For the eighth consecutive year, has been recognized as one of the top workplaces in the Washington, D.C., area, earning the distinction this year through the Top Workplaces program conducted by Energage in partnership with �鶹���� News.

The award recognizes organizations that prioritize workplace culture and employee engagement, with winners selected based on employee feedback gathered through the Energage Workplace Survey.

The research-backed survey measures factors tied to organizational success, including whether employees feel valued, supported and empowered in their work.

For JC Campagna, president of Chenega Corporation’s Military, Intelligence and Operations Support Strategic Business Unit, the recognition carries added significance because it comes directly from employees themselves.

“On a personal level, I find it extremely rewarding,” Campagna said. “Employees participate in determining who wins and what attributes are being recognized and that’s an incredible source of pride.”

Maintaining healthy work relationships

Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Lorton, Virginia, Chenega MIOS is a shared services division of Chenega Corporation.

The organization provides business services to Chenega Corporation’s wholly owned companies and assists in the management of contracts with a net value of more than $2 billion.

Campagna has been with Chenega for 27 years.

“Maintaining relentless focus on the people and the culture of Chenega really brings it together,” Campagna said. “Discipline of execution, discipline in leadership, long-term thinking and resilience are all important.”

The company’s latest recognition comes as many employers continue navigating the challenges of hybrid and remote work environments that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sustaining company culture in a more distributed workforce has been a priority for the organization over the past several years.

“My biggest fear was forgetting the culture,” Campagna said. “We developed a culture of family closeness because we were together every day.”

The organization has worked intentionally to preserve those relationships by bringing employees together regularly, even when remote work remains common and, in many cases, more convenient.

“We get together, whether we need it or not, at least once a quarter,” Campagna said. “We also plan social events where we can all hang out together and appreciate each other as colleagues and as friends.”

According to Energage, the Top Workplaces methodology is informed by feedback from millions of employees across more than 70,000 organizations over two decades of research.

The survey evaluates workplace culture drivers that have been shown to predict employee engagement and organizational performance.

“You don’t, by accident, start an organization and then eight years in a row win something like this,” Campagna said. “It really tells you what the DNA of the organization is truly made of.”

A formula for sustained success

Employee feedback remains one of the company’s most important management tools.

“I thrive on feedback,” Campagna said. “Over many years of trial and error, we found that employees will give you honest feedback and tell you how they really feel if you just ask them, because they feel like they’re going to be part of the solution.”

Beyond its internal workplace culture, Chenega MIOS also places a strong emphasis on community involvement and social responsibility.

The company supports charities, food banks and organizations that assist military veterans, ranchers and farmers.

“We want to make sure that if we arrive into a community, we don’t just arrive and take,” Campagna said. “We want to arrive and give equally.”

Campagna said the company’s growth and operational success stem from a willingness to constantly reevaluate business practices and improve processes over time.

“I’ve always looked at failure as an education,” he said. “Good enough isn’t good enough, so we need to revalidate the things that we do and the steps that we take to do business day in and day out, because they would become stale otherwise.”

As Chenega MIOS marks its eighth consecutive Top Workplaces recognition in the highly-competitive D.C. region, Campagna said the achievement reflects the long-term effort employees across the organization have put in over the years.

“It’s great to say that we’re a top workplace, but you only get there if you’re good at what you do,” said Campagna. “The fact that we have continued to grow year in and year out is a tribute not just to the people doing the job, but also to the business practices that we employ to get there.”

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What began as a single suburban Ford dealership 60 years ago has grown into one of the largest automotive retail groups in the country.

At Sheehy Auto Stores, its success is rooted in maintaining a family atmosphere.

“It really is a family-owned company, and it feels like family,” said Lisa Vigneault, vice president of talent and guest experience at Sheehy Auto Stores.

That culture recently earned Sheehy recognition as a top workplace in the Washington, D.C., area through the Top Workplaces program conducted by Energage in partnership with �鶹���� News.

The award is based entirely on employee feedback gathered through the Energage Workplace Survey, which measures workplace culture, employee engagement and organizational health.

According to Vigneault, it reflects years of emphasis on employee engagement and customer service.

“The customer is truly the North Star for us,” said Vigneault. “We will do anything to please a customer and we won’t give up, because that’s part of our DNA.”

Family culture leads to growth

Sheehy Ford first opened in 1966 just off the newly constructed Washington Beltway as a small, family-owned dealership.

Today, Sheehy Auto Stores has grown into the 28th largest dealer group in the nation, operating 28  dealerships stretching from Hagerstown and Baltimore to Richmond, Virginia.

The company has worked to maintain close relationships between leadership and employees through the years.

An annual “State of theCompany” tour is led by company executives, including CEO Vince Sheehy.

Leadership teams visit every dealership for town hall-style meetings with employees.

“They’re communicating key priorities for the year, but they’re also there shaking hands and making sure they know all the employees by name,” said Vigneault. “Anytime we get feedback from employees, if there’s an issue or something we want to improve, the reaction is immediately, ‘How do we solve that? How do we fix it?’”

Sheehy Auto Stores hosts numerous events for team members and their families in appreciation of their commitment to the company. Each year, more than 6,000 Sheehy employees and family members attend “Family Day and Sheehy’s Got Talent” at Kings Dominion. The company also hosts an all-expenses-paid trip each year for top-performing employees.

The company’s emphasis on growth and internal advancement has become a significant part of its workplace culture.

Two of the most recently promoted general managers began their careers as sales consultants on the ground floor before working their way up through the organization.

“We always try to promote from within,” Vigneault explained. “We really want to grow, train and develop our team members and make sure they are ready for the next opportunity.”

Developing leaders from within

Sheehy offers a range of internal and external training opportunities, including instruction through Sheehy University.

Training programs are designed for employees across multiple departments, including sales consultants, service advisors, receptionists, technicians and finance managers.

The company operates an Emerging Leaders Program, a two-year leadership development initiative focused on preparing employees for management positions.

Sheehy created the Sheehy Women Leaders Program to help strengthen opportunities for women in an industry that has traditionally been male-dominated.

“The automotive industry is in most cases 80% men and 20% women, yet 55% of the transactions are women buying the cars,” Vigneault said. “There’s a disconnect in the industry.”

The company hired an outside executive coach specializing in women’s leadership development to help build the program with the goal of attracting, retaining and developing women for higher level positions.

“We’re trying to give women a new opportunity to feel valued and feel like they’re part of the culture,” said Vigneault. “I’m really proud of that program.”

A commitment to customers and community

The customer experience remains central to the identity at Sheehy Auto Stores, and the company reinforces that through what it calls its “10 Customer Commandments,” including a “10-foot rule,” which encourages employees to acknowledge customers whenever they are nearby.

“Buying a vehicle can be an intimidating experience, but at Sheehy we really try to have an atmosphere that’s welcoming, open and low-pressure,” said Vigneault. “We want it to feel like home instead of what people may think of as a traditional dealership experience.”

Sheehy employees and dealerships are also involved in charitable efforts throughout the communities they serve.

The company’s largest long-term partnership is with the American Heart Association, but individual dealerships organize food drives, school supply collections and holiday toy drives while supporting local nonprofits.

“We give vehicles away to nonprofits that need cars, while we also provide volunteer support” Vigneault said. “Giving back to the community is a big foundational element for the company.”

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For the 13th year, Washington D.C. Top Workplaces is honoring the best places to work in the region, and for the first time, the awards are in partnership with �鶹���� News.

The award is verified and earned through an employee survey process. Workplaces where employees offer positive feedback about their experience make the winners list. The survey is strictly confidential, allowing employees to share honest feedback anonymously.

, based in suburban Philadelphia, administers the survey and analyzes feedback based on responses to 26 questions. The survey asks employees about such factors as pay and benefits, direction, leadership, meaningfulness, and appreciation. Energage scores companies based on the responses. Energage has established benchmarks based on feedback from about 30 million employees over 20 years.

The award cannot be bought; it is earned. There is no cost to employers to survey their employees. If they choose, organizations can purchase the survey data from Energage. There is no obligation for winners to purchase any product or service.

For the 2026 winners list, 9,933 organizations were asked to survey their employees, and 390 agreed to do so. Based on the survey feedback, 342 have earned recognition as Top Workplaces in Washington D.C.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a celebration of excellence,” Energage CEO Eric Rubino said. “It serves as a reminder of the vital role a people-first workplace experience plays in achieving success.”

To qualify for Top Workplaces recognition, employers must have at least 50 workers in the region.  Beginning this year, employers are grouped by the overall size of their organization, and the number of employees invited to survey, which might include employees outside of the D.C. area.  Employers are grouped into similar sizes to best compare similar employee experiences. They are ranked within those groups based on the strength of the survey feedback.

Survey results are valid only if 35% or more employees respond; employers with fewer than 85 employees have a higher response threshold, requiring responses from at least 30 employees.

Why might a particular employer not be on the list? Perhaps it chose not to participate, or perhaps it did and employee feedback scores were not strong enough. Energage also runs tests on survey feedback and in some cases may disqualify an organization if, for example, a high number of employees said they felt pressured to answer positively.

To participate in the 2027 Top Workplaces awards, or for more information, go to the nominations page at /nominate.

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Klinger is a handsome young pup bursting with joy and enthusiasm for life.

He’s currently learning how to channel all that happy energy in the best ways and the team here thinks he’s very trainable — he’ll just need a little guidance to stay on track as he continues to grow.

This playful guy loves his toys, and a good game of fetch is one of his favorite ways to burn off that joyful energy. He’s already starting to build his basic manners and is eager to keep learning with his future family by his side.

When the playtime winds down, Klinger shines as a top tier snuggler. He’s already an expert in cuddles and would be more than happy to keep perfecting that skill every day.

If you’re looking for a fun-loving companion who will bring joy, laughter and plenty of snuggles into your life, Klinger is ready to go home with you.

Come to the Humane Rescue Alliance at 71 Oglethorpe Street in Northwest D.C. to meet me between noon to 7 p.m. daily.

To learn more, visit the Humane Rescue Alliance’s webpage at .

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Leopard geckos cannot legally be kept as pets within D.C. If you are interested in Pearl and live outside of D.C., please check with your local jurisdiction to see if leopard geckos can legally be kept as pets in your area.

Leopard geckos can make great pets but do require specific living setups and appropriate husbandry to thrive and live long, healthy lives — they can live up to 15 to 20 years.

Leopard geckos require a minimum of a 20-gallon long tank, though the ideal size for a leopard gecko is 40 gallons. Leopard geckos should be housed individually. Leopard geckos require light and heat sources, thermometers and humidity gauges; they need appropriate tank litter and hidey huts; and must be fed an appropriate diet.

Leopard geckos can make amazing pets and Pearl is ready to prove it! Our adoptions counselors can provide more in-depth information about leopard gecko husbandry and care.

Come meet Pearl today! Visit the Humane Rescue Alliance’s webpage at .

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Hart, considered one of the best “glue guys” in the NBA, played a significant role in the Knicks’ successful season as he capped off with a typical do-a-little-bit-of-everything performance in the Saturday’s winning game.

He played 39 minutes, scoring 13 points and pulling down a team-high of 11 rebounds.

“I try to put my, my heart out there, I try to do whatever I can do to help the team win,” Hart said at the podium with his twin 3-year-old sons sitting next to him. “I don’t care about points, I don’t care about those things. I’m willing to sacrifice whatever it takes for this city, for this jersey, for this franchise, and to win it, man.”

Hart was born in Silver Spring and his basketball journey started in the Montgomery County Recreation League.

After transferring from Wheaton High School, he was named first team All-Met at Sidwell Friends School in 2013 and later went on to win the NCAA title in 2016 with the Villanova Wildcats. He was also named Big East Player of the Year in 2017.

He bounced around the NBA with three teams in his first six years in the league before finding a home in New York when he was traded to the Knicks in 2023.

“I’ve been doubted so many times. You know, traded, had so much instability with what, seven, eight different head coaches and I found a home in New York and they embraced me for the person that I am, the player that I am,” Hart said.

Hart forms one-third of the so-called “Nova Knicks,” along with players Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. The trio, who combined for 72 points scored on Saturday night, led Villanova to an NCAA championship in 2016 and 10 years later, they’re NBA champions after besting the San Antonio Spurs 94-90.

“I feel like definitely [former Villanova head] coach [Jay] Wright helped us be cut from a different cloth, and no matter what the moment is, it’s never too big for us,” Hart said.

“We’re champions before at the college level. Now we’re champions as brothers at the ultimate level,” Hart said. “And those guys, men, they’re warriors and nothing they do surprises me … I love those guys, and we’re going to be friends and brothers for a lifetime.”

A parade for the Knicks will be held Thursday and could potentially be the largest championship parade in New York City’s storied sports history.

“This the best feeling, man. We worked so hard for this,” Hart said. “We’re going to celebrate this one a little bit. I’m going to celebrate with some Patrón.”

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Nick Barrett, a 33-year-old amateur from Catonsville, Maryland, has been a UPS driver for eight years while chasing his golf dream.

Besides a number of his family members, several of Barrett’s buddies and fellow members at Turf Valley Golf Club in Ellicott City, Maryland, were out in force at Woodmont, clad in brown UPS shirts.

“That’s very special when I saw those guys show up and those brown shirts,” Barrett told �鶹����. “Somebody had mentioned to me that they were gonna do that. I thought it was somewhat of a joke. I’m like, no way, but somebody went online, I don’t know where they got them, but they bought those shirts, and they showed up in those UPS shirts.”

“It’s pretty hilarious they’re all wearing UPS shirts today in support,” Julia Barrett, Nick’s wife, said while walking the course with the couple’s 6-month-old son. “It’s really fun. I think it keeps it light-hearted for him.”

“Nick’s a great kid,” Michael Tydings, one of Barrett’s friends, said. “Watched him do well every place he goes. He’s even a better human, better dad. We wanted to support him, show our support to the crowd. So we had an idea to go brown.”

The U.S. Open qualifying is called “Golf’s Longest Day,” with 75 golfers playing 36 holes each at Woodmont’s North Course, one of eight locations around the U.S. and Canada to host qualifiers. The U.S. Open will be played at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York, on June 18.

At last year’s U.S. Open Qualifying at Woodmont, Barrett’s dream was dashed when, after shooting a 68 in the first round, he didn’t sign his scorecard in the allotted time and was disqualified.

“I don’t want to say it haunted me, but it definitely left a mark,” Barrett said.

On Monday, Barrett made it to the final stages of qualifying again but got off to a shaky start. His drive on the first hole of the day went way left, which led to a double bogey. He ended up shooting an 80.

“Never really got comfortable, especially in that first round,” Barrett said.

A 75 in his second round left him way off the pace. Barrett finished a combined 13 over for the day, 18 shots off the cut line.

Barrett couldn’t deliver the fairy-tale ending he and his army of brown-clad supporters so badly wanted for him.

“I wasn’t necessarily choked up in the moment, but looking back on it now, it’s like, wow, man, like these guys care so much, and that means everything,” he said.

And Tuesday morning, Barrett was back on his UPS route, delivering packages.

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New tax rates released Monday by the Office of the Comptroller set the new tax rate on gasoline at 46.6 cents per gallon, a net increase of six-tenths of a penny more than this year’s rate, and the first increase after two year of slight declines. The tax is in addition to the federal tax on gas of 18.4 cents a gallon.

Robert Rehrmann, the director of the Board of Revenue Estimates, said the overall increase this year was not driven by the war with Iran.

“Although Middle East geopolitical shocks triggered a spike in gasoline prices beginning in early March, the average price over the full 12-month determination period was lower than the prior year,” Rehrmann wrote in his report.

The new rate is now one-tenth of a penny lower than it was in July 2023, when the tax jumped by 7 cents per gallon. The latest increase amounts to an additional six cents in taxes on 10 gallons of regular gas.

Rehrmann cautioned that the full effects of the conflict, which have seen gas prices climb well above $4 per gallon, may yet be seen.

“Global oil markets are unpredictable, but any sustained increase in gasoline prices will be reflected in next year’s determination,” Rehrmann wrote.

One week ago, the national average was $4.507 per gallon for regular, according to AAA, and $4.416 in Maryland.

On Monday, the average retail price of a gallon of regular gas in Maryland was $4.17 per gallon — $1.12 more than a year ago.

“Global oil markets are unpredictable, but any sustained increase in gasoline prices will be reflected in next year’s determination,” according to AAA.

By law, the comptroller must set and announce the new rate by June 1, to take effect on the July 1 start of the fiscal year.

Maryland’s gas tax includes two components — the Consumer Price Index and pre-tax prices on gasoline.

In 2013, lawmakers passed legislation coupling a portion of the gasoline tax to inflation. That portion of the tax is based on the Consumer Price Index for the preceding year. By law, that portion of the tax rate can only increase. It is capped at 8%.

The second component applies a sales and use tax to the wholesale price of gas. That portion of the tax rate fluctuates with the average wholesale price.

Annual inflation of 2.8% added nine-tenths of a penny to the state gas tax this year. That was offset by three-tenths of a penny drop attributed to slightly lower wholesale prices over the 12-month period ending in April.

In 2023, the gas tax jumped by 7 cents per gallon driven by an annual inflation rate of 7.1% coupled with higher wholesale prices for gas.

Since 2023, the state has experienced two years of slight decreases.

In 2024, the state’s portion of the gas tax dropped nine-tenths of a penny to 46.10 cents per gallon. Last year, the rate dropped to an even 46 cents per gallon.

Decreases in fiscal years 2021 and 2022 were caused by lower fuel prices during the pandemic, when fuel demand waned as more people worked from home and traveled less.

In each instance, the decreases were attributed to wholesale gas prices offsetting increases from inflation.

Republicans in the House and Senate mount a nearly annual offensive to end automatic inflation-driven gas tax increases. This year was no different.

“This latest increase reveals a fundamental flaw in Maryland’s gas tax equation – that in some of the most difficult economic times, this tax will increase because of the automatic formulas the Democratic majority pushed through a decade ago,” House Minority Whip Del. Jesse Pippy (R-Frederick) said in a statement Monday.

“Marylanders are struggling with high gas prices. While we cannot control federal policy in the Middle East, we can control Maryland’s tax policy here at home,” said Pippy, who called it “unconscionable that Maryland’s Democratic majority has put a system in place that will increase the burden on Marylanders.

“While I am certain there will be those who downplay this increase, when taken in combination with more than 300 tax and fee increases over the last four years, including the largest tax increase in Maryland’s history, this is unaffordable and unsustainable for Maryland’s families and businesses,” his statement said.

Republicans vowed a renewed push to end the automatic increase if the legislature returns for a special session this summer to take up legislation on congressional redistricting.

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Josh Hart, of Silver Spring, Maryland, has become a valuable cog on the team that has won 11 straight playoff games and hasn’t lost in over a month.

Now in his ninth season in the NBA, Hart’s durability, flexibility and all-around skills make him a fan favorite and a perfect player to complement Knicks stars Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony Towns.

Hart has come a long way from his days playing in the Montgomery County Recreation League to going viral by untying the shoelaces of late night TV show host Jimmy Fallon as he sat courtside at a Knicks playoff game recently.

And now, he’s getting ready to play in his first NBA Finals. On Wednesday, the Knicks begin their best of seven NBA Finals series with the San Antonio Spurs.

It has been quite a journey for Hart, thanks to a tireless work ethic and a strong support system at home and in the community.

�鶹���� talked with his mom Pat to get the scoop on Hart and his journey.

A dream come true

The journey to the NBA Finals began in Montgomery County many years ago with a dream.

“Well, it’s something I don’t know if I ever pictured actually happening,” Pat Hart told �鶹����. “I can’t remember what age it was. I remember Josh saying one time that he said, ‘I want to go to the NBA, and then after that I want to be a broadcaster.’ So you know my response to that was, well, my dream is for you to get a college scholarship. I said that’s all I ever wanted to see happen, so once he got his scholarship, it was like, well, I got my dream.”

A rough start at Sidwell

After his freshman year at Wheaton High School, Hart transferred to Sidwell Friends, a private school in D.C. with a much higher level of basketball and academics. It was a tough transition for Hart.

“He came from Wheaton … a public high school, and not that it’s a bad school, but compared to Sidwell, which is one of the top five high schools in the country, and presidents and diplomats,” Pat Hart said. “He did not have the required study skills for Sidwell. I mean, I think the first day he came into class, I remember him saying he sat down, pulled his hoodie up and put his head down on the desk, and everybody, including the kids, just kind of looked at him like, what the heck is he doing?”

“He had a very rough first year,” Pat Hart said. “At the end of that year, they actually told him they thought it was best if he went somewhere else that he would be better.”

Family, friends, neighbors and the school all stepped up, offering help with housing for a better study atmosphere, lunches and a tutor. All the kindness and support turned Hart’s high school experience and life around.

“He actually did very well in the end, but it took a village.”

Eagle Scout

During his senior season at Sidwell, Hart was named first team All-Met and earned his Eagle Scout badge, the highest honor for Boy Scouts. But it didn’t come easily.

Hart had risen from Boy Scout to Cub Scout but then, “he decided he didn’t really want to be bothered with doing that Eagle Scout thing, so he kept putting it off and putting it off and putting it off,” Pat Hart said.

An AAU tournament was coming up that would help determine where Hart would go to college, but his dad, Moses, said he couldn’t play because he did not fulfill his promise to finish his Eagle Scout work.

“We made a deal,” Moses said, according to Pat. “I fulfilled my end of the deal. You haven’t fulfilled your end of the deal. So, with that, Josh got working on it.”

Hart earned his Eagle Scout badge, something only 4% of Scouts achieve.

A storied career at Villanova

At Villanova, Hart wasted no time making an impact. He made the Big East All-Freshman team in 2014 and won the league’s 6th Man of the Year award in 2015.

In his junior year, Hart helped lead Villanova to the 2016 NCAA national championship in a game remembered for Kris Jenkins hitting a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to beat North Carolina.

The next season, Hart collected Big East Tournament MVP and Big East Player of the Year honors.

He graduated with a degree in communications and, in 2022, Villanova retired his No. 3 jersey.

Two of Hart’s current Knicks teammates, Brunson and Mikel Bridges, were also teammates on Villanova’s 2016 national championship team. Collectively, the three are known as the “Nova Knicks.” Having three former college teammates play together on an NBA team is very rare.

They are all very close with each other and their former Villanova head coach Jay Wright.

“All those boys, they still all communicate with Jay, and Jay texts them, and they text back,” Pat Hart said.

Ten years after winning an NCAA title together, the “Nova Knicks” are trying to win an NBA title together.

The NBA journey

Hart was selected in the first round (30th overall) of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, then immediately traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

After playing for three teams (Lakers, New Orleans and Portland) in his first six years in the league, he was traded by Portland midseason in 2023 to the Knicks.

“He’s been popular any place he’s been, because of the way he plays and the things he does, and just doing whatever it takes to try and help his team win.”

Finding a home in New York

Now in his fourth season with the Knicks, Hart has become a very important player on the team.

He led the NBA in minutes played with 37.6 per game last year and holds the franchise single season record with nine triple doubles.

In 2023, Hart signed a four-year, $81 million contract extension with the Knicks through the 2027-28 season.

“He’s always wanted to find a home and be with one team for more than … he was with other ones,” Pat Hart said.

53 years and counting

The Knicks are one of the NBA’s cornerstone franchises but have struggled to find sustained success for decades. New York last played in the NBA Finals in 1999, losing to the San Antonio Spurs led by Tim Duncan and David Robinson.

The last time the Knicks won an NBA Championship was 1973. The team featured legends Walt “Clyde” Frazier, Willis Reed, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Dave DeBusschere, all Hall of Famers.

How big a deal is it that they’re in the NBA Finals? The cheapest tickets on the secondary market for the first game in New York on June 8 (Game 3) are going for over $4,000 per ticket.

Commanders fan

A vocal fan of his hometown Washington Commanders, Hart often posts about the team on social media. And he’s been known to wear the team’s gear, including an oversized Commanders cap during a media scrum.

Teammates Brunson and Towns are avid Philadelphia Eagles fans, so there’s “quite a rivalry there,” according to Hart’s mom.

Hart is also a fan of the Chelsea soccer team in the English Premier League.

Family man

Hart is the youngest of three children. He and his wife Shannon Phillips have twin sons, Hendrix and Haze, who have joined Hart on the Knicks’ bench on occasion.

“He’s very devoted to his family, to his wife,” Part Hart said. “He’s always been more of a home guy, a homebody. Just as soon being home, he’s not going to go out to the clubs and party and drink a whole lot. He’s very, very much a family man. He’s very family oriented.”

Hart’s grand uncle on his father’s side is Elston Howard, a former New York Yankees catcher who was voted American League Most Valuable Player in 1963.

When he’s not with his family or playing basketball, he’s probably playing golf, playing video games or eating candy.

Candy man

Hart eats Mike and Ike’s candy before every game, a superstition that started in college, when he used to hide the candy in his parka so his coach wouldn’t find out.

In 2025, Mike and Ike appointed Hart as its first “chief candy officer” and this year, he was promoted to “president of candy ops.”

On a recent appearance of the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Hart took a box of Mike and Ike’s out of his jacket and shared his favorite candy with Fallon.

“He’s just got a sweet tooth, unfortunately, from my side of the family, so he comes by it naturally. He’s got a cabinet in his house next to his refrigerator that he can open up, and it’s nothing but shelves of Mike and Ike’s, just rows of boxes, Mike and Ike’s.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story has been updated to reflect that the New York Knicks last won an NBA Finals 53 years ago. 

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On Thursday, she announced that Edward Baine, executive vice president of utility operations and president of Dominion Energy Virginia, would replace Rocovich on the board for the remainder of his term, which ends in June 30, 2027.

The transition comes after multiple board shakeups last year under former Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s tenure, federal investigations at several state universities related to diversity and discrimination issues, the sudden departures of high-profile university presidents and concerns within higher education communities about politicization of public universities’ governing bodies.

In the letter, Spanberger wrote that Rocovich’s conduct was found to be in violation of the state’s for state boards and commissions, the Board of Visitors Code of Ethics, and statutes requiring board members to act in accordance with the best interests of Virginia Tech.

The letter did not provide additional details on Rocovich’s alleged violations, stating only that the findings constituted “sufficient cause” for his removal. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to questions for clarity about the termination.

Rocovich’s dismissal after 16 years of service follows the board’s vote to grant an exception permitting him to serve a third one-year term as rector during the search for Virginia Tech’s next president, following Tim Sands’s April departure, Cardinal News last month.

The board minutes noted that Rocovich was elected rector because no other nominees were available and he was willing to serve.

Last month, following Sands’ announcement that he would step down in April, the governor four new members to Tech’s governing board. Spanberger visited the campus on May 15 to give the university’s commencement address.

Rocovich was also a to Republican gubernatorial nominee and Spanberger rival Winsome Earle-Sears’ campaign, according to the Virginia Public Access Project.

Having served on the board of visitors from 1997 to 2005, Rocovich was appointed to a term from 2010 through 2014, and was rector from 2002 to 2004.

A native of Roanoke and a Virginia Tech graduate, Rocovich founded a law firm and practices taxation and trusts and estates law. He also earned degrees from the University of Richmond and New York University.

He has contributed to securing funding for research, scholarships, and programs, according to his board bio, which has since been removed. He also founded the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine and has been involved in various Virginia education and civic organizations.

In a statement, House Minority Leader Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, praised Rocovich for his work on the board while questioning the governor’s decision to terminate him.

“The governor owes the Virginia Tech community — and all Virginians — an explanation for this decision,” he said. “What exactly did John Rocovich do?”

“I’ve known John for years, and I know he has done nothing but act in the best interest of Virginia Tech. To suggest otherwise is libelous.”

The next board meeting is on June 1.

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