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CHRISTINE GUSTAFSON | Vice president of marketing and public relations, The Breeden Co.

In 2020, Christine Gustafson joined Breeden as the first female on the real estate development company’s executive team.

“That milestone wasn’t just symbolic — it marked a shift in how we approached leadership, communication and visibility as an organization,” she says.

Gustafson was also the company’s first executive-level marketing expert.

“The company’s philosophy had long been to ‘work and stay humble,’ which unfortunately led to a persistent misconception that we were a small, ‘mom-and-pop’ operation,” she says.

Gustafson promptly launched a national marketing campaign across digital, social and print platforms. The results were dramatic: Website traffic surged about 59% and overall engagement skyrocketed by about 66% between 2021 and 2022. Her marketing mastery helped secure spots for Breeden on the Inc. 5000 list of the country’s fastest-growing private companies and Multi-Housing News’ list of top multifamily property owners.

“Today, people no longer ask, ‘Who’s Breeden?’— they recognize the ‘B’ and associate it with quality, innovation and integrity,” she says.

Previously, Gustafson worked as marketing director and print project manager at Chesapeake-based Jones Printing Service.

She was also director of marketing for Pilot Media Solutions.

Gustafson is secretary of the Virginia Apartment Management Association’s board. She also sits on the boards of the Virginia Beach SPCA and Eggleston Services, a nonprofit dedicated to the education, training and employment of people with disabilities.

Along with an undergraduate degree, Gustafson has a master’s in human development from Virginia Tech.

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JULIE H. GUSTAVSSON | Partner and chief operating officer, Keiter

When Julie H. Gustavsson made partner at Keiter in 2015, she was the first nonpracticing accountant to hold that role since the firm was founded in 1978. At Keiter, Gustavsson oversees the firm’s day-to-day operations and the development, planning and execution of its strategic plan. She manages Keiter’s information technology, marketing, human resources and office services departments.

From 2015 until now, Keiter went from $20 million in annual revenue to nearly $50 million.

“I can’t take all the credit for that growth, but many of the areas that I manage have helped make that growth possible,” Gustavsson says.

One of her proudest accomplishments at the firm, she says, was launching a top-down audit of internal systems, which resulted in new automated reporting, budgeting and vendor management as well as improvements in billings and collections. These efficiencies saved the firm more than $1.5 million annually on average.

Additionally, under Gustavsson’s guidance, the HR department was restructured to increase talent retention and recruitment, which included revamping compensation and benefit programs to include flexible work arrangements, paternity leave and other benefits, she says.

After joining Keiter in 2005 as a software support specialist, Gustavsson was promoted to IT manager the following year. She became chief operating officer in 2011.

Named among the 2018 Most Powerful Women in Accounting by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and CPA Practice Advisor magazine, Gustavsson earned an accounting information systems degree from Virginia Tech.

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EMILY HARTMAN | North America general manager, Allianz Partners

Eight years ago, Emily Hartman joined Allianz Partners, a travel insurance and assistance company that’s a unit of German financial services company Allianz. After starting out as director of strategic partnerships, Hartman was later named head of e-commerce. In 2021, she became chief of Allianz’s USA business teams. Three years later, Hartman was elevated to the company’s North America general manager.

In her role, Hartman leads cross-functional teams responsible for end-to-end management, delivery and support for all distribution partners, including airlines like Delta Air Lines and American Airlines. She oversees about 80 employees.
Hartman was part of the successful effort in 2024 to secure naming rights on Richmond’s $30 million outdoor amphitheater for Allianz.

Early in her career, Hartman says, she put energy into developing expertise, building credibility and delivering results. Today, her focus is making “a positive impact on my company, on the people I work with and on the communities I’m part of.”

She says, “I’ve found the greatest fulfillment in seeing others thrive and in knowing that the work we do together creates lasting value.”

Hartman has served as a volunteer and foster host for Virginia German Shepherd Rescue, a nonprofit that works to rehabilitate and re-home German shepherds, for nearly 20 years. She sits on the board of the Science Museum of Virginia Foundation and is chairman of the board of Jacob’s Chance, an organization that supports people with intellectual, developmental, physical and/or complex disabilities.

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NIKKI HASTINGS | Co-founder and executive director, CvilleBioHub,

Co-founded in 2016 by Nikki Hastings, CvilleBioHub works to accelerate the life sciences sector in the region by supporting biotech startups, facilitating strategic connections and building infrastructure to commercialize academic research.
Hastings, who has a doctorate in biomedical engineering from the University of Virginia, has served as the nonprofit’s executive director since 2018.

Through a collaboration between CvilleBioHub and U.Va., the Commonwealth Bio Accelerator opened on Feb. 25. Located at North Fork, a UVA Discovery Park, the accelerator offers early stage biotech companies office and lab space, equipment and mentorship. This summer, the accelerator welcomed its first cohort of six life sciences startups.

“This accelerator is already attracting high-potential companies and positioning our region as a serious contender in the biotech space,” Hastings says.

Under Hastings’ leadership, CvilleBioHub has secured millions in funding. That includes $4.3 million announced early in 2025 from the state’s GO Virginia economic development initiative. In August, the CvilleBioHub announced it had received an additional $15 million in funding from the commonwealth and U.Va. to expand the accelerator.

Additionally, Hastings is director of the biotechnology track of U.Va.’s master’s degree in commerce and an adjunct faculty member. She brings real-world experience to the classroom; earlier in her career, Hastings was vice president of operations at HemoShear Therapeutics and chief operations officer at Contraline, both Charlottesville-based biotech companies.

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NANCY HELMAN | Director, Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau

The first woman to lead the city’s tourism program since its inception, Nancy Helman oversees an organization that welcomes 14.1 million annual visitors, generating $3.8 billion in economic impact.

In the role since 2021, Helman manages a multimillion-dollar budget and leads more than 100 full-time professionals tasked with promoting meetings and conventions and leisure, business, international and sports travel to Virginia’s most populous city.

What’s the secret to Helman’s success? Possibly her ability to collaborate.

“I embrace the idea that working together and inspiring and empowering team members leads to successful outcomes,” she says.

With her workforce, Helman values traits that sometimes get overlooked: adaptability, emotional intelligence and determination.

“As a leader, recognizing these qualities is an important step toward achieving success in an organization,” she says.
Previously, Helman worked as director of the sports marketing program for the convention and visitors bureau. She managed planning and development for the Virginia Beach Sports Center, a $68 million facility that opened in 2020.

A Virginia Beach native and Kellam High School graduate, Helman earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a minor in sports administration from the University of South Carolina, where she was the first female sports editor of the student newspaper.

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AMANDA HERRON | Partner and U.S. internal audit leader, PricewaterhouseCoopers

As U.S. internal audit leader, Amanda Herron’s responsibilities at the Big Four firm include oversight of methodology, marketing, innovation and client management.

Early in her career, Herron liked the challenge of tackling specific audits. These days, she gravitates toward big picture topics.

“I get a lot of energy thinking through broader issues such as how we transform our practice with the advent of GenAI,” she says.

In addition to her other role, Herron is PwC’s energy and utilities risk and regulatory leader. Working in that historically male-dominated industry, Herron does find herself as the only woman in a room sometimes. In that situation, she reminds herself that she’s there for a reason and that she likely knows as much as everyone else there.

“As the only woman, I make a point to be heard,” she says.

Herron has written articles on a variety of subjects, including energy trading and risk management and IT security and data privacy. She creates IA Leader Spotlights, a video series where she interviews other professionals.

With a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia, Herron has a master’s in accounting from Miami University in Ohio. She is treasurer of the board for The Steward School.

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CAROLINE LAWSON | Director of M&A and corporate development, Air Control Concepts

Early this year, Caroline Lawson joined Air Control Concepts, a Norfolk-based company that partners with and supports commercial HVAC solutions providers. In that short period, Lawson executed multiple strategic acquisitions that expanded Air Control Concepts’ presence across the United States and Canada, according to her nominator.

One of Lawson’s first efforts was working to optimize the company’s mergers and acquisitions and integration processes. “I’ve advocated for larger, more strategic acquisitions that align with our company’s long-term vision and make the best use of internal resources,” she says. “This approach has allowed us to move quickly, reduce risk, and maximize return on effort.”

Lawson got her start as a student at Virginia Tech, when she was recruited by a women’s mentoring program for an internship at Credit Suisse, a Swiss financial services firm that UBS acquired in 2023. After she completed her dual degrees in finance and real estate, Lawson moved to New York City to work for Credit Suisse as an investment banking analyst.

In 2020, Lawson moved to Northwood Investors, a Colorado-based real estate investment adviser, where she worked as an analyst and then as an associate in acquisitions.

As a female executive in the traditionally male-dominated HVAC and finance sectors, Lawson advocates for women’s advancement.

“Her leadership sets a powerful example … demonstrating that empathy, integrity and strategic thinking can open doors and create sustainable pathways for future female leaders,” Lawson’s nominator says.

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JENNIFER S. LEHMAN | CEO and managing partner, Hantzmon Wiebel

If a time traveler had visited Jennifer S. Lehman during her early days as a first-generation college student at James Madison University to reveal she would one day be the first female CEO at Hantzmon Wiebel, a Charlottesville accounting firm founded in 1928, it likely would have been a shock. Initially, Lehman planned to become a nurse.

But that career path didn’t take. As she thought about what to do, Lehman remembered she’d enjoyed a high school accounting class and changed her major.

Not long after graduating in 1996, Lehman joined Hantzmon Wiebel. By 2007, the firm had promoted her to chief operating officer. For several years, she also served as co-partner in charge of the employee benefit plan audit practice.

As CEO and managing partner since 2017, Lehman enjoys the best of two worlds. “I get to serve both the firm and the clients,” she says.

As a firm leader, Lehman looks for ways to improve operational efficiency. She has also been credited with cultivating a family-first mindset by allowing flexible work arrangements and implementing paid maternity and paternity leave.

For clients, Lehman provides professional services in the areas of accounting and auditing, as well as individual and partnership taxation. In this role, she builds rapport as skillfully as she navigates spreadsheets.

“The best part of my job working with clients every day is the relationships that I get to build with them,” Lehman says.

2025 Virginia Women in Leadership Awards honorees

MARY N. MANNIX | President and CEO, Augusta Health

Since 2008, Mary N. Mannix has led Augusta Health, which has 2,600 employees who work at the community-owned hospital, family practices and other outpatient facilities. The health system has expanded in recent years, with Shenandoah Valley Orthopedics & Sports Medicine and Rockingham Family Physicians joining the Augusta Medical Group.

“By investing in the right people, building thoughtful partnerships and staying true to our mission, we’ve preserved our independence while becoming a regional leader in care delivery and community wellness,” Mannix says.

Under Mannix’s leadership, Augusta Health developed a clinical affiliation with Duke Cancer Network in oncology, research, palliative care and infection control, as well as a network affiliation with the Mayo Clinic Care Network, giving Augusta Health providers access to Mayo Clinic’s knowledge and expertise.

One of the most rewarding parts of her job, Mannix says, is developing the next generation of leaders, especially female leaders.

“I’ve been intentional about creating formal and informal mentoring relationships that empower individuals to see leadership as a possibility and a calling,” she adds.

After beginning her career as a surgical intensive care nurse, Mannix moved to health care management. She spent nearly two decades working for Pennsylvania-based Guthrie Clinic, leaving in 2007.

Mannix sits on numerous boards, including for the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce and the Shenandoah Valley Partnership, a regional economic development and marketing organization.

She holds nursing degrees as well as an MBA from Binghamton University.

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AMY D. MCCRACKEN | Associate dean, University of Richmond

Amy McCracken’s career path to serving as an associate dean at the University of Richmond didn’t run in a straight line.
Before entering higher education, McCracken held a variety of positions, including executive director of the Richmond Animal League and chief advancement officer for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond. She also helped found Cristo Rey Richmond High School, a private Catholic school for students with limited financial means that opened in 2019.

McCracken sums up her work at these mission-driven organizations as “building relationships with community leaders and dwellers, telling stories of the great impact we can have on one another, listening to stakeholders and always seeking connections between what I am ‘selling’ and why it matters to who I am selling to.”

“That’s what landed me here at the university: Being myself,” McCracken says. “I encourage anyone seeking a career change or applying for a job you aren’t sure you are qualified for to think about how you can bring your whole self to the role — and go get it.”

The person who nominated McCracken as an honoree noted her efforts to create an inclusive community for MBA students by attending every student event (no matter how small) and organizing monthly teas with the dean. “Amy asks thoughtful questions and offers guidance that has made a profound impact on me and so many others,” the nominator says.

 

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