Empowering Women in Leadership
Panel Speakers
Suzanne S. Youngkin
As First Lady of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Suzanne S. Youngkin prioritizes listening to the needs of Virginians and celebrating the many good works happening across the Commonwealth.
By always aspiring to Strengthen the Spirit of Women+girls (W+g), the First Lady works on a variety of initiatives to uplift and support women and families. Her efforts largely focus on behavioral health, wellbeing, and workforce preparedness. Mrs. Youngkin works to connect people with resources and organizations that can provide the tools and information required to support, heal, and enable growth and flourishing.Mrs. Youngkin is committed to exposing the unprecedented rise in substance use, human trafficking, and suicide. She works alongside various organizations and families to expose the dangers of fentanyl poisoning. The First Lady also lends her voice and platform to destigmatize addiction, anxiety, and depression.
Motivated by the ever-present Spirit of Virginia, Mrs. Youngkin seeks out compassionate Virginians who are making a difference in their communities. She created the Spirit of Virginia Award to recognize and give thanks to the persons and organizations exemplifying works of goodwill. The award is a testament of the greater good that runs deep and is found in every corner of the Commonwealth.In 2022, Mrs. Youngkin opened the decades-old Virginia Executive Mansion for the first time in more than two years after closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, guests are greeted by a first-of-its-kind art exhibit that celebrates and promotes Virginia artists. Working with museums, art institutions, and living artists from across the state, Mrs. Youngkin curated the “Art Experience” highlighting original works and artifacts of vast natural beauty and highly diverse content.
Mrs. Youngkin promotes engagement in Petersburg, VA through the Partnership for Petersburg — the Governor’s comprehensive approach to uplift a vulnerable community. The First Lady is also actively volunteering in Richmond-area schools and churches. Each quarter, the Youngkins donate the gubernatorial salary to a Virginia nonprofit organization that is making great strides in areas of need.The First Lady serves as an honorary member on many boards including the State Ballet of Virginia, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Council, and the Wolf Trap Associates Board. She is President of the Phos Foundation, manages the affairs of a small equine farm in Northern Virginia, continues to engage in array of philanthropic activities, and is a mom to four incredible children.
Governor and Mrs. Youngkin are enjoying 29 years of marriage. They are the co-founders of VA Ready — a nonprofit established to reskill Virginians for sustainable work — and founding and active members of Holy Trinity Church (HTC) in McLean, Virginia.
By always aspiring to Strengthen the Spirit of Women+girls (W+g), the First Lady works on a variety of initiatives to uplift and support women and families. Her efforts largely focus on behavioral health, wellbeing, and workforce preparedness. Mrs. Youngkin works to connect people with resources and organizations that can provide the tools and information required to support, heal, and enable growth and flourishing.
Motivated by the ever-present Spirit of Virginia, Mrs. Youngkin seeks out compassionate Virginians who are making a difference in their communities. She created the Spirit of Virginia Award to recognize and give thanks to the persons and organizations exemplifying works of goodwill. The award is a testament of the greater good that runs deep and is found in every corner of the Commonwealth.
Mrs. Youngkin promotes engagement in Petersburg, VA through the Partnership for Petersburg — the Governor’s comprehensive approach to uplift a vulnerable community. The First Lady is also actively volunteering in Richmond-area schools and churches. Each quarter, the Youngkins donate the gubernatorial salary to a Virginia nonprofit organization that is making great strides in areas of need.
Governor and Mrs. Youngkin are enjoying 29 years of marriage. They are the co-founders of VA Ready — a nonprofit established to reskill Virginians for sustainable work — and founding and active members of Holy Trinity Church (HTC) in McLean, Virginia.
Jennifer McClellan
Jennifer McClellan entered the U.S. Congress in 2023 after winning a special election to replace the late Congressman A. Donald McEachin. A lifelong Virginia native, McClellan was born in Petersburg to parents who served the community: her father worked as a professor at Virginia State University and her mother worked as a counselor at VSU. McClellan attended Matoaca High School in Chesterfield County, where she was valedictorian. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Richmond, where she served as a Charter member of the Rho Rho Chapter of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She then obtained her Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law. McClellan has served the greater Richmond area in elected office for nearly twenty years. She was first elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2005 and served in that post until she was elected to the Virginia State Senate in 2017, where she succeeded A. Donald McEachin after his election to the U.S. House of Representatives.
In Congress, she sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. A principled and progressive legislator, McClellan has always worked to ensure Virginians’ voices are heard in government. Throughout her eighteen sessions in the Virginia General Assembly, McClellan passed over 370 pieces of legislation, including landmark bills to protect and expand voting rights, combat climate change, preserve reproductive health care, and enhance workers’ protections and labor rights. McClellan lives in Richmond with her husband, David Mills, and their two children, Jackson and Samantha.
In Congress, she sits on the House Armed Services Committee and the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. A principled and progressive legislator, McClellan has always worked to ensure Virginians’ voices are heard in government. Throughout her eighteen sessions in the Virginia General Assembly, McClellan passed over 370 pieces of legislation, including landmark bills to protect and expand voting rights, combat climate change, preserve reproductive health care, and enhance workers’ protections and labor rights. McClellan lives in Richmond with her husband, David Mills, and their two children, Jackson and Samantha.
Lynda Johnson Robb
Robb’s passionate interest in children’s literature led her more than 50 years ago to volunteer to read to children in hospitals, where she discovered that many children wanted and needed books so badly that hospital staff let them take home the books she brought to read. This experience prompted her involvement in 1968 to become a founding member of the Board Reading is Fundamental and worked on the board until 2013.From 1996 until 2001, she served as the Chairman of the RIF Board of Directors. She has traveled nationwide to rally community and business support for RIF programs and to meet with the local volunteers who operate RIF programs. “My fellow RIF volunteers tell me that they are motivated today by the same reward I’ve been fortunate enough to experience since RIF’s early days—the look on children’s faces when they’re selecting RIF books or when someone is reading to them and the deep satisfaction of helping children develop a love for reading that will serve them throughout their lives,” she said.
Robb fondly lists her current profession as “professional volunteer,” .She has served many organizations, focusing on the condition of children and women especially on health and education. In addition to her work on behalf of RIF, she is president of the National Home Library Foundation. She also is a member of the board of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation which supports the LBJ Library and School.She has served as a member of the Selection Board of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships. Among of her past affiliations include a presidential appointment by Jimmy Carter to serve as chair of the President’s Advisory Committee for Women (1979-1981), chair of the Virginia’s Women Cultural History Project (1982-1985),Vice Chair of Americans Promise and chair of the Virginia Task Force on Infant Mortality. She also received a congressional appointment to serve as commissioner of the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality (1989-1996). She is currently serving on the Library of Congress Literacy Awards board.
She attended George Washington University and is an honors graduate of the University of Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. In 1992, she was inducted in the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Alpha Chapter of the District of Columbia. She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Washington and Lee University and an honorary Doctor of Public Service from Norwich University. She is the recipient of numerous civic awards and honors.
Robb is the daughter of President Lyndon Baines Johnson and Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson. She is married to former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb, is the mother of three daughters, and has four grandchildren.
Robb fondly lists her current profession as “professional volunteer,” .She has served many organizations, focusing on the condition of children and women especially on health and education. In addition to her work on behalf of RIF, she is president of the National Home Library Foundation. She also is a member of the board of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation which supports the LBJ Library and School.
She attended George Washington University and is an honors graduate of the University of Texas, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history. In 1992, she was inducted in the Phi Beta Kappa Society, Alpha Chapter of the District of Columbia. She received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Washington and Lee University and an honorary Doctor of Public Service from Norwich University. She is the recipient of numerous civic awards and honors.
Robb is the daughter of President Lyndon Baines Johnson and Claudia Taylor “Lady Bird” Johnson. She is married to former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senator Charles S. Robb, is the mother of three daughters, and has four grandchildren.
Moderators
Jan Smith
Award-winning broadcast journalist with extensive television news experience. Specializes in long form profiles and in-depth reports. Recent work includes a series of videos for the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery interviewing the first Four female Supreme Court Justices. Previously reported a series on U.S. presidents for National Geographic Television and won a National Headliner's Award for a military pay report for CNN. Also moderated a healthcare show that was part of a Gracie Award-winning series airing on PBS stations. Covered national and local news for WTTG-TV for 12 years, including reports on the White House, Capitol Hill, Supreme Court, and federal courts and agencies.
Served as co-chair for the Partners in Research at Georgetown University Medical Center. Named a "Washingtonian of the Year" by Washingtonian magazine in 2002 in recognition of efforts to increase federal support for cancer research. Emcees numerous charitable events and panels. In addition, Smith served on the Washington National Cathedral’s Social Justice Committee and currently serves on the Chapter of the Washington National Cathedral and as Program Chair. Smith has many involvements with the diplomatic community in D.C.
Served as co-chair for the Partners in Research at Georgetown University Medical Center. Named a "Washingtonian of the Year" by Washingtonian magazine in 2002 in recognition of efforts to increase federal support for cancer research. Emcees numerous charitable events and panels. In addition, Smith served on the Washington National Cathedral’s Social Justice Committee and currently serves on the Chapter of the Washington National Cathedral and as Program Chair. Smith has many involvements with the diplomatic community in D.C.
Nicole Thorne Jenkins
Nicole is the John A. Griffin Dean of the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia. An award-winning educator and researcher, she is an expert in the areas of financial reporting, organizational strategy, and valuation. Throughout her career, Jenkins has built a reputation for integrating the academic, financial, and strategic plans of higher education institutions to foster alignment from which strategy is executed. As an accounting and finance professional with over 30 years of experience, Dean Jenkins brings a deep appreciation for integrity, transparency, and the common good to all that she does.
Jenkins joined the McIntire School in July of 2020 following her tenure as the Von Allmen Chaired Professor of Accountancy and Vice Dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky. As Vice Dean, she led all internal operations for the college including strategic planning; development and implementation of the College’s first diversity, equity, and inclusion programmatic plan; budget and finance; and collaborations with faculty to design and launch both standalone and interdisciplinary academic programs across varying modalities.Jenkins is a certified public accountant and started her career in the audit department of PriceWaterhouse (PwC). She holds a certificate in leadership from Stanford Graduate School of Business and is a former president of the Financial Accounting and Reporting Section of the American Accounting Association. She is the recipient of a best paper award, three outstanding service awards, two outstanding faculty awards, and a dean’s award. Jenkins received BAs in both Accounting and Finance from Drexel University, her PhD from the University of Iowa, and has served on the faculties of Washington University in St. Louis, Vanderbilt University, and the University of Kentucky.She has published articles in numerous academic journals, is a sought-after speaker and business consultant, and serves as an expert witness in matters related to financial reporting, valuation, and estimation of damages. Currently, Jenkins serves on the advisory board at the Tippie School of Business at the University of Iowa and on the Board of Trustees for Strada Educational Network and Beta Gamma Sigma (Honor Society) where she is on the accounting and finance committees.
Jenkins joined the McIntire School in July of 2020 following her tenure as the Von Allmen Chaired Professor of Accountancy and Vice Dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky. As Vice Dean, she led all internal operations for the college including strategic planning; development and implementation of the College’s first diversity, equity, and inclusion programmatic plan; budget and finance; and collaborations with faculty to design and launch both standalone and interdisciplinary academic programs across varying modalities.
Sponsors
Museum Patrons
Renée Grisham
The Montpelier Foundation Board of Directors
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Curator Patrons
Katherine Imhoff
Nicole Jenkins
Mark C. Lowham
Joseph A. Ruzzo
Jan Smith
Martha Zaritsky
Collection Patrons
Jean Case
Barbara Crawford
Sharon Donovan
James Madison University
Ceil Wheeler
William & Mary Society of 1918 and William & Mary Strategic Cultural Partnerships
Research Patrons
Robin Baliles
Barboursville Vineyards
Antoinette Brewster
Christy Chattleton
David and Betsy Chesler
The National Society of The Daughters of The American Revolution, Montpelier Chapter
Ethel deNeveu
Virginia D. Donelson
Florence Bryan Fowlkes
Alma Gildenhorn
Gordonsville Main St. Merchants
Ruth Hill
Ginna Kelly
The Potomack Company Auctions
Barbara Sieg
Nancy Stutsman and Pamela Russ
Page Sullenberger
Zan Thomas
Elsie Thompson
2024 Luncheon Committee
Jan Smith, Co-Chair
Nicole Jenkins, Co-Chair
Nicole Jenkins, Co-Chair
Signe G. Bowling
Elizabeth Boylan
Betsy Chesler
Krista Costello
Eola Lewis Dance
Sharon Donovan
Katherine Sheffey Douglas
Catherine Gillespie
Evelyn V. Keyes
Rashida Kirton
Page Sullenberger