We are thrilled to announce the selected honorees for the 2024 ICF Virginia Coaching Excellence Awards! This year’s recipients exemplify outstanding contributions to the coaching profession, demonstrating exceptional skill, dedication, and a commitment to transforming lives and organizations across Virginia. These awardees embody the values of ICF, and their work highlights the profound impact coaching has on individuals, teams, and communities.
AWARD CATEGORIES
ORGANIZATIONS:
These award-winning organizations have exemplified a deep commitment to embedding coaching practices into their workplace culture, fostering environments that drive both personal and organizational growth. Through their dedication to coaching, they are redefining the future of work in Virginia.
Distinguished Organization:
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Carilion Clinic’s Institute for Leadership Effectiveness (ILE) was chartered in 2020 to focus on the consistent development of both its administrative and Physician Leaders. We support all people leaders and physician leaders with the following programs and services:
ILE has embedded coaching in several of its pillars including onboarding, leadership development, dyad development and the use of individual leader coaching for all new senior leaders and executives. |
Michelle Braden leads a diverse team of experienced coaches who bring the latest leadership and team coaching trends to address organizational needs. Through her Leaders Who Coach Coaching Culture Experience, she embeds coaching into the fabric of organizations, fostering growth, curiosity, and stronger team engagement. With over 20 years of experience, Michelle has coached leaders from emerging executives to C-suite leaders across various industries. Her MSB approach empowers leaders to develop critical coaching skills, enhance decision-making, and drive organizational success. | |
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Emerging Organization:
X-Roads Advisory, supporting the evolution of governance with coaching around change management to build strong and resilient governance towards a more welcoming, engaging and evolved experience for the next generation of leaders of essential and precious nonprofits is a rewarding and broadly impactful initiative. It's a wonderful partnership with the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge to provide professional coaching services across arts, museums, housing, child protection, animal welfare, disabilities, etc. as part of the efforts to evolve the leadership and resilience of the these critical organizations. | |
Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters (CHKD) is committed to providing health, healing, and hope for all children. To support this mission, CHKD developed an innovative leadership development program in 2023, combining classroom training, online learning, and professional coaching. Leaders in the pilot program were paired with ICF-certified coaches, enhancing their leadership confidence, competence, and overall effectiveness. The success of this initiative led to its expansion in 2024. CHKD is recognized for understanding the transformative impact of coaching and its commitment to developing strong organizational leaders. | |
Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) has been honored with the prestigious 2024 ICF Virginia Coaching Excellence Award in the Emerging Organization category. This recognition celebrates NOVA's successful implementation of an innovative coaching initiative that promotes the value of coaching, fosters community, empowers employees and forges collaborative partnerships to support workforce development. The award highlights NOVA's dedication to creative and forward-thinking approaches to professional development. NOVA is one of 23 institutions within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), governed by the State Board for Community Colleges. Since its founding in 1965, NOVA has been a leader in providing world-class education at an affordable price. As the largest supplier of talent in Northern Virginia and one of the largest community colleges in the United States, NOVA serves over 73,000 students and employs over 3,000 faculty and staff members. Committed to equity, affordability, and excellence, NOVA transforms lives through its higher education and workforce programs, driving opportunity and success within the community. The NOVA Office of Employee Wellness and Wellbeing (OEWW) furthers this mission by fostering partnerships and initiatives that support employee wellness and professional growth, exemplified by its collaboration with ICF Virginia. The partnership between NOVA and ICF Virginia's Ignite program offered free individualized professional coaching sessions to 85 employees across all levels of the institution. The initiative's success is reflected in the overwhelmingly positive feedback from participants. A significant majority indicated that it was “time well spent” and that they would most definitely recommend the program and the coaches. They felt the experience prepared them to accomplish their chosen goal(s) and highly rated the overall experience. Many participants shared how the coaching prepared them to reach professional and wellness goals and inspired them to bring greater focus, efficiency, and confidence to their roles. Moreover, this NOVA/ICF collaboration—one of several initiatives led by NOVA’s OEWW—provided employees with valuable insights and strategies. Participants reported that these efforts created a ripple effect, positively impacting students' experiences and success. |
PROFESSIONAL COACHES (up to 5 awards)
We are proud to honor individual coach practitioners who have made significant contributions to the coaching profession in Virginia. These awards recognize the exceptional impact these coaches have had not only on their clients but also on the broader coaching community.
Distinguished Coach:
Honoring esteemed coach practitioners who have made a lasting impact on ICF and the coaching profession. Award recipients exemplify leadership, dedication, and significant contributions that continue to shape and elevate the coaching community.
Rodger Schmidt embodies the ideal coach—supportive, empathetic, and action-oriented. He has been instrumental in my growth, using established coaching protocols to enhance my self-awareness and drive actionable results. His commitment to student well-being and future-oriented approach have been key in helping me stay focused on growth and progress. |
Accomplished Coach:
Recognizing influential coaching practitioners who have made substantial contributions to the coaching profession in Virginia. Award recipients demonstrate outstanding leadership, innovation, and a commitment to advancing coaching excellence and growth within the community.
Genevieve A. Roberts brings 35 years of transformative coaching experience to executive leadership development, having impacted over 250 leaders across Capital One, Yum Brands, and through her firm Titan Group LLC. Her ICF-certified approach combines accountability, customized strategies, and mindfulness practices, consistently helping clients advance into succession planning roles through her ethical and patient coaching style |
Dwight & Angela McDowell have guided over 80 marriages and 40 individual clients through their relationship coaching practice. Their impact spans across 16 in-person workshops, 50 virtual sessions, and international venues including the US, Kenya, and the Cayman Islands. Built on integrity and confidentiality, their expertise extends from couples coaching to leadership consulting, focusing on communication and conflict management for strengthening family units |
COACHING EDUCATION (up to 3 awards) Recognize outstanding coach educators and ICF-accredited providers who lead and innovate in coaching education. These awards celebrate excellence in teaching and the development of new coaching methodologies.
Distinguished Coaching Education Provider:
A Virginia-based ICF-accredited coaching provider exhibiting the highest standard of excellence in the profession. The provider must have
been accredited by ICF for at least two years.
Radiance Partners LLC is committed to developing skilled, confident coaches through a training program grounded in ICF competencies, neuroscience, and spirituality. They focus on personal transformation and deep coaching proficiency, equipping graduates for successful coaching careers. With a community of over 100 graduates worldwide, Radiance supports continued growth through educational opportunities, retreats, and business training. Additionally, they place graduates in coaching contracts and partner with government contractors, demonstrating their coaches' high skill level and impact. | |
John (J.R.) Flatter, founder and lead coach of Flatter Leadership Academy, is dedicated to providing exceptional coaching experiences. He invests long hours to ensure no question goes unanswered, empowering students to overcome challenges independently. His passion and commitment have inspired many ICF-accredited coaches and hundreds of Air Force coaches, consistently setting a high standard of excellence that ignites similar passion in his students. |
SOCIAL EXCELLENCE (up to 2 awards)
Recognize individuals and organizations making profound societal contributions through the application of coaching principles. This category celebrates those who use coaching to create lasting positive change in their communities.
Distinguished Coaching Catalyst:
Influential Virginia leaders and organizations who act as catalysts for change, exemplifying a coaching mindset in their leadership,
decision-making, and community engagement.
Alexa Beavers empowers individuals and organizations worldwide, fostering safe environments for open dialogue and growth. Alexa’s commitment to social excellence is evident in her efforts to improve healthcare worker well-being, including her role in launching Georgetown’s SafeHaven Health and Wellness Coaching Program. Her dedication to mentorship and elevating the coaching community exemplifies her as a catalyst for meaningful change. |
Angela Fontaine, ACC, ELI-MP, is a Professional Coach, Consultant, and Facilitator. As the founder of Seraph Strategies, she employs a holistic approach to help clients achieve goals that align with their core values while fostering transformative change. Angela specializes in Career and Leadership Coaching and Change Management, Strategic Planning, and Capacity Building consulting. Her coaching philosophy is deeply rooted in a commitment to social, environmental, and economic justice, having served clients such as The Equal Rights Center, The City of Richmond's Office of Sustainability, and other mission-driven nonprofits and businesses. Angela excels at helping clients identify and shift unproductive paradigms, unlocking their potential for meaningful growth and impact. By combining strategic insight with the ability to inspire action, she bridges the gap between vision and execution, enabling clients to achieve sustainable, values-aligned success. |
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LouAnne Metzger is an accomplished educator and former administrator with 33 years in public education, now empowering Virginia educators through professional coaching. Her experience as a teacher and principal fuels her impactful work, driving social change and enhancing educator effectiveness in Virginia Beach. She also champions certified coaching with ICF Virginia, raising awareness of its value across the state |
NOMINATION PROCESS
Nominations are open to all ICF Virginia members and Virginia-based organizations.
Join us in celebrating the best in coaching and the transformative impact it has across our state.
Nominate outstanding coaches and organizations today and be part of this prestigious event!