Ranked by Year-over-year change ($)

Locally Researched by: Carolyn M. Proctor, Washington Business Journal Jan 30, 2026, 6:00am EST

The banks in Greater Washington held more than $78.4 billion in total combined real estate loans as of Sept. 30, 2025, marking a 13.8% increase over what was reported in the year-earlier period.

This week’s List continues a shift in our research methodology and philosophy, one that emphasizes more data and context for readers while better coordinating the resources available to us and our 40-plus sister publications under the American City Business Journals flag. This effort identified thousands of new local records — and cumulatively, tens of thousands of new businesses across ACBJ’s footprint — last year alone.

Information on The List was obtained from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and could not be independently verified by the Washington Business Journal. Rankings were determined by year-over-year dollar value change in real estate loan portfolios in the period analyzed. In case of ties, banks are listed alphabetically.

To qualify for this List, banks are required to have a real estate lending balance at the end of the third quarter in 2025. Only institutions headquartered in Greater Washington are included.

We read, researched, and reached out to people in the know across the DC area, from business to media to politics, and asked for names of women in their particular field of expertise or beyond whom they considered powerful. Who is making things happen and having an impact? Who gets her calls (or texts or emails) returned immediately? Who is leading the way in her field? Who has senators on speed dial—and vice versa?

The list of nearly 250 women that follows includes a range of categories, with both those who are in the headlines—White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, for instance—as well as others pulling strings quietly behind the scenes. More than once, we heard from a source, “This is the most powerful woman you’ve never heard of.” Or “She won’t be on any other list but has real power.”

Some women in Washington have power by virtue of their position or their proximity or access to power. Some for their leadership. Some for their ability to mobilize vast networks and connections to make things happen. Some for the skill, expertise, or innovation they bring to their field.

Of course, politics tilts the scales here, especially in these acutely partisan times. That means the list right now includes many Republicans, especially Trump-aligned Republicans who are filling the majority of top government positions, as well as those from both parties who are pushing back against the MAGA agenda and making their voices heard. We know that some of the women on this list, especially those in the national spotlight, can be seen as controversial, polarizing figures. We don’t aim to pass judgment on the job they’re doing or whether they’re using their power to further the public good. We simply mean to present a snapshot of the women who, in the fall of 2025, are wielding—or in some cases challenging—the levers of power in the nation’s capital.

On September 17, Inova celebrated 2025 Honors, bringing together our philanthropic and corporate supporters with Inova team members to see their dollars in action. The annual event raised more than $2M for Inova’s Greatest Needs – accelerated by Inova Honors Chair, Debbie Sheridan, who pledged $1 million to Inova and challenged the community to meet this match.

Honorees Dr. Gary D. and Ms. Christina Co Mather were celebrated for their long-standing support of Inova, which has transformed healthcare in our region.

The annual gathering highlighted Inova’s achievements over the past year since launching Do. More. Together., Inova’s comprehensive fundraising campaign to raise $500M to enhance four key areas: cancer, heart and vascular, behavioral health and Inova’s Greatest Needs.

All dollars raised this year support Inova’s Greatest Needs – excellence in healthcare for each person in every community we have the privilege to serve.

Trustar Bank was proud to be a silver sponsor of Inova Honors 2025. 

Trustar Bank was proud to be the 2025 Grand Slam VIP Reception Sponsor of the gala which was chaired by Trustar’s very on Shaza Andersen.

May 16, 2025, 6:00am EDT

Masons Center for Community Mental Health 8th Annual Fundraiser 

Washington Business Journals Fastest Growing Banks by Deposit 

Trustar Bank in Great Falls raises $16.7M to fuel expansion

Trustar Bank Branch Now Open in Arlington, VA 

Trustar Bank in Great Falls opens first full-service branch in Maryland

Feb 4, 2025

Trustar Bank in Great Falls has opened its first full-service branch in Maryland and received approval from regulators to open another in Arlington.

The young bank, which opened for business in 2019, announced Tuesday its Maryland branch is now up and running at 7901 Norfolk Ave. in Bethesda, in space that for years was occupied by the pizza restaurant Corner Slice. Corner Slice closed early last year and Trustar bought the roughly 1,000-square-foot property in mid-2024 for $1.075 million, according to a news report at the time.

Also on Tuesday, the bank won approval from Virginia and federal regulators to open another branch in Arlington, founder and CEO Shaza Andersen told me. Andersen said the location of the branch is still to be determined but that it will likely open sometime this year. Until then, Trustar plans to serve customers in and around Arlington via a temporary, by-appointment-only location at 3033 Wilson Blvd. in Clarendon.

With the opening of the Bethesda branch, Trustar now has four traditional branches — the others are in Great Falls, Reston and Tysons — as well appointment-only locations in Potomac and D.C. and a commercial lending office in Tysons.

Andersen said her plan since launching Trustar had always been to open branches across Greater Washington, not just Northern Virginia. She previously founded and ran WashingtonFirst Bank in Reston before selling it to Sandy Spring Bancorp in 2018 for $447 million, and that bank had more than a dozen branches in D.C., Northern Virginia and Montgomery and Prince George’s counties.

“We truly believe that to serve our customers we have to be in all three markets because it’s all one metropolitan area,” Andersen.

She added that while branches don’t need to be as large as they once were due to the rise in digital banking, they are still valuable for face-to-face meetings with clients — particularly business owners — and for overall branding.

Trustar has grown at a rapid clip since Andersen founded it a little over a year after selling WashingtonFirst. In less than six years, the bank has already amassed $961 million in assets, making it more than twice the size WashingtonFirst was at the same stage.

“What that tells me is that there was a real need for another community bank in the market,” Andersen said.

Trustar, which largely serves small and midsize businesses, reported a pretax profit of $2.5 million in 2024, up more than 150% from 2023. Total loans increased 25% year over year while deposits climbed 23%.

Andersen was honored as by the Business Journal as one of Greater Washington’s 100 most influential business leaders in 2022.