Northern Virginia Technology Council president Bobbie Kilberg’s exceptional background in public policy made her the perfect candidate for her position, even though she wasn’t a techie and wasn’t even looking for a full-time job. Mark Ordan’s search for a retail venture led him to visit natural-food stores around Boston and then seek out an area where a similar store might prosper. He started Fresh Fields (now Whole Foods) here and has gone on to spectacular success.
Both Kilberg and Ordan are graduates of Vassar, a liberal-arts college where “how to succeed in business” has never been part of the curriculum. Her Yale law degree and his Harvard MBA helped, but both would agree that the ability to seize opportunities has been key to their achievement.
Kilberg, Ordan, BAE Systems CEO Linda Hudson, and William Couper, retired president of Bank of America Mid-Atlantic Region, are to be inducted into the Washington Business Hall of Fame on December 3 at the National Building Museum. Twenty-five years ago, Washingtonian, the Greater Washington Board of Trade, and Junior Achievement of Greater Washington created the Hall of Fame. The dinner and awards ceremony benefit Junior Achievement programs that teach entrepreneurship and economic literacy to area schoolchildren. For more information about the event, contact Colleen Hughes at 202-777-4485.
 William CouperBanking on Washington |
 Linda Parker HudsonExcellence is the best defense |
 Mark OrdanRetailing his way to the top |
 Bobbie Greene KilbergGodmother of high tech |
Illustrations by Forrest Greene.
This article appears in the November 2013 issue of Washingtonian.
