2024 Class of Outstanding Women Awards Honorees

Since 1980, YWCA Richmond has celebrated local women leading our region and inspiring future leaders through its annual Outstanding Women Awards.  We recognize the following women who have been selected as the 44th Outstanding Women Awards honorees in eight different categories:

Maria was named President of Atlantic Union Bank (AUB) in 2018, and, in 2022, she took on the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO). She is the Bank’s first female president and COO in its over 120-year history. Maria has received numerous accolades and has served as a mentor to other women throughout her career. Most recently, she was named Virginia’s Leading Women in 2021, and in 2022, she was named the winner of the RVA Power Women. Maria founded the Women’s Inclusion Network (WIN) Employee Resource Group in 2020, actively supporting hundreds since its inception. WIN’s mission is to foster a culture of inclusivity, visibility and empowerment in which all women can achieve their professional goals.

Sandy recently retired as the Librarian of Virginia following 45 years with the agency. Under Sandy’s leadership, the Library has become a trusted and essential resource to a large and complex constituency of elected leaders, public librarians, authors and researchers alike. Sandy’s career as a historian has been centered around bringing forth the experiences of the often forgotten or undocumented from history, particularly those stories of Black women. Dr. Treadway has served on several commissions and state advisory groups over the years.

Amy is the current Executive Director at Senior Connections and has served as CEO of Voices for Virginia’s Children and Family Lifeline. A licensed clinical social worker, Amy’s work in service to Richmond’s underresourced communities and deep commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion spans 34 years. Amy has served on numerous boards and commissions, including Smart Beginnings RVA, the NAMES Project of Central Virginia, and Richmond Memorial Health Foundation.

Amy is the Nurse Manager of the Richmond/Henrico Health District (RHHD) and serves as the “face” of public health in the Richmond Region, ensuring the efforts of RHHD are equity-driven. She has spent her career inspiring public and private partners to join with RHHD in developing innovative solutions to our Region’s issues while driving community engagement and education in Richmond and Henrico’s most vulnerable populations.

Law & Government – Lori Hanky Haas: In 2007, Lori’s daughter was shot and survived what was at the time, America’s deadliest mass shooting at Virginia Tech. In the almost 17 years following the tragedy, Lori served as the State Director of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and its sister organization, the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence which provided evidence-based research on gun violence efforts nationally, working to drive discussions around gun control legislation at the state level. After a merger, Lori currently serves as Advocacy Manager at the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She has also served on the Virginia State Crime Commission following appointments by two Virginia governors.

Bonnie has worked as a journalist for more than 40 years, receiving numerous awards for her work. In addition to her current role as managing editor for the Richmond Free Press, she has trained hundreds of journalism students at several universities in Virginia and North Carolina. Bonnie recently published “Truth Tellers: The Power and Presence of Black Women Journalists Since 1960”, sharing the stories of 24 Black women whose journalism careers spanned the last 40 years of the 20th century.

Kelly has been the Executive Director of Homeward, the coordinating and planning agency for the Richmond Region’s collaborative networks of homeless service providers for the last 15 years. She is recognized as a national leader in the homeless services sector. Under her leadership, Homeward was one of the first in the country to adopt the Housing First model of resource coordination, now the gold standard in homeless services.

Eucharia is a community leader, advocate, and professional who is devoted to tackling social issues ranging from education, the arts, diversity, and women’s empowerment. She has left a lasting impact within her community by utilizing the extraordinary skills gained through her 20+ years of experience in Sales and Marketing with Eli Lilly and Company. She is a gubernatorial appointee on the Board of Trustees for the Science Museum of Virginia and on the Citizens’ Advisory Council on Furnishing and Interpreting the Executive Mansion. Eucharia also serves on the Board of Directors for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, the Advisory Board of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, and various other organizations. She previously served on boards for the Collegiate School and the American Heart Association of Richmond. She is an advocate committed to many worthy causes within her Richmond community.