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, even when they previously deemed it impossible. Rainey also mentors women at work and as a volunteer through the Cherie Blair Foundation, an international organization empowering women in business.

“Future women leaders need to be able to connect with people in senior leadership positions who can offer valuable career insight,” Rainey says. “Learning from those above you and having advocates can make all the difference in a woman’s career trajectory.”

As a leader, Rainey prioritizes giving back to the community.

She secured funding from the bank to provide a $400,000 grant to Piedmont Virginia Community College to support construction of the Woodrow W. Bolick Advanced Technology and Student Success Center, as well as the expansion of an anti-poverty initiative focused on workforce development. It’s the largest corporate donation the college has received for its Pathways fundraising campaign.

Rainey also chairs the board for The Paramount Theater, a local nonprofit performing arts and events venue, and serves as board vice chair of the Jefferson School Foundation. She also serves on the Charlottesville Salvation Army’s advisory board and on the PVCC Educational Foundation’s board.

Read more about the 2023 class of Virginia Business Women in Leadership Award winners.