Virginia 500 Spotlight: KERRY WOOLARD

FAVORITE FASHION ACCESSORY: A classic Chanel necklace. I wear mine to work or with a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans. It is such a classic way to look polished without being overdone or fussy.

HOW I DEFINE SUCCESS: Doing something better today than we did it yesterday. Generally, just progress. I love to constantly push myself and our team to continue to achieve. Even when a project is “finished,” I continue to seek new/better ways to enhance the offering or streamline the process.

ON INTEGRATING AI: It is an absolute must. I view AI as a force multiplier for whatever you’re doing. In hospitality and agriculture, AI won’t replace humans, but it will (and has) given us the opportunity to move faster and do more with the resources we have.

TRAITS I ADMIRE IN OTHERS: Overall: grit, determination and just being hungry to succeed.

DID YOU KNOW? Purchased by President Donald Trump in 2011, the Albemarle County winery has been owned by his son Eric since 2012, the same year they hired Woolard, who previously was events manager for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation. “Donald Trump is a man of vision. He isn’t a wide-eyed dreamer but someone who sees things that others don’t and turns that vision into reality,” Woolard said as a speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention. “When Donald Trump purchased the winery in 2011, it was in receivership. Quickly and decisively, he went to work building the hotel, replanting the vines and making it a world-class destination and the largest vineyard in Virginia.”