Nonprofits | Philanthropy 2023: ELIZABETH A. McCLANAHAN

CEO, VIRGINIA TECH FOUNDATION, BLACKSBURG

Published August 30, 2023 by Virginia Business

McClanahan brings a wealth of experiences in law, leadership and higher education to her role as CEO of the Virginia Tech Foundation. A lifelong Virginian and former justice on the Supreme Court of Virginia, her ties to the university go back much further than her current position, which she took up in 2021.

She has served as an adjunct professor of finance at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business since 2019, and attended 4-H Congress on campus as a teen.

The VT foundation manages the university’s endowment, real estate portfolio and its Corporate Research Center. In April, the center, in collaboration with the Center for Economic and Community Engagement, led a coalition that won a $1.6 million grant from GO Virginia to develop a demonstration lab to advance green hydrogen production in Hampton Roads. The initiative establishes industry-driven training, education and community awareness programs.

McClanahan previously served as president and dean at Appalachian School of Law in Buchanan County. She holds a bachelor’s degree from William & Mary and a law degree from the University of Dayton School of Law.

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