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KIMBERLY CHRISTNER
During her 35-year career in hospitality, Kimberly Christner has seen major changes in female representation in her industry. “For many of those years, I might be the only female at the table in a leadership position,” she says, “but that has changed, thankfully.” As president and CEO of Cornerstone Hospitality LLC, Christner has found a […]
ERIN BURCHAM
Erin Burcham says she has “a growth mindset,” making her a perfect fit to lead Verge, an umbrella organization for the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council and the Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program (RAMP). Burcham’s job is to pursue initiatives that can expand the tech and life sciences sector of the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley. […]
MELANIE McGRATH
Since 2013, Melanie McGrath has worked for Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc. and its subsidiary, Newport News Shipbuilding, and she’s seen some massive federal contract awards come in — especially since 2019, when she was promoted to director of its submarine division. In February, HII broke ground on a facility to support nuclear submarine construction in Newport […]
AISHA McGILL
Since joining Chantilly-based Koniag Government Services (KGS) four years ago, Aisha McGill has been instrumental in standing up several units at the Alaska native-owned government contractor, including its IT department and marketing and communications organization, as well as a unit focused on compliance. But what McGill takes greatest pride in is that she also built […]
JENNIFER DeBRUHL
In 2021, Jennifer DeBruhl’s husband, Mark, passed away after a 3-month battle with cancer. Before this tragedy, DeBruhl was preparing to retire from her public service career and transition into the private sector. However, life had other plans for DeBruhl’s career path, too. The state’s transportation secretary asked her to become interim director of the […]
CAROLYN RAINEY
A 40-year veteran with Bank of America, Carolyn Rainey became president of all the bank’s banking and investment operations in the Charlottesville area last year after serving as the bank’s Charlottesville market executive since 2018. Under Rainey’s leadership, Bank of America’s market share in Charlottesville has grown, and she has helped numerous clients become homeowners, […]
ELAINE BEEMAN
Elaine Beeman recalls often being the only woman in the room when she started her career with Accenture in the 2000s. But she’s now an exemplar for leadership, with a title to match. “It’s very rewarding for me to be in a position now where I can help enrich the experience of the next generation,” […]
ALICE P. FRAZIER
In 2017, when Alice Frazier became president and CEO of Charles Town, West Virginia-based Bank of Charles Town and its parent company, she was among a select group of only 47 women nationwide who lead banks, and the first woman to run BCT. The bank has four offices in Loudoun County, including two in Leesburg; […]
TIFFANY RAY
Commencement season is Tiffany Ray’s favorite time of year. That’s when students walk across the stage to get their degrees, and she can see “live and in color” how her work is reshaping lives. In 2017, the year before Ray arrived at Germanna as its chief diversity officer, the Fredericksburg community college graduated just four […]
LORI COLLIER WARAN
As the first woman to lead NASCAR’s Richmond Raceway, Lori Collier Waran races circles around everyone — literally. In July 2022, Waran grabbed the steering wheel and took over as the raceway’s president. It marked a big career switch for Waran, who previously served as publisher of Richmond-based Style Weekly magazine and associate publisher and […]
REBECCA GELLER
Thirteen years ago, Rebecca Geller was a corporate lawyer who wanted more flexibility to work remotely so she could balance her work and family life. That aspiration led her in 2011 to found The Geller Law Group, a law firm dedicated to helping women like her balance parenting and their careers. Today, the firm employs […]
LAURA KOTTKAMP
As the executive director of three foundations at Virginia Commonwealth University, Laura Kottkamp considers herself to be a steward of both the city of Richmond and the commonwealth. Her work encompasses the university’s foundation, as well as those for the engineering college and the business school — managing and investing $250 million in assets, plus fundraising […]
