Lawson, a leading developer, builder, and manager of multifamily housing in Virginia, is thrilled to announce the promotion of Julie Richardson to the position of Chief Operating Officer. In her new role she will oversee day-to-day operations, strategic initiatives, and continue to evolve Lawson’s core focus of positively impacting people.

Richardson joined Lawson five years ago as Director of Human Resources. She was promoted to Vice President of Human Resources in 2023 where she has demonstrated exceptional leadership and strategic thinking and played a pivotal role in aligning Lawson’s people strategy with business objectives. Richardson will also maintain her role as VP of Human Resources.

"Julie's dedication, strategic mindset, and commitment to excellence make her the perfect fit for the role of Chief Operating Officer.”, said Lawson President and CEO, Carl Hardee. “Throughout her tenure at Lawson, Julie has consistently demonstrated her ability to drive results and lead with integrity."

Before joining Lawson, Julie earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. She worked for several organizations in the capacity of Operations, Marketing and ultimately HR overseeing multiple teams and multimillion-dollar revenue budgets along her journey.  She is a distinguished HR professional holding the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation from the HR Certification Institute and the SHRM Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) credential from the Society for Human Resource Management. Her expertise in talent acquisition, employee development, and organizational effectiveness has been instrumental in driving Lawson's talent management initiatives forward.