KIM SNYDER

CEO AND FOUNDER, KLARIVIS, ROANOKE

Snyder started KlariVis in 2019, but the seeds for the Inc. 5000 banking software venture were planted earlier. She and her founding executive team worked together at Valley Bank, a Roanoke-based community bank, “and that shared experience and deep connection to this region have shaped everything about who we are,” Snyder says.

KlariVis has grown significantly, raising $11 million in its Series B funding round in January 2024. Doubling its revenue and customer count year-over-year, the company has moved into a larger office in downtown Roanoke, which helps Snyder pursue a hire-local-first approach. Many of KlariVis’ investors also are from the Roanoke-Blacksburg area, she says.
A graduate of James Madison University and the ABA Stonier Graduate School of Banking, Snyder worked for Valley Bank for 10 years and previously was vice president of finance for another startup. She started her career at KPMG as a CPA.
In March, Snyder was named to Inc.’s annual Female Founders 500 list, recognizing women whose businesses generated significant revenue and funding, as well as making major industry and social impacts. KlariVis also was featured as one of American Banker’s best places to work in fintech.

Best advice I’ve received: Hire up. Surround yourself with people who challenge the status quo, complement your strengths and weaknesses, and bring diverse perspectives to the table. Never aim to be the smartest person in the room — because if you are, you’re in the wrong room.

JOE CALIRI

PRESIDENT, SIMVENTIONS, FREDERICKSBURG

Caliri joined SimVentions, a 25-year-old employee-owned defense contractor, in 2009 as its vice president of tactical systems and business development, rising through the ranks to president and soon to the top of the company, succeeding CEO Larry Root, who plans to retire this year.

Caliri became president of SimVentions in 2019 and oversaw the private company’s transition to an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). Throughout his tenure, the company has seen revenue and employee numbers grow. Since becoming an ESOP in 2020, SimVentions has recorded 46% growth in share price.

Root calls Caliri “a leader that maintains a high level of integrity and has little patience for someone that does not ‘walk their talk.’ Joe is certainly a man of his word, meaning what he says and saying what he means, and then following through.”
A Navy veteran who was an electronics warfare chief and surface warfare specialist, Caliri is a graduate of Saint Leo University and the Florida Institute of Technology, where he earned his MBA. He serves as chairman of the Fredericksburg Regional Military Affairs Council and is an adjunct professor at the University of Mary Washington’s College of Business.
On my business’ responsibility to the community: I live by the idea that a rising tide lifts all ships, and the tides are changing quickly, with many rogue waves causing disruption. This is especially true in these times. For me or my company to succeed, our customers and stakeholders must first be successful.

TIMOTHY A. FAULKNER

PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE BREEDEN CO., VIRGINIA BEACH

Faulkner joined The Breeden Co. in 2004 as president of its property management arm, rising to chief operating officer and then president and CEO in 2022. A West Point graduate who earned a degree in operations research and systems analysis, Faulkner spent four years in the U.S. Army, including as a platoon leader. As a civilian, Faulkner worked for Procter & Gamble and Lawton Lumber, where he became president and chief operating officer.

Always a major player in real estate development and property management, Breeden was founded by Ramon W. Breeden Jr., whom Faulkner succeeded as CEO. The company has a portfolio of more than 25,000 apartments and 2 million square feet of retail and office space. The company appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in 2022 and 2023, with 205% growth attributed to expansions in its third-party construction and property management divisions.

Outside of work, Faulkner chairs the Virginia Symphony Orchestra board, and he says that supporting animal protection organizations and protecting the Hampton Roads region from sea-level rise are important priorities for him. “By raising awareness and advocating for proactive measures, I aim to address the challenges posed by climate change and protect our community’s future,” he says.

Best advice I’ve received: Work hard at the right things and prioritize, and never develop tired eyes — meaning, maintain attention to detail and don’t walk past things that aren’t right.

PAUL W. NESTER

PRESIDENT AND CEO, RGC RESOURCES AND ROANOKE GAS, ROANOKE

Founded in 1883, Roanoke Gas supplies natural gas to more than 60,000 customers in the Roanoke Valley, and RGC Midstream, one of parent company RGC Resources’ subsidiaries, owns a 1% interest in the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Nester was tapped in 2020 as president and CEO of RGC Resources, after serving as president of Roanoke Gas since 2019 and chief financial officer since 2012. After years of delay amid court actions, the 303-mile pipeline is now active in western Virginia, and Roanoke Gas now can supply natural gas to Franklin County’s Summit View site, with a new gate station built last year.

Outside of work, Nester is board chair for Total Action for Progress, a nonprofit assisting families in need across the Roanoke Valley and Allegheny Highlands. (Roanoke Gas has helped provide HVAC equipment for local residents to make their homes safer and more comfortable through TAP’s Healthy Homes Roanoke initiative.) Nester also is a past chair of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and served on the Roanoke Regional Partnership’s executive committee. “We feel a strong responsibility to serve and support the Roanoke Valley,” Nester says, because of his company’s “deep roots” in the region.
What I focus on: Our top priority and core value is safety, both for our employees and the public. Just behind safety, our second core value is customer services. Beyond that, we emphasize teamwork by supporting one another and stepping in where help is needed.

KIMBERLY ENOCHS

MID-ATLANTIC CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, MARSH McLENNAN AGENCY, ROANOKE

Since 2002, Enochs has been with Marsh McLennan and its predecessor, Rutherfoord Agency, which the insurance provider purchased in 2010. A graduate of Concord and Radford universities who also holds certificates from the Wharton School and Hollins University, Enochs was previously director of human resources at Carilion Clinic and served as adjunct faculty for the Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

At Marsh McLennan, which employs more than 1,100 people in its mid-Atlantic region, Enochs says she’s particularly proud of instituting the MMA Playbook, a process platform that helps streamline projects, and the Mid-Point Colleague Idea Exchange, which encourages dialogue between employees and leaders to contribute to the company’s culture.
Enochs serves on Concord’s board and has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Mental Health America’s Roanoke Valley chapter and the United Way of Roanoke Valley, among other organizations. In September 2024, after Hurricane Helene devastated communities in Virginia and North Carolina, Enochs’ office worked closely with clients to support their business needs, as well as donating money and volunteering to help families affected by the storm.

Best advice I’ve received: “Everything is just a conversation.” We get tripped up into believing business is a competition or an opportunity to be right or win, when, in fact, business presents a profound opportunity to find common ground, develop relationships, collaborate and build something great.

WILLIAM ‘BILLY’ FOSTER III

PRESIDENT AND CEO, TOWNEBANK, SUFFOLK

Hampton Roads’ homegrown community bank, TowneBank has grown prodigiously since its 1999 founding, a trend that’s been accelerating in recent years. In April, the bank announced its plans to acquire Norfolk’s Old Point Financial for $203 million, just after closing on the $120 million acquisition of Midlothian-based Village Bank and its parent company. The Old Point deal is expected to conclude in the second half of 2025.

Today, TowneBank has 51 offices in Virginia and North Carolina, and more than $17 billion in assets.
An Old Dominion University graduate who has an MBA from William & Mary, Foster joined TowneBank in 2004 as regional president for Norfolk, after previously serving as eastern regional president of Central Fidelity Bank. Foster later served as TowneBank’s president of for Virginia Beach, Central Virginia and the Carolinas. In 2023, he became the bank’s president and CEO.

Foster is active on local and regional boards, including Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia and the United Way of South Hampton Roads’ Tocqueville Society, which raised $3.2 million in donations last year. He also supports the TowneBank Foundation’s annual golf tournament, which raises millions each year for the foundation’s charitable missions. TowneBank and its foundation have contributed more than $126 million to local communities since 1999.

SHAWN TIBBETTS

CEO AND PRESIDENT, ARMADA HOFFLER, VIRGINIA BEACH

At the start of the year, Tibbetts took the helm as Armada Hoffler’s CEO after having joined the real estate investment trust in 2019 as its chief operating officer and being named president in 2024. Before joining Armada Hoffler, which has more than 6 million square feet in rental properties in its portfolio and an estimated $630.5 million in planned projects, Tibbetts was president and COO for the Port of Virginia.

As Armada Hoffler’s COO, Tibbetts oversaw more than $1.2 billion in transactions and grew the company’s portfolio of net operating income by 56%. A Portsmouth native, he earned degrees from James Madison University and William & Mary’s business school and completed the advanced management program at Harvard Business School. Last year, Tibbetts was instrumental in raising $109 million in equity at Armada Hoffler.

He’s grateful that he’s been able to work in national and international business environments while staying close to his hometown, says Tibbetts, who believes strongly in providing workforce educational opportunities such as internships. He previously served on the board for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

How I foster a positive culture: It starts with a leader who actively engages as part of the team. I’ve found that providing a seat at the table fosters significant growth for those willing to put in the effort, ultimately benefiting the company as a whole.