In August 2021, Tyson Foods Inc., one of the world’s largest food companies, announced it will invest $300 million to establish a 325,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Pittsylvania County, creating 376 full-time jobs.
Just two months later, Tyson broke ground on the project at Cane Creek Centre, an industrial park just outside Danville that’s jointly owned by the city and Pittsylvania.
“This project represents the largest investment made by a single manufacturer within our community in over 30 years,” says Corrie Bobe, Danville’s economic development director.
Construction crews began work on the plant in December 2021, with completion scheduled in early 2023.
“This project is exciting,” says Linda Green, executive director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance. “Tyson is a well-known name. It’s been in Virginia for decades.”
Tyson has had a footprint in Virginia for more than 50 years and employs more than 2,000 people across the state in its hatchery, grain and processing operations in Glen Allen and on the Eastern Shore.
The new facility will be one of the company’s “most automated facilities,” Green adds. “They have increased the use of robotics and automation because of our workforce.”
The process to bring Tyson in lasted up to nine months, which is not “very long in the economic development world,” says Matt Rowe, economic development director for Pittsylvania County. “We were competing against a pretty large geographic area.”
The key driver in Tyson’s decision to locate to Southern Virginia was the region’s investment in a robust workforce training program that includes training in skills such as mechatronics and robotics.
“In fact, the company adjusted its model for this facility, adding more robotics and automation, based on the technical skills developed within our training programs,” Bobe says.
The company also secured grants from the state, including $3 million from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund and $3 million more from the Virginia Investment Performance Grant for creating jobs. The state’s Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission also approved $1.5 million for the facility, plus other incentives from the Virginia Enterprise Zone Program and the Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit.
Danville Community College and Pittsylvania Career and Technology Center are partnering with the Virginia Economic Development Partnership’s Talent Accelerator Program to provide workforce training, a real plus for the region, Rowe adds.
“Tyson viewed us as a community, but one where they could put their dream plant with all the automation and new technology they wanted. We are training people in that so they could implement new technology,” he says.
The facility will be used primarily for the production of fully cooked Tyson-branded foods, including chicken nuggets and items from its Any’tizer Snacks line.
The company plans to buy 60 million pounds of Virginia-grown chicken during the next three years, and it will complement other companies in the rapidly growing food products sector in Danville and Pittsylvania.
The Tyson facility will be directly across from the Aerofarms indoor vertical grow facility, which will produce leafy greens, and slightly more than a mile from Litehouse Inc., producer of salad dressings, herbs and cheeses, and Buitoni Foods, a maker of refrigerated pasta and sauces.
“For me, Tyson’s commitment to the communities they are in is important. Because of the company’s commitment to its employees, it felt like it was a good fit for the kind of company you want to bring into the community,” Green says. “Because they use Virginia products in their own products, it will be a wonderful tie between agriculture and manufacturing.”
“We’ve had operations in Glen Allen and Temperanceville for decades and look forward to growing our relationships with our newest investment in the commonwealth of Virginia,” David Bray, Tyson’s group president of poultry, said in a statement.
“We are building this state-of-the-art facility to help us meet growing demand for our fully-cooked products from customers and consumers. We started as a small family business selling chicken, and today we work hard to give the community a great place to come to work and provide for their own families.”
You can hear the pride in Bill Mosher’s voice when he talks about his dad, Ken Mosher, and his career in the medical glove business.
“He was in the glove industry for almost 50 years,” Bill Mosher says incredulously.
Ken Mosher’s storied career includes being part of a team that in 1990 invented the nitrile glove, an alternative to latex gloves used in industrial and food preparation environments. He worked in the industry when the majority of medical gloves were still produced in the United States and later watched the industry move offshore.
By 2000, the elder Mosher had founded Omni International Corp., which handled U.S. and Canadian marketing, sales and distribution of medical gloves manufactured in Asia. He retired in 2015, but it didn’t take.
A few years ago, as Bill tells it, his father began discussing plans to bring medical glove production back to the United States.
“He reached out to some folks that he knew from the industry,” Bill says. “He reached out to a few kind of new folks who had some more experience with starting businesses here in the U.S. And he kind of put this plan together with this team in order to create this new company.”
That company is Blue Star NBR LLC, which is investing $714 million to build an advanced nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) manufacturing facility and a nitrile glove production operation on 255 acres in Wythe County‘s Progress Park. The project is expected to create 2,500 jobs by 2028.
Construction on the NBR manufacturing facility began in January and it’s expected to be operational by August. The first of Blue Star NBR’s six planned glove manufacturing plants is scheduled to open by March 2023, with five more plants opening between 2023 and early 2028. When it’s operating at full capacity, Blue Star NBR plans to manufacture 20 billion nitrile gloves per year — about 18% of the nation’s current supply.
“The U.S. uses about 110 billion gloves per year and that’s growing at 9% a year,” says Blue Star NBR CEO Scott Maier.
The project was initially a joint venture with Delaware-based American Glove Innovations Inc. (AGI), but that deal fell through in January, Maier says. However, he adds, that will not impact the timeline or Blue Star’s investment or hiring plans.
Plans for Blue Star were in the works before the first cases of COVID-19 hit the United States, creating a severe shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), including masks, gowns, gloves and other items.
Experts credit several factors for the shortage. A big one, of course, was that few PPE manufacturing facilities were located in the United States. Leaders in countries that did have PPE operations began stockpiling gloves and masks for domestic use.
Blue Star ended up locating in Southwest Virginia largely because Bill Mosher, now vice president of operations for Blue Star NBR, called up Maier, a college buddy. After some conversations, Maier came on board as CEO.
An Alexandria resident, Maier brings to the job 20 years of private equity, venture capital and manufacturing experience. In 2015, he founded Bird Dog Distributors, a medical and surgical supply company based in Clintwood, a town in Dickenson County.
Maier picked Clintwood after searching for areas designated as Historically Under-
utilized Business Zones, otherwise known as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s HUBZone program. It provides businesses located in these areas with some federal contracting incentives if they meet certain conditions, such as business size and number of workers living in the area.
He’s grown to be a champion of Southwest Virginia. “I like this area,” Maier says. “I like the workforce that’s here, and I just try to bring any business opportunity I can to this area.”
For David Manley, executive director of the Joint Industrial Development Authority of Wythe County, seeing the mammoth deal come to fruition after so much state and local work elicits feelings of pride.
“We’ve heard words like ‘game changer’ and ‘generational,’” Manley says. “And I don’t disagree with any of those characterizations. Economic developers want to improve the quality of life for communities in which they work. This is a [development] that will have positive benefits for decades to come.”
Josh Lewis, executive director of the Virginia Industrial Advancement Alliance, an agency that supports economic development efforts for several communities in Southwest Virginia, began working with Blue Star last spring.
Lewis knew Lot 24 at Progress Park could handle the massive operation that Blue Star NBR had planned. “I think everybody felt pretty comfortable that the site and the location opportunity that we were presenting to the company was a strong candidate,” he says. That didn’t mean the deal was in the bag, however.
“A lot of prospects come down and you feel optimistic, and then it doesn’t work out,” Lewis says. “But this one did.”
In an increasingly digital world, the nature of what being influential means continues to evolve, but true influence—and the accompanying power it brings to gain support and buy-in for big ideas—requires more than just clicks, likes and followers.
Virginia Business’ annual list of the commonwealth’s 50 most influential people provides our take on the state’s top movers and shakers. And to better reflect our annual Virginia 500 issue, this year’s list has been enlarged to include representatives from business, nonprofits, media, state government and higher education.
Some new entrants to this year’s list, such as Pulitzer Prize-winning Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist Michael Paul Williams, are here in recognition of their impact as thought leaders. Others, such as newly promoted Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. CEO Chris Kastner, are included in acknowledgment of the power and prominence their positions carry.
Read on to learn how each of these individuals are shaping Virginia.
Agee
Nancy Howell Agee, president and CEO, Carilion Clinic, Roanoke
Why she is influential: Agee leads nonprofit health system Carilion Clinic, which serves more than 1 million people in Virginia and West Virginia and is the Roanoke Valley’s largest employer. The health system partners with Virginia Tech in the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. Over the next seven years, Carilion will invest more than $1 billion through expansions and modernizations of its buildings, including a 500,000-square-foot expansion of Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
Recent developments: In January, Agee was picked to serve on Gov. Glenn Youngkin‘s medical advisory team, which is briefing him on the pandemic. Also, in July 2021, work started on the $15 million renovation of Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital, and in October 2021, Carilion opened a new hub for children’s services at Tanglewood Mall in Roanoke County. Meanwhile, the health system is raising $100 million for a new cancer center.
Asbury
John C. Asbury, president and CEO, Atlantic Union Bankshares,Richmond
Why he is influential: Asbury became Atlantic Union’s president in 2016 and its CEO in 2017, and then built the company into the largest regional bank headquartered in Virginia, with 1,918 employees and 130 branches. He is the chairman of the Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America and chaired the Virginia Bankers Association in 2020-21.
Recent developments:The bank opened two new locations in Richmond in 2021, and is set to close 16 branches by March. As of Dec. 31, 2021, the bank reported total assets of $20.1 billion and a net annual income of $252 million. Amid the Great Resignation and competition for talent, Atlantic Union expanded its parental leave to include fathers and adoptive parents, and Asbury has provided vocal support of a hybrid work model for employees who can work from home.
Aston
G. Robert Aston Jr., executive chairman, TowneBank, Portsmouth
Why he is influential:Aston co-founded TowneBank in 1999 and grew it into the largest regional bank in Hampton Roads, with more than 40 locations and 1,800 employees in Virginia. He began his banking career in 1964 and has held leadership roles with Citizen Trust Co., Commerce Bank and BB&T of Virginia. Aston is a board member for Virginia Wesleyan University, the Virginia Business Higher Education Council, Reinvent Hampton Roads and the GO Virginia Foundation. In the fourth quarter of 2021, TowneBank reported total assets of $16.36 billion.
Recent developments:Aston was named the 2021 First Citizen of Hampton Roads by the Hampton Roads Chamber in December 2021, and Forbes named TowneBank the No. 16 “Best Bank in America” last year. In July 2021, TowneBank acquired Tennessee-based vacation property rental company Venture Resorts Inc. In January, TowneBank announced that co-founder and CEO J. Morgan Davis will retire this year, but Aston will continue to serve as executive chairman for his three-year term.
Barkin
Thomas I. Barkin, president and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond,Richmond
Why he is influential:Barkin has led the Fed’s Fifth District since 2018, overseeing monetary policy and security of the financial system that employs 2,700 people and oversees a region that includes Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the Carolinas. Before joining the Richmond Fed, Barkin spent 30 years at global consulting firm McKinsey & Co. A member of the Emory University board of trustees, Barkin is also an avid golfer and serves on the U.S. Golf Association’s executive committee.
Recent developments:Barkin has noticed the challenges faced by small and rural towns in his travels for the Richmond Fed. Education, broadband, labor and health obstacles remain common themes barring some communities from success. In January, Barkin addressed the Virginia Bankers Association and Virginia Chamber in a financial forecast event, saying that the country has seen a 28% boost in household net worth in the past two years, but supply chain issues are likely to last for another year.
Bland
Gilbert T. Bland, chairman, The Giljoy Group, Virginia Beach
Why he is influential: A native of King George County, Bland has run a restaurant management group with 70 fast food restaurants throughout Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C., for more than 30 years. He also is president and chairman of the Urban League of Hampton Roads and served as chair of the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Bland is a board member for Sentara Healthcare and a member of Truist Financial Corp.’s community advisory board.
Recent developments: In September 2021, the Urban League received $2.5 million from the Virginia Housing Development Authority’s Sponsoring Partnerships and Revitalizing Communities (SPARC) program to assist Black first-time homebuyers in Hampton Roads. Bland also enlisted music superstar Pharrell Williams as keynote speaker for the Urban League’s 38th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Community Leaders event, held virtually in January.
Blue
Robert M. “Bob” Blue, chair, president and CEO, Dominion Energy Inc., Richmond
Why he is influential:Blue took over the commonwealth’s largest utility in October 2020 after working in a variety of roles at the Fortune 500 company for a decade and a half. Richmond-based Dominion operates in 16 states, delivering energy to more than 7 million customers. Blue’s tenure aligns with new state clean energy mandates, including carbon-free generation by 2045. To help attain that, Dominion is developing a 2.6-gigawatt, $9.8 billion commercial offshore wind farm 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast that’s expected to help diversify Hampton Roads’ economy. Blue serves on the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. He’s also a member of the University of Virginia’s board of visitors.
Recent developments: Dominion completed the sale of its Questar Pipelines in December 2021 in a deal valued at $1.97 billion. Blue said at the time that the sale of the pipeline, which provides transportation and underground storage in Utah, Wyoming and Colorado, would help fund the utility’s clean energy plans. Dominion also ordered 176 turbines for its offshore wind farm from Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy S.A. Parts and blades for the turbines will be constructed at the Spanish firm’s new Portsmouth facility.
Bouie
Jamelle Bouie, opinion columnist, The New York Times, Charlottesville
Why he is influential:A University of Virginia graduate, Bouie joined the Times in 2019 as a columnist and also is a political analyst for CBS News. Bouie grew up in Virginia Beach and lives in Charlottesville, and on his Instagram feed, you’ll see local photos he takes with a collection of cameras. Before joining the Times, Bouie covered politics for The Daily Beast and Slate, and he occasionally tweets about Charlottesville municipal politics.
Recent developments: Bouie’s New York Times columns about police violence, health care and voting rights won a Hillman Prize last year, a recognition of his impact on social justice. He’s also a resident scholar this academic year at the U.Va. Center for Politics. On the lighter side, he co-hosts a podcast about post-Cold War thriller movies, and reviews breakfast cereals for website Serious Eats.
Boykin
Jennifer Boykin, president, Newport News Shipbuilding, and executive vice president, Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc.,Newport News
Why she is influential: Boykin has led operations at Newport News Shipbuilding since 2017, the first woman to do so. With about 25,000 employees, it is the state’s largest industrial employer, and the shipyard plans to add another 3,000 skilled tradespeople and engineers in 2022. The company is the nation’s only builder of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and reports about $4 billion in annual revenue. In 2019, NNS was awarded part of the U.S. Navy’s largest shipbuilding contract, worth $22.2 billion, to build nine submarines.
Recent developments: In March 2021, the Biden administration ordered a 10th submarine, which bumped up NNS’ contract share to $9.8 billion. Other projects are at various stages of work, including upgrading the $13.3 billion aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, which is expected to leave on its maiden deployment later this year. Three other Ford-class carriers are under construction with delivery expected during the next decade. Boykin was named alumnus of the year in 2021 by the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s alumni association.
Branch
Victor Branch, Richmond market president, Bank of America Corp.,Richmond
Why he is influential: Branch has been with Bank of America for nearly four decades and in 2015 was named president of the Richmond region, where he oversees 20 branches and 2,000 employees. He sits on the boards of ChamberRVA, Venture Richmond and the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, as well as the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges. Branch also serves on boards for his alma maters, including William & Mary’s board of visitors. He chairs the Richard Bland College Committee.
Recent developments: Branch’s team was awarded the bank’s first Anne Finucane Community Impact Award last year for their volunteerism and philanthropy. Branch believes the award is the result of how quickly his team reacted during COVID-19, including making a $100,000 grant to Area Congregations Together in Service, which helped 13,000 local families, 80% of which were led by single Black women.
Cullen
Richard Cullen, counselor to Gov. Glenn Youngkin,Richmond
Why he’s influential:Formerly senior partner and chairman of McGuireWoods, Cullen has spent his long legal career in and out of public service. He served on the election recount team for President George W. Bush in 2000, and was U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia from 1991 to 1994. He also served as Virginia’s attorney general during George Allen’s term. At McGuireWoods, he represented Vice President Mike Pence during special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election, and led the legal team for the parents of Otto Warmbier, the University of Virginia student who died of injuries sustained in North Korea.
Recent developments:In January, Cullen announced he was departing the firm to join Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s Cabinet as counselor. He previously assisted Virginia Military Institute during a state probe into systemic racism in 2020, though the college switched firms early last year. He also led the investigation for Eastern Virginia Medical School into a racist photo in Gov. Ralph Northam‘s yearbook pages that surfaced in early 2018.
DuVal
Barry DuVal, president and CEO, Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Richmond
Why he is influential:DuVal is in his 12th year leading the chamber, which acts as the voice of Virginia’s business community. A former state secretary of commerce and trade, DuVal has grown chamber membership from 847 in 2010 to more than 28,000 businesses at the start of 2022. In the past year, membership grew by about 1,100 members. He’s also a past mayor of Newport News and was president and CEO of Kaufman & Canoles Consulting LLC.
Recent developments: The chamber released its statewide economic development strategic plan, Blueprint Virginia 2030, in December 2021, and is working with Gov. Glenn Youngkin on supporting the state’s business priorities. In the past year, Virginia earned recognition from Business Facilities for having the nation’s Best Business Climate and ranked No. 1 as a Top State for Business on CNBC’s annual list for an unprecedented second time in a row.
Fairbank
Richard Fairbank, co-founder, chairman, CEO and president, Capital One Financial Corp., McLean
Why he is influential:Fairbank started Capital One in 1994 and steered the bank to No. 99 on the 2021 Fortune 500 list. As of
Dec. 31, 2021, Capital One had $432.3 billion in assets. Fairbank hasn’t taken a base salary since 1997, but his total compensation for 2020 was $20.1 million, mostly due to a $16.75 million equity payout.
Recent developments: In December, Fairbank paid a $637,950 civil penalty from the Federal Trade Commission, settling claims for violating antitrust laws in finalizing acquisitions of company stock. A Treasury Department bureau levied a $390 million fine against Capital One in January 2021 over federal violations related to a former check processing and security unit that closed in 2014. Capital One has delayed reopening offices, announcing in October 2021 that it would not forecast a new date for implementing a hybrid work schedule. Also in October 2021, the new 1,600-seat Capital One Hall for the performing arts opened in Tysons.
Fralin
W. Heywood Fralin, chairman, Retirement Unlimited Inc., Roanoke
Why he is influential: A significant donor to both the University of Virginia, his alma mater, and Virginia Tech, as well as Roanoke Valley organizations, Fralin was first an attorney and then a health care executive. Currently he is the chair of Retirement Unlimited Inc., which operates several assisted living facilities across the state and manages three others in Florida. The company is looking to expand throughout the Southeast, Fralin says. He also sits on the boards of the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation Inc. and GO Virginia. A $50 million donation in 2018 from Fralin and his wife, Cynthia, and their family trust to Virginia Tech’s Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke was the largest philanthropic gift in the university’s history.
Recent developments: Medical Facilities of America Inc., which operates 39 skilled nursing facilities across Virginia and was previously chaired by Fralin, was sold to Richmond-based Innovative Healthcare Management in June 2021.
Stephen A. Edwards,CEO and executive director, Virginia Port Authority, Norfolk
Why he is influential:Edwards stepped into the top leadership role at the Virginia Port Authority in early 2021, as pandemic-related consumer demand and cargo surges triggered record volumes at the Port of Virginia. The port, which operates six terminals and a chassis pool, processed a record 3.5 million TEUs (20-foot equivalent units) during 2021, up from 2.8 million in 2020. Edwards serves on the boards of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Through Transport Mutual Insurance Association Ltd.
Recent developments: According to a report issued in January by the William & Mary Mason School of Business and Mangum Economics, the port set records in fiscal year 2021, including generating more than $100.1 billion in ancillary economic impact. Meanwhile, dredging work continues to make the Norfolk Harbor the East Coast’s widest and deepest port. An $80 million expansion of Norfolk International Terminal approved in November will increase capacity from 350,000 container lifts annually to 610,000, and two new ship-to-shore cranes with the capacity to lift two 20-foot-long containers simultaneously are expected to be in use by summer.
Gifford
William F. “Billy” Gifford Jr.,CEO, Altria Group Inc., Henrico County
Why he is influential: As of April 2020, Gifford, the former president and CEO of Altria subsidiary Philip Morris USA, has led the parent company, which employs 5,500 people in the United States. In fiscal year 2021, Altria reported $26 billion in net revenue, down 0.5% from 2020, and Gifford predicted a growth rate of 4% to 7% in 2022 during the company’s earnings call in January. Gifford serves on the boards of Anheuser-Busch InBev — in which Altria has a 10% stake — and Catalyst Inc., a nonprofit that focuses on building workspaces with women in mind.
Recent developments:Altria was forced to stop selling its IQOS tobacco heating device in 2021 after the International Trade Commission found that the device violated rival R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co.’s patents. In January, Altria said it expects the device to remain off the market throughout 2022. In October 2021, Altria sold its winemaking division, Ste. Michelle Wine Estates, for $1.2 billion to a New York private equity firm.
Gilbert
C. Todd Gilbert, speaker, Virginia House of Delegates, Shenandoah
Why he is influential:A lawyer in the Shenandoah Valley who was formerly House minority leader, Gilbert became House speaker in January after Republicans regained control of the legislative body in a sweep last Election Day. A former Shenandoah County prosecutor, Gilbert has received “A” ratings from the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the National Rifle Association.
Recent developments: Although Democrats still control the state Senate, Gilbert is in a greater position of power after the election of Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who led the winning GOP ticket with newly elected Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears and Attorney General Jason Miyares. Gilbert’s priorities for the 2022 General Assembly session included rolling back a 2020 act requiring the state to transition to all clean energy by 2050, increasing charter school options and providing tax rebates of $300 per individual or $600 for joint tax filers.
Gilliland
Amy Gilliland, president, General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church
Why she is influential: Having guided General Dynamics’ IT business through its 2018 merger and integration with CSRA Inc., Gilliland oversees 30,000 employees, including 8,250 in Virginia. GDIT’s president since 2017, she has taken an active role in supporting employee wellbeing and eliminating the stigma around seeking mental health support. She serves on the boards of The Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and the Northern Virginia Technology Council and has helped raise awareness for Rett syndrome through a research trust.
Recent developments:GDIT opened a center in St. Louis to advance the development of new tech as well as career paths for employees from nontraditional backgrounds. It also won a five-year, $4.5 billion award last year from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for user-facing and data center services for multiple locations worldwide. Other recent awards include a $829 million contract for IT help desk services for the Defense Intelligence Agency and a $518 million task order from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command.
Harmon
Jonathan P. Harmon,chairman, McGuireWoods LLP, Richmond
Why he is influential: Since 2017, Harmon has led the state’s largest law firm as its first Black chairman. Harmon learned how to lead in the Army, where he served in the 1st Cavalry Division during Operation Desert Storm. He’s also a nationally recognized trial lawyer who has led the firm’s business and securities department, as well as its diversity and inclusion initiatives. His clients include Verizon Communications Inc., DuPont de Nemours Inc., Yahoo Inc., International Paper Co. and CSX Corp. Harmon was one of five civilian experts retained by the U.S. Army to investigate the command climate at Fort Hood, Texas, after the murder of Spc. Vanessa Guillén, releasing a 136-page report in December 2020.
Recent developments: In January 2022, Harmon’s wife, Rhonda, died at 59 from leukemia. They met while both served in the Army, and she was also a lawyer, specializing in civil rights law while working at Mezzullo & McCandlish LLP. The couple volunteered as prison ministers through Faith Landmarks Ministries.
Hoskins
Victor Hoskins, president and CEO, Fairfax County Economic Development Authority,Fairfax
Why he is influential: Hoskins joined Fairfax County in August 2019 on a career high, having helped seal the deal to bring Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2 campus to Arlington, where he was director of economic development. He also was deputy mayor for planning and development in Washington, D.C., during a time of rapid growth and redevelopment, and co-founded the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance, an organization promoting regional cooperation. During his time in Fairfax, Hoskins has worked with about 330 companies, adding more than 24,000 jobs in Virginia’s most populous county. He also serves on the board of directors for the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, as well as its advisory board for diversity, equity and inclusion.
Recent developments: Fairfax continued to bring in new companies during the pandemic, including global management consulting firm Guidehouse Inc., which opened a new headquarters with 1,500 workers in Tysons in January. StarKist Co. is set to move its headquarters to Reston this year, and software firm Qualtrics announced in December 2021 a $15.9 million expansion to create 400 more jobs.
Huseman
Brian Huseman,vice president of public policy, Amazon.com Inc., Arlington
Why he is influential: Since 2012, Huseman has been involved in public policy for the e-tail giant, taking his current position in 2016. He is a former U.S. Department of Justice attorney and Federal Trade Commission general counsel, and much of his current work entails getting permits and meeting deadlines and other expectations at Amazon’s HQ2 campus in Arlington, a $2.5 billion-plus project expected to produce 25,000 jobs by 2030. He also acts as an advocate for the company on Capitol Hill.
Recent developments: Two towers comprising the first phase of Amazon’s HQ2 campus, known as Metropolitan Park, are expected to open in 2023, and as of December 2021, 3,500 people have been hired for HQ2. Also moving along is the county’s approval process of HQ2’s second phase, a three-building project known as PenPlace that will include the spiral-shaped Helix structure. In January, Amazon took a stance in favor of federal decriminalization of marijuana, with Huseman saying it would remove barriers to hiring people with prior convictions.
Why she is influential: Johnson’s Middleburg-based Salamander Resort & Spa routinely lands on top destinations lists. Similarly, Johnson is no stranger to Forbes’ list of America’s Richest Self-Made Women, ranking last year at No. 39, with an estimated net worth of $750 million. But, Johnson, who co-founded the BET Networks and who also has a stake in three Washington, D.C., professional sports teams, told CNN Business that she’d prefer the wealthy be defined by how they give back, rather than their bank balances. Johnson founded the Middleburg Film Festival and has worked to increase diversity in education, the arts and the hospitality industry. With ownership stakes in the WNBA Mystics, NBA Wizards and NHL Capitals, she is the only Black woman with ownership in three professional sports teams.
Recent developments: In addition to operating properties in Jamaica, South Carolina and Florida, Salamander was selected in December 2021 to manage Colorado’s Aspen Meadows Resort, owned by The Aspen Institute. Johnson also led fundraising efforts to construct the U.S. Park Police Horse Stables and Education Center on the National Mall.
Jones
Dr. J. Stephen Jones, president and CEO, Inova Health System, Falls Church
Why he is influential: A renowned cancer physician and urologist, Jones says the quality of research and patient care at Inova attracted him to Northern Virginia’s largest not-for-profit hospital system, which he’s led since 2018. With five hospitals, Inova’s workforce includes more than 18,000 employees, 1,936 licensed beds and the region’s only Level I Trauma Center. Jones previously was Cleveland Clinic’s president of regional hospitals and family health centers and served as professor of surgery at Case Western Reserve University’s medical college.
Recent developments: Inova’s $1 billion plan to renovate, modernize and expand its Alexandria Hospital on the site of the vacant Landmark Mall took a step forward when the city purchased a portion of the property and leased it to the health system late last year. Inova also announced it would open a long-term acute care facility at its Mount Vernon Hospital later this year. The expansion fills a gap in Inova’s health care delivery by offering expert treatment for its patients closer to home.
Kastner
Chris Kastner, president and CEO, Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., Newport News
Why he is influential: On March 1, Kastner was promoted to lead the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, replacing Mike Petters, who is now executive vice chairman of HII’s board. Kastner became HII’s chief operating officer in February 2021, having served as its chief financial officer and executive vice president since 2016. He also was vice president and CFO of Ingalls Shipbuilding, the Mississippi-based division, and held several executive roles at Northrop Grumman Corp. before that. Kastner serves on boards for Eastern Virginia Medical School and WHRO Public Media.
Recent developments: In addition to the leadership change, 2021 remained busy for HII. A nearly $3 billion contract awarded in early 2021 for the nuclear refueling and modernization of aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis added to the company’s work backlog of $48 billion. HII also completed the $1.65 billion, all-cash purchase of McLean-based defense contractor Alion Science and Technology Corp., which will become part of HII’s Technical Solutions division. HII employs 44,000 people worldwide, including more than 20,000 who work for Newport News Shipbuilding, the state’s largest industrial employer.
Kern
Howard P. Kern,president and CEO, Sentara Healthcare, Norfolk
Why he is influential: Kern has spent 40 years in health care, serving in hospital administration, insurance and finance roles. Since 2016, he has led the $9.8 billion, 12-hospital system, which was ranked one of the nation’s top five health systems last year by Fortune and IBM Watson Health. Sentara has embarked on a massive renovation of Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and opened the $93.5 million Sentara Brock Cancer Center in 2020.
Recent developments:In February, Kern announced his intent to retire later this year. A search for his successor is underway. In December 2021, Sentara signed an agreement with Old Dominion University and Eastern Virginia Medical School to collaborate more closely on health care for the Hampton Roads region, which Kern said is the largest metropolitan area without a state university-based medical school. Sentara also announced last summer that it was stepping away from a proposed merger with North Carolina’s Cone Health, which would have created an $11.5 billion system with 17 hospitals. Sentara also agreed last year to support the creation of a School of Public Health with $4 million divided between ODU and Norfolk State University.
Krone
Roger A. Krone, chairman and CEO, Leidos Holdings Inc., Reston
Why he is influential: Since 2014, Krone has led the
$12 billion Fortune 500 federal contractor, which employs 43,000 people worldwide. Leidos’ mission is to make the world “healthier, safer and more efficient through technology, engineering and science,” Krone said in a video last year announcing the company’s “Move the Needle” challenge, which awarded a year’s salary to
10 randomly selected workers who had been vaccinated against COVID-19. A licensed pilot, Krone was elected to the National Academy of Engineering last year and chairs the Professional Services Council.
Recent developments:Krone was named Washington Business Journal’s 2021 COVID-19 Response Leader in its annual CEO awards for his efforts to keep employees and others safe during the pandemic. Leidos won several significant federal contracts in the past year, including a $600 million deal to support the Army by collecting, processing, storing and disseminating unclassified geospatial information for the Army Geospatial Center’s Buckeye airborne surveillance program.
McDuffie
Mary McDuffie,president and CEO, Navy Federal Credit Union, Vienna
Why she is influential: McDuffie joined the world’s largest credit union in 1999 and ascended to the top leadership role in 2018. During that time, it has continued to grow. With more than 11 million members and $151 billion in assets, the credit union boasts more than 20,000 employees and contractors. Last year, it ranked No. 15 on Fortune’s list of 40 Best Large Workplaces in Financial Services and Insurance. McDuffie oversaw the launch of the credit union’s first ever mobile app; now, 70% of its members bank digitally through the app and Navy Federal’s website.
Recent developments:While many financial institutions have closed branches during the pandemic, Navy Federal expanded during the past year, albeit slowly, growing from about 340 to 350 branches. Recent additions include branches in California, Texas and Kansas. According to industry news site Banking Dive, about half of the credit union’s branches are located within three miles of a military installation.
McGlothlin
Jim McGlothlin, chairman and CEO, The United Co., Bristol
Why he is influential: McGlothlin was a founding partner and then sole owner of the United Coal Co., now The United Co., which sold its coal mine holdings in 2009. He is perhaps best known now as a co-developer, along with Par Ventures LLC President Clyde Stacy, of the $400 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, which will be in the former Bristol Mall. McGlothlin and Stacy were instrumental in changing state gambling laws to allow casinos in select Virginia cities. McGlothlin and his wife, Frances Gibson McGlothlin, have been major donors to their alma mater, William & Mary, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
Recent developments:In early December 2021, Hard Rock International Inc. began construction on a temporary casino, which is scheduled to open in the former women’s Belk store by midyear — which would make it the first commercial casino to open in the state. Hard Rock expects the temporary casino to create 600 jobs, while the permanent casino should create 2,000 direct jobs and 1,500 indirect jobs.
Novakovic
Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO, General Dynamics Corp., Reston
Why she is influential: In 2021, Forbes ranked Novakovic — Virginia Business’ 2020 Business Person of the Year — the world’s 30th most powerful woman. The former Pentagon and federal Office of Management and Budget official has steered the Fortune 100 aerospace and defense company since 2013, and its annual revenue in 2021 hit $38.5 billion, up 1.4% from 2020. Novakovic serves on the board of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and chairs the Association of the U.S. Army board of directors.
Recent developments: In March 2021, General Dynamics won a $2.4 billion contract option from the U.S. Navy to build a 10th Virginia-class submarine, adding to its December 2019, $22.2 billion contract for nine submarines, the largest ever awarded by the Navy. Last year, the company also landed a spot on a $4.45 billion Air Force contract for the U.S. Defense Department’s Special Access Program as well as a $219 million Homeland Security contract for the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ contact center.
Nassetta
Christopher J. Nassetta,President and CEO, Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc., McLean
Why he’s influential:Nassetta has been president and CEO of Hilton since 2007. A member of the World Travel & Tourism Council’s executive board, he also serves on CoStar Group Inc.’s board and chaired The Real Estate Roundtable. At the end of 2021, Hilton had more than 6,800 hotels in 122 countries and territories, with more than 2,000 additional hotels in the pipeline. Hilton added more than 400 hotels last year.
Recent developments: Hilton added 14,700 rooms and approved another 23,600 rooms for development, bringing Hilton’s development pipeline to 404,000 rooms by the end of September 2021. Although the hospitality sector has been greatly impacted by the pandemic, most Hilton hotels that closed temporarily in 2020 have reopened. In a December 2021 interview with Bloomberg, Nassetta said he was confident the business travel market would rebound. Nassetta was named the 2021 Hospitality Executive of the Year by Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management and the university’s Hotel & Restaurant Society.
Pleasant
Dan Pleasant, chief operating officer, Dewberry; chairman, Virginia Economic Development Partnership, Danville
Why he is influential:Pleasant rose through the ranks to become COO at Dewberry, a Fairfax-based nationwide professional services firm with 2,000 employees and 50 offices nationwide. In July 2021, he became chairman of the 17-member board of directors of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, which has helped bring economic development opportunities such as Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2 East Coast headquarters to the state. The board’s longest serving director, Pleasant has also worked with the Future of the Piedmont Foundation to foster opportunities in Danville and Pittsylvania County.
Recent developments: Pleasant is leading VEDP’s nationwide search for a new president and CEO, following Stephen Moret’s exit at the end of 2021, after the state was named CNBC’s Top State for Business twice in a row. In November 2021, the board tapped Jason El Koubi, VEDP’s executive vice president, as interim president and CEO. The organization also is heavily focused on getting more industrial sites project-ready with state investment.
Rizer
Buddy Rizer,executive director, department of economic development,Loudoun County
Why he is influential: Loudoun’s reputation as the world’s “Data Center Alley” continued in 2021, with at least $5.8 billion in data center investments, according to the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. Rizer, who joined the county in 2007, has been the architect behind the county’s worldwide prominence as a data center destination. He sits on several boards, including the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Washington Airports Task Force. Before he was known as a driving force in economic development, Rizer was radio station WWDC DC101’s manager.
Recent developments: DXC Technology is moving its headquarters from Tysons to Ashburn’s One Loudoun campus, the IT services company announced in September 2021. Also in the works is the Rivana at Innovation Station project, a 4.4 million-square-foot mixed-use development next to the future Silver Line extension just over the border from Fairfax County. Loudoun Economic Development has been instrumental in the project, which will be built on land the county pitched as a potential home for Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2.
Rock
Rear Adm. Charles “Chip” Rock, commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, U.S. Navy, Norfolk
Why he is influential: Since 2018, Rock has led 14 installations from Wisconsin through North Carolina, five of which are in the Hampton Roads area. The military’s financial impact on Virginia is undeniable; in fiscal 2020, the service accounted for $15.8 billion in direct local spending, down about $650 million from the previous year. In fiscal year 2020, nearly 90,000 active-duty Navy and Marine Corps personnel served in Hampton Roads alongside 52,000 civilians and contractors. Rock is a member of the Virginia Council on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children and serves on the board of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.
Recent developments:In a first, the Navy struck an economic development deal with Virginia Beach in summer 2021 to lease land on Naval Air Station Oceana to private business for in-kind services. The city has about 1,000 acres left to develop; about 400 of those are on Oceana, Rock says.
Rozanski
Horacio D. Rozanski, CEO, Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean
Why he’s influential: The Argentina native became CEO of the Fortune 500 management and information technology consulting firm in 2015, rising from his 1991 entry as an intern in Booz Allen’s Buenos Aires, Argentina, office. He’s helped guide the firm through the separation of its government and commercial businesses into two companies, its initial public offering in 2010 and its strategic shift to focus on mission-critical, high-margin solutions. Rozanski chairs the Children’s National Medical Center board.
Recent developments: In June 2021, Booz Allen Hamilton acquired Herndon-based Liberty IT Solutions LLC for $725 million, integrating it into its Civilian Services Group. In the last quarter of 2021, productivity declined at Booz Allen due to the omicron variant of COVID-19, Rozanski said during a late January earnings call. The firm cut its growth outlook for its current fiscal year, which ends March 31, from 7-10% down to 5.7-7.2%.
Ryan
James E. Ryan, president, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
Why he is influential: Head of the state’s flagship public university since 2018, Ryan is also an alumnus of U.Va.’s law school. He previously was dean of Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist. In recent years, he has led a $5 billion capital fundraising campaign and dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic with remote teaching and learning, as well as requiring vaccinations of all students and employees to enter Grounds, although that mandate was dropped in 2022 after Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares issued a new ruling.
Recent developments:U.Va.’s 2018 capital campaign has hit $3.8 billion, thanks in part to two recent $50 million gifts. A June 2021 donation from alumni Martha and Bruce Karsh will establish the Karsh Institute of Democracy, and a second gift by philanthropist Tessa Ader will go toward building a new performing arts center. Both will be on the Emmet-Ivy Corridor, a 14.5-acre parcel envisioned as a gateway to the university.
Sands
Timothy “Tim” Sands,president, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
Why he is influential:Virginia Tech’s profile has grown since Sands’ arrival in 2014. While construction begins on the $1 billion Virginia Tech Innovation Campus in Alexandria, the university’s student diversity is growing. Underrepresented minorities and Pell Grant-eligible, first-generation and veteran students now make up 40% of incoming classes. Sands also chairs the boards of Jefferson Science Associates LLC and the Virginia Space Grant Consortium.
Recent developments:In May 2021, The Boeing Co. pledged $50 million to foster diversity at the Innovation Campus, followed by a $12.5 million gift in November 2021 from Northrop Grumman Corp. for the satellite school’s quantum information science and engineering programs. In December 2021, alumnus Norris E. Mitchell and his wife, Wendy, made the largest single-donor gift in Virginia Tech’s history: $35 million to establish a new engineering school building in Blacksburg. A $90 million, 139,000-square-foot addition to the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC in Roanoke opened in October 2021, and Tech announced in August 2021 that its $1.5 billion “Boundless Impact” fundraising campaign launched in 2019 has already exceeded $1 billion and is on track to reach its goal by 2027.
Saylor
Michael J. Saylor, chairman and CEO, MicroStrategy Inc., Tysons
Why he is influential: The head of a data mining technology company with major corporate clients worldwide, Saylor is best known in recent years as a high-profile cryptocurrency booster. Between August 2020 and Nov. 29, 2021, MicroStrategy invested $3.57 billion in bitcoins, which have fluctuated wildly in value. Saylor is a constant presence on Twitter, proclaiming the good news about bitcoin.
Recent developments: In January, Saylor told Bloomberg News that he never intends to sell the company’s 124,391 bitcoins, which at the time were worth about $5.2 billion. MicroStrategy’s stock has risen and fallen over the past
18 months, following the cryptocurrency’s worth, and Saylor has predicted that eventually the coins — which hovered around $41,000 in January — will be worth $6 million each one day. On Feb. 1, Saylor interviewed Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey as part of MicroStrategy’s “Bitcoin for Corporations 2022” conference. During the conversation, Dorsey criticized Facebook for pursuing its own failed cryptocurrency strategy rather than supporting bitcoin.
Shea
Stu Shea, chairman, president and CEO, Peraton Inc., Herndon
Why he is influential: A longtime leader in national security, Shea built some of the CIA’s first computer systems, founded the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation and oversaw the split of Science Applications International Corp. into Leidos Holdings Inc. and a new SAIC. He now heads a national security contractor that is undergoing a giant integration, having purchased Chantilly IT contractor Perspecta Inc. and Northrop Grumman Corp.’s federal IT and mission support services business for a combined $10.5 billion in 2021.
Recent developments: Peraton is in the process of moving its headquarters from Herndon to Reston, a migration that should be complete by September. Corporate leadership, three business sectors and Peraton’s Mission Capability Innovation Center will be housed in the Reston Town Center office. According to the company, Peraton has 19,000 employees and 150 offices worldwide, and is reviewing its office footprint.
Snyder
Dan Snyder,co-owner and co-CEO, Washington Commanders, Ashburn
Why he is influential:Majority owner of the Loudoun County-headquartered NFL team since 1999, Snyder has had a busy and controversy-filled year. Under pressure from corporate sponsors, Snyder dropped the team’s 87-year-old Redskins name, which was broadly perceived as racist to Native Americans. After a year with the interim Washington Football Team moniker, the team announced in February that its permanent name would be the Washington Commanders. The former owner of Snyder Communications LP, Snyder ranked No. 281 on Forbes’ list of wealthiest Americans in 2021, with a net worth of about $4 billion. Forbes also ranked the team No. 5 on its list of most valuable NFL teams, estimating its worth at $4.2 billion.
Recent developments: In June 2021, the NFL fined the team $10 million after 15 former employees alleged they were sexually harassed and verbally abused during Snyder’s tenure, and one former employee accused Snyder of harassing her. Tanya Snyder, his wife, was named co-CEO in June 2021, with Snyder temporarily stepping away from day-to-day duties. In April 2021, Snyder and his family members purchased minority ownership shares and became 100% team owners. Gov. Glenn Youngkin and other state lawmakers are interested in bringing the Commanders’ new stadium to Loudoun or Prince William counties.
Staton
Travis Staton, president and CEO, United Way of Southwest Virginia,Abingdon
Why he is influential: Staton has led the United Way of Southwest Virginia since 2005 and guided it through eight mergers and acquisitions into a key player in the region’s economic and workforce development. He oversees the organization’s work to improve the health, education and financial stability of Virginians across 17 counties and four cities — nearly 20% of the state and its poorest region. Staton led the creation of the Ignite Program, designed to build a talent pipeline from schools to the workforce. In 2018, Charity Navigator named the innovative Southwest chapter one of the 10 best United Way chapters out of more than 1,200 nationwide.
Recent developments: In December 2021, the United Way of Southwest Virginia launched Ready SWVA, an initiative to expand access to affordable child care and increase the number of credentialed teachers. Child care in Southwest Virginia can nearly cancel out a parent’s take-home pay, Staton said when announcing the initiative.
Stacy
Clyde Stacy, president, Par Ventures LLC, Bristol
Why he is influential: A Bristol native, Stacy is a former coal mining magnate who headed Rapoca Energy Co. In 2018, he bought the former Bristol Mall for $2.6 million and approached his friend Jim McGlothlin, CEO of The United Co., about building a casino there. The two were instrumental in getting the state General Assembly to legalize commercial casinos in economically challenged Virginia cities and are co-developers of the $400 million Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol.
Recent developments: In July 2021, the licensed medical cannabis processor that Stacy had invested in, Dharma Pharmaceuticals LLC, sold to Chicago-based Green Thumb Industries for $80 million. Also, with Hard Rock International Inc.
having begun construction of the temporary casino quarters at Bristol Mall, the city is expected to have gaming opportunities by midyear, pending approval of its license by the Virginia Lottery Board.
Sweet
Julie Sweet,CEO and chair, Accenture, Arlington
Why she is influential: Sweet became the Fortune Global 500 professional services company’s global chief in 2019, having joined the Irish company in 2010. In September 2021, she also became chair of the corporation’s board. Previously a partner at the New York law firm Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP, Sweet serves on the World Economic Forum’s board and chairs the board of Catalyst Inc., a global nonprofit that promotes women-friendly workplaces.
Recent developments: In 2021, Sweet named David Droga, founder and chairman of ad agency Droga5, as CEO of Accenture Interactive, the company’s marketing arm. The hire is viewed as a move to bring more creative fire to the consultancy, with an aim to win clients from traditional ad agencies. During January’s World Economic Forum conference in Davos, Switzerland, Sweet emphasized that corporations with strong environmental sustainability plans are more profitable overall.
Thompson
Bruce L. Thompson, CEO, Gold Key | PHR, Virginia Beach
Why he is influential: The 2021 Virginia Business Person of the Year, Thompson is a major player in Hampton Roads’ hospitality sector, having renovated the historic Cavalier Hotel in Virginia Beach as the centerpiece of his $435 million Cavalier Resort, a 21-acre group of hotels, restaurants and housing at the Oceanfront. Gold Key | PHR employs 1,700 people and owns 20 properties worth more than $500 million. A longtime political insider, he has chaired the inauguration committees for several governors on both sides of the aisle, most recently overseeing the nine official inauguration events for Gov. Glenn Youngkin, including the swearing-in ceremony.
Recent developments: Gold Key | PHR is in the final stage of the resort’s construction, with the Embassy Suites expected to open in January 2023. Thompson also is part of a development team that has proposed one of three competing plans for the redevelopment of Norfolk’s Military Circle Mall, which would see an amphitheater as the centerpiece of a $663 million multiuse development.
Thompson
Warren Thompson, founder, president and chairman, Thompson Hospitality Corp., Reston
Why he is influential: A lifelong entrepreneur who grew up in Windsor, Thompson started the nation’s largest minority-owned food and facilities management company in 1992, an empire that now includes several restaurants and chains, as well as dining services clients including universities, hospitals and corporations. Thompson serves on the boards of Performance Food Group Co. and Duke Realty Corp. and is a trustee at his alma mater, Hampden-Sydney College.
Recent developments: In November 2021, Sizzle Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) for which Thompson serves as a board director, closed its initial public offering at $155 million, at $10 per unit. The company is initially focusing on restaurant, hospitality, retail and real estate businesses seeking to go public. Sizzle is led by Chairman and CEO Steve Salis, a co-founder of the Washington, D.C.-based &pizza chain.
Terry
Eric Terry, president, Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association, Richmond
Why he is influential: In 2014, Terry began channeling his three decades of hospitality experience into leading VRLTA, serving as the voice of the 1,500-member association. During the past two years, he has been calling attention to the ongoing financial effects of COVID-19 on hotels and other hospitality businesses — particularly those in Northern Virginia that rely on business travel — by lobbying lawmakers for relief and speaking with news media.
Recent developments: In April 2021, Terry sent a letter to the chairs of the General Assembly’s appropriations committees asking lawmakers to dedicate $270 million of the state’s federal American Rescue Plan funding to helping hospitality-related industries. In its August 2021 special session, the General Assembly approved a plan for the funding, including then-Gov. Ralph Northam’s proposal to allocate $353 million for small business recovery and assisting the tourism industry. Virginia Tourism Corp. received $50 million of that funding to distribute among the state’s 133 localities for destination marketing. Today, the industry continues to struggle with labor shortages and supply chain problems, Terry has noted.
Jim VandeHei, co-founder and CEO, Axios Media Inc., Arlington
Why he is influential:The co-founder of Politico and a former reporter for The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, VandeHei launched Axios as an inside-the-Beltway bullet-point news site in 2016. Since then, more than 2.1 million people have subscribed to its daily newsletters, and the publication was valued at $430 million after a round of funding from Atlanta-based media and communications conglomerate Cox Enterprises Inc. The digital media startup was expected to bring $83 million in revenue in 2021. VandeHei serves on the boards for The Pulitzer Prizes and the Partnership for Public Service.
Recent developments: In December 2021, after 57 episodes, HBO chose not to renew Axios’ documentary series for a fifth season. The Axios Local newsletter is up and running in 14 “test cities,” with plans to expand to 25 cities by mid-2022, according to a New Year’s Day statement from VandeHei. Axios Pro, three paid subscription newsletters focused on financial tech, retail and health care tech, started in January. Last year, the company launched Axios HQ, an email product for companies to start their own internal newsletters using the Axios style.
Warden
Kathy J. Warden, chairman, CEO and president, Northrop Grumman Corp., Falls Church
Why she is influential: Warden has led aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman since 2019, having joined the Fortune 500 company in 2008 after working for General Dynamics Corp. and Veridian Corp. A James Madison University graduate, she serves on several boards, including Merck & Co. Inc. and the Aerospace Industries Association.
Recent developments: Northrop Grumman received a $1.4 billion Army contract in January for production of the Integrated Battle Command System, which will serve as a centerpiece to the service’s modernization of air and missile defenses. December 2021 saw the launch of the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which Northrop Grumman helped to manufacture, and NASA awarded the company a $3.19 billion contract to support rocket production for its Artemis program through 2031. According to Northrop Grumman’s fourth quarter 2021 earnings call in January, its sales fell by 15% in the final three months of 2021 due to labor and supply chain shortages. Warden predicted sales between $36.2 billion and $36.6 billion this year, below prior forecasts of $37.03 billion.
Williams
Michael Paul Williams, columnist, Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond
Why he’s influential: For the past three decades, Williams has chronicled his hometown’s story as a columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch. In June 2021, he won the Pulitzer Prize for Commentary, based on a series of columns focusing on Richmond’s racial justice movement following the May 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Williams was the first Black columnist at the Richmond newspaper, which had been a prominent voice for the Massive Resistance movement against desegregation in the 1950s and 1960s. He is also a former Nieman Fellow at Harvard University.
Recent developments: After winning the Pulitzer and the 2021 Pell Center Prize for Story in the Public Square, Williams continues to hold public officials to account in his twice-weekly column. Upon the September 2021 removal of the Robert E. Lee monument in Richmond, Williams wrote, “If we define ourselves only by what we take down, the result will be as empty as those pedestals.”
Williams
Pharrell Williams, musician, producer, developer and philanthropist, Miami/Virginia Beach
Why he is influential: A music superstar perhaps best known for his international hit single “Happy,” Williams has produced and performed on numerous hip-hop and pop hits over the past two decades, winning 13 Grammys. The Virginia Beach native also has focused more energy on his hometown in recent years. On the front burner is the $325 million Atlantic Park surf park and entertainment center under construction in the Oceanfront area. Williams also entered a bid to redevelop Norfolk’s Military Circle Mall that would include an arena, office space and a hotel.
Recent developments: In September 2021, Williams wrote a letter to the Virginia Beach city manager saying he would not bring his successful Something in the Water music festival, last held in 2019, back to the city, citing the city’s handling of the investigation into his cousin’s March 2021 killing by a Virginia Beach police officer. In the letter, Williams charged that the city is run with “toxic energy.” However, Williams maintains close ties with Norfolk State University, where his Elephant in the Room business conference was held in November 2021.
Witynski
Michael A. Witynski, president and CEO, Dollar Tree Inc., Chesapeake
Why he’s influential:In 2020, Witynski became Dollar Tree’s president and CEO, a decade after joining the company as senior vice president of stores. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming president and chief operating officer in 2017. Before joining Dollar Tree, he spent 29 years in the grocery industry. A Fortune 500 company, the discount retail giant operates under the brands Dollar Tree, Family Dollar and Dollar Tree Canada and runs more than 15,900 stores worldwide, employing more than 193,000 people.
Recent developments:At the end of 2021, Dollar Tree hiked prices to $1.25 at its stores nationwide for the first time, saying that it would allow the stores to sell discontinued products at the $1 price. Although customers scolded the chain via social media for the decision, sales increased 2.6% to $19.23 billion in the first three quarters of 2021, compared with the same period in 2020, and executives anticipated net sales in the fourth quarter between $7.02 billion and $7.18 billion.
Youngkin
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Virginia governor, Richmond
Why he is influential: A Virginia Beach and Richmond native who spent his career in finance, including as co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, Youngkin won a close race against his Democratic rival, former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, in November 2021. Walking a fine line between appealing to Virginia’s Trump supporters and more moderate suburban voters, Youngkin led a GOP sweep of all three statewide offices, and Republicans regained control of the Virginia House of Delegates after two years of Democratic power in Richmond. He has quickly become a national figure and a model for other GOP candidates.
Recent developments: With some political observers anticipating a moderate platform from Youngkin, the newly inaugurated governor instead signed a dozen executive orders in his first week that loosened mask policies and banned the teaching of critical race theory in K-12 schools, as well as changing the duties of the Cabinet-level chief diversity officer to include serving as an “ambassador for unborn children.” Senate Democrats defeated his appointment of Trump administration Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler as state secretary of natural and historic resources.
Ralph Alee, vice president for philanthropy, Carilion Clinic, Roanoke
Alee joined the Roanoke-based health system in October 2021 as its first vice president for philanthropy, a position created to lead the Carilion Clinic Foundation and provide strategic planning for Carilion’s $100 million capital campaign. Alee previously was executive director for medicine philanthropy at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University.
Previously president of ASGN subsidiary Apex Systems LLC, Blazer was promoted in January to become president of ASGN, the Henrico County-based Fortune 1000 provider of IT and professional staffing services. He joined Apex in 2007 after spending nearly 30 years with KPMG US.
In June 2021, Burcham became the first woman to lead RBTC, joining the organization after serving as director of talent solutions at the Roanoke Regional Partnership. A Galax native, Burcham is also an adviser for the Virginia Tech Foundation’s GO Virginia Biotech Innovation Cluster Growth project.
Carrier
Amy F. Carrier, president and CEO, Centra, Lynchburg
Carrier left the Bon Secours Mercy Health system, where she was Hampton Roads market president, to lead the Lynchburg-based health system in September 2021. A health care veteran, Carrier now oversees 50 facilities and more than 8,000 employees for Centra, which serves 500,000 patients in Central and Southern Virginia.
Castellanos
Francisco “Frank” Castellanos, Hampton Roads region president, Bank of America, Williamsburg
A former foreign service officer for the State Department, Castellanos is a native of Cuba and worked in the Middle East, Latin America and Asia during six tours over 20 years. In September 2021, he joined Bank of America after serving as Virginia market director for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management.
Chu
Elizabeth Chu, chief transformation officer, Virginia ABC, Richmond
Chu was named Virginia ABC’s first chief transformation officer in October 2021, a position created to focus on project management and diversity, equity and inclusion priorities. She previously was a partner with Richmond-based Thought Logic Consulting and also worked with Ernst & Young, Deloitte and Global Lead Management Consulting.
Corby
Roy Corby, general manager, Rivers Casino Portsmouth, Portsmouth
In November 2021, casino developer and operator Rush Street Gaming named Corby to run its forthcoming $300 million resort in Portsmouth, one of four Virginia casinos approved by voters in 2020 and now under construction. Corby comes to Virginia after serving as senior vice president of operations for Global Gaming Solutions LLC, where he supervised three casinos. He started his career as a dealer and slot attendant in Atlantic City.
Cummings
Stephen Cummings, state secretary of finance, Richmond; Caren Merrick, state secretary of commerce and trade, Richmond
Cummings and Merrick were among the first Cabinet-level appointments announced by Gov. Glenn Youngkin, spotlighting a focus on business. Cummings is the retired president and CEO of the U.S. branch of Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc., Japan’s largest bank.
Merrick
Merrick, a Fairfax County native, was CEO of Youngkin’s nonprofit Virginia Ready Initiative, started a software company and served on several companies’ boards.
Danilowicz
Bret S. Danilowicz, incoming president, Radford University, Radford
Provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Atlantic University, Danilowicz will become Radford’s eighth president in July, the university announced in December 2021. He earned a Ph.D. in zoology from Duke University and previously was dean of Oklahoma State University’s College of Arts and Sciences.
A Williamsburg native who served as Oberlin College’s ombudsperson, Davidson joined Mason, where she leads an office tasked with settling disputes among university stakeholders, in February. Davidson will draw on her experience in alternative dispute resolution and social justice mediation in the newly created position.
Faulkner
Timothy Faulkner, president and CEO, The Breeden Co., Virginia Beach
After more than 60 years, Breeden Co. founder Ramon W. Breeden Jr.
stepped down as president and CEO in January, and Faulkner was promoted from chief operating officer to leading the real estate development company. Faulkner joined Breeden more than 20 years ago and was president of property management before becoming COO in 2011. Before his career in real estate, Faulkner was a U.S. Army officer.
Ferguson
Rodney Ferguson, executive vice president of gaming and resort operations, HeadWaters Resort & Casino, Norfolk
A Hampton Roads native, Ferguson is overseeing the Pamunkey Indian Tribe’s casino venture, which is expected to be open by late 2023. The $500 million project was one of four casinos approved by voters in 2020. Ferguson, who was CEO and general manager of a large Milwaukee casino, has worked in the gaming business for three decades.
Fletcher
Paul E. Fletcher, executive director and CEO, The Virginia Bar Association, Richmond
After more than three decades as publisher and editor-in-chief of Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Fletcher became the VBA’s executive director and CEO in September 2021. A longtime member of the bar association, which is a voluntary professional organization for lawyers, judges and law students, Fletcher was an attorney in Abingdon and Bristol, and earned his law degree from Washington & Lee University.
Hemphill
Brian O. Hemphill, president, Old Dominion University, Norfolk
In July 2021, Hemphill became ODU’s ninth president and its first Black president. He had served as Radford University’s president since 2016 and was previously president of West Virginia State University. Hemphill saw Radford reach record enrollment in 2019 and 2020, and oversaw Radford’s merger with the Jefferson College of Health Sciences to form Radford University Carilion.
Carrie Hunt, president, Virginia Credit Union League, Richmond
Hunt became the state trade association’s head in June 2021, succeeding Richard Pillow, who retired after 40 years. A top federal lobbyist, Hunt served as the executive vice president of government affairs and general counsel for the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions, managing its legislative and regulatory divisions, among others. Most of her career has focused on consumer finance and financial services law.
McQuade
Kathryn B. McQuade, board chair, Altria Group Inc., Henrico County
McQuade, who was executive vice president and chief financial officer of Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. before retiring in 2012, is the first woman to chair Altria’s board of directors. She was elected to the post in May 2021, replacing the late Thomas F. Farrell II, who was Dominion Energy Inc.’s executive chair. McQuade previously chaired the board’s Nominating, Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Committee.
Moeller
Eric Moeller, chief transformation officer, state of Virginia, Louisa County
Serving in a newly created post, Moeller joined Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s staff in mid-January after working as a partner at management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. A graduate of Harvard Business School, Moeller has focused on guiding transformational change at companies in the areas of performance and organizational health, delivering financial improvements of up to
$1.5 billion a year.
Bill Mosher, vice president of operations, Blue Star NBR LLC, Wytheville
Based in McLean, Mosher is leading the nitrile glove producer’s expansion in Wythe County, a $714 million project announced in October 2021 that is expected to create 2,500 manufacturing jobs by 2028. His father, Ken Mosher, founded the company, which aims to strengthen the U.S. production of rubber medical gloves, mainly produced in Asia.
Rogish
Alison Rogish, Central Virginia marketplace leader, Deloitte, Richmond
In January, Deloitte appointed Rogish, who has worked for the Big Four accounting company since 1998, as its first female top executive in Central Virginia. She succeeds Dan Hudgens, who served as Central Virginia managing partner for 13 years and is transitioning to serving clients on the West Coast. Responsible for 300 employees with clients in Richmond and Hampton Roads, Rogish manages strategy, business development and corporate citizenship initiatives.
Ryan
Matthew Ryan, CEO, Soli Organic Inc., Rockingham County
A former Starbucks Corp. chief marketing officer and head of brand management for The Walt Disney Co., Ryan was hired as CEO of the indoor agriculture company (previously known as Shenandoah Growers Inc.) in June 2021, replacing Tim Heydon, who led the company for 20 years. The company, which provides herbs and greens to 20,000 retailers, is in a growth phase, having broken ground for a new facility in South Carolina.
Ryan
Tom Ryan, CEO, Langley Federal Credit Union, Newport News
In October 2021, Langley announced its merger with Virginia Beach Schools Federal Credit Union, which is expected to be completed by April 1, creating a $4.1 billion institution. Ryan will serve as the entity’s CEO, leading 21 branches with 310,000 members. Ryan joined Langley in 2012, after 26 years at the Digital Federal Credit Union. Langley is one of Virginia’s five largest credit unions.
Sladic
Gary Sladic, deputy chief financial officer, Noblis Inc., Reston
Sladic, who was previously vice president of finance and accounting for the not-for-profit federal contractor, will become Noblis’ CFO in July, succeeding Mark Simione, who announced in November 2021 that he was retiring after 25 years. Sladic joined the company in 1996 and has served in its finance and merger and acquisitions departments.
Spadoni
Mark Spadoni, managing director, Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs
Arriving in Bath County last year after serving as general manager for a golf resort in Savannah, Georgia, Spadoni is overseeing a $120 million overhaul of the 1766-era resort. Before his time in Savannah, Spadoni was a general manager for Westin hotel properties in South Carolina, Connecticut, New York, New Orleans and Florida.
Wilson
Tom Wilson, Northrop Grumman Corp. president of space systems, Falls Church
A longtime aerospace executive, Wilson was promoted to lead the Fortune 500 defense contractor’s space business in January, succeeding Blake Larson, who retired after 40 years at Northrop Grumman. Wilson has worked there since 2018, when the company acquired Dulles-based Orbital ATK Inc. He previously was general manager of Northrop Grumman’s strategic space systems division in the space systems sector.
Wins
Retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins, superintendent, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington
Named interim superintendent in November 2020, Wins was appointed permanent head of the nation’s oldest state-run military college in April 2021 by the VMI board of visitors. A 1985 alumnus, Wins is VMI’s first Black superintendent, returning at a challenging time. A June 2021 state-ordered study found a culture of “institutional racism and sexism” at VMI, according to 1981 alum Gov. Ralph Northam. Wins served 34 years in the Army, retiring as first commanding general of the Combat Capabilities Development Command.
Virginia Business Publisher Bernie Niemeier had the inspiration for this annual issue more than a decade ago when he was retrieving his mail and noted the heft of Vanity Fair’s jam-packed annual Hollywood issue.
“Why can’t we have a big book like this?” he thought to himself.
Why not, indeed?
In March 2013, Virginia Business debuted the first annual installment of The Big Book (“book” being publishing lingo for a magazine issue). It replaced the List of Leaders, a special annual issue that, since the 1990s, had included a series of charts tracking 18 industries.
In the intervening years, The Big Book has evolved into both an economic development yearbook of the past 12 months’ biggest deals across the commonwealth, as well as an indispensable annual business reference tool, providing information about the major corporate players in Virginia.
Whether you’re a company looking to locate in Virginia or you’re an established presence here, it’s an excellent annual deskside resource. Need to know the top law, accounting or commercial real estate firms in Virginia? The Big Book’s got you covered. What are the biggest public and private companies? We’ve got that too. Need to get the lay of the land and know who the commonwealth’s top movers and shakers are? Consult our list of the 50 most influential Virginians.
But The Big Book consists of more than just lists and reference material.
In this year’s issue, you’ll also find a timely feature article from freelance writer Greg Weatherford about how the shortage of available, ready-to-build industrial sites is seriously hampering Virginia’s ability to compete with other states for many of the biggest economic development prizes.
Additionally, longtime Virginia Business writer Gary Robertson brings you an up-to-date report about how Virginia Military Institute, the nation’s oldest state-run military college, is meeting the challenges of one of the most pivotal times in its history, following a state-ordered investigation that found evidence of a “racist and sexist culture” at VMI.
And Virginia Business Associate Editor Robyn Sidersky writes in this issue about how the commercial real estate market for office space may be forever changed by the pandemic.
As you read through this year’s Big Book, themes will emerge. You’ll notice references to the labor crunches of the Great Resignation, the transformative nature of remote work, and the uncertainty that still plagues a business landscape that is grappling with 40-year inflationary highs and ongoing supply chain problems, as well as the potential for more COVID variants.
But what also comes across is the resilience of Virginia’s economy, buoyed by the strength of its many Fortune 1000 companies and the massive federal spending that fuels government contractors in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads.
There’s also Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2 East Coast headquarters underway in Arlington and four new casinos under development in Bristol, Danville, Norfolk and Portsmouth. Meanwhile, the commonwealth’s higher education institutions are prepping for tomorrow’s workforce and emerging technologies, led by the Virginia Tech Talent Investment Program.
These are some of the many reasons that Virginia in 2021 became the first state to be named CNBC’s Top State for Business twice in a row.
And if it happens for a third time, you’ll read about it in next year’s Big Book.
In 2021, colleges and universities got back to semi-normal, holding more classes in person and hosting sporting events and commencement ceremonies. Many institutions required students, faculty and other employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 last fall, and some schools also mandated booster shots.
In Hampton Roads, three institutions — Old Dominion University, Norfolk State University and Eastern Virginia Medical School — signed an agreement in August 2021 to establish the state’s first school of public health, with the state contributing $5 million to the project and Sentara Healthcare pitching in $4 million in grant funding to support the accreditation process.
In Northern Virginia, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech and George Mason University all made progress toward expansion last year. Tech broke ground on its $1 billion Innovation Campus in Alexandria in September 2021, starting construction of the $302 million Academic Building 1, scheduled to open in August 2024. Major corporate donors include The Boeing Co., which has pledged $50 million to promote diversity, and Northrop Grumman Corp., which gave $12.5 million toward a quantum information science and engineering center.
U.Va., meanwhile, set the stage for its growth in Fairfax and Arlington counties, rebranding its northern presence as UVA|NOVA in December 2021. Graduate-level business and executive education programs are set to expand at U.Va.’s Rosslyn location, and growth also is expected around the Merrifield area of Fairfax, where U.Va.’s medical school has a northern outpost on Inova Health System’s campus.
Also in Arlington, GMU is set to open the $168 million building that will house its Institute for Digital InnovAtion and School of Computing by summer 2025.
For Mason and Virginia Tech, the new buildings are part of their efforts to graduate many of the 31,000 computer science and engineering graduates the state has promised to deliver within 20 years. Virginia’s Tech Talent Investment Program was a major part of the state’s campaign to woo Amazon.com Inc.’s HQ2 East Coast headquarters. Eleven universities are part of TTIP, but Mason and Tech shoulder the majority of the responsibility.
Other universities and colleges are focusing their efforts on workforce training in other sectors with talent gaps, including data science, cybersecurity, wind energy and health care. Gov. Ralph Northam‘s $36 million “G3: Get Skilled, Get a Job, Get Ahead” initiative, making community college tuition free for low- and middle-income students pursuing jobs in data analysis, cybersecurity, information technology and other high-demand fields, was signed into law last year.
The past year also saw some significant leadership changes and announcements. Glenn DuBois, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System since 2001, announced last August that he plans to retire in June, having led the 23-college system through three strategic plans. Radford University President Brian Hemphill moved east in June 2021 to become Old Dominion University’s president after the retirement of John Broderick. Bret Danilowicz, Florida Atlantic University’s provost, is set to become Radford’s next president this summer.
Christopher Newport University President Paul S. Trible Jr. is stepping down in August but will remain on staff as chancellor through the 2022-23 academic year. The university has launched a national search for a new president, who is expected to take office in summer 2023.
Hampton University’s William R. Harvey, who has led the private HBCU since 1978 and is one of the nation’s longest tenured university presidents, announced he will be retiring this summer.
Virginia Military Institute appointed retired U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Cedric T. Wins as its permanent superintendent in
April 2021, six months after he was chosen as interim superintendent. Wins returned to his 1985 alma mater at a time of crisis, as Northam launched a state investigation into the school’s culture amid reports of racism. The report, released last June, revealed numerous instances of racist behavior but also sexual assaults against female cadets and staff.
Wins has hired VMI’s first diversity officer and proposed an expanded Title IX office, but some alumni and current cadets are pushing back against the changes, according to recent news reports.
Guidehouse‘s leadership had in mind many of the perks that some employees now demand when the global management consulting firm began its search for a new headquarters in 2019.
Those included more flexible spaces, access to the outdoors, and technologies to support remote work and meetings. The firm also was growing. With a substantial workforce already located in Northern Virginia, Guidehouse — a management consultancy formed when Veritas Capital acquired PricewaterhouseCoopers’ public sector arm in 2018 — had also acquired Chicago-based Navigant Consulting.
Access to Guidehouse’s previous D.C.-based home near the White House was becoming untenable with street closures, says Chief Operating Officer Charles Beard. The company needed proximity to federal clients, but it also needed access to an airport to support its global growth. Access to health care was also key.
Washington Dulles International Airport and Inova Health System — for which Beard serves as a board member — were key drivers in Guidehouse’s decision to move its base to Fairfax County. Announced in May 2021, the move includes a $12.7 million investment spread over two floors, representing about 75,000 square feet, at 1676 International Drive in McLean.
Guidehouse originally forecast the move would bring more than 900 jobs for a total of 1,550 employees headquartered at the new Tysons-area location, but Beard says that number could increase. In October 2021, Guidehouse completed the acquisition of Dovel Technologies, which offers technical services, including data analytics and artificial intelligence, for health, life sciences and public safety clients.
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but Beard says Dovel’s acquisition adds about 2,000 employees, some of whom are located throughout the Washington, D.C., metro region and could relocate to the new headquarters. The added workforce gives Guidehouse technical services capabilities, including increased access to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and “priority client” the National Institutes of Health. Guidehouse employs more than 10,000 people worldwide.
Not counting data centers, Guidehouse’s move represents one of the largest economic development deals in Northern Virginia for 2021, according to Virginia Economic Development Partnership data. VEDP assisted the county’s economic development authority in securing the project, and Guidehouse is eligible for benefits from the state’s Major Business Facility Job Tax Credit for bringing new, full-time jobs to the commonwealth.
Fairfax County Economic Development Authority President and CEO Victor Hoskins says smaller lease sizes like Guidehouse’s represent a growing trend that the county — and others — are taking note of. Previously, companies would lease about 250,000 to 300,000 square feet for about 1,500 employees. But now, “they’re leasing a lot less space for the same amount of jobs,” Hoskins says.
That seems to be part of Guidehouse’s original design, however. With employees no longer coming into the office five days a week, there was less need for dedicated offices and desks. There are only about 180 desks per floor, and those seats are doubled when counting other collaboration spaces, says Catherine Morrison, Guidehouse’s director of corporate real estate.
What employees did need was collaboration space, and the pandemic accelerated a move toward more adaptive, modular spaces, another area that Guidehouse had already been working on.
Executives describe the new headquarters as more like a branch, a place to support remote work with amenities to visit as needed, “like going to a Starbucks, but a private Starbucks,” Morrison says.
The new office space opened in January, though swing space in the building was available for employees prior to then. Though supply chain issues were a factor, Morrison says, Guidehouse worked closely with contractors, who anticipated delays, to order some materials early.
Hybrid work also can keep people off the region’s busy roads, which fits with the company’s sustainability goals, Beard says, adding he wants people to see the office as a “lifeboat.” He has also touted the headquarters’ proximity to nearby dining and child-care options.
“We’ve all gotten accustomed to meeting with one another virtually and we’ve watched young babies become young toddlers, and we know them by name as much as we know their parents by name,” Beard says. “We don’t want to lose that, so the office space will also be a place for gathering, for bringing our extended work families together on occasion.”
Corporate investments are on the upswing in Southern Virginia, along with a desire to increase production, says Linda Green, executive director of the Southern Virginia Regional Alliance.
“People have a lot of pent-up demand, and companies are responding to that,” she says. “We have lots of interest and activity.”
Companies are choosing Southern Virginia for several reasons, including its proximity to North Carolina’s Research Triangle and surges in economic development produced by the upcoming Caesars Virginia casino.
Kegerreis Digital Marketing, which is relocating its headquarters from Pennsylvania, is investing $1.7 million to renovate a former 7,000-square-foot tobacco warehouse in the Danville River District, creating 62 jobs. Until renovations are completed in fall 2022, the company’s workforce will occupy space at the Dan River Business Development Center.
Many companies want to be closer to their supply chain needs. “The Port of Virginia has helped us with our recruitment, because you are not seeing delays at the port, where turn times are low,” Green says, referring to the amount of time it takes trucks to enter the Port of Virginia, load up, travel to Danville and go back to the port to unload goods.
Danville and Pittsylvania County
“Momentum continues to build within our community,” says Danville Economic Development Director Corrie Bobe, citing more than $480 million in new investment announced in the past year.
Although some development is related to the forthcoming Caesars Virginia casino, which increased its total investment from $400 million to $500 million, other developments include industrial ventures and expansions.
Caesars Entertainment began demolition and abatement work late last year at the former Dan River Mills industrial complex, starting to lay the groundwork for a resort casino that will include restaurants and bars, a 500-guestroom hotel, a 40,000-square-foot conference center and a 2,500-seat live entertainment venue. Caesars Virginia is set to open in late 2023.
New manufacturing facilities for Tyson Foods, Staunton River Plastics and vertical farm company AeroFarms broke ground in 2021, and the latter two projects are expected to be completed this summer.
“In addition, we have celebrated exciting milestones for companies and developers, including the completion of a 43,000-square-foot expansion for Litehouse, the opening of Sterling Lighting’s headquarters and manufacturing facility, and the addition of 54 new apartments downtown,” Bobe says.
Work also started last year on redeveloping Danville’s White Mill, which has stood vacant for more than a decade. The 20-acre property is scheduled to reopen in summer 2023 with 110,000 square feet of commercial space and 150 housing units, with 100 more units to come later.
“We also launched the Schoolfield Master Planning process this past year, which will focus on historic, commercial and industrial areas associated with the Dan River Mills Schoolfield site,” Bobe says. “This historic district also incorporates a neighborhood plan for Mill Village of 840 residential structures, as well as a corridor study focusing on West Main Street from the border of North Carolina to the River District.”
Neighboring Pittsylvania County also saw plenty of industrial construction and site acquisitions in the past year, including at properties co-owned with Danville.
“We had a lot of building inventory before 2021, but that has been gobbled up,” says Matt Rowe, the county’s director of economic development. “We are now able to develop projects that are new buildings.”
Intertape Polymer Group is investing a total of $45 million to add 40,000 square feet to its existing building, a project that was set to be completed in the first quarter of this year. The expansion is expected to create 50 jobs over the next four years.
Also in the works are two major projects by Tyson Foods and AeroFarms, which both broke ground on large facilities last year in Cane Creek Centre, respectively investing $300 million and $53 million. Tyson is expected to bring 376 jobs to the county (See related story), and AeroFarms is creating
92 jobs, as well as the world’s largest aeroponic vertical farm.
Other economic gains include a $7.15 million investment from Netherlands-based global installation company Walraven Inc., which is relocating its U.S. headquarters and manufacturing operation from Michigan to a shell building in Cane Creek Centre, bringing 46 jobs.
United Kingdom-based plastic and metal component manufacturer MEP Ltd. is making a $6.5 million investment and hiring around 45 people over the next three to five years. The company will operate as Making Everything Possible LLC and will occupy approximately 5,500 square feet at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research while its new facility is constructed.
This year is looking equally fruitful for new economic development announcements, Rowe says. “We have secured four projects that have yet to be announced. They represent hundreds or more jobs.”
Halifax County and South Boston
Even though Halifax County didn’t have any significant economic development announcements in 2021, the year was busy, says the county’s industrial development authority director, Kristy Johnson, who adds, “I suspect that 2022 will be the same or busier.”
Johnson was promoted to lead the county IDA in September 2021, after the IDA went nearly a year without a permanent leader, but she has worked for the authority since 2009. She said last fall that her focus will be on recruiting companies that complement existing industries in Halifax.
The town of South Boston has had a “very good year,” says Town Manager Tom Raab, although its focus was more on infrastructure and housing than business projects.
Piedmont Access to Health Services, a nonprofit health care provider, is building a health center in Houghton Park. The town also added two restaurants and a brewery, and is also starting work on a new public park. Meanwhile, the town is performing lead abatement and other upgrades on the North Main Housing Project, Raab says.
Although the city of Martinsville’s efforts to revert to town status progressed in fits and starts last year, 2021 was a banner year for the city and Henry County in terms of economic development investments, which totaled $247.7 million, with 624 jobs announced last year.
New announcements included metal packaging company Crown Holdings Inc., which is investing $145 million to establish a manufacturing operation in Henry County. Currently in the process of building a 355,000-square-foot aluminum beverage can production facility, which will create 126 jobs, the company expects to finish construction in the third quarter of this year.
The county notched another economic development victory with German sink manufacturer Schock GmbH, which has agreed to invest $85 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility at the shell building in the Patriot Centre Industrial Park, adding 355 jobs. The company is finalizing engineering, with construction starting in the first quarter of 2023.
“Both Schock and Crown are special deals. Both companies are very forward-thinking,” says Mark Heath, president and CEO of the Martinsville Henry County Economic Development Corp.
Meanwhile, neighboring Patrick County is set to renovate a former 16,000-square-foot hardware store into the Patrick County Business Development Center, set to open in 2023. “It will be a multiuse building, providing an entrepreneurship program, business assistance, rentable recreation space, a coworking space and a community meeting space,” says the county’s economic development director, Sean Adkins.
Additionally, Prolam LLC, a Canadian manufacturer of hardwood floors for commercial trucks and trailers, invested $12.8 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing operation in the former Ten Oaks satellite facility in Patrick. The project is set to create 58 jobs and adds 50% to the company’s total manufacturing capacity. Prolam also committed to purchase more than $20.5 million in Virginia-grown hardwoods over the next three years.
Economic conditions bounced back across many sectors in 2021, but the COVID-19 pandemic still impacted development deals occurring in Virginia. The state saw a great deal of focus on manufacturing and supply chain growth, areas expected to stay busy despite the recent change in state political leadership.
In Hampton Roads, many of the region’s major deals centered on the Port of Virginia and Dominion Energy Inc.’s burgeoning offshore wind farm 27 miles off the Virginia Beach coast. Spanish turbine manufacturer Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy S.A. announced in October 2021 that it was building a turbine parts production plant in Portsmouth. Set to be finished in early 2023, the $200 million project is expected to create more than 300 jobs. Even more significantly, it sets the stage for more potential development in the region’s quest to become a national wind energy supply chain hub.
The port’s Portsmouth Marine Terminalx is also being leased by Dominion Energy Inc. as a staging area to deploy equipment to build the 180 turbines for its $9.8 billion wind farm.
“We’re going to be able to service offshore wind for all of the East Coast right out of Hampton Roads,” then-Gov. Ralph Northam said in a November 2021 interview with Virginia Business. “That’s billions of dollars that we have now to pick up jobs, and so that’s a big deal.”
Another major factor in manufacturing opportunities: Transportation improvements, including railway and road projects. The expansion of Interstate 81, the $3.8 billion Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel project and the $1.9 billion bridge that will run parallel to the Long Bridge across the Potomac River are all expected to speed up delivery times and efficiency.
Meanwhile, the $350 million dredging projects to create the deepest and widest port on the East Coast in Norfolk Harbor are set to be completed by 2024. That will bring more traffic to the port, which already saw increased interest from shippers last year as West Coast ports experienced significant delays in processing cargo.
In February 2021, shipping and logistics company CMA CGM Group announced it would expand its North American headquarters in Norfolk, creating 400 jobs and investing $36 million. There’s more business in Danville and Richmond, too, port officials note, because of faster turnaround times for deliveries from Hampton Roads ports.
Other areas of interest are pharmaceutical and medical supply chains — two sectors that were hit hard during the early days of the pandemic. In the Petersburg area, a group of pharma companies are growing a manufacturing hub to produce a national supply chain for essential medicines at risk for shortages. In May 2021, AMPAC Fine Chemicals, which reactivated its plant in 2019, announced it would create 125 jobs and expand its facility, and Civica Inc. has built its own plant nearby, creating 186 jobs. Phlow Corp., which won a $354 million, four-year federal contract in 2020 to produce medications, is partnering with both companies.
In Southwest Virginia, 2021’s big news was the October announcement that a glove manufacturer planned to invest $714 million in a new nitrile glove manufacturing plant in Wythe County, creating about 2,500 jobs. Similar to the pharmaceutical companies, Blue Star NBR LLC officials say that the demand for domestically produced personal protective equipment — and subsequent supply shortages — have prompted growth in the industry.
More recently, Virginia’s new governor, Glenn Youngkin, has said that he will focus more attention on building up the state’s industrial sites, making sure properties are ready for immediate development by companies seeking to locate here.
“Manufacturing has to be an industry of growth for us,” Youngkin said in a Virginia Business interview late last year. “We are not being considered for a lot of manufacturing footprint in aerospace and in automotive. We absolutely have to retool with site development to make sure that we have physical sites for these businesses to come build on and invest in.”
John Heller, the former CEO of Falls Church-based contractor PAE Inc., will serve as CEO of Germantown, Maryland-based aerospace defense contractor Amentum Services Inc., which purchased PAE earlier this month. Heller, who led PAE for seven years until March 2021, will take his new post effective March 28, Amentum announced Thursday.
”It is an honor to be asked to lead Amentum into the future,” Heller said in a statement. “I am extremely excited about the opportunity to work together with Amentum’s over 50,000 employees to deliver value to our customers in one of the largest and fastest growing service companies in our industry.”
John Vollmer, who has been Amentum’s CEO since January 2020, will continue with the company as chair of Amentum’s board of directors.
Before joining PAE, Heller served as senior vice president and chief operating officer of Engility Corp. Prior to that, he was president of the professional support services division of L-3 Communications Holdings. He had previously served as president and COO of Multimax, which Harris Corp. acquired in 2007, and then as CEO of Netco Inc.
Dallas-based infrastructure consulting company AECOM spun off its federal business arm on Feb. 1, 2020, forming Amentum. Post-acquisition of PAE, Amentum has about 57,000 employees across the seven continents. In November 2020, Amentum purchasedMcLean-based DynCorp International.
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