Advertisement

Header Utility Menu

  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Events

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

  • Login

Virginia Business

Mobile Menu

  • Issues
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Advertisement

Header Primary Menu

  • Issues
    • January 2023
    • December 2022
    • November 2022
    • October 2022
    • September 2022
    • Issues Archive
  • Industries
    • Banking/Finances
    • Law
    • Real Estate
    • Economic Development
    • Education
    • Energy/Green
    • Federal Contracting
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Hotels/Tourism
    • Insurance
    • Ports/Trade
    • Small Business
    • Startups
    • Technology
    • Transportation
  • Regions
    • Central Virginia
    • Eastern Virginia
    • Northern Virginia
    • Roanoke/New River Valley
    • Shenandoah Valley
    • Southern Virginia
    • Southwest Virginia
  • Reports
    • Best Places to Work
    • Business Person of the Year
    • CEO Pay
    • COVID-19
    • Generous Virginians Project
    • Legal Elite
    • Most Influential Virginians
    • Maritime Guide
    • Site Locator
    • The Big Book
    • Virginia CFO Awards
  • Company News
    • For the Record
    • People
  • Opinion
  • Lists
  • Awards/Events
    • 2022 Virginia Business Political Roundtable
    • Women in Leadership
    • Diversity Leadership Series
    • Virginia 500
    • Legal Elite
    • CFO Awards
    • Big Book of Lists
    • 100 People To Meet
    • Best Places To Work
  • Virginia 500
    • Read The Issue
    • Power Up Virginia 500
    • Buy an award plaque
    • Suggest execs for 2023

Home Uncategorized The power list

The power list

Published August 29, 2020 by Bernie Niemeier

Bernie Niemeier. Photo by Caroline Martin
Bernie Niemeier. Photo by Caroline Martin

Welcome to the inaugural edition of the Virginia 500 — The 2020 Power List. This project has taken more than a year from concept to completion. Our hope is that you will find it to be an insightful and helpful resource on leadership in Virginia.

Five hundred is a big number. Just who should be on a list of Virginia’s most powerful? Where to begin? Capt. John Smith? John Rolfe? How about Chief Powhatan, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Sally Hemings or Nat Turner? Fortunately, we are doing this in 2020 as a contemporary resource, rather than as a history of power in the commonwealth. Nevertheless, Virginia’s long reputation as a powerful place continues to this day.

Just what is power? Dictionary definitions point to things like the ability to act, legal or official authority, the capacity for and the possession of control or authority over others. In the process of producing this list, there were many conversations about how being powerful is different from being influential. Not everyone on this list is well-known. Some CEOs lead companies and organizations with global dimensions extending well beyond the boundaries of the commonwealth.

Some of Virginia Business’ other lists have been less expansive — on purpose. For example, our list of the 50 Most Influential Virginians in March’s Big Book excludes politicians and university presidents on the basis that they would crowd out many influential businesspeople. For obvious reasons, December’s Legal Elite list includes only lawyers. Our list of 100 People to Meet is limited to only those who are, in our view, interesting.

A list of 500 leaders gives us a little more walking-around room to recognize people. Yes, they can be influential. Yes, they can be politicians or academic leaders. And yes, they can be lawyers. And yes, they are also interesting.

Still, while 500 is a big number, it leaves only so much room in specific categories. First and foremost, we want to make sure to include powerful leaders in the business community, which leaves less room for state government, academia and elsewhere.

Overall, the Virginia 500 includes leaders in 20 categories, some broken into subcategories, with the number of listings in each ranging from six to more than 60. Along the way, we had questions like, “How many will be included in each category?” Well, that depends. There aren’t as many players in an unquestionably important category like energy, while there are many more in other important categories such as banking or real estate. Given the commonwealth’s proximity to and the indisputable economic importance of Dee Cee, federal contractors is the largest category.

Likewise, business density or government location means that there will be more listings in Northern Virginia, Richmond and Hampton Roads than places like the Shenandoah Valley, Southern or Southwest Virginia. Still, we hope to have captured a solid picture of the powerful across all regions.

Similarly, diversity and inclusion are challenges. Virginia Business is purposefully conscious of the need to highlight the achievements of women and ethnically diverse communities in all our listings. Still, despite the increasing diversity of Virginia’s business community, leadership and power tends to stay a step behind the changing demographics of the commonwealth. The C-suite unfortunately lags somewhat in the diversity of top leadership positions. The good news is that Virginia Business will be here to continue to document such changes.

Yes, 500 is a big number. But we have no illusions that this inaugural Power List is comprehensive or captures every powerful person in the commonwealth. But, in a remarkable year, this publication is a good reminder that Virginia is a remarkable place for power and leadership. And we thank you for your readership.

Enjoy!

 

Subscribe to Virginia Business.

Get our daily e-newsletter.

Related Stories

No related posts.

Trending

Dollar Tree CEO resigning; former Dollar General CEO to replace him

Rivers Casino Portsmouth opens to big crowds

Framatome CEO retiring; CFO to be promoted

Va. bill aims to reduce mental health stigma for health care workers

Former EAB buildings in Henrico sell for $5.35M

Sponsored Stories

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Advertisement

Advertisement

Trending

Dollar Tree CEO resigning; former Dollar General CEO to replace him

Rivers Casino Portsmouth opens to big crowds

Framatome CEO retiring; CFO to be promoted

Va. bill aims to reduce mental health stigma for health care workers

Former EAB buildings in Henrico sell for $5.35M

Sponsored Stories

In the New Year, Aim for Better Cybersecurity

4 innovative ways to create capacity

WHERE IS THE SUPPLY CHAIN WHEN YOU NEED IT?

P.A.I.N.T. Your Financial Mountain

5 Benefits of Treasury Management Services from Atlantic Union Bank

Blazing trails in the digital landscape

Get Virginia Business directly on your tablet or in your mailbox!

Subscribe to Virginia Business

Advertisement

Advertisement

Footer Primary Menu

  • virginiabusiness.com
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us

Footer Secondary Menu

  • Industries
  • Regions
  • Reports
  • Company News
  • Events

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign Up

LinkedIn Facebook Twitter Instagram Get Our App

Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Footer Utility Menu

Copyright © 2023 Virginia Business. All rights reserved.

Site Maintained by TechArk