About

Meet The Team

As a collective, we are making a difference by bridging business and potential. We are dedicated to closing the gender parity gaps for women in business. As a team, we hope you will join us to make a change together. Connect with us!

Gail Letts

CEO and Founder

Gail Letts is the current CEO & Founder of LETTS CONSULT - a business which she founded in 2019 to help businesses transform policies, procedures, product and practices for the future. LETTS CONSULT concentrates its work in 3 areas: strategy, talent and culture. LETTS CONSULT holds as its core that for businesses to be successful, they need to have and execute a strong strategic plan that places a high value on corporate social responsibility. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusivity and community is embedded in the foundation of all work.

The majority of Gail’s career has been in banking - she was the Virginia Market President for First Tennessee Bank, Richmond Regional President & Chief Lending Officer for C&F Bank and President & CEO of Suntrust Bank’s Central Virginia Region. During her extensive tenure at SunTrust, she held positions in Human Resources, Employee Relations, Training and Retail Banking, where she was personally responsible for SunTrust’s branch network of more than 1,400 offices. Her success in these roles paved her path to being selected as one of the first female Presidents within SunTrust’s vast market and first female President in Virginia. Gail currently serves on the Community Bankers Trust Corporation (ESXB) Board of Directors.

Gail has built a reputation for attracting, developing and retaining top talent and creating high performance teams. She has taken the lead role in numerous projects as executive strategist and has been on implementation teams for over 20 mergers and acquisitions. Gail has analyzed the financial performance for hundreds of clients, advising them on financing, cash flow, process and profitability improvement, and has developed numerous strategies for them to grow market share and revenues. She has delivered numerous programs and workshops on leadership, motivation and culture change. She has been the keynote speaker at myriad conferences and has had the honor of providing the VCU School of Business Commencement Address. She developed and implemented SunTrust’s “Women’s Initiative” for the DC market which became a “best practice” in the industry and helped create First Tennessee Bank’s “Women & Wealth” Program.

CURRENT COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP

Secretary for Activation Capital (Gubernatorial Appointment)
Richmond World Affairs Council Board Member
Massey Cancer Center Board Member
First Tee of Greater Richmond Board Member

PREVIOUS COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP and AWARDS

017 Urban Financial Services Coalition Leadership Award
Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities Humanitarian Award
017 Richmond Times-Dispatch “Person of the Year” Nominee
Risk Management Association’s
015 Business Person of the Year
Style Weekly Magazine’s 01 Power List | Richmond Top 50
VCU School of Business Commencement Keynote - 01
Two Time Honoree of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in Business
First Female President of the Baltimore Rotary
Paul Harris Fellow Honoree for Community Contributions
Baltimore School For the Arts Board Member
Goodwill Industries of the Chesapeake Board Member
Washington Business Journal’s “Women Who Mean Business” Top 50
Easter Seals Board Member
Goodwill International Board Member
Richmond United Way Board Chair
Virginia Small Business Financing Authority (Gubernatorial Appointment)
Greater Richmond Partnership Chair
Heart Ball & Go Red for Women Luncheon Chair
Homeward Board Member
YMCA Board Member
Virginia Bankers Association Board Member
VCU School of Business Foundation Board Member

JANET FREEMAN

Office Manager

Janet Freeman joined the LETTS CONSULT team as Office Manager in June 2021. Prior to joining LETTS CONSULT, Janet was with SOAR365 as an Account Manager. Janet has a great depth of experience having worked at Federal Reserve Information Technology for 16 years as a Financial Analyst, Compensation Reporting Analyst and Human Resources Analyst.

Janet also worked for Crestar Bank/SunTrust Bank and First Union National Bank in a variety of analytical roles, focusing on tracking, reporting and research. Janet’s educational background includes a Mini MBA from the Robins School of Business/University of Richmond, and coursework in computer information systems from both J. Sergeant Reynolds and Piedmont Community College. Janet is professionally affiliated with the American Bankers Association, the Young Women’s Christian League, the Richmond Chapter of the National Association of Urban Bankers and the Virginia Foundation for Women.

ABBY NICHOLS

Social Media/Communications Specialist

Abby Nichols joined the LETTS CONSULT team in 2019 as an intern. Abby is from Richmond, VA where she graduated from St. Catherine’s School in 2017. She is currently a senior at the University of Richmond and is studying Philosophy, Politics, Economics, and Law (PPEL).

Abby is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success and is an English Second Language Tutor in UR’s Linking Through Language and Technology program. Before joining the LETTS CONSULT team, she interned for a firm which provided consulting services for a multi-national pharmaceutical and life sciences company on multiple projects involving Supply Chain Logistics, Cold-Chain Logistics, Ultrasonic Testing, and Reverse Logistics.

Abby loves working with the LETTS CONSULT team in their commitment to the growth and advancement of women in business, and is excited to support their mission to bridge the gap and break down barriers for women.

MARTHA MEADS

Business Development

Martha Meads joined LETTS CONSULT in October 2021, as the Business Development Representative for the Baltimore/Washington markets. Prior to joining LETTS CONSULT, Martha worked 30+ years in various positions in the banking industry with a concentration in retail banking, training, community reinvestment and marketing. Martha held the position of Account Executive at ACTON Financial Services guiding banks throughout the country with their customer acquisition, mystery shopping, and customer retention programs, as well as their Marketing to Women Campaign, and analyzing results of direct mail using the TASC proprietary model.

Martha studied at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and College of St. Mary’s. She received her CRMP (Certified Financial Marketing Professional) from the ABA in 2003.

Martha is truly excited to join LETTS CONSULT, and be given this rare opportunity to join an organization geared to attracting, retaining and developing women for executive leadership positions, and showcase what Martha does best – engage with others and take them to the next level.

Martha is a strong advocate for any project veteran related. She participates in Wreaths Across America whose mission is to Remember, Honor and Teach, by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 2,500 veterans cemeteries across the country and abroad. Additionally, she participates in Honor Flights whose mission is to transport America’s veterans to Washington, D.C. to visit the memorials dedicated to honoring those who have served and sacrificed for our country.

Past Community Leadership Roles and Awards

Metro Crime Stoppers Board Member
Howard County Chamber Member
Rotary Club Member – Silver Spring
United Way Chairperson and Award of Excellence
Baltimore County PAR Fund Board Member

HOLLY CHAIN

Research Analyst

Holly Chain joined LETTS CONSULT in January 2022 as a Research Analyst. Holly has a professional Banking background that spans over a 15 year period of which 8 ½ were with SunTrust Bank as a Licensed Manager. In her role she was recognized for placing as a top 10 Licensed Banker within the entire corporation of 1600 retail branches. She is a talented addition to the team whose career has focused on sales, management and operations. She attended the University of Cincinnati with a major in education.

CONSULTING PARTNERS

KAREN CONRAD

Executive Coaching

Karen has designed and delivered executive, leadership, and management development programs and facilitated organizational development interventions for both public, private, and non-profit organizations.

Karen has over 25 years in banking and as an independent consultant to public, private sector, and non-profit organizations. Karen is a certified executive leadership coach. an executive coach, Karen has worked with leaders at all levels in organizations to assist them in seeing the possibilities of taking themselves and their work groups to new levels of performance.

As a consultant, Karen has designed and delivered leadership development training programs to all divisions in organizations focused on self-leadership, leading others, leading teams, sales management and coaching, sales training, customer relationship building and service, and achieving organizational goals. She has completed organizational development interventions with teams to improve trust, communications and results. Karen’s experience provides her with the knowledge and skills to provide leadership development, coaching and organizational development grounded in reality and enabling clients to reach new possibilities.

Karen has a B.S. in Psychology, a M.S. in Adult Education, and a graduate certificate in Leadership Coaching.

ADRIENNE P. WHITAKER

Equity, Inclusion and Culture

Adrienne Whitaker has over 15 years experience in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in various leadership roles working in the public, private, and non profit sectors. She serves as the DEI Director of a statewide agency.

She formerly was a senior business development executive at SOAR365 where she was responsible for securing contracts with companies, non-profits as well as local, state and federal government agencies including military base contracts to provide employment opportunities for men and women with disabilities.

She served as the Vice President of Philanthropy & Marketing at Virginia Home for Boys and Girls; as Vice President of Institutional Advancement & External Affairs at Virginia State University; and as Senior Vice President of Sales & Marketing at SunTrust Bank., where she was also responsible for diversity initiatives, community outreach, and corporate social responsibility.

She currently serves on the advisory board of C&F Bank, and she was appointed by City Council to the Richmond Minority Business Enterprise & Emerging Small Business Advisory Board. She is the co-founder of the L2L Leadership Institute and co-chair of the annual LIVE2LEAD-Richmond Conference. She also serves on the board of the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC) Foundation and on the corporate advisory board. Adrienne serves on the board of directors of Homeward and Virginia Repertory Theater, where she is on the executive committee as the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Officer. Adrienne obtained her bachelor’s of arts degree from William and Mary. She is a graduate of a leadership program at University of Richmond and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leaders at University of Virginia. She obtained her certification in diversity, equity, and inclusion from Cornell University.

DITU KASUYI

Leadership Development

Ditu Kasuyi is the President and CEO of Kasuyi and Associates, LLC, an executive coaching firm in Richmond, VA. The company educates, motivates, and empowers professionals to develop their unique aptitudes for influence.

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, his mother’s inspirational immigration journey motivated him to dedicate his life to empowering others.

He holds multiple certifications (John C. Maxwell, Franklin Covey Coaching, Prosci Change Management), along with an MBA from Averett University and BSBA from Saint Paul’s College. When not engaged with clients or enrichening his spirit, he spends time with his wife, Melanie Lee, and their son, Ditu II.

Kasuyi is the President and CEO of Kasuyi and Associates, LLC, a leadership coaching firm in Richmond, Virginia. The company specializes in educating, motivating, and empowering professionals to elevate their leadership skills to reach their goals faster. By increasing their ability to focus on the behaviors that produce extraordinary results, his clients solve complex problems more effectively, leading to improved performance and higher revenues.

Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ditu saw first-hand the power of inspirational leadership through his mother's journey to bring her family to the United States. From learning a new language to earning her PhD, her passion for empowering women through education and science encouraged Ditu to follow the clarion call. He has dedicated his life to changing the world through exceptional leadership coaching.

As a certified personal coach, national award-winning motivational speaker, and international trainer, Ditu brings his passion for inspirational speaking and commitment to leadership growth to every client, helping them reach their untapped potential.

Ditu is certified in the John C. Maxwell and Franklin Covey Coaching methodologies, as well as the Prosci Change Management Methodology. He uses these techniques to help his clients successfully master renowned programs such as:

7 Habits of Highly Effective People
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership
15 Invaluable Laws of Growth

Throughout his extensive international travel, he has led team workshops, presented coaching sessions, and delivered motivational speeches in Korea, Japan, Thailand, Philippines, and across the United States. His clientele list spans from individuals to national and government organizations, including:

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Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity

U. S. Department of Defense

National Society of Black Engineers

Urban Financial Services Coalition

Wells Fargo

A longtime member of the financial community, where he not only built the foundation of his business expertise but also rose to top management, Ditu is a current member of the Corporate Advisory Board of Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC), a past President of the Corporate Advisory Board of UFSC, and a past National President of UFSC. He was the recipient of both the UFSC President's Award and their National Orator of the Year award.

Ditu believes in paying it forward and regularly gives back. In recognition for his service to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, he was Eastern Region Brother of the Year. He also teaches Sunday school and volunteers for both the Boys Scouts of America and the Girls Scouts of America.

Ditu earned his Master of Business Administration from Averett University and his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Paul's College. When he's not engaging with clients or enrichening his spirit, he spends time with his beautiful wife, Melanie Lee, and their active son, Ditu II.

Donna S. Highfill

Organizational Development

Donna brings over 30 years of experience as an organizational development consultant with a focus on change and performance. She has implemented key change strategies with Fortune 500 companies that include consumer lending, mortgage, investment, retail and Commercial insurance.

She has coached executives nationwide on how to implement change while simultaneously driving performance. Outside of DLG, Donna is a speaker, writer, and Boxer enthusiast (the dog kind). She has written three books, has had numerous articles published in HuffPost, Across the Board, Pastoral Forum, and Roanoker Magazine. And has also been a guest blogger on multiple websites. She speaks to women’s groups across the country on topics like change and confidence. Donna studied at Wake Forest University, with master’s level courses completed at Hollins University.

JANE WOODCOX

Business Development & Strategy Consultant
Mraz & Company

Mraz & Company is an event and development strategy consulting agency comprised of a team of professional story-tellers, marketing and communication executives and more, who specialize in advancing artistic and inclusive communities and audience engagement campaigns. As a strategic partner for Letts Consult, Mraz & Company’s team provides event management, corporate partnership procurement and consulting services.

Jane Woodcox brings over 30 years of diverse leadership experience working in both for-profit and non-profit organizations in business development, market expansion, operations, and start-up programming, including a decade of health care delivery system strategy in San Francisco, Philadelphia and Honolulu.

In 1990 Jane earned her degree in Boston at Simmons University with a B.A. in Economics, and also enjoyed an economics policy exchange program at the American University while working at the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. In her healthcare career, she developed an expertise in serving diverse, under-resourced communities. While working as the Director of Member and Provider Services at the San Francisco Health Plan (SFHP), Jane managed a multi-cultural/multilingual department and supported stakeholders in six hospitals, 34 clinics and 1,000 ancillary providers after being hired to design and establish operations and enrollment, member services, provider relations and quality improvement systems.

In more recent years Jane developed an expertise in program development in the arts, community building, social justice work and offering family support services after settling in the Hartford, CT area. In 2009 while raising her three sons, Jane trained with the Love & Logic Institute in Denver, CO and completed coursework at the graduate school of Antioch, New England in Pragmatic Language Skills. In 2018, Jane founded CT Inclusive Arts, with non-profit fiscal sponsorship via Fractured Atlas and secured funding, designed programming, marketing and publicity campaigns, creating a network of community partners (Hartford Stage, The American School for the Deaf, The Ethel Walker School, The Hartford Dance Collective and more) and engaged over 100 people in various roles to offer inclusive arts classes and a performance experience to young people with varying abilities.

In 2019, Jane began collaborating with Candace Mraz, Founder of Mraz & Company, with a shared passion for inclusion and elevating organizations with compelling missions to create, enrich and improve communities through the arts. Jane is thrilled to be working with Mraz & Company to thoughtfully help assess program development, marketing and business strategy and messaging that engages communities and fulfills organizational goals. With a rich background of experiences, Jane brings an acute attention to detail and an innate knack for strategy work, program design and implementation to the team. In her free time Jane can be found chasing sunsets, enjoying her three young adult sons, and exploring local music and art with her husband Mark, a visual artist, musician and educator.

Advisory Board Members

Dawn Dupre

Executive Vice President / Wealth Management, Financial Advisor

As a senior partner of The Dupre Keating Group, Dawn has spent her entire 28 year professional career in the financial services industry as both an executive and a Financial Advisor, serving high net worth individuals, families and businesses.

After working in all corners of the industry, Dawn brings a distinct perspective that helps our clients navigate the complex financial landscape. She and the entire team provide comprehensive wealth management services, while creating customized strategies that are unique to each client. Prior to her role as an advisor, Dawn served as an Executive Vice President of Citizens Financial Group and President of CCO Investments, its full-service brokerage and investment advisor unit. Dawn is consistently ranked as one of America’s Top Financial Advisors, most recently being named to Forbes 2022 Top Women Wealth Advisors, as well as Forbes 2022 Best in State Wealth Advisor. In 2021, she was featured alongside her partners, in Philadelphia Magazine’s Faces of Women in Business section. She was named to Working Mother and SHOOK Research’s Top Wealth Advisor Moms List in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021. Dawn’s achievements have made her a highly requested guest speaker. She has appeared twice at the Pennsylvania Conference for Women, and most recently at the 2020 PA Diversity Council LGBTQ+ Unity Summit. Dawn is a member of Janney’s Diversity and Inclusion Council and serves as a mentor in Janney’s Mentoring Program, committed to leading and developing the next generation of financial advisors. With this passion for leading and mentoring, she was featured in 2021 in Barron’s discussing how to find and support more women in the wealth management industry. Dawn also serves on the Janney Financial Advisor Council, whose mission is to support and develop advisors within the firm. While serving as President of CCO at Citizens Financial Group, she was named one of the Top Six Teams in Banking by American Banker magazine in 2012. Committed to education and excellence, Dawn completed the Accredited Domestic Partnership AdvisorSM (ADPA®) program from the College of Financial Planning. She is also among a select group of Janney Financial Advisors who have demonstrated knowledge of portfolio management and asset allocation strategies, allowing her to recommend, and if appropriate use discretion to make investment decisions on behalf of her clients through the Janney Compass* program. This program provides comprehensive portfolio management services for an annual fee based on the value of assets in your account. Financial Advisors are approved based on portfolio management training and/or advanced financial degrees and designations. Dawn graduated from Nicholls State University in Louisiana where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance on a music scholarship, playing the drums in the marching band and orchestra. Outside of the office, Dawn enjoys golf, fishing, playing bridge and spending time in Rehoboth Beach, DE. She is married and lives in Newtown Square, PA with her three children.

Meg Hendrick Downs

Consultant, Strategic Planning & Business Development

Meg provides strategic planning and business development to small businesses and non-profits. Her career has covered many different settings offering a common theme – strength through relationships and a clear vision for success.

Meg has worked in higher education medical outreach at the University of North Carolina, non-profit support and development, and, most recently, for her own consulting firm. Using a wide array of relationship building expertise, Meg assists her clients in reaching their full potential.

Meg serves on several boards, including SOAR365, formerly the Greater Richmond ARC, where she chaired the capital campaign for the non-profit’s Park365, a universally accessible facility that is open to all. Through her commitment and experience, Meg elevates and focuses any organization of which she is a part. Meg earned her bachelor’s degree from Virginia Commonwealth University.

NEIL AMIN

Chief Executive Officer, Shamin Hotels

Mr. Amin started his career at Goldman, Sachs & Co., where he advised public and private technology companies on merger and acquisition transactions and capital markets activities.

He currently has overall responsibility for over 66 hotels owned and operated by Shamin Hotels, the largest hotel owner and operator in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Additionally, Mr. Amin oversees the operations of Shamin’s Assisted Living and Dementia facilities in Virginia. During his tenure at Shamin Hotels, the company has received numerous awards and recognitions including the Developer of the Year from Intercontinental Hotels Group and the Multi-Brand Developer of the Year, New Build/Adaptive Reuse of the Year, and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Hilton Hotels. Mr. Amin has also been repeatedly recognized as one of the Fifty Most Influential Virginians by Virginia Business.

Mr. Amin graduated summa cum laude from The Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania, completing his B.S. in Economics and MBA. He is passionate about assisting the communities where the associates of Shamin Hotels live and work and currently serves as the past chairman of the board of Richmond Region Tourism and serves on the boards of the Community Foundation, the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, the Virginia Community Development Corporation, Sports Backers, Venture Richmond, the Virginia Council on Economic Education, and is chairman of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority. Additionally, Mr. Amin serves on the Treasury Board of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the Governor’s Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates at the pleasure of the Governor of Virginia.

Kim keenan

Mediator, Arbitrator and Neutral Evaluator, JAMS

Kim Keenan, a 1987 graduate of the University of Virginia School of Law, will serve as the school’s commencement speaker for the Class of 2022 in May.

Keenan is a mediator, arbitrator and neutral evaluator at JAMS, a Washington, D.C.-based private alternative dispute resolution provider.

From 2010-14, Keenan served as general counsel and secretary of the NAACP. She provided legal advice related to governance, risk management, civil rights and discrimination litigation, and contracts, as well as defend suits for the NAACP, local NAACP branches and national state conferences. She was the youngest person to hold the position and the second woman to serve in that role.

Ansley Seay ’22 and Caroline Spadaro ’22, Student Bar Association Graduation Committee co-chairs, said in a joint statement that they sought a speaker who shared their ties to UVA Law and the Law School community, and one who could represent the myriad interests and goals of their classmates.

“Her career of advocacy has continued to create spaces for groups underrepresented in the legal field and is exemplary of the impact we all should strive to have after graduating from the law school — creating a legal community that fosters all those who wish to make a positive impact on society through the law, regardless of gender, race, sexuality or socioeconomic background,” they said.

Keenan currently serves as the first female co-chair of the Internet Innovation Alliance and was the first Black female president of the International Women’s Forum for the District of Columbia. She teaches trial advocacy as a senior adjunct professor at George Washington University Law School.

Keenan has also served as president of the District of Columbia Bar and the National Bar Association. In 2007, she founded her own law firm and was lead trial attorney focusing on catastrophic medical malpractice cases, mass torts and mediation. After law school, she clerked for Judge John Garrett Penn in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

“The truth of it is if you learn some disappointment at law school, it’s preparing you to be a lawyer, because you’re going to lose something,” she told UVA Law students in 2013. “You’re going to win a lot, but you’re going to lose something. And it’s not about the win as much as what you do when you lose or when there’s a disappointment, it’s how you get back up when whatever it is slaps you down.”

Through the Law School Foundation, she has served on the Alumni Council and Law Alumnae Leadership Committee. She is also a lead donor to the Law Alumnae Scholarship and supported the Justice Thurgood Marshall Professorship.

“Both Kim’s distinguished career and her dedication to the UVA Law community have long been sources of pride for the Law School,” said Dean Risa Goluboff. “Our students are lucky that she will share her experience, wisdom and inspiration with them as they launch their own professional lives.”

Keenan earned her bachelor’s degree in international economics from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.

Linda nash

Founder and CEO of WellcomeMD and Linda Nash Ventures

Linda Nash is the Founder and CEO of WellcomeMD and Linda Nash Ventures. She helps start-ups, family-run companies, serial entrepreneurs, and a variety of other companies plan and grow to the next level, achieve sales and revenue goals, and exit profitably.

She has a strong background in healthcare management, family medicine, practice management, and strategic planning. Linda has successfully started and exited three companies in service industries.

Linda started WellcomeMD in 2017 in Richmond, Virginia and since has expanded to North Carolina and Florida. The business now encompasses four clinics, nine physicians and over 1,600 total members. Linda is a pioneer in concierge medicine and has designed WellcomeMD as the next generation of concierge medicine: “Concierge 2.0”.

Prior to starting WellcomeMD, Linda was the Founder and CEO of PartnerMD. In 2011, she led PartnerMD through its successful sale to Markel Ventures. She began in 2003 with a single doctor and 40 patients, and by 2015 she grew the company to more than 9,000 patients, 28 doctors, and 11 locations in nine cities from Seattle to Baltimore.

Linda also served as CEO and Chairman of the Board of The Compass Schools and CEO of The Child Care Group, which are both specialty childcare and education programs. She achieved an attractive multiple when the Child Care Group was sold in 1997.

Linda currently serves on the board of Specialdocs Consultants which is owned by a private equity firm, Shore Capital. Specialdocs is a pioneer in transitioning traditional medical practices nationwide to concierge models.

Linda was honored by Concierge Medicine Today, declaring her the Most Influential Woman in Concierge Medicine. In 2019 she was chosen as one of the Richmond Local Leaders in Healthcare by Our Health Virginia, and in 2021 she was honored with both the Virginia Business Women in Leadership award and the Richmond YWCA Outstanding Women award.

Nancy THOMAS

Professor of Accounting and University Professor, University of Richmond

Nancy Thomas is the CEO/President of Retail Merchants Association (RMA). Prior to her current role, Nancy was involved in retail for 27 years with This End Up Furniture, as owner of Arcade on Grove and a partner with Turn Key Interiors.

Nancy holds a degree in Business Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. She serves on several boards including Cross Over Healthcare Ministry, Richmond Region Tourism, Bon Secours Health System Foundation, Henrico Police Foundation, The 100 Club, and the Governing Board of the Greater Richmond Convention Center Authority. Nancy is extensively involved in the community including delivering Meals on Wheels and serving as a Eucharistic minister. Nancy and husband Jeff live in the Richmond area and have 2 grown children.

Candace Mraz

Founder and President, Mraz & Company

Candace Mraz is an Entrepreneur, Event Strategist, Producer and advocate for people with diverse abilities (especially in the workplace), with a career span of 23 years in business development, event management & production, sales, hospitality and non-profit leadership. Candace infuses the arts into work and uses her professional & personal experiences, creative intelligence and dedication to inclusion to engage and inspire audiences.

In 2020 Candace successfully launched Mraz & Company, an agency of creatives, business strategists, storytellers and event professionals with an eye on inclusion. Mraz & Company increases awareness of how capable people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are—and to get employers thinking differently about workforce development. Candace is also a managing partner of Sugar Creek, a new event venue and agri-tourism concept in Virginia with a mission to build a sustainable workplace for people with varying abilities, reimagining how we work and play.

Candace is a Co-Producer of the Emmy Award winning Documentary Film: FROM THE WINGS: The LIVE ART Story and former Executive Director and Vice President of Development for the American Heart Association in Richmond, Charlottesville and Roanoke, Virginia. Candace modernized the Heart Walk, Heart Ball & Go Red for Women events with an emphasis on digital media production and innovative donor engagement.

For 8 years, as the Senior Director of Development for the School of the Performing Arts in the Richmond Community (SPARC), Candace led efforts to raise nearly $13 million to fuel SPARC’s program and capital growth. Candace was also instrumental in developing and implementing the fundraising strategies for SPARC’s nationally recognized inclusive arts education program, LIVE ART.

Candace is attracted to complex strategic and tactical challenges and her expansive career, beginning with hospitality sales and management, includes work with World Healthcare Congress, World Tech Congress, Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN), The Jason Mraz Foundation, Letts Consult, St. Margaret’s School, Benchmark Hospitality, Retro Hospitality, En Forme Magazine and The Richmond Times Dispatch.

Candace holds a certificate in Fundraising & Development from the University of Richmond’s Institute on Philanthropy and studied Business Administration at Meredith College in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 2019, Candace co-founded FreeHorse Arts a 501(c)(3) ensemble of collaborative innovators who customize integrative arts programs and creative equine experiences for people of diverse abilities. Candace also recently completed 6 years of service on the ACTS Board of Directors in Richmond, VA, volunteers for VA Ability and the Woodland Cemetery Foundation’s restoration project and her proudest development project is raising her two daughters, Chaney and Ruby in the “Center of Universe”, Ashland, VA.

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