Shawn Tibbetts Spotlighted in June’s Virginia Business Issue for Virginia 500

Virginia Business‘ June 2025 issue’s spotlight is on Shawn Tibbetts, AH Realty Trust’ Chief Executive Officer and President.

HOW I CHOSE MY CAREER: Upon graduation from James Madison University, I joined shipping giant A.P. Møller – Maersk. From there, I led all operating functions at the Port of Virginia. Lastly, I was fortunate to be introduced to Dan Hoffler and Lou Haddad at AH Realty Trust. The rest is history, and I look forward to making more of it by leading AH Realty Trust into our next chapter of existence as one of the best real estate companies in the country.

ADVICE FOR NEW COLLEGE GRADUATES: Don’t overthink your career path. Be flexible as conditions change over time and manage accordingly. People are looking for shortcuts, however, I believe there is tremendous value in hard work, which, in itself, is often the competitive advantage and differentiator.

ONE THING PEOPLE ARE SURPRISED TO LEARN ABOUT ME: I am naturally an introvert.

DID YOU KNOW? Before leading mid-Atlantic real estate investment trust AH Realty Trust, Tibbetts was president of the Port of Virginia, where he managed major projects such as the $320 million Virginia International Gateway expansion and deploying a new terminal operating system and truck appointment system.