Tracking wealth in Virginia

by Bernard A. Niemeier
Virginia Business
June 2007

Summer is always a good time to catch up on reading or to enjoy people watching on a warm vacation day. Virginia Business covers both business and people. The Virginia 100, our annual look at wealthy Virginians, always makes the June issue one of the most anticipated or most dreaded, depending on your perspective. Either way, it is always a good summertime read.

Since 1989, Virginia Business has published a list of wealthy, influential people around the state. As the magazine’s largest annual project, the Virginia 100 requires months of work by a team of three editors and four writers, led this year by Managing Editor Paula Squires. Some people talk about their wealth; others don’t. In some cases we’re making an educated guess on the person’s net worth, but we provide confidence ratings for each estimate. Our hope is that readers will come away with a well-rounded view of how wealth is created and used in Virginia.

A lot of the money accumulated by wealthy Virginians goes to charity. In fact, the commonwealth is home to some of the most generous people in America. On our cover is Doris Buffett, a Fredericksburg resident who is the sister of billionaire Warren Buffett. She screens charity requests for her brother and funds worthy projects through her Sunshine Lady Foundation. Also, you’ll read about Bill and Alice Goodwin, a couple considered to be among the top philanthropists in the nation.

Other well-known personalities also show up in this year’s coverage of the Virginia 100. In a profile about Steve Johnson of Bristol — one of the new faces on this year’s list — we interview his friend and former teammate Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s career rushing leader. You can also learn how Radford businessman R.J. Kirk became Virginia’s newest billionaire.

What else does this issue have to offer? The upscale properties report focuses on Carter’s Grove, an historic plantation being sold by Colonial Williamsburg. Our regional report is on Loudon County, the state’s wealthiest and fastest growing county. A look at the engineering and information technology industry covers the rapidly emerging field of biomedical engineering. In the Commercial Real Estate Quarterly Report, there’s a profile on Charlie Polk of GVA Advantis — the company’s highest producing broker. Along with this you get Options, our monthly sampling of executive lifestyle content. In this edition we focus on travel and personal training.

So it’s time to get an early start on summer reading. All together, this is an upscale package for an upscale audience. As always, thank you for your interest in Virginia Business. Remember, a summer month goes by fast. We’ll see you again in July.