Women Impact Virginia: Impact Report 2024

Kim B Miller, a Black woman with curly dark brown hair and glasses, wearing a black and white floral print dress and silver and black necklace, speaks with a summit attendee with short blonde hair, wearing a black blazer and red earrings. Several summit attendees can be seen in the background

Theme

Rooted in Purpose

Speakers

Eleven speakers from communities spanning the commonwealth shared stories that aligned with the theme “Rooted in Purpose,” including storytelling sessions, workshops, keynote speeches, and a panel discussion. Presentation topics covered a range of topics such as finding purpose through the arts, empowering boundaries, balancing progress with preservation.

Two powerful keynote speakers, Kim B Miller, the Prince William County, Manassas, and Manassas Park’s poet laureate emerita; and "Chef T," owner and executive chef at Union 41 in Bristol, Virginia, bookended the day with powerful messages. Breakout sessions featured a range of professionals working in arts and culture, health care, communications, higher education, and nonprofits.

A Hokie Highlight segment showcased three dynamic leaders within the university who shared how their work and outreach honors the past, present, and future of Indigenous people.

Participants

Just over 134 participants registered for the 2024 Women Impact Virginia Summit held in Williamsburg. Participants represented a variety of professional working women across industries, career stages, and geographic locations. Industry representation included communications, local government, health care, small businesses, economic development, public relations, finance/banking, government contracting, higher education, tourism, and others. Participants noted they are ready for more programming, with a resounding 94 percent responding to the post-program survey that they were "very likely" or "likely" to attend the summit in 2025.

I left feeling inspired and empowered and more connected.

Ut Prosim (That I May Serve)

During the 2024 Women Impact Virginia Summit, participants took action to advance Virginia Tech’s motto Ut Prosim (That I May Serve).

The summit teamed up with Here for the Girls (H4TG), a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of young women affected by breast cancer, to raise funds that will go toward H4TG programs and services including weekend wellness retreats, monthly virtual support gatherings, and other programs.

Inaugural Scholarship

Women Impact Virginia seeks to provide high-quality and accessible professional development across the Commonwealth of Virginia. In support of this mission, this year a scholarship opportunity for undergraduate students was established to enhance participation in professional development by students and to elevate the next generation of leaders.

a young woman with brown and blonde hair, wearing a black and white pin striped dress and black cardigan poses in front of a white wooden railing with the James River visible in the background

Virginia Tech student awarded Women Impact Virginia Summit scholarship

The inaugural scholarship was awarded to Jamie Fonseca, a Master of Science in Business Administration student at Virginia Tech.

Jamie’s keen attention to the power of mentorship, education, and networking are values of Women Impact Virginia initiatives, and we couldn’t imagine a more deserving student.

Advisory Committee

The Women Impact Virginia Advisory Committee was established in 2024 and includes 18 women spanning the commonwealth with a vested interest and track record in advancing opportunities for women in leadership. Outreach center directors and representatives from each region are joined by at-large members as well as individuals representing other women’s networks. The advisory committee members provide technical support, mentoring, networking opportunities, and guidance to the Women Impact Virginia planning team. The committee seeks to identify and address gaps in programming, audience representation, and resources to support the effective and efficient delivery of annual programming.

Planning Committee

The Women Impact Virginia planning committee is comprised of women who represent various centers within Virginia Tech's Outreach and International Affairs division. Outreach and International Affairs fulfills the university’s global land-grant mission by sharing the best of Virginia Tech by working alongside communities across the state and around the world. OIA's network of Commonwealth Campus Centers located in Abingdon, Roanoke, Richmond, and Newport News, plus the Reynolds Homestead in Critz, engage with their communities to build cross-sectoral partnerships, provide professional development programs, develop community engagement initiatives, and promote diverse collaborations to enrich research, discovery, and student learning.

The collaborative nature of this program creates an opportunity to exercise institutional and individual commitment to Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). The Women Impact Virginia Summit is just one way the university's Commonwealth Campus Centers can serve communities by providing professional development and personal enrichment programs.

eleven members of the WIV planning committee pose during the summit in Oct. 2024 — left to right: Sally McQuinn, Susan E. Short, Mallory Tuttle, Kristin Hylton, Melanie Gilbert, Elaine Densley, Lynda King, Liz Fillman, Erin Doherty, Diane Deffenbaugh, Sarah Wray Not photographed - Allison Mays