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2024 Virginia Women in Leadership Awards: Leading Ladies
For the fourth annual Women in Leadership Awards, Virginia Business hosted a photo shoot at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, where eight of this year’s winners struck poses for Richmond photographer James Lee. Given the surroundings, Lee took inspiration from the museum’s collection and other artwork in staging the photos. [...]
MELODY DICKERSON
In December, Melody Dickerson added a new set of letters after her name: DNP, or Doctor of Nursing Practice. More than one person wondered aloud: “Why on earth did you go back and get your doctorate now?” The reality was Dickerson had contemplated going back to school for years, but the pandemic gave her the […]
MONICA SCHMUDE
A key performance indicator is a metric used to gauge a company’s performance, and, for Monica Schmude, the KPIs that matter most are the mental and physical well-being of her employees. “A company’s greatest asset is the health of its workforce,” she says, a particularly apt belief for the Virginia head of Anthem Blue C[...]
AMY SEBRING
The Virginia Tech motto — Ut Prosim (from the Latin for “that I may serve”) — was made to order for Amy Sebring, who describes herself as “a servant leader.” In her dual roles as the university’s executive vice president and COO, the Tidewater native and daughter of two civil servants has to keep many […]
MARGARET SHAIA
Margaret Shaia trained as an accountant, but says she had zero interest in being “a bean counter who sits in an office all day. I wanted to know what the numbers were saying.” That curiosity led her to a series of jobs at Virginia manufacturing companies, where she became involved not just in financial […]
JULIE COONS
About 10 years ago, Julie Coons took up quilting, which, in addition to providing the necessary benefits of any hobby, also offered some surprising parallels to her professional life. “Quilting involves seeing patterns and requires problem-solving in putting the pieces together,” she says. “It draws on the same skills I br[...]
DALAL SALOMON
When Dalal Salomon first went to work in the financial sector in the 1980s, compensation was strictly on a commission basis. That meant no vacation, no sick leave and no paycheck unless she could drum up clients. At her first firm, where she was a novelty as the first and only female financial planner, she […]
MELISSA FRYE
When Melissa Frye found out her third child would be her third daughter, that news reshaped her focus at General Dynamics Information Technology. “It became very crystal clear that I was not only here to empower the current workforce but that I had to lean in, making the future workplace the best destination for my […]
JACQUELINE ROGERS
Jacqueline Rogers’ career arc has included executive stints at marquee companies such as Amazon.com and Lyft, as well as handling marketing, advertising and strategy efforts for brands like Marriott and Hilton. “These experiences were thrilling and highly educational,” she says, “but they also made me realize that I crav[...]
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 offic[...]
JENNIFER WEST
Ever since she was a child, Jennifer West knew she wanted to be a lawyer. “I always felt like advocating for others was going to be my calling,” she says. And now she serves as president at Richmond-based Spotts Fain, where she also heads up the law firm’s pro bono practice and community outreach activities. […]
ALISON BANZIGER
During the recruitment process at xScion, potential hires may be asked about what benefits stood out at the other companies where they’ve interviewed. “We’re constantly asking for ideas when we meet folks,” CEO Alison Banziger says. These conversations, along with feedback from current employees, are a way for the tech c[...]
