Introduction
SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE

It was the biggest business bash of the year ... the decade ... the century ... the millennium!

The Torchbearers: Business Leaders of the New Millennium were honored at the Virginia Chamber of Commerce 75th Anniversary Gala in Richmond on Dec. 8. This black-tie event was held at the sparkling new Stuart C. Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University.

Even at $100 per person, "everyone" was there. Some came to pay tribute to the chamber for everything that this organization has done to boost business in Virginia during the past 75 years. Some came to hear the music of Bruce Hornsby, who received the chamber’s "Diamond Award" for entertainment. And some came to honor other "Diamond Award" winners such as Arthur Ashe (athletics), Patricia Cornwell (literature), Charlie McDowell (journalism) and P. Buckley Moss (art).

But more than anything else, Virginia Business was there to recognize the Torchbearers: Business Leaders of the New Millennium. These are Virginia’s prototypical innovators: executives who manage their businesses for the long term, entrepreneurs who aren’t afraid of the future, people whose horizons are far broader than those of their competitors.

Working with the chamber, Virginia Business solicited nominations for this award from every corner of the commonwealth. Then we asked a prestigious panel of judges to narrow the field to 15 finalists and then to one overall winner (AOL’s Steve Case) and four regional winners. We asked each of these Torchbearers to share their insights on doing business in the new millennium, and their responses appear on the following links. Both the questions and the answers from these interviews have been edited for brevity and clarity.

We are fortunate in Virginia to have executives of this caliber leading the business community forward by providing strong examples. And judging by the chamber’s other honorees, Virginia is incredibly well-represented in other fields, too.

Karl Rhodes
Executive Editor 

Virginia's Torchbearer:
Stephen M. Chase, America Online

Northern Virginia's Torchbearer:
Michael A. Daniels, Network Solutions

Western Virginia's Torchbearer:
John D. Tickle, Strongwell

Central Virginia's Torchbearer:
James E. Ukrop, Ukrop's Super Markets and First Market Bank

Hampton Roads' Torchbearer:
Mohammad Koochekzadeh, Picus

Torchbearer Finalists