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DEBORAH JOHNSTON
Deborah Johnston’s father inspired her career path. When she was a child, he encouraged her to pursue a job in nursing for the opportunities it could afford her. “He said, ‘You’ll always have a job. You could join the Air Force and travel the world. But no matter what happens, you’ll always have a job, […]
JYLINDA JOHNSON
Jylinda Johnson sees the world for what it could be. That’s why she thrives in a role that requires her to solve complex problems facing the federal government. Johnson oversees a 2,000-person team for General Dynamics Information Technology, a business unit of Reston-based Fortune 500 global aerospace and defense contractor G[...]
GWEN HURT
Gwen Hurt spent more than 15 years working in the tech industry. Then, unexpectedly, days after being laid off from her job in 2013, Hurt and her daughter were in a car accident. During their months of recovery, Hurt decided to start her own winemaking business in 2014. Her daughter suggested she name it for […]
South Boston hotel springs back to life
A steady stream of developers considered purchasing South Boston’s long-shuttered John Randolph Hotel during the past decade, but none sealed the deal until Julian and Karie Brittano toured the downtown property last fall. This spring, the couple’s High Point, North Carolina-based firm, The Brittano Group Inc., and its subsi[...]
JENNIFER HUNTER
Education and mentorship are important to Jennifer Hunter. “If you want to create change and create opportunities … you’ve got to bring people to the table,” she says. “And that means supporting folks, equipping them, preparing them and then pulling them to the table with you.” Outside of mentoring others, she wa[...]
NANCY HOWELL AGEE
NANCY HOWELL AGEE President and CEO, Carilion Clinic, Roanoke Nancy Howell Agee calls herself “a bit of a unicorn” because, as a woman and a nurse, the odds of her ever heading a health care system were poor. When asked about obstacles she faced along the way to becoming CEO and president of Carilion Clinic […]
CATHY UNDERWOOD
Cathy Underwood says her greatest strength is her ability to build relationships in the construction industry. She’s done that while working her entire 22-year career for Branch Builds, a subsidiary of The Branch Group, a Roanoke-based construction company. As president, Underwood leads Branch Builds’ commercial construction[...]
MARY ANN GILMER
Workforce development and community betterment are key goals of Roanoke-based Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. And Mary Ann Gilmer, the nonprofit’s chief strategy and people officer, is furthering its mission through GoodCare, a medical workforce training program. The program connects Roanoke Valley residents to workforce t[...]
JOANIE EILAND
Joanie Eiland recalls wishing she had a woman mentor in the early days of her career — so she became one. “I think we process things differently and experience things differently. And there’s nobody to talk to,” Eiland says. On mentoring others, she calls it a joy “to be there for the firsts — whether […]
NAKIA MADRY-SMITH
Few people can say they sing in a choir with Pharrell Williams. Or that they’ve performed on Netflix, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Good Morning America” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” But Nakia Madry-Smith has done all those things. Yet, she still finds time to connect with the community, representing Old Domin[...]
Taking the reins
To quote the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. … It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.” In Year Two of our Virginia Business Women in Leadership Awards, we received more than 300 nominations — exceeding last year’s nominations by m[...]
JENNIFER WAKEFIELD
Jennifer Wakefield is on a mission to turn the greater Richmond area into the top midsize region in the U.S. for business. To accomplish her goal, she is laser-focused on persuading companies to relocate to the area. She aims to create enough jobs to encourage youth to stay, instead of moving to other cities to […]
