From a pinball wizard to a kayak polo player, this year’s edition of our Downtime series revealed more unexpected out-of-office pursuits – even an IT worker performing as Santa Claus.
But they weren’t the only local businesspeople who shared how they keep their work lives balanced in 2024.
Such stories will continue to be told in 2025, so if you or someone you know fits the bill for our Downtime series about notable hobbies or interests outside of work, drop a line to reporter Jonathan Spiers at [email protected]. For previous installments in the series, click here.
Adam Hugo – Multidimensional kayak polo player
Hugo, right, aims to block a throw.
The owner of 3D rendering firm Hugo Render spent the past couple years promoting the sport he discovered while living in Texas and building a local club, Richmond Rapids, with co-founder and fellow Austin transplant Omar Hafez.
“Creating my own club was part of the motivation for coming back here. I just thought Richmond would be a good place, because of how many whitewater kayakers there are,” said Hugo, who competed with the club at this year’s Dominion Energy Riverrock, near the under-construction Allianz Amphitheater that his firm created renderings for.
Lee Householder – Project Pinballer
Householder with his favorite machine: the 1970s-era ‘Wizard!’
The aptly named CEO of housing nonprofit Project:Homes is one of 130 “pinheads” who make up the Richmond Pinball Collective, which after six years in a smaller space reopened a few doors down in a larger space in the Midlothian Festival Shopping Center.
“I like being a convener of people,” Householder said in August. “I’m not the best pinball player. I like competing, but I’m not in the top 20 percent of this place, so I thought my efforts are best served in helping to create an environment that creates joy.”
Justin Ferguson – Wine and real estate pairer
Ferguson sipping the wine he pairs with his day job as a commercial real estate broker.
The investment sales associate at Marcus & Millichap found that his day job advising clients on multifamily investment properties blends well with his taste for Bordeaux, Chardonnay and every other variety of red and white wine that he’s become a certified connoisseur of in his spare time.
“It was kind of the thing that most people do: After your closing, you take your client out for a meal, celebrate, you order a nice wine for the table or you get them a bottle just to say thank you for your business. I started saying, ‘Well, I’ll learn more about this.’”
Kevin McQueen – Cyclist for Sportable
McQueen with his son, Sean.
The Sportable board member and retired CapTech executive took part in a dual fundraising ride to support the local nonprofit and McQueen’s other cause: the Fanconi Cancer Foundation.
“Sportable’s been an amazing thing for my son,” McQueen said of Sean, who has Fanconi anemia, a rare genetic disorder that affects bone marrow and causes cancer and physical abnormalities.
“He was able-bodied until about two and half years ago, so that’s been an amazing outlet for him. There are things that he can now do that I never thought were possible, and that’s all because of Sportable.”
Hank Hartz – SCC Santa
Santa in session.
When the pandemic in 2020 brought baseball to a halt, the IT worker at the State Corporation Commission made up for the lost income from officiating by driving for Uber – and did what his clean-shaven umpire gigs had never allowed him to do: grow out a full, year-round beard.
“As the beard got a little bit longer, and with my age, it started coming in white,” the 64-year-old recalled in December. “People said, ‘Hey, you look like Santa Claus!’
“For 40 years I was always having to deal with adults and parents in a negative environment, when you’re talking about being an umpire. And since then, everything’s positive.”
Lee does a tremendous job at Richmond Pinball Collective. His work and life experience benefit the board tremendously, and we are lucky to have him be such a large part of our success. The forecast is for high scores and free games in 2025!