McGuireWoods Consulting senior advisor Jim Dyke, a former Virginia Secretary of Education, wrote a response to Virginia Business, noting that the magazine’s Power 50 list oddly left off numerous Black leaders.
Dyke, himself named as a “Living Legend” by Virginia Business, noted that there was no need for an adjustment for diversity, as it names three political figures, but leaves off key Black leaders, like House Speaker Don Scott, Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee Chair Louise Lucas or House Appropriations Chair Luke Torian. Additionally, their list of educational leaders did not include the President of George Mason University, Greg Washington.
Dyke also noted that Warren Thompson, CEO of Thompson Hospitality, the largest minority-owned hospitality company in the country, was also excluded.
Dyke urged the magazine “to take a broader and more accurate approach as you compile future lists…” and to “do a better job of being balanced and inclusive by recognizing people who made significant contributions despite Virginia’s decades-old history of denying citizens opportunities to become powerful.”
