BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Beverly Colwell Adams, PhD, Chair
Beverly Colwell Adams is an Assistant Dean, UVA College of Arts and Sciences, and Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, UVA. Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, she earned a BA in Psychology from Spelman College (Atlanta, GA), and MS (Developmental Psychology) and PhD (Cognitive Psychology–Psycholinguistics) from the University of Pittsburgh. She and her daughter, Jasmine, moved to Charlottesville in 1992, after her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Her current research interests include the examination of microaggressions as one of the contributing variables to the decline of physical and mental health in strong black women. Beverly holds leadership and membership roles in the Virginia Social Sciences Association (VSSA), Live Arts, Colonnade Club (UVA) Board of Governors, City of Promise, African American Authors Book Club, Charlottesville Chapter of The Links, Inc., and Charlottesville Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Dana Lightsey Harris, Vice Chair
Dana Lightsey Harris has more than twenty-five years of experience in the nonprofit sector. Locally, she has worked at the University of Virginia as the Director of Annual Giving for the Curry School of Education and as the Director of Philanthropy for Piedmont CASA. Dana is currently Co-Chair of the Board at CNE and serves as a Director on the Sentara Martha Jefferson Health Services Board. She has served on the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation Board, the Piedmont CASA Board, and the Music Resource Center Board. Dana has lived in Charlottesville since 1996, where she raised two boys with her husband, Peter.
Drew Beresford, Secretary/Treasurer
Drew Beresford is President of Manchester Capital Management, LLC, a multi-client family office dedicated to caring for the financial well-being of families. In this role, he provides day-to-day leadership of the organization while also serving as lead advisor for several of the firm’s largest clients, providing investment management oversight, tax and estate planning, insurance advice, philanthropic guidance, and education for the next generation of family wealth owners. Having joined the firm in 2006, Drew relocated to Charlottesville with his family in 2014. The mission of The Women’s Initiative instantly resonated on a personal level and, looking for ways to give back to the local community, in 2016 he began leveraging his financial background by serving on the Finance Committee before joining the Board of Directors in 2019. A graduate of Brown University, Drew holds the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and also serves on the Board of Directors of the CFA Society of Virginia. He loves spending time with his thoughtful wife, Amanda, and their two creative daughters.
Jeanne Alhusen, PhD, CRNP, RN
Jeanne Alhusen is an associate professor and assistant dean of research for the UVA School of Nursing. Her research is focused on improving maternal mental health and, consequently, improving early childhood outcomes in mothers experiencing perinatal intimate partner violence. Funded by the NIH, HRSA, and multiple foundations, she has more than 40 publications highlighting the critical links between maternal mental health, pregnancy and infant outcomes. Jeanne is also a family nurse practitioner, and many of her clinical experiences shape her research projects. As a strong advocate for women’s health, Jeanne also serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) and Chairs their Research Advisory Panel. Outside of work, Jeanne enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, particularly watching them play sports or watching UVA athletics!
Vivian M. Rodríguez Archilla, PhD, Program Operations Committee Chair
Vivian M. Rodríguez Archilla is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder/director of the Center for Mind and Body Health, PLLC, a psychotherapy practice in Charlottesville specializing in health psychology and psycho-oncology. She uses evidence-based therapeutic approaches to help adults successfully cope and adjust to chronic illness and improve overall wellness, with particular expertise and interest in cancer care. A native of Puerto Rico, Vivian moved to the mainland U.S. to begin her university studies and, in 2005, earned a BA in psychology from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. In 2008, she completed an MA in psychology from Catholic University in Washington, DC, and in 2014 earned her PhD in clinical psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond. Prior to moving to Charlottesville, Vivian completed a year-long clinical internship in health psychology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, followed by a two-year postdoctoral fellowship in psycho-oncology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Vivian also has considerable research experience in the areas of health promotion, disease prevention and health disparities. On a personal note, Vivian is happily married to her husband, Russ Clay, a senior data scientist at UVA Health, and keeps busy running after a very energetic toddler. Vivian enjoys cake decorating and dancing, and, in her spare time, she teaches a Zumba class for the City of Charlottesville.
Amelia S. Black, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, Governance Committee Chair
Amy Black, DNP, RN, NEA-BC has been the Chief Operating Officer at Sentara Martha Jefferson since 2015. Prior to that she was the Chief Nurse Executive for thirteen years. In 2006 under her leadership, Martha Jefferson achieved and has since maintained Magnet designation, the highest award for nursing excellence, from the American Nurses Association. Ms. Black has over 30 years of experience in the field of hospital administration, nursing, and information services, holding various leadership positions at several academic children's medical centers including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Since joining Sentara she has been very active in system-wide nursing, quality and safety initiatives.
She has presented numerous podium presentations at local, regional and national conferences including the annual national Magnet Conference and the Beryl Institute Patient Experience Conference. She holds board certification as an Advanced Nurse Executive from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, a Master’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing from the University of Pennsylvania and a Doctoral degree in Health Systems Management from the University of Virginia.
Ms. Black served on the Charlottesville Free Clinic Board of Directors and is on the Board of Directors for PT@ACAC. She has also served on the Board of the Virginia Nurses Association and the Virginia Nurses Foundation. She is currently a Magnet appraiser with the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Amy has been married to her one and only husband, Rich, for 30 years and has two wonderful sons and a granddaughter. In her free time Amy enjoys tennis, gardening, art collecting, and selecting new recipes for her husband to try.
Susan Cabell Mains
Susan has over 45 years of experience in the Human Resource, Organizational Development field. She held the position of Vice President, Human Resource and Compliance at Martha Jefferson Hospital from 1987–2011, and again at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital from 2011–2012. In 2013 she took on a new role as System Director of Physician Leadership Development for the Sentara Healthcare System. Susan retired in 2018 and has started her own consulting business, Cabell Consulting Services.
Susan has served on a wide variety of community and state boards. She is a past Chair of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Chamber of Commerce, a former member of the State Chamber of Commerce Board, past President of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Human Resource Association and former Campaign Chair for the Thomas Jefferson United Way in 1986. She has also served as a member of the Charlottesville Planning Commission, a director on the SunTrust Advisory Board, a director on the Board of Queens College, a board member of the Virginia Institute on Political Leadership and as an Elder for the First Presbyterian Church in Charlottesville. She is currently on the Perry Foundation Board where she served as Vice Chair for the past 10 years.
Susan has received numerous awards and recognitions throughout her career, including the 1997 National Award for Professional Excellence by the National Society of Human Resources and Outstanding Alumni Award at Queens College in 1996. She has a BA from Queens College and MBA from Averett University. Susan has been married to Dana Mains for 16 years. She cherishes her family—which includes her two children and three grandchildren—over all things. In her free time she enjoys playing tennis, reading murder mysteries and traveling.
Marge Connelly, chair emeritus
Marge has had an extensive business career largely in financial services, having held executive roles here in Virginia with Capital One (Executive Vice President of Operations), and Wachovia Securities (Chief Operating Officer) as well with Barclays in London, UK (Global Chief Operating Officer of Barclaycard). In these roles, Marge has led large, complex organizations through many transformation and integration efforts, and developed the strategies and operational capabilities needed for these companies to innovate and grow. She currently serves on the board of the PRA Group, in Norfolk, VA and is an advisor for the venture capital fund MissionOG.
As a strong advocate for education, Marge has also served on the University of Richmond Robins School of Business Executive Advisory Council, the VCU Business School Foundation Board, as Chair of the Virginia Workforce Council, Rector of the Board of Visitors for Longwood University, Longwood’s Interim President and was recently reappointed by the Governor to the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia.
Marge has also served on the boards of several other organizations including the Council for Virginia’s Future, the Greater Richmond Partnership (former Chair), the Greater Richmond YMCA, the Central Virginia Food Bank (former Chair), the Visa USA Executive Advisory Committee, the Visa International Risk Advisors Group, the Depository Trust and Clearing Corporation (DTCC) Operations Council and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets (SIFMA) Operations Committee. She has received numerous accolades for her work in both business and the community and has spoken at national and regional conferences on a wide range of topics, including leadership, corporate citizenship, digital engagement, diversity and the millennial workforce.
Kristin Cory, development committee Chair
Kristin Cory is a licensed architect with over 30 years of experience in commercial and residential design. She practiced architecture in Seattle, London, and Edinburgh prior to moving back to her native Virginia and settling in Charlottesville in 2005. Since 2011, she has led her own firm specializing in residential and small commercial architectural design.
Kristin began volunteering with TWI in 2015, as a Family Barn Party planning committee member. Since then, her volunteer efforts have included co-chair of the Family Barn Party, Girls' Day Out committee member, and Development Committee member. She currently serves as the Development Committee Chair.
Kristin lives with her husband, two children, and two dogs in Charlottesville.
Nicole L. Fischer, PhD, ABPP
Nicole L. Fischer, PhD, ABPP is a licensed clinical psychologist and Board Certified in Counseling Psychology. She is a psychologist in private practice in Richmond, VA. Nicole received her PhD and MS degrees in Counseling Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University and her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia. As a clinician, she applies a social justice framework to address multicultural and acculturation concerns, developmental trauma and abuse, and group dynamics. Nicole is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Analysis System of Psychotherapy (CBASP), Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), and Motivational Interviewing. Nicole is an active member of the American Psychological Association, Virginia Academy of Clinical Psychologists, Association of Black Psychologists, the Association of University and College Counseling Center Outreach, and the Richmond (VA) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated. She is an avid runner, book enthusiast, and former Peace Corps volunteer. Nicole resides in Richmond with her husband and son.
Valerie Gregory
Valerie Gregory is an Associate Dean of Admission and the Director of the Outreach Office at the University of Virginia. She received a BS in Early Childhood Education from Hampton (Institute) University and M.Ed in Administration and Supervision from the University of Virginia. During her time as the Director of Outreach, a team was created in the office of admission to assist families from underrepresented and underserved groups with the college admission process. She has been in this position for twenty years, during which time she has conducted workshops and webinars on minority recruitment best practices, presented at regional, statewide and national conferences on topics such as college admission, effective essay and recommendation writings, financing a college education and diversity initiatives. Prior to working at the University of Virginia, Valerie was a teacher and principal for many years in Fluvanna County and Charlottesville City Schools.
Bebe Heiner, LPC, Emeritus
Bebe Heiner is a retired therapist and former Director of Counseling Services at FOCUS Women’s Resource Center. In 2007 she founded The Women’s Initiative to address the shortage of mental health services for women who were unable to access treatment due to lack of financial resources, insurance coverage, transportation, child care, stigma or other barriers.
Currently her community interests center around reducing the stigma of mental health illness and fully integrating mental health care into patient treatment. She has both experienced and witnessed the benefits of good mental health treatment. She is committed to supporting the excellent work that The Women’s Initiative does to provide cutting edge and effective care to women, regardless of income. As a member of the Board of the Charlottesville Free Clinic, she focuses her work on the inclusion of mental health treatment for patients there, as well.
J. DAWN HENEBERRY
Dawn Heneberry, CTFA, AWMA®, CFP®, is a long-time Charlottesville resident with over 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, currently serving as Managing Director for Old Dominion Capital Management, Inc. Dawn has been an active leader in the community and has served on a number of local boards including Chair of the Capital Campaign Committee for the Center at Belvedere (formerly the Senior Center); Past Chair, Charlottesville Area Community Foundation; Past President, Charlottesville Rotary Club; Past President, Central Virginia Estate Planning Council; and a member of the Finance Committee for The Women’s Initiative. Outside of work, Dawn and her husband Ted enjoy hiking, kayaking, Pilates and watching University of Virginia Sports.
Anne J. Jones
Ms. Jones is a partner at Jones Laing Design, an interior design firm based in Charlottesville, VA. She has been an active member on TWI’s Development Committee and was a co-chair of Girls’ Night Out. In addition to her service at TWI, Anne volunteers her time at St. Anne’s-Belfield School in the Student Life Committee and as a co-chair of the Albemarle Garden Club. Anne has been a resident of Charlottesville since 1998. She lives with her husband and their three sons.
Monica Luna, cultural humility co-chair
Monica Luna was born and raised in Guatemala City and moved to the US with her husband and three children in 2005. She has an elementary school teacher certificate and an Associate degree in communications. In 2014 she was certified as a medical interpreter and started working as a volunteer at UVA Language Services and later on as a hired contractor. She currently works at the International Rescue Committee as a Spanish Interpreter. The ongoing exposure to the life challenges of Latinx people and refugees in her work has brought her to volunteer in many different settings, including the UVA Latino Health Initiative, The Women’s Initiative, Blue Ridge Area Food Bank and Sin Barreras. She has had the wonderful opportunity to have trained in Trauma-Informed Cross-Cultural Psychoeducation with The Women’s Initiative and has taken this training to the Latino community in different programs over the past few years. Monica has a strong commitment to service to all people.
Louise McNamee, Emeritus
Ms. McNamee is the former President and Partner of MVBMS Euro RSCG, a $1Billion plus advertising agency, based in New York City. Ms. McNamee's career expertise is in strategic planning, brand development and product innovation. Among her agency's clients were Nestle, Danon, JP Morgan Chase, and Schering-Plough. She has been a frequent speaker at marketing conferences and was recognized for her work by being named "A Leader and Legend" by Advertising Age Magazine and "Advertising Woman of the Year" by the Advertising Women of New York. She is past Chair of the Board of Trustees of Mary Baldwin College and former trustee of the Museum of the City of New York. She and her husband, Peter McHugh, moved to Charlottesville in 2008.
KAREN MORAN
Karen Moran earned her B.A. in psychology and French from Emory University in 1985 and her law degree from Duke University School of Law in 1988. While clerking for a judge in Atlanta for one year, she volunteered at the Atlanta Rape Crisis Center. She then moved to Washington, DC, and practiced general civil litigation at a DC law firm for two years before becoming an appellate attorney for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Karen moved to Charlottesville from Washington, DC, in 1998 and worked in an “of counsel” position with a DC law firm for seven years where she specialized in appellate law with concentrations in employment and labor law as well as higher education law. Karen joined the UVA Law Faculty in 2005 as Co-Director of the Legal Research & Writing Program. She left her full-time position in 2015 and now teaches in a part-time capacity.
While living in Charlottesville, Karen has served on several boards including St. Anne’s-Belfield School as Chair of the Legal and Policy Committee and Vice-Chair of the Board, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic as Chair of the Development Committee and Chair of the Board, and the Contemporary Club of Albemarle as Membership Chair. She has also served on several strategic planning committees as well as several diversity and inclusion task forces. She lives with her husband, Wistar Morris, and has two college-aged children, Taylor and Stewart.
Charlotte J. Patterson, PhD
Charlotte J. Patterson, PhD, is Commonwealth Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia, where her research and teaching focus on the role of sexual orientation in human development and family lives. At UVA, she has been a member of the Women’s Leadership Council, the Women’s Center Advisory Council, and the University’s Faculty Senate, among other groups. Patterson has published widely, and was a member of an interdisciplinary group convened by the United States Institute of Medicine, which wrote The Health of LGBT People: Building a Foundation for Better Understanding, published by the National Academies Press in 2011. She was also co-chair of the United States National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Committee that wrote the academies’ report, Understanding the Well-Being of LGBTQI+ Populations, which was published in 2020. A fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the Association for Psychological Science, Patterson has won a number of awards, including a Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy Award from the American Psychological Association, and an OUTstanding Virginian Award from Equality Virginia. Her wife Deborah A. Cohn, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in private practice; together, they have two daughters and a son, who are now young adults.
GLORIA ROCKHOLD, Cultural Humility Committee co-Chair
Gloria Maria Rockhold joined Albemarle County Public Schools in 2004 and is currently a Manager in the Office of Community Engagement. A native of Asunción Paraguay, Gloria's bi-cultural roots allow her to look at issues and opportunities from different perspectives in designing and implementing solutions for educational settings. Gloria holds degrees in Marketing, Masters in Psychology and a Masters in Leadership and Foundations in Education at UVA. Executive Board Member of Creciendo Juntos since 2005, Charlottesville Free Clinic Board Member, Member of the Virginia Latino Advisory Board, Board Member of Citizens Advisory Committee for the Public Defender’s Office, 2010 Fellow of the Sorensen Political Leadership Class and Board Development Class of 2011 Graduate at the Center for Non-Profit Excellence.
Carolyn Schuyler, LCSW
Carolyn Schuyler served as The Women's Initiative's first program director. She provided therapy to women, forged partnerships with community partners, and launched outreach programs. Now in private practice, her current passion is providing EMDR therapy to help people recover from post traumatic stress disorder. In 2017, Carolyn founded Wildrock (www.wildrock.org) a nonprofit nature playscape and ecotherapy center, designed to promote nature connection for community mental health. Wildrock collaborates with local schools, universities and nonprofits to further the field of ecotherapy through innovative field trip and day retreat programs.
Dr. Leonda “Leigh” Williams-Keniston, PhD
Dr. Leonda “Leigh” Williams-Keniston is Professor and Dean of Humanities, Fine Arts, and Social Sciences at Piedmont Virginia Community College. She earned a PhD in community college leadership from Old Dominion University and both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in sociology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Her doctoral research focus was on faculty status and other key variables that impact academic success among minoritized students in community college developmental mathematics. Before coming to PVCC, she served in administrative, faculty, and consultant roles: Director of Assessment for Wor-Wic Community College on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, Associate Dean of Math, Natural, and Health Sciences, and Assistant Dean of Academic Affairs at John Tyler Community College. Leigh taught sociology for 10 years at John Tyler Community College and served as a diversity initiative evaluator and consultant for the City of Dayton Human Relations Council, Richmond, Virginia’s Hope in the Cities, and GE Financial Assurance.
Leigh also serves on various Charlottesville advisory committees, taskforces, and boards, including: PVCC and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Diversity and Inclusion committees, YMCA Executive Board and Chair of the Childcare Committee; Vice Chair of the VCCS Council of Dean’s and Directors Executive Board, the Virginia Humanities Festival of the Book advisory committee, Executive Board of the Virginia (Women’s) Network, and community member on Charlottesville’s Project Rebound taskforce. On a personal, and most important note, Leigh is happily married to Les Keniston, Associate Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore, and is the mother of three grown-up children.
George Worthington, Finance Committee chair
George Worthington is the Dementia Services Coordinator at Virginia's Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), where he supports the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Commission, reviews existing programs and works with other agencies to more effectively deliver services to Virginians living with dementia. A native of Charlottesville, George spent much of his adult life living and working overseas as an economist, before completing his studies in psychology in Australia and returning to Virginia in 2014. Prior to joining DARS, he worked at the Jefferson Area Board for Aging (JABA), where he worked to improve the lives of seniors in Charlottesville and surrounding counties. George serves on the Virginia Brain Injury Council, the Virginia Caregiver Coalition, the Geriatric Mental Health Partnership, and leads Dementia Friendly Central Virginia, an effort to raise awareness and understanding of dementia and reduce surrounding stigma in the Charlottesville area. George is an avid knitter and loves spending time on their farm with his husband Cameron and their two dogs.