Inspiring at Any Age: 20 Over 50

The story below is a preview from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!

From bold career pivots to inspiring new ventures, these women are redefining success, embracing empowerment and proving it’s never too late to chase their dreams.

After the overwhelming positive response to last year’s celebration of 20 amazing women over 50 (inspired by our 40 Under 40 feature), we knew we had to do it again! Our vibrant community is brimming with incredible women over 50 who continue to inspire, lead and create lasting impacts. This year, our writers are thrilled to introduce you to another group of remarkable women whose stories prove that life after 50 is as vibrant as ever. Thank you to all who continue to pave the way for others and show what it means to live life to the fullest!

Written & photographed by Dan Smith

Danielle Alexander, 55

Community Outreach Coordinator, Good Samaritan Advanced Illness Care, Hospice, Roanoke

Danielle Alexander has always had a soft spot for those in need of a gentle, loving hand. She has worked with special needs children, and for the past 13 years that focused attention has been concentrated on those in the final weeks or months of life itself. Her goal is “to educate the community about what hospice is … and to alleviate the fear. Often people [moving to hospice care] think they will die tomorrow and give up hope and all control.”

Her goal: to help patients “live life to the fullest in the time they have left: go to the beach, do the things they want to do.” Good Sam is a non-profit organization, supported by Medicare and grants. 

Alexander knows the fear of the end, having overcome aggressive cancer nine years ago. “This is where I’m supposed to be,” she says.

Betty Whittaker, 67

Regional Volunteer Service Officer, Regional COO American Red Cross in Roanoke

“I’m one of the old-school people,” says Betty Whittaker, who has her mission permanently etched: “To alleviate human suffering in the face of an emergency through the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.” She’s practiced that for the past 50 years. As the woman responsible for all the 3,000 Red Cross volunteers in Virginia, “I’ve done just about everything but fundraise.”

At the core of it all, she says, she is “the person who is there on the worst day of somebody’s life. … It is gratifying  [because] it is not about me; it is about others. We put people where they feel valued, where they feel most useful.”

The Red Cross, she insists, “is a melting pot. You may think you have no skills, but we have something for everyone” who volunteers.

Sandra Craft, 50

Commercial Loan Manager, First Bank, Daleville

When she was in 10th grade at Lord Botetourt High School, Sandra Craft got a part-time job with the Bank of Fincastle. She loved the work and especially the customers. With the bank underwriting the cost, she earned an AA degree in banking at Virginia Western Community College, then a bachelor’s in business management and banking from Radford University, and the deal was sealed for a career.

It was customer relations that turned into a specialty for Craft. “You get so involved with people’s lives,” she says. Recently, she helped a customer buy a business he had worked for since high school. “I want our customers to be satisfied with our service and I want them to do well.”

It’s the personal touch that makes her “happy where I am. I like the ability to hand-hold. It perks the ego.”

Bhavna Sheth, 53

Owner, co-founder Curapure, Doctor of Naturopathy, Roanoke

Her divorce a few years ago marked an intense moment of self-discovery for India-native Bhavna Sheth. Not only did she start a new business, but she volunteers for the Fieldale Rescue Squad, takes classes at Radford University and is active in a load of organizations. She says her “commitment to healthcare extends from the fast-paced urgency of emergency services to the nurturing principles of Ayurveda at All-India Alternative Medical Council.”

She lives in Roanoke but puts many miles weekly on her car with her involvements. Curapure is a holistic approach to health. Sheth insists that “the doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in diet and the cause and prevention of disease.”

She practices acupressure (a cousin of acupuncture, using fingers and pressure instead of needles). The treatment, she says, “elevates pain management” with “no pills, no side effects.” Her ambition: “To give part of every day to help people.”

Written by Lindsey Hull

Jennifer Pfister, 53

Adventure Enthusiast

How do you measure a year of adventure? By the number of days on a calendar, according to Jennifer Pfister, who intentionally plans a fun activity for most days of the year. Every day, every week, according to weather. Yoga. Coffee. A run up to the Star. On the weekends, longer — waterfall hikes, scavenger hunts, day trips.

“My adventure only needs to be one hour,” she says. “After working, it’s a little bit harder to find that time, but I’m like — one hour.” 

She puts out an invitation to friends. “It’s the sisterhood of being with your girly friends. It just makes things brighter in my life,” she says. She points out wildlife to the group; she notices the bird calls. 

Pfister comes alive when her feet hit a trail. When she picks up the pace, she often wins awards as a trail runner. Though Pfister now walks over roots and rocks, she’s still moving full steam ahead. She keeps a spreadsheet of things she wants to experience. The North Mountain trail system is on there. So is ice climbing and snow-shoeing. Long-distance sledding, maybe ATVs. 

“You never know what your next true love’s gonna be,” she says. If she doesn’t meet every goal? “I’ll just either do it next week or I’ll do it next year.” 

Mignon Smith, 61

Triathlete

When Mignon Smith registered for the Smith Mountain Lake triathlon, her first, she couldn’t swim the length of a pool. With six months to prepare, Smith got to work. The goal: 750 meters in open water, plus a bike and run.

“I could tread water and dog paddle. That’s it,” she says, adding that she’s never been afraid of the water. About a month into her training, world champion triathlete Beni Thompson heard about Smith’s goal and agreed to coach her. “I had said, ‘I just signed up for a triathlon and I don’t know how to swim.” 

“There were days I wanted to get out of the pool and quit, but I just kept going,” Smith says. After weekend swims, she would head out for training walks and tough-as-nails bike rides — Smith has been a cyclist for thirty years and took up walking long distances in 2015. Her dedication paid off. She completed that first triathlon in May 2023, and then four more.

Smith challenges herself for the fun of it, for the excitement of conquering a new feat. She says that her friends push her to try new things; she pushes them to keep moving forward. “If you surround yourself with people who try things, then you try them,” Smith says. 

Dr. Dolores Yuille Johns, 90

Civil Rights Leader, Retired Educator

Dr. Dolores Yuille Johns, Ph.D. was the first African American faculty administrator at Virginia Western Community College. While there, Johns opened a satellite office to recruit Black students to VWCC. The young folks believed she cared because she had already been hard at work in the community. 

In 1965, Johns was hired to teach marketing distributive education at Lucy Addison  — then an all-Black high school. She was tasked with identifying retail internships for her students, a responsibility which led her to directly influence the integration of Roanoke’s retail establishments. 

“They had challenges getting along. They were pioneers,” she says of her students. “No retail stores had Black sales people at that time. I had to sort of sell the stores on the idea.” One manager “didn’t think his customers would receive a Black student as a salesperson,” Johns recalls. She sent him one of her best. Subsequently, he received three letters from customers complimenting the student’s service.

Johns tallied several firsts in her career and accrued multiple national awards in her final role as an instrumental force in Roanoke City Public Schools’  Title I department. She retired from there in 2000. Each career opportunity challenged Johns and gave her a new means for helping people succeed. 

When obstacles inevitably came, her stout determination helped her find her way around them. “I wanted to do it, and I was willing to take the chances,” she says.

Ann McGhee, 60

Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker and Educator

As a teenager, Ann McGhee spent a week backpacking with her Girl Scout troop. After that, she knew she wanted to hike the entire Appalachian Trail — in one go. Over 138 days last year, she and her husband Mack completed the 2,190-mile trail.

“It was hard to believe it was actually happening,” McGhee recalls, thinking of the first day on the trail. Close friends hiked to the top of McAfee with the couple to see them off. The McGhees had planned a flip-flop hike; they would hike from Roanoke to Maine first, and then from Georgia back to Roanoke. “We kept asking ourselves, ‘Do we feel like thru-hikers, yet?’

“Every mile was a gift, even the really, really hard ones,” she says. The most difficult miles were in New Hampshire, where the terrain is steep and full of boulders. McGhee slowed down, not wanting to get hurt. Emotionally, it was taxing. That experience made everything else feel easy, she says. 

“Sometimes when you think you can’t go on, you really can.” 

After New Hampshire came Vermont, and then Maine, where McGhee had her best day. “There was an incredible sunrise. The sky was purple, the water was purple and there was this moose eating breakfast in the pond.” She had been waiting to see a moose.

Written by Aila Boyd

Dr. Elizabeth Dulemba, 57

Director of Graduate Programs in Children’s Literature and Illustration at Hollins University

Dr. Elizabeth Dulemba’s journey to the Roanoke Valley is as colorful as the children’s books she illustrates. Growing up in Atlanta, Dulemba spent summers with her grandparents in Lexington and lived briefly in Manassas. Those Virginia roots deepened in 2012 when, while researching Jack Tales, she was invited by illustrator Ruth Sanderson to give a talk at Hollins University. The visit turned into an opportunity of a lifetime. “I apparently filled all the holes [Ruth] felt needed filling, and she hired me on the spot to return to teach,” Dulemba says.

Now the director of graduate programs in Children’s Literature and Illustration at Hollins, Dulemba has written and illustrated more than 36 books. Her creative journey started with “The Golden Book of Elves and Fairies,” a childhood treasure that inspired her dream of bringing joy to others through art. That passion led to a BFA in graphic design from the University of Georgia and a career designing products for children.

In 2015, Dulemba and her late husband, Stan, sold everything they owned and moved to Scotland, where she pursued an MFA in illustration and a Ph.D. in children’s literature. “My MFA was pivotal on many levels,” she said. “I wanted a more mature color palette and to work with traditional media.”

Dulemba’s story is also one of resilience. After losing her husband in 2022, she embraced life with renewed purpose. “We lived OUT LOUD while we were together, so I have no regrets,” she shares.

These days, Dulemba splits her time between teaching, writing, illustrating and enjoying Roanoke’s Greenway on her e-bike. For her, life over 50 is liberating. “I’ve always had a clear vision… Being 50+ has been freeing,” she says. “I’m turning out to be quite active in this new chapter, which is whipping me into good shape … for my age — ha!”

Anne Marie Green, 68

Salem City Council Member

At 68, Anne Marie Green continues to defy expectations. Originally from Alexandria, Green moved to the Roanoke Valley in 1989 after meeting her husband at a conference. Her professional journey has been anything but linear, reflecting a career built on adaptability and a passion for public service.

Green’s path began with a history degree from the College of William and Mary and a law degree from the Catholic University of America. After practicing law for three years, she pivoted to local government, working as an administrative assistant to the City Manager of Alexandria. This shift, spurred by her interest in public administration, became a defining moment in her life. “Making the decision to leave the practice of law and go into local government probably had the biggest effect on my life,” Green says. “Everything in my personal and private life has been shaped by that decision.”

In Roanoke County, Green’s impact grew. She served as Public Information Officer, General Services Director and Human Resources Director before retiring in 2019. Her contributions included founding RVTV, renovating critical infrastructure and implementing a new HR system. “All of these things made Roanoke County a better place to live and work,” she says.

Green recently added another accomplishment to her list: becoming a member of Salem City Council. Her election reflects her enduring commitment to the community and her belief that age should never limit ambition. “Age doesn’t define you,” Green says. “I earned a graduate certificate in local government management at 54 and became HR Director at 59. Now, I’m back in local government.”

Green’s advice for women over 50 is simple yet profound: “Stay active, keep learning and surround yourself with supportive people. You can have it all; just define what that means for you.”

Want to know more about the rest of this year’s list of 20 women over 50 who are writing new chapters for themselves and impacting the community while doing it, including Jill Green, Bettina Altizer, Gil Harrington, Yvette LeFlore, Deb Squire, Leeray Costa, Elizabeth Saleeba Baker, Donna Davis, Laurie Gunn and Leah Thompson? Check out the latest issue, now on newsstands, or see it for free in our digital guide linked below!

The story above is a preview from our March/April 2025 issue. For more stories like it, Subscribe Today. Thank you!