Virginia Business announces inaugural C-Suite Awards winners

Virginia Business has selected its inaugural group of Virginia C-Suite Awards recipients.

The Virginia C-Suite Awards celebrate top corporate executives who consistently demonstrate remarkable leadership skills, integrity, values, vision, commitment to excellence, company performance and community engagement. The honorees must have their primary work office in Virginia and hold a top corporate executive position (such as CEO, COO, CFO, etc.) or equivalent job (executive director, owner, etc.).

A list of winners is below.

“Virginia Business congratulates this year’s honorees. Our 2025 C-Suite Awards winners are outstanding leaders who demonstrate impressive resumes and lead their companies to success, making a positive impact on the lives of others. They are trendsetters who empower those who work with them in a professional setting and in the community,” said Richard Foster, associate publisher of Virginia Business. “They are examples to all, and their leadership is growing the next generation.”

Virginia C-Suite Awards honorees will be recognized June 5 at a celebration at The Jefferson Hotel, 101 W. Franklin Street, in Richmond. Registration and networking begin at 11:30 a.m. followed at noon by a luncheon and awards celebration. The event hashtag is #VBevents.

Attendance is limited. There are various sponsorship levels available, which include the right to use the event logo, multimedia marketing, a table to share with co-workers and guests at the event, and much more. Tables are only available with sponsorship. If seats are available after the sponsorship deadline, a limited number of individual tickets will go on sale. To secure a sponsorship to ensure you and your guests can celebrate together, contact your account manager or Toni McCracken at [email protected].

Winners will be recognized in the June issue of Virginia Business and online at VirginiaBusiness.com.

The Presenting Sponsor for the Virginia C-Suite Awards is YHB.

For more information and the most updated listing of sponsors, visit https://virginiabusiness.com/event/c-suite-awards/.

2025 C-Suite Awards Winners

Government

• Joe Benevento, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corp. (VIPC)
• Dr. Joseph Casey, Chesterfield County
• John A. Vithoulkas, Henrico County

Higher Education

• Marcia Conston, Tidewater Community College
• Bret Danilowicz, Radford University
• Scott D. Miller, Virginia Wesleyan University

Nonprofit with less than $10 million in annual revenue

• Peter Allen Schmidt, Norfolk Botanical Garden
• Bryan K. Stephens, Hampton Roads Chamber
• Michel Zajur, Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Nonprofit with more than $10 million in annual revenue

• Sean T. Connaughton, Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association
• Melinda Hancock, Sentara Health
• Elizabeth Ann McClanahan, Virginia Tech Foundation
• Becky Sawyer, Sentara Health

Private company with 50 or fewer employees

• Rebecca Geller, The Geller Law Group

Private company with 51-149 employees

• Robby Demeria, Phlow
• Hannah Pollack, Nightingale Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Dr. Angela D. Reddix, ARDX | Envision Lead Grow | The Mustard Seed Place
• Kim Snyder, KlariVis

Private company with 150-499 employees

• Joe Caliri, SimVentions
• Timothy A. Faulkner, The Breeden Company
• Woody Fowler, Williams Mullen
• Craig Halliday, Unanet
• Whitson Huffman, Capital Square
• Joseph R. Schmuckler, Cary Street Partners​

Private company with more than 500 employees

• Taylor Franklin, Franklin Group
• Brad Hobbs, Air Control Concepts
• Brian Schools, Chartway Credit Union
• Julian Setian, SOSi
• Evan Shriver, Atlantic Constructors

Public company with less than $500 million in annual revenue

• Paul W. Nester, RGC Resources

Public company with more than $500 million in annual revenue

• Kimberly A.C. Enochs, Marsh McLennan Agency
• William Foster III, TowneBank
• Shawn Tibbetts, Armada Hoffler

About Virginia Business

Virginia Business is the only publication in Virginia dedicated to covering economic activity in every sector and region of the commonwealth. The magazine has established a reputation as a must-read for those who want to stay abreast of commercial events in Virginia and attracts a diverse group of readers, including business leaders who hold managerial and financial positions and fill a host of C-suite positions. Virginia Business hosts several annual events to recognize excellence and provide leadership opportunities and facilitates thoughtful discussion with market leaders through its webinar series. Its Digital Marketing Solutions helps customers with social media, search engine marketing and optimization, retargeting, email marketing and more. Virginia Business is part of BridgeTower Media, the authoritative voice for insights and marketing solutions across 40+ brands in five key sectors across the United States.