Carlos Hopkins (M.B.A. ’24) will make you reconsider what the word “busy” means.

He came up through The Citadel, was commissioned as an Army officer and never really stopped serving. Logging more than 30 years in the Reserve and National Guard, he deployed to Guantanamo Bay in 2008 as Chief of Military Justice and later to the Middle East in 2021 with the 29th Infantry Division. In between, he earned his law degree from the University of Richmond, found himself advising a Virginia governor on the most sensitive legal matters facing the commonwealth and then spent five years as Virginia’s Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs under not one but two governors.

Today he is a partner at Gentry Locke, one of Virginia’s most prominent law firms, recently tapped to co-chair committees on both Gov. Abigail Spanberger’s and Attorney General Jay Jones’ transition teams. He was also inducted into the Virginia Law Foundation Fellows Class of 2025. Oh, and somewhere in the middle of all of that, he found time to earn his Executive M.B.A. (E.M.B.A.) from VCU.

You might expect someone carrying that resume to keep things buttoned up. But as I found in our conversation, Hopkins is remarkably candid — quick to laugh at himself, generous with his advice and genuinely enthusiastic about the Executive M.B.A. experience in ways that go outside the expected talking points.

How has your Executive M.B.A. experience influenced your leadership approach and career trajectory since graduation?


I think my E.M.B.A. experience has allowed me to gain a much better understanding of the relationship between C-suite decisions and a company’s financial balance sheet. As a military veteran, I know how important it is to have the necessary information when making key decisions. I try to take the information I learned during the E.M.B.A. program and look behind the financial picture to gather the most relevant information and figure out how to tell a company’s story. 

What significant challenges or opportunities have you faced in your industry recently, and how did your Executive M.B.A. education help you navigate them?


Like many industries, the legal field is facing significant challenges from artificial intelligence (AI). AI is changing our approach to research, analysis, timekeeping, etc. During the E.M.B.A. program, we discussed the broader impact trends like AI, blockchain, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies will have on the overall workforce. My E.M.B.A. experience highlighted the importance of staying aware of new emerging technologies and considering how to implement them in my current work.

Can you share a memorable experience or key takeaway from your time in the program that still resonates with you today?


I think the part of the program that continues to resonate with me the most is the pitch contest, probably because I learned techniques that I continue to use today. The competition allowed us to really dig into a particular industry, conduct the research, develop our proposals and then figure out how to condense the information into a short elevator pitch. Even today, when meeting with a potential new client, I find myself going through many of the same processes I learned in the E.M.B.A. program.

In what ways have you stayed connected to the E.M.B.A. community or contributed back since graduating?

Our E.M.B.A. class is still pretty tight. We still get together occasionally at someone’s house or play golf together or hangout at some local spot in Richmond. I also enjoy attending the alumni events on campus and meeting some of the members in the new classes. I have had the chance to participate in some alumni panels to speak to both prospective and current students. Recently, I participated in a focus group with students from different classes as well as the associate dean and faculty director to discuss how to increase and improve connections between alumni and current students. I’ve really enjoyed staying connected to the program and look forward to seeing its continuous growth.

What advice would you give to current or prospective E.M.B.A. students who want to maximize the value of the program?

Get better at math! Lol! Seriously, take advantage of the knowledge of your classmates. Get to know them and let them get to know you. With the compressed schedule of the program and the demands of your job or family or both, it is important to develop a strong team where you each can rely on one another to navigate the program. And don’t be afraid to take faculty members up on their offer for office visits. They are more than willing to sit down with you and explain any areas that may be challenging to you.  Also, when things get really challenging, remember your reason for being there. It will help you get through the tough times. And, finally, don’t forget to carve out time to have fun!