Virginia Chamber elects UVA Health exec as board chair

The Virginia Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday elected Jennifer Siciliano, chief external affairs officer of UVA Health, to chair its board of directors this year.

She succeeds Linda Stanley, managing director of First Citizens Bank, who chaired the board in 2025. Stanley passed the gavel and title to Siciliano during the chamber’s annual meeting on Wednesday. Her term will last a year.

The chamber is Virginia’s largest business advocacy organization, with more than 30,000 members. Siciliano joined the board in 2012 as a representative of Inova Health System in Falls Church and later moved into an at-large role. In 2021, she was appointed to the chamber’s executive committee, serving as an at-large officer representing UVA Health in Charlottesville, and was elected first vice chair in 2025.

In her current role at UVA Health, Siciliano oversees relationships and partnerships with elected officials and key stakeholders at the federal, state and local levels, supporting the health system’s goals of advancing public health, research and education. Before her current role, she was the chief external affairs officer at Inova, and earlier in her career, she worked in roles supporting members of the U.S. Congress in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“The Virginia Chamber is fortunate to have Jen’s leadership as we enter 2026,” Virginia Chamber Interim President and CEO Keith Martin said in a statement. “Jen has been a trusted and highly engaged member of our board and executive committee for many years, and her deep expertise in public policy and health care will be invaluable as we work to strengthen Virginia’s business climate.”

In a statement, Siciliano said it is “an honor” to serve as chair and that she looks forward to working with the chamber and all branches of the state government to advance Blueprint Virginia 2035 — an action plan to foster long-term economic growth and resiliency in the state. She said her goal is to ensure Virginia is “a top state to live, work and do business.”

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia President Monica Schmude will serve as first vice chair, and Shenandoah Telecommunications (Shentel) Vice President Chris Kyle will serve as treasurer.

The board also includes:

At-large officer positions

• Ben Davenport, chairman, First Piedmont
• Kathryn Falk, market vice president, Cox Communications*
• Deborah Gandy, senior managing director, Chevy Chase Trust*
• Brad Hall, vice president of external affairs, Appalachian Power
• Todd Haymore, managing director, Hunton Andrews Kurth
• Edmond Hughes, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Huntington Ingalls Industries
• Mike Melo, founder and CEO, ITA International
• Thomas Ransom, executive vice president of Virginia region, Truist Financial
• Tracy Turner, senior vice president, Smithfield Foods
• Andrew B. Warren, corporate affairs senior policy advisor and chief of staff, Dominion Energy*

New members of the board of directors

• Tracy Hale Clark, representative, Virginia Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives; executive director, Louisa County Chamber of Commerce
• Scott Cooper, vice president of government relations, Peraton
• Tammy Finley, of counsel, Gentry Locke
• Raleigh E. Hayter, senior vice president and chief credit officer, First Bank & Trust
• Anthony L. Jones, special advisor to the CEO, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield
• Rick Lugg, CEO, Virginia Realtors
• Angela Mitchell, president and CEO, ARM Consulting
• Delbert Parks, vice president and site executive, Micron Technology
• William H. Payne II, managing partner, Coalfield Strategies
• Anthony W. Robinson, president and CEO, Framatome
• Paul Speidell, regional director of state government affairs, CVS Health
• Jennifer Stevens, president and CEO, Virginia Ed Strategies
• Andrew B. Warren, corporate affairs senior policy advisor and chief of staff, Dominion Energy
• Franci Wayland, vice president of government relations and public policy, PRA Group
• Jason Weekley, senior vice president of utility operations, Washington Gas
• Austin Welder, market manager, Bank of America
• Joshua Wilson, CEO, LMI
• Davonnetrae Worthy, health care director, Genentech

*New member to executive committee