The Big Book: Most Influential Virginians
James A. Squires Chairman, president and CEO, Norfolk Southern Corp., Norfolk
Since taking over Nor- folk Southern’s top job less than a year ago, Squires has faced no shortage of
major decisions. During that time period, Norfolk Southern has rejected three takeover offers from Canadian Pacific railroad, citing reg- ulatory concerns and calling the proposals “grossly inadequate.” Squires has worked at Norfolk Southern since 1992, starting in the law department. Before becoming CEO, he was the company’s chief financial officer and president. Squires has been a board member at Sentara Healthcare and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He also is a former chairman of Virginia’s Trans- portation Accountability Commis- sion and former trustee of the Nor- folk Public Library.
Bruce L. Thompson
CEO, Gold Key | PHR Hotels and Resorts, Virginia Beach
When it comes to high-profile projects, Bruce Thompson is the developer of choice in Virginia Beach. His
company plans to open the reno- vated Cavalier Hotel late this year, and it’s toiling away on the new $126 million The Main, a hotel and confer- ence center in downtown Norfolk. Plus, Thompson is the developer that the owners of an old Virginia Beach resort recruited for a major project on the city’s south end. The pro- posed $245 million project would cover three blocks and include a new 15th
Street pier, possibly with a giant Ferris wheel and a surfing hall of fame. Thompson is definitely riding a wave, literally and figuratively. He recently purchased a new boat and enjoyed breaking it in on a Carib- bean vacation.
David Thompson
President and CEO, Orbital ATK, Dulles
This has been a big year for Orbital ATK, the aerospace and defense company Thompson co-
founded in 1982. In January, Orbital nabbed a NASA contract for more than $1 billion to continue delivering cargo to the International Space Sta- tion (ISS) through 2024. The contract is welcome news for Orbital, which made national headlines in October 2014 after one of its rockets bound for the space station exploded sec- onds after takeoff. The accident caused $15 million in damage to the Wallops Island launch pad. The facil- ity, however, now has been repaired, and Orbital ATK expects to continue missions from Wallops to the ISS in mid-2016 with an upgraded rocket. In 2015, the company absorbed ATK’s aerospace and defense units.
Warren Thompson
President and chairman, Thompson Hospitality, Reston
In 1986, Thompson was working as a regional manager for Roy Rogers, a fast- food chain then
owned by Marriott Corp. Six years later, he founded Thompson Hospi- tality after buying 31 Big Boy restau- rants from Marriott. Those restau- rants eventually were sold, and Thompson Hospitality expanded into contract food service. Today, Thompson Hospitality provides food service in nearly 50 states and abroad, and its restaurant and retail division serves 1.9 million guests each year. The company, which logged $525 million in revenue in 2015, is a regular on Black Enter- prise magazine’s list of 100 largest black businesses in the country. Thompson sits on the boards of Federal Realty Investment Trust, Compass Group and Pizza Studio. Thompson Hospitality is a major supporter of Cornerstones of Res- ton, a nonprofit that provides food, shelter, affordable housing and other human services. Thompson’s company also donates $1.2 million each year to historically black col- leges and universities. Thompson is a visiting lecturer at the University of Virginia, where he received his MBA in 1983.
62 MARCH 2016 Ed Walker
Managing member, ReGeneration Partners and Commonwealth Capital Partners, Roanoke
Walker has spear- headed Roanoke’s revitalization by rehabbing old build- ings. He has worked
on more than 20 reclamation proj- ects valued at more than $80 million in Virginia and elsewhere. Nonethe- less, he remains humble, saying he doesn’t believe his career achieve- ments are that great. “My feelings are anchored more in gratitude for the opportunities and the col- leagues that worked together to make them happen,” he says. Walker also has taught at Washing- ton and Lee University’s School of Law, owns two co-working spaces in Roanoke and founded the City- Works (X)po, a yearly event that brings people to the Star City to “share big ideas for better places.” With those accomplishments under his belt, it’s no wonder he was named Roanoke’s 2014 Citizen of the Year. Thirty years ago, Walker was 19 years old studying at the Uni- versity of St. Andrews in Scotland. “Super dark, super cold, super good Scotch,” he reminisces.
John O. “Dubby” Wynne
Retired president and CEO, Landmark Communications and former chairman of The Weather Channel, Virginia Beach
Wynne is the coordina- tor of GO Virginia, a proposed state pro- gram that would use incentives to promote
regional cooperation among locali- ties. The former media executive says the initiative, for which he has been gathering support for years, could be “transformational.” Many other areas of the country, he notes, already are taking a regional approach to economic development. Wynne has experience in bringing big projects to fruition. Thirty years ago, he was developing the 4-year- old Weather Channel while serving as Landmark’s head of broadcasting and new ventures. He is chair of the Hampton Roads Community Foun- dation, a trustee at Princeton Univer- sity, vice chair of the Council on Vir- ginia’s Future and a member and co-founder of the Hampton Roads Business Roundtable.
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