W. TAYLOR FRANKLIN

CEO, FRANKLIN GROUP, VIRGINIA BEACH

In 2012, Franklin, his father and two other partners founded the Franklin Johnston Group after leaving S.L. Nusbaum Realty. Franklin took over the role of chief operating officer, and in 2023, he succeeded his father, Wendell Franklin, as CEO. With co-founder Tom Johnston having stepped down in 2024, the company is now known as the Franklin Group. It manages about 200 properties across 10 states and Washington, D.C., employing about 700 people. Over the past decade, the business has developed more than 10,000 new multifamily units across Virginia and North Carolina, totaling more than $1.6 billion in financed projects.

Franklin also is deeply involved in his community, including as vice chair of the Virginia Beach Development Authority board and chairman and president of the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation board. He was tapped as 2022 King Neptune for Virginia Beach’s Neptune Festival and serves on the festival’s board. A Virginia Wesleyan University graduate, he also serves on William & Mary’s board of visitors.

“We actively seek out ways to give back, whether through partnerships, volunteer efforts or initiatives that support local growth and well-being,” Franklin says. “We are not just managing properties; we are helping shape neighborhoods and creating places people are proud to call home.”

Best advice I’ve received: Work hard, stay honest and lead with transparency. It’s straightforward, but it’s stuck with me because those values build real trust and long-term success. At Franklin Group, I strive to set that tone every day.

CHARLES ‘BRAD’ HOBBS

CEO, AIR CONTROL CONCEPTS, NORFOLK

The umbrella company for HVAC equipment brands in 32 states, Air Control Concepts was founded in May 2024 in a rebranding of Hobbs & Associates, Hobbs’ family-owned HVAC business started in 1984. Based in Norfolk, the business has more than 100 offices and employs 1,750 people, including more than 275 HVAC technicians. Backed by private equity firms Blackstone and Madison Dearborn Partners, Air Control Concepts announced its acquisition in January of Midwest Machinery, a century-old HVAC manufacturers’ sales representative.

A Virginia Tech graduate who serves on the university’s board of visitors, Hobbs is close friends with Gov. Glenn Youngkin, whom he aided with fundraising and as part of the governor’s transition team. Hobbs also has lent significant support to area nonprofits, including the American Heart Association’s Hampton Roads branch, Norfolk Christian Schools and Virginia Beach’s Neptune Festival.

Hobbs says that Air Control Concepts has a culture “deeply rooted in the family business my father founded over 40 years ago. These values include family first, compassion and empathy, integrity and honesty, and empowerment and accountability. We build this business first and foremost with a people-first, profit-second philosophy.”

Best advice I’ve received: It’s been said that business is a long lesson in humility. I was blessed to learn that lesson early in my career from my father. People will always work well together in an environment driven by humble leaders who desire to build as a team.

BRIAN SCHOOLS

PRESIDENT AND CEO, CHARTWAY CREDIT UNION, VIRGINIA BEACH

Having joined Chartway, one of the state’s largest credit unions, in 2008, Schools has led its growth into a $3 billion institution with more than 500 employees and over 260,000 members in Virginia, Utah and Texas. At a time when many financial institutions are closing or consolidating branches, Chartway has expanded, opening new offices in Norfolk and Virginia Beach in the past year.

Schools became Chartway’s president and CEO in 2015 and served on the National Association of Federally-Insured Credit Unions board between 2017 and 2023. Before Chartway, he worked for Chase, Capital One and Crestar banks.
A graduate of Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University, from which he earned his MBA, Schools serves as a trustee of the Chartway Promise Foundation, a nonprofit that has provided $16 million to assist children with medical problems. He also was chair of the transition board for the creation of America’s Credit Unions, which resulted from the 2023 merger of NAFCU and the Credit Union National Association.

How I foster a positive culture: I aim to be honest when it comes to the environmental forces — whether economic, pandemic, cultural or otherwise — that may create a change in the direction of how we operate, but these don’t change who we are. We are committed to the fact that the balance of well-being and productivity of our team members drives the strength of Chartway.

JULIAN SETIAN

PRESIDENT AND CEO, SOSi, FAIRFAX COUNTY

The son of SOSi founder Sosi Setian, Julian Setian joined the federal contracting company in 1994, just after graduating from Columbia University. The company was only 5 years old then and still finding its footing, but today SOSi is a major defense and tech contractor that has won more than $5 billion in federal contracts and made $200 million in acquisitions since Setian became CEO in 2001.

Although the company’s original focus was on providing language translation and transcription services for federal agencies such as the FBI and the Drug Enforcement Administration, SOSi has grown its client list to include the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. In 2011, SOSi founded Exovera, a software and data science subsidiary.

Setian and his family support many civic and business organizations in Virginia, including Cornerstones, which advocates for disadvantaged people in Fairfax County, and he sits on the executive council of the Professional Services Council. SOSi is a corporate sponsor of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, and Setian’s family established an endowment to promote early childhood arts education through the foundation. He says a quote from theologian, philosopher and physician Albert Schweitzer provides words to live by: “The three most important ways to lead people are by example, by example, by example.”

How I foster a positive culture: The key is maintaining a strong identity to which employees feel connected. At SOSi, we spend a lot of time talking about who we are versus what we do. The government contracting industry is saturated with service businesses. We adapt to the policy and spending changes, but remain steadfast in our long-term commitment to customers, employees and partners.

EVAN SHRIVER

CEO, ATLANTIC CONSTRUCTORS inc., CHESTERFIELD COUNTY

In 2020, Shriver became Atlantic Constructors’ new CEO, taking over from its founding leader, Art Hungerford. An industrial and commercial contractor with offices across the state, ACI has grown significantly over the past five years. Formerly the company’s executive vice president of construction operations, Shriver led a $25 million expansion to quintuple ACI’s fabrication capabilities, building a 170,000-square-foot plant next to the company’s headquarters.
Trained as a mechanical engineer at Virginia Tech, Shriver has an MBA from James Madison University and holds certificates in lean construction and medical gas inspection, as well as being LEED-accredited. He also instituted a “[Root] Beer with the Boss” program, events where Shriver visits worksites with a cooler of root beer to share with ACI workers while having conversations.

Acquired in April by Texas-based TriplePoint MEP, ACI has worked on major projects like the restoration of Richmond’s Altria Theater, construction of a 515,000-square-foot Microsoft data center in Mecklenburg County and multiple buildings for Virginia Commonwealth University and VCU Health.

Shriver says that a quote from Mike Tyson has helped him stay prepared for life’s unexpected challenges: “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face.”

How I prepare my team for success: There is a major skills gap in the construction industry, so we believe strongly in providing opportunities and training for people to build a lasting career. We have programs at Atlantic to bring in people without any construction experience and give them the tools they need to succeed in our industry.

REBECCA GELLER

PRESIDENT AND CEO, THE GELLER LAW GROUP, FAIRFAX COUNTY

After having two children, Geller decided to create something else — a law firm that enables women to be successful attorneys and moms. Since its 2011 founding, the Geller Law Group has grown to 36 attorneys serving 18,000 clients across Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland, with offices in Fairfax and Washington.

“I saw far too many incredibly talented women leaving large law firms because those environments just weren’t built to support working parents,” Geller says. “I knew there had to be a better way.”

Embracing work-from-home technology before the pandemic, Geller and her firm have received numerous awards for helping maintain work-life balance, including 2023 woman business owner of the year, awarded by the national chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners. She has spoken at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol with former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, advocating for women-friendly workplace policies such as paid leave, flex scheduling and telecommuting.

Geller is also very active in community service. Her firm contributes volunteer hours, money and goods to regional food banks, and it has created a “robust legal resource center” on its website for LGBTQ+ people navigating legal issues.
Best advice I’ve received: It was from a friend who told me to think of all the balls I’m juggling in life — work, family, health, community, everything — and recognize that some of those balls are made of rubber, and some are made of glass. This advice helps me take a breath, figure out what truly needs my attention in the moment and let go of the rest — at least for now.

ROBBY DEMERIA

CHIEF CORPORATE AFFAIRS OFFICER, PHLOW, RICHMOND

The state’s first deputy secretary of commerce and trade for technology and innovation, Demeria has gone on to play a significant role in Virginia’s growing pharmaceutical hub. In addition to his role as chief corporate affairs officer for pharmaceutical manufacturer Phlow, Demeria is also founding board chair of the Alliance for Building Better Medicine, a coalition of public and private partners that are working toward developing the Richmond-Petersburg area into a hub for pharma R&D and manufacturing. In 2022, the alliance won a $52.9 million Build Back Better Regional Challenge Grant from the U.S. Commerce Department.

Phlow launched in 2020 and promptly won a $354 million federal contract to create a domestic supply chain for essential drugs and ingredients. Since then, the company has expanded to 85 employees and sent more than 1 million vials of medication to children’s hospitals as part of the Children’s Hospital Coalition.

During his time in state government, Demeria helped start the Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp., an agency promoting entrepreneurship and tech startups. He also served as executive director of the Richmond Technology Council and vice president of government affairs for the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce.

How I foster a positive culture: As a dad of young kids, I deeply believe in the importance of work-life balance, but I also recognize that the idea of “having it all” is more ideal than reality. As a leader, I try to create a culture that respects the ebb and flow. I don’t expect perfection or hustle for the sake of appearances.

ANGELA REDDIX

FOUNDER, CEO AND PRESIDENT, ARDX | ENVISION LEAD GROW | THE MUSTARD SEED PLACE, NORFOLK

The founder of Norfolk-based health care management and IT consulting company ARDX, Reddix has always stayed busy and engaged outside of work, too. In 2024, she opened The Mustard Seed Place in downtown Portsmouth, where she rents affordable business spaces to female entrepreneurs. She also runs a nonprofit known as Envision Lead Grow, which helps girls become successful entrepreneurs, and in 2022, she and her husband, Carl, donated $1.1 million to their alma mater, James Madison University, to establish the Reddix Center for First-Generation Students.

Next up is the Museum of Black Women Innovators, set to open later this year in Portsmouth next to The Mustard Seed Place.

“Across all my enterprises — whether it’s ARDX, Envision Lead Grow, The Mustard Seed Place or the Museum of Black Women Innovators — my mission is the same: to build spaces where people feel empowered, seen and supported,” Reddix says.

In addition to her degree from JMU, she has a master’s from Bowie State University and a doctorate from Oklahoma State University. Reddix founded ARDX as a health care consulting firm in 2006, and it has won federal contracts with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and employs more than 100 people. She also has served on the Norfolk State University School of Business advisory board and the United Way of South Hampton Roads’ foundation board.
A quote I live by: “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed … nothing will be impossible for you.” — Matthew 17:20. Faith, no matter how small, has the power to move mountains. I know that planting even the smallest seed of belief can grow into something world changing.

HANNAH POLLACK

PRESIDENT, CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, NIGHTINGALE ICE CREAM SANDWICHES, RICHMOND

A former Marine and fine-dining pastry chef, Pollack is a Richmond native who launched Nightingale in 2016 with her husband and fellow chef, Xavier Meers. Starting with a limited menu and distribution area, Nightingale earned about $50,000 in its first year. But soon enough, her company grew its output of deluxe ice cream sandwiches — including banana pudding, Key lime and chocolate blackout flavors, as well as limited edition treats — and expanded beyond its backyard.
Today, Nightingale has gone national, following a 2024 distribution deal with Kroger. It also expanded along the East Coast through Whole Foods Market, in addition to selling its products in 4,500 other stores and markets. The company broke $20 million in revenue in 2024, Pollack says, and Nightingale now employs 100 people in a large production space in Richmond’s Manchester neighborhood. The sandwiches are still made in small batches, and Pollack has donated many to the Children’s Hospital of Richmond and other nonprofits.

A QUOTE I LIVE BY: “A river cuts through rock, not because of its power but because of its persistence.” It reminds her, she says, that “anything can be accomplished with enough drive and persistence, even if it takes a little time,” and she shares the quote with everyone who works at Nightingale. “We can get over any obstacle thrown our way by keeping our focus and not giving up.”

On my business’ responsibility to the community: We are always striving to be better and do better. There are so many issues impacting businesses in our region and beyond; it’s important to keep informed and be open to change. One of our core values is continuous improvement, and I take that to heart in how I run the business on a daily basis.

MARCIA CONSTON

PRESIDENT, TIDEWATER COMMUNITY COLLEGE, NORFOLK

Since 2020, Conston has led Virginia’s second largest community college, which encompasses four Hampton Roads campuses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, as well as online learning programs. For the 2023-24 academic year, more than 23,000 students enrolled at TCC, up from 17,000 in 2020, and according to early reports, the college this spring saw its highest rate of enrollment growth since 2012.

Before coming to Virginia, Conston was a vice president at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina, and she started her career at her alma mater, Mississippi’s Jackson State University. With an increasing focus on the state’s community college system as a training ground for skilled workers, TCC expanded its Portsmouth-based Skilled Trades Academy in 2024, providing more space for students to learn shipfitting, electrical and HVAC skills, among other in-demand career paths. Conston also has been instrumental in TCC’s winning of $3.7 million in grants to expand educational opportunities.

Conston serves on the board of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges’ accreditation body and chairs the Virginia Community College System’s strategic planning committee. In addition to earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Jackson State and Hood Theological Seminary, Conston holds a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi. She also has been active in civic organizations such as Virginia Beach Vision, the Hampton Roads Workforce Council and the Virginia Arts Festival board.

A quote I live by: “Be the woman who fixes another woman’s crown without telling the world it was crooked.” — Amy Morin, psychotherapist and author.

BRET DANILOWICZ

PRESIDENT, RADFORD UNIVERSITY, RADFORD

In 2022, Danilowicz arrived at Radford, having served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Atlantic University and dean of Oklahoma State University’s College of Arts and Sciences. He’s made his mark in fundraising, pulling in a record $106 million for 2024’s Together campaign at Radford. He also oversaw the opening of the Artis Center for Adaptive Innovation and Creativity, the university’s largest capital construction project.

Danilowicz also has overseen an enrollment increase to more than 7,800 students in fall 2024, a one-year, 29% increase that marked the university’s second highest gain since 1975 and a turnaround after three years of declining enrollment. Much of this growth was achieved through Radford’s direct admission and tuition support initiatives, and Danilowicz also has streamlined transfers for students from eight Virginia community colleges. In 2024, Radford’s nursing school was upgraded to the College of Nursing, making Radford the only four-year public university in Virginia with a standalone nursing college. Danilowicz also has been involved in boosting economic development in the city of Radford, including adding a university economic development center, The Hub at Radford.

A graduate of Utica College of Syracuse University, England’s Open University and Georgia Southern University, Danilowicz also holds a doctorate in zoology from Duke University.

How I foster a positive culture: It starts with ensuring that every employee sees a future at the university — one where they can grow, contribute meaningfully and expand their impact over time. Equally important is cultivating a sense of pride in the organization, and supporting work-life balance is just as critical.

SCOTT D. MILLER

PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, VIRGINIA BEACH

Miller joined independent liberal-arts college Virginia Wesleyan as its president in 2015, after having served as president of West Virginia’s Bethany College, Wesley College in Delaware and Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee. With a total of
34 years leading higher education institutions, he’s among the nation’s most experienced university leaders.
According to Miller’s chief of staff,

Kelly Cordova, Miller has raised more than $400 million for his four institutions, and at Virginia Wesleyan, he oversaw the creation of a 10-year campus master plan, a capital campaign strategy and an academic plan while growing the university’s endowment from $53 million in 2015 to $126 million in 2021. The school also has added a campus in Tokyo in partnership with a Japanese university and constructed the new Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art at VWU.

A Philadelphia native, Miller has degrees from West Virginia Wesleyan College, the University of Dayton and Vanderbilt University, and received his doctorate from Union Institute & University. Miller, who worked as a journalist early in his career, also is known for penning op-eds on occasion for The Virginian-Pilot, HuffPost and other publications. Over the past two decades, he’s also been executive editor of “President to President” and “Presidential Perspectives,” online series of essays by college presidents that resulted in 22 books.

On responsibility to the university and the community: We have both a responsibility and an opportunity to contribute to the economic vitality and workforce development of the region. Through my leadership roles with Virginia Beach Vision and the Hampton Roads Chamber, we are able to deepen our institutional engagement and expand our impact.

CALVIN W. ‘WOODY’ FOWLER

CHAIRMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, WILLIAMS MULLEN, RICHMOND

Fowler joined Williams Mullen more than three decades ago, and he’s currently in his fourth three-year term leading the state’s second largest law firm. With more than 260 attorneys on staff, Williams Mullen saw its profits rise from $106 million in 2013 to $195 million in 2024.

Fowler earned his bachelor’s and law degrees at the University of Virginia and counts among his clients several colleges and universities, health care systems and insurance companies. He was litigation chair at Williams Mullen before becoming the firm’s CEO and president in 2015. David Burton, a partner at the firm, notes that Fowler “is what you want in your CEO: He is direct, responsive and fair.” In addition to his other legal work, Fowler has served as an arbitrator and mediator in alternative dispute resolutions. Under his leadership, the firm has grown its roster of national and international clients, maintaining offices in Richmond, Charlottesville, Norfolk, Tysons and the Carolinas.

Fowler is also involved in several civic organizations, including serving on boards for the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and RVA757 Connects, as well as serving as former board chair and Heart Walk chair for the American Heart Association’s Richmond chapter. Fowler has been recognized by his peers annually as one of Virginia Business’ Legal Elite since 2008.

How I foster a positive culture: It’s hard to have a happy life if you don’t find satisfaction and joy in your work. We found that our employees are happier, more productive and more engaged when they clearly understand their role in supporting our strategic plan and see our progress toward meeting our goals. We do that by being very transparent about our results each month.

CRAIG HALLIDAY

CEO, UNANET, DULLES

A tech leader whose experience extends from Oracle to Intelex Technologies, Halliday joined Unanet in 2019, driving growth at the Dulles software company. In November 2024, the company acquired Washington, D.C.-based GovPro AI, which provides AI-powered proposal-writing software for government contractors, and in February, Unanet picked up Contraqer, which produces procurement and market intelligence software for the GovCon industry. Unanet also purchased Cosential, a Texas-based customer relationship management software company, in 2020.

Halliday is among 19 Virginia business leaders who are finalists for Ernst & Young’s 2025 Mid-Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year award, with winners set to be announced June 18. And Unanet has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing U.S. companies annually since 2019. Halliday also has appeared on Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 Awards list for the past three years, recognizing his prominence in federal contracting.

Acknowledging the current environment of uncertainty among government contractors, he writes, “The wave of austerity measures, tariffs and government contracting cancelations and modifications coming from Washington, D.C., has been destabilizing not just for businesses but for people. … As the head of a company, I feel I have a responsibility to our customers (many of which are government contractors) and to our employees to communicate consistently and transparently with them.”

Best advice I ever received: The best advice I ever got came early in my career from my managing partner at Arthur Andersen. He told me that you should always do what you say you will do. That’s how you earn trust from people.

WHITSON HUFFMAN

CO-CEO AND CHIEF INVESTMENT OFFICER, CAPITAL SQUARE, GLEN ALLEN

One of Virginia’s fastest-growing real estate investment and development companies, Capital Square is deeply involved in Richmond’s Scott’s Addition neighborhood, where it has six multifamily properties that are expected to top out with 1,220 residential units. The Henrico County firm also manages more than $6 billion in assets, mainly in the Southeastern U.S., including a high-rise apartment tower in Raleigh, North Carolina, and major projects in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Charleston, South Carolina.

Huffman joined Capital Square, which was founded by his father-in-law, Louis J. Rogers, as chief strategy and investment officer in 2018, and in 2022, he was named co-CEO. Huffman was instrumental in starting Capital Square Living, the firm’s property management branch, and the company has taken 33 Delaware statutory trusts (DSTs) full cycle since 2018, resulting in 169.15% average total returns, with an average 12.89% rate of return to investors. He previously was an associate with Maryland real estate investment trust JBG Smith Properties.

Huffman also has raised money for the Children’s Tower at the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU, and has volunteered for the March of Dimes, World Pediatrics and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

A quote I live by: My grandfather always told me, “No one can take the ultimate weight of decision-making off your shoulders. But the more you know about how things really are, the lighter the burden will be.” Learning is essential. Continuous exploration and analysis are essential. Decision-making can feel like a weight, but nothing is insurmountable with the right knowledge and the right team in place.

JOSEPH SCHMUCKLER

CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, CARY STREET PARTNERS, RICHMOND

A Wall Street veteran who joined Richmond-based wealth management firm Cary Street Partners (CSP) in 2015, Schmuckler previously worked for Tokyo-based Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group as a senior executive officer and spent 17 years at Nomura Holdings, gaining experience in leading securities and capital markets worldwide. Schmuckler is a graduate of the University of Delaware and New York University, where he earned an MBA in finance. He started his career at Kidder, Peabody & Co., where he became a partner.

Since Schmuckler joined Cary Street, the company has grown from 10 to 19 offices, increasing its assets under management from $2 billion to over $10 billion and representing about 7,000 clients. In April, the firm announced that it plans to sell a majority stake to CIVC Partners, a Chicago private equity firm. In 2022, CSP purchased Atlantic Union Bank’s registered investment adviser (RIA) subsidiary, Dixon, Hubard, Feinour & Brown, for $1.6 billion, and Atlantic Union bought a minority stake in Cary Street.

Schmuckler says that accountability and leading by example are two of his pillars of leadership, as well as addressing mistakes when they occur.

On success: When we thrive, we’re able to reward our people and their families, offering competitive pay, benefits and more. Success also enables us to create career opportunities for our current team, as well as for others in the community who might not have access to these chances otherwise.