to drive Hunton Andrews Kurth’s bright future.”

Parks has more than 30 years of experience. He served as the co-chair of the firm’s corporate team, head of the global technology and outsourcing practice group and co-chair of the retail and consumer products industry group.

“We thank George for his many contributions to the firm while serving as chair of our executive committee,” said Martinez. “His devoted and astute leadership has been critical to Hunton Andrews Kurth’s success.”

Waller

The firm also has a new general counsel. Greg Waller will succeed Robert M. Rolfe in the role. Waller has more than 25 years trial experience and his practice includes commercial litigation, products liability cases, corporate investigations and white-collar criminal matters. He has been the firm’s assistant general counsel for the past four years and co-led the firm’s commercial litigation practice. Waller joined the firm in 1996, when it was Mayor, Day & Caldwell, which later merged with the former Andrews & Kurth LLP.

Rolfe served as the firm’s general counsel for more than 20 years. He will now serve as special counsel and general counsel emeritus and will continue his active litigation practice, a spokesperson said.

Hunton Andrews Kurth has more than 900 lawyers across 13 offices in the U.S., Asia, Europe and the Middle East. About 196 of its 900 attorneys are in Virginia.

In addition to Monday’s changes, the firm also announced the promotions of 14 other attorneys.

Va. Beach shopping center sells for $8.5M

A shopping center near Lynnhaven Mall in has sold for $8.5 million.

The Lynnhaven East and North Mall Shops, at 2701 and 2704 N. Mall Drive, have been sold by , but the buyer has not been disclosed, according to Colliers.

The property has 106,524 square feet and more than 96,000 square feet across the two parcels are vacant, according to Colliers. Dick’s Warehouse and Chipotle occupy space there.

The unnamed buyer has plans for “a repositioning and a re-tenanting of the centers” a Colliers spokesperson said.

Report: More cuts needed to meet net zero by 2050

Clean energy policies enacted in Virginia put the state on the path to cutting carbon emissions, but the commonwealth likely won’t reach net zero emissions by 2050 without more work, according to a new report released Monday by ‘s Environmental Resilience Institute.

The report set carbon dioxide emissions reductions mandated under the 2020 Virginia Clean Energy Act (VCEA) as a baseline for helping to determine additional mitigation needs. If the state implements current policies under the act, it will still need to capture and sequester 40 million tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere per year if it wants to reach net zero for greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

“The good news is, is that we have lots of pathways to get to net zero and some of them … need more work, but they have the promise of being cost-effective,” Leon Szeptycki, an author of the report and associate director of U.Va.’s resilience institute told Virginia Business. “And one of those pathways which will almost certainly be necessary is taking carbon out of the atmosphere, because there are going to be emissions that are just too hard to cut. Reducing the amount of carbon in the atmosphere also … at least creates the possibility that [it] will hold climate change to manageable levels.”

The state Department of Environmental Quality estimates that the commonwealth currently emits about 140 million tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gases annually, according to the report. Transportation is the biggest contributing sector, totaling nearly 49 million tons, followed by industry at 25.2 million tons and commercial and residential at 24.7 million tons and 23.7 million tons respectively.

Forests and other natural strategies help to remove about 50 million tons of that. But relying on natural strategies, including reforestation and agricultural practices as well as wetland and seagrass restoration, won’t likely be enough. The report says such strategies could help sequester or mitigate an average of 8.6 million tons of carbon dioxide in addition to what they’re currently providing.

Former Gov. Ralph Northam and other state lawmakers lauded the VCEA as putting the commonwealth at the forefront of other Southern states for helping to combat climate change. Chief among its headlines are net zero goals for electricity production for Inc. by 2045 and others by 2050. But some of those efforts have become a target for Republican lawmakers, emboldened by the shift in the power balance in the House of Delegates and the election of Gov. Glenn Youngkin in November 2021.

To comply with the mandates, -based Dominion, the state’s largest energy producer, has focused initiatives on solar and other projects, including the construction of a $9.8 billion offshore wind farm being constructed off ‘s coast. While U.Va.’s report accounts for such mandates in its report, it doesn’t account for other possible changes, including a rollback of the VCEA or other state or federal measures, or, for example, shifts in transportation trends.

The report is intended to offer an initial look at possible pathways for responding to climate change, Szeptycki said, adding that in a connected economy, it’s difficult to look at Virginia in a vacuum. He said he hopes researchers will do additional looking into potential solutions and the impacts of those to communities.

“I think the good news is,  it’s something that, if we put our minds to it, we could get to net zero by 2050, which is kind of amazing when you think about how much fossil fuels we burn,” he said. “And, we can do it at a manageable cost. The trickier thing, though, is how much work it will take to get there, and it will take a lot of work.”