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Beauty and the C-suite
Virginia Business’ July issue cover art represents a significant amount of time and thoughtful planning — especially in considering what image we want to convey to you, the reader. From our viewpoint, the Women in Leadership cover should express strength and confidence — attributes that this year’s 38 award winners demonstrate daily as executives. A […]
SARAH STRASSHEIM
One of Sarah Strassheim’s University of Mary Washington professors once told her that if she started out in finance and understood the numbers, she could go anywhere in an organization. “As a result, I started out as a finance analyst and haven’t really ever left,” says Strassheim, who now serves as chief financial officer for […]
RUTH ANN CLARK
When Ruth Ann Clark drives to or from the six JPMorgan Chase offices she oversees, she leaves her radio turned off. These commutes create a white space for Clark to sort through and analyze data to identify potential solutions — in short: great thinking time. “That is one of the things I try to prioritize.” […]
JUDY BARRETT
Early in her career, Judy Barrett combined her love of water with her passion for serving clients. She’s spent most of her banking career in Norfolk, where she developed a niche working with harbor pilots, maritime attorneys, logistics coordinators and the like. Barrett took the time to learn the different sectors in the maritime industry […]
MELODY BARNES
At age 8, Melody Barnes sold cupcakes to support U.S. Sen. George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign. She recalls enjoying her first taste of civic service, even if McGovern’s presidential bid proved unsuccessful. By high school, Barnes was involved in student government and seeking out opportunities to give back and create change — an ethos inspired […]
SAGE BOLTE
If Sage Bolte forgets to take off her badge when she leaves the office, people often stop her to talk about their experiences with Inova Health System. These types of stories from patients tend to be “very inspirational,” Bolte says. “You’re never more than one person away from being touched by the care we provide […]
YVONNE ALLMOND
For 30-plus years, Yvonne Allmond has taught free financial literacy classes — so long, in fact, that she typed some of her original class notes on a typewriter. While much has changed in that time, the basics haven’t, nor the need to help people navigate issues such as taking out loans, financing a business or […]
CAPRICE BRAGG
Caprice Bragg first visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts on a weekday in 2017 while interviewing for the role she’d eventually land. The Chinese “Terracotta Army” exhibit was on display, and she recalls how the museum’s atrium was filled with light and people. “I really was struck by how busy the museum was and […]
LYN McDERMID
Lyn McDermid briefly debated whether she wanted to go back to work when the opportunity arose to join Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration. She had already retired twice from chief information officer jobs, first at Dominion Resources (now Dominion Energy) and later for the Federal Reserve. But the chance to serve as secretary of administration to […]
ERICA CARTER
Captaining Pennsylvania State University’s women’s swimming and diving team, Erica Carter learned valuable lessons from the “grueling, grinding sport” that have benefited her career at Kimley-Horn. “Swimming taught me tremendous time management skills, a really strong work ethic and how to achieve goals as a team,” says Carter. In 24 years, Carter has assumed various […]
Flying off the glass cliff?
You’ve no doubt heard of the glass ceiling — the barrier above which women couldn’t rise professionally — but have you heard about the glass cliff? It’s not as familiar a term as the ceiling, but the glass cliff is real. It’s what happens when a woman or someone from another marginalized group is put […]
The insiders
The new leadership of The Martin Agency, a nationally prominent Richmond-based ad agency that counts GEICO and UPS among its clients, isn’t so new. Danny Robinson, who has been with the 400-person agency for 20 years and served as chief creative officer for the last three, succeeded Kristen Cavallo as Martin’s CEO this year, but […]
