Courtesy of Virginia Western Community College
Mary Ann Steger Conrad received the 19th Annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy. Pictured (from left): Jane Sandel; Amanda Mansfield, Virginia Western Educational Foundation Philanthropy Director; Mary Ann Steger Conrad; Dr. David Doré, Virginia Community College System Chancellor; Dr. Robert Sandel, Virginia Western President; and Marilyn Herbert-Ashton, Virginia Western Vice President of Institutional Advancement. Photo by Clem Britt, Virginia Community College System.
Ms. Mary Ann Steger Conrad of Roanoke, Va., has received the 19th Annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy. She was nominated for the award by Virginia Western Community College.
Hosted by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE), more than two dozen individuals, families, and organizations were honored with the Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy. The awards were presented at a luncheon ceremony in Richmond on Tuesday, April 15, 2025. Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Chancellor Dr. David Doré served as the emcee, and Mr. Mark Hourigan, founder and CEO of Hourigan, delivered the keynote address.
“Every time our donors support a scholarship, fund a new program, or an emergency grant, they are not just giving back, they are lifting up,” said Hourigan. “They are invaluable partners whose generosity can and does make the difference between a student dropping out or staying the course and realizing their true potential.”
Dr. Doré echoed those sentiments, adding that a culture of care can have a profound impact on student performance. “When our students realize that someone cares enough to help remove the formidable obstacles standing in their way, it’s life-changing,” he said. “The things they thought impossible suddenly become doable, and their confidence soars as a result.”
This year’s class of distinguished philanthropy leaders has collectively contributed $24 million to Virginia’s Community Colleges.
Virginia Western nominated Ms. Conrad in recognition of her naming gift to the Virginia Western Forward Permanent Endowment Fund: a vision of Dr. Charles. W. Steger Jr., for the Mary Ann and Glen Conrad Center for the Humanities. Ms. Conrad earned an associate degree from Virginia Western, a bachelor’s degree from Roanoke College and served as a member and former board chair of Virginia’s State Board of Community Colleges. She has participated in leadership roles in many local civic and community activities, including the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service, the American Red Cross, the American Cancer Society and Sister Cities. She was married 39 years to the late Honorable Glen E. Conrad, U.S. District Judge for Western Virginia.
Ms. Conrad additionally was recognized by the Virginia Western Educational Foundation, receiving the annual Community Impact Award at a ceremony Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
Recipients of the Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy:
- Blue Ridge — Cadence, Inc.
- Brightpoint — Pamela M. Comstock
- Central Virginia — Delta Star, Inc.
- Danville — The late Melvin C. Vernon, Jr. and Mrs. Jean Carol Harper Vernon
- Eastern Shore — John Custis
- Germanna — Mary Washington Health Care
- Laurel Ridge — Dr. Brent L. Kendrick
- Mountain Empire — JC “Clay” Stiles
- Mountain Gateway — The late Dr. Raymond L Claterbaugh, Jr.
- New River — The Lunch Pail Defense Foundation - Bud Foster
- Northern Virginia — Microsoft
- Patrick & Henry — Darrell Bowling
- Paul D. Camp — Truist Foundation
- Piedmont Virginia — Smith Vicars Family Foundation
- Rappahannock — Carolyn A. Lemon
- Reynolds — The late William R. Hendley
- Southside Virginia — Benchmark Community Bank
- Southwest Virginia — Randall Hillman
- Tidewater — Dan Banister
- Virginia Highlands — The Wellspring Foundation of Southwest Virginia
- Virginia Peninsula — Sentara Foundation
- Virginia Western — Mary Ann Steger Conrad
- Wytheville — Twin County Community Foundation
- VFCCE — Gilliam Family Foundation
About Virginia’s Community Colleges: Since 1966, Virginia’s Community Colleges have given everyone the opportunity to learn and develop the right skills so lives and communities are strengthened. By making higher education and workforce training available in every part of Virginia, we elevate all of Virginia. Together, Virginia’s Community Colleges serve approximately 230,000 students each year. For more information, please visit www.vccs.edu.
About the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education: As the supporting arm of Virginia’s 23 community colleges, the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE) broadens access to educational opportunities for all Virginians, while ensuring the long-term success of the Commonwealth and the needs of its workforce. To ensure access to high quality, affordable degrees and certifications, the Foundation’s statewide leadership raises funds and resources in order to supplement and support the activities of both individual students and community colleges. For more information on VFCCE and its mission, and to provide your support, visit www.vfcce.org.