NANCY BARKER | Senior vice president, federal market leader, mid-Atlantic regional manager, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin (VHB)

Nancy Barker made a bold move in 1989 when interviewing for a position at VHB’s Rhode Island office. She proposed that the Massachusetts-based civil engineering consulting and design firm launch a Virginia office. They took her up on it.

“What started as a three-person operation has grown today into a vibrant mid-Atlantic region with more than 450 employees and more than $1 million in annual gross revenue across multiple disciplines,” Barker says.

In 2007, Barker was named regional manager, the first woman to hold that role at VHB. “It wasn’t just a title — it was a shift in representation, and it allowed me to lead in a way that brought new perspectives to the forefront,” she says.

In her role, Barker keeps a lot of plates spinning, overseeing operations for VHB’s transportation, real estate, institutional, energy and state and local government markets from Maryland to the Carolinas while also guiding the firm’s federal strategy.

Early in her career as an environmental scientist, Barker took time to meet with experts. She read wetlands regulations word for word. “This helped catapult my career because I knew the ins and outs of these regulatory requirements,” Barker says.

As a leader, Barker wants the team members she manages to put in that kind of extra effort and to remain curious. “I don’t expect perfection, but I do expect preparation, thoughtfulness and a commitment to excellence,” she says.

2025 Virginia Women in Leadership Awards honorees