A salute to Dick Raines

Great business leaders possess a broad array of skills that foster growth and attract top talent. They also possess the intangibles: they’re exceptional mentors, coaches, and motivators. They recognize the growth potential that people o en can’t see in themselves. They are the optimists that constantly look to the horizon and set out a clear vision that can act as a company’s North Star.

Many people in Rappahannock have become acquainted with Dick and Nancy Raines, of Washington, through their active involvement in the Little Washington Theatre, RAAC, and the broader community. Not as many have seen Dick in action as a leader of one the premier consumer brands in the country. We’re fortunate to have observed both and what we’ve seen is a great human being that leads with empathy, humility, enthusiasm, and integrity.

Eisenhower once said that “the supreme quality of leadership is integrity." Dick is the epitome of this statement. He has led Carfax, the premier web-based service that supplies vehicle history reports and helps vehicle owners keep their cars well maintained, for almost 30 years and will be retiring at the end of the month. It’s rare for the CEO of a major brand to last 10 years in the role. Rarer still for a leader to reach the 20year mark. Dick’s remarkable 30-year tenure at Carfax is largely due to his exceptional ability to select, grow, and inspire an innovative, loyal team of people while staying true to his core values, integrity being at the top.

During his career at Carfax, Dick amazingly has grown the company from 2 people to over 700 with global recognition. While building a great company, Dick never lost sight of the needs of his team, fostering a company culture that consistently has been recognized by The Washington Post, Washingtonian, and others as a “Best Place to Work.” While Dick’s accomplishments at Carfax are signi cant, the fact that he never lost sight of his top priority— his family—is perhaps most worthy of recognition and sets him apart as a leader.

Great leaders never truly step away, they look for the next opportunity to make a di erence in the world. We look forward to seeing what Dick Raines does next.

Congratulations to Dick on an incredible career.

JORDAN GOLDSTEIN

Flint Hill ANDREA WOOTEN

Sperryville