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GRP leaders shine on the 2026 Women in Leadership award list
August 27, 2026
Virginia Business has selected it’s 2026 Virginia Business Women in Leadership honorees. The honor recognizes top women executives across the commonwealth for their professional accomplishments, civic engagement, mentorship and role in breaking glass ceilings. Honorees were chosen by the Virginian Business leadership team as recognized executives who are “trailblazing mentors” encouraging the next generation of professional women.
Jennifer Wakefield, president and CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership is one of five honorees this year in addition to GRP investor organizations. She’s joined on the list by Christine Chandler of AdvantaStaff Inc., Wendy Lewis of KPMG, Jennifer Montague of Columbia Gas of Virginia and Maria Tedesco of Atlantic Union Bank.
Wakefield has served as president and CEO of GRP since February 2021, leading the region’s push to become a top midsize region for business investment. Her tenure has included landing major wins such as Amazon’s robotics fulfillment center, CoStar Group’s corporate campus expansion and The LEGO Group’s carbon-neutral manufacturing facility. This is her second time on the list; she was also named in 2022.
Tedesco is president and chief operating officer of Atlantic Union Bank and is also a multiyear honoree. Lewis is office managing partner for audit at KPMG’s Richmond office. Montague is president and chief operating officer of Columbia Gas of Virginia. Chandler leads AdvantaStaff Inc.
This year’s honorees will be celebrated at an awards banquet on October 6th at the Science Museum of Virginia’s Dewey Gottwald Center in Richmond.
Winners will be featured in the October issue of Virginia Business and online at virginiabusiness.com/event/womeninleadership.
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