ICF Virginia Coaching Excellence Awards

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 Organizations:

Carilion Clinic’s Institute for Leadership Effectiveness (ILE)

MSBCoach - Managing Successful Balance

Michelle Braden incorporates "MSB" Coach, which stands for "managing successful balance" in all of her coaching offerings, whether individual or team is reflected through all of her's and her team's engagements.

We are intentional with coaching leaders to partner with them to develop coaching skills which subsequently helps them to be more effective leaders. We do this through informal, as well as formal, initiatives. Informally, we coach leaders to practice:

• Living into curiosity, rather than assuming they have all of the answers
• Genuine curiosity opens the door to possibilities, to learn and to create new paths forward
• When a leader is curious, they can then begin to practice interested listening; this is listening to understand and to learn
• Next the leader learns how to ask powerful and open-ended questions to bring clarification and create breakthroughs for moving forward

This practice helps leaders have a stronger connection to those they lead, as well as a better understanding of self. Furthermore, their decision-making is positively impacted. Finally, team members are more engaged and committed to their job role and the organization when they are a part of the decision-making process.

Emerging Organizations:

  X-Roads Advisory

 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)

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)

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: 

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, CEO and Owner of GR Leadership Coaching LLC, 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

Emerging Coaches:

Promising coach practitioners poised to lead the future of coaching within Virginia. Candidates must hold an active ICF Associate
Certified Coach (ACC) credential and have been ICF Virginia members for at least two years.

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:

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 Providers:

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

 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.

Flatter Leadership Academy

 Dr. 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: 

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.

 The Axela Group is known as a coaching organization who cares deeply for making an impact in the   communities where   we live and work – especially in the areas of healthcare, education and non-profits. Alexa   Beavers, PCC, and her team at   The Axela Group are cognizant that those who could benefit from coaching in   these sectors often do not have access or   psychologically safe environments in which to work with a coach.   Alexa was contacted by the SafeHaven team who had   first-hand experience of her expertise in coaching to   help  them build a coaching engine in the medical community   through their SafeHaven program. Alexa   connected SafeHaven with qualified coaching education providers who could   best support coaching in a   clinical setting. By leveraging her network in both the coaching and healthcare sectors,   SafeHaven found an   ideal coaching education partner who could meet their needs: Georgetown Health and Wellness   Coaching   Program. This work is one example of how Alexa uses the power of networks and community-mindedness to   bring coaching to those who need it most.

Emerging Coaching Catalyst:

Social impact leaders and organizations in Virginia doing exceptional work, often without widespread recognition, who are driving     significant social change through coaching.

 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.

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