Hampton Roads Community Foundation elects new chair

Attorney Sharon Goodwyn is first Black woman to be chair

Published June 14, 2022 by Katherine Schulte

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation Board of Directors elected Sharon Goodwyn as chair, the foundation announced last week.

An attorney at Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP, Goodwyn is the first African American and the first woman to serve as chair of the foundation, which was established in 1950. She served as vice chair of the board for three years.

“I am deeply grateful for the board’s faith in my ability to uphold and advance the community foundation’s vision, mission and values,” Goodwyn said in a statement. “There’s no place quite like the community foundation, and there’s no better time to lead its work in addressing racial inequities in our region, growing its charitable footprint and working together to create a thriving community for all.”

The Hampton Roads Community Foundation has provided more than $344 million in grants and scholarships since its founding in 1950. In 2021, the foundation provided more than $20 million in grants and scholarships, including nearly $1 million to Black-led nonprofits. The foundation has $525 million in assets.

Goodwyn has worked for Hunton Andrews Kurth for more than 30 years. She earned her law degree from the University of Virginia and holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard University.

She also has served as a board member of Eastern Virginia Medical School, Virginia Wesleyan University, St. Mary’s Home for Disabled Children and the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.

The 15-member board elected Frank Batten Jr., chairman of Dominion Enterprises, as vice chair.

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