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DANA WESTON GRAVES
Dana Weston Graves will never forget a meeting she had with a vendor who came in and started shaking hands and speaking to a man in the room whom he assumed was the hospital’s president. “It never occurred to him that the one woman in the room could be the hospital president,” Graves says. While […]
CONNIE NYHOLM
Connie Nyholm had never set foot on a racetrack until 1998, when she and Harvey Siegel decided to resurrect Virginia International Raceway. The duo came to motorsports after successful real estate careers, though their motivations differed; Siegel was a racing enthusiast and competed in vintage racing events all over the country, while Nyholm wanted to […]
ELIZABETH ANN McCLANAHAN
When Elizabeth Ann McClanahan mentors younger people about how to achieve success, her advice is straightforward: “Showing up is 75% of it.” What she means, beyond the most literal interpretation, is showing up with passion, saying yes to every career opportunity that comes along, and taking the initiative to pursue those opportunities. McClanahan credits others […]
LINDA RABBITT
Linda Rabbitt’s career started in the classroom, teaching middle schoolers. But when she returned to work after her daughters were born, she took a role at KPMG, where she eventually moved up to become director of marketing. Entrepreneurship wasn’t on Rabbitt’s radar until she was approached by another woman who wanted to launch the first […]
MELINA DAVIS
Throughout her 35-year career, Melina Davis says that her favorite — and greatest — challenge has been learning to understand people’s motivations and goals. “Whether we are in a family room or a boardroom, women have to command a leadership position to make sure progress continues,” she says. “Creative solutioning is a superpower for most […]
MAGGIE REED
Maggie Reed is a registered architect, but she found fulfillment in construction. “I’m not great at sitting,” she says, and working for Gilbane Building Co., as she has done for her entire 19-year career, not only suited what she describes as her “ability to run around,” but was “the right mix of cerebral and problem […]
KELLY TILL
In its nearly 175-year history, the Richmond Times-Dispatch had never had a female publisher until Kelly Till arrived in Richmond in June 2022. Till also serves as regional vice president of sales for the newspaper’s parent company, Lee Enterprises Inc., coming off of a 24-year career as an advertising executive with Tribune Publishing Co.’s The […]
TERRIE L. SUIT
During the past decade, Suit has served as CEO of the largest trade association in Virginia, advocating on behalf of more than 38,000 Realtors across the state. In addition to lobbying and advocacy work, the association produces economic research and offers continuing education opportunities. A Republican state delegate from 2000 to 2008, Suit was also […]
LIZA WILSON DURANT
Liza Wilson Durant is determined to help Arlington be counted among the nation’s top technology innovation hubs. She has played a pivotal role in the development and ongoing expansion of George Mason University’s Arlington campus and the vision for FUSE at Mason Square, a building scheduled to open by summer 2024 that will support research, […]
DR. MELINA R. KIBBE
Since the start of Dr. Melina Kibbe’s five-year appointment as dean of University of Virginia School of Medicine and chief health affairs officer of UVA Health, both organizations have seen tremendous growth and new funding. In January, U.Va. announced the launch of the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology, seeded by $350 million in […]
The cost of leaning in
In 1982, the comic strip “Frank and Ernest” noted that Ginger Rogers — standing in for all women — did everything Fred Astaire did but “backwards and in high heels.” Even 41 years ago, that sentiment felt like a well-known acknowledgement, and it still holds true now. This issue, in our third annual Women in Leadership […]
RITA McCLENNY
Rita McClenny, who grew up on a Southampton County farm, has always been an advocate for nature and a believer in the state’s famed 54-year-old tourism motto, “Virginia is for Lovers.” As head of the Virginia Tourism Corp., she proudly represents the state and all of its tourism offerings. “I grew up always wanting to […]
