We celebrated 15 years of Leadership Fredericksburg (LF) at the Leadership Summit on the thirteenth of October. During the reception, three alumni were recognized for their outstanding and inspirational leadership. The Leadership Impact Award honorees are:
Janel Donohue, Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2008, President, Rappahannock United Way
James Roberson, Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2015, President and Founder, 516 Project
Kimberly Young, Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2019, Associate Provost for Career & Workforce, University of Mary Washington
Presenters and Award Recipients; Susan Spears, Executive Director of Leadership Fredericksburg; James Roberson, recipient; Janel Donohue, recipient; Kimberly Young, recipient; J.R. Flatter, presenter, faculty, and LF class of 2012; Joe DiStefano, presenter, and LF class of 2014.
Janel Donohue is the president of Rappahannock United Way. A Networker, Janel graduated with Leadership Fredericksburg first class – 2008 – and she has remained engaged with the program since that time. Janel has served as a mentor for several years, only stopping when she became a member of the Leadership Fredericksburg faculty. Janel has been a guest speaker many times, deeply inspiring multiple classes with her story of “Accept It, Change it, or Move on.”
Kimberly Young is the Associate Provost for Career & Workforce at the University of Mary Washington. An Adapter, Kimberly joined the Fredericksburg community in 2018 and right away applied to Leadership Fredericksburg. Kimberly graduated with the Leadership Fredericksburg 2019 class and immediately became involved with supporting the program by joining the Leadership Advisory Committee, serving as a program mentor, and often serving as a guest speaker. Kimberly is now serving as part of the Leadership Fredericksburg faculty since 2021.
James Roberson is the founder and President of the local nonprofit the 516 Project. A Director, James was the COO for his family’s business, Roberson Music, when he applied for Leadership Fredericksburg in the summer of 2014. The 2015 class chose James as their class president, a role that he immediately embraced before joining the Leadership Advisory Committee the following year. James has served as a program mentor and guest speaker and has also led Leadership Alumni Builders for the graduates of the Leadership Fredericksburg program.
Watch the award presentations: