On Friday, October 4th, at the annual Leadership Fredericksburg Alumni Celebration, five deserving individuals were honored with the Leadership Impact Awards. Each recipient has demonstrated exceptional dedication to fostering positive change and inspiring others within their organizations and the broader community. Their leadership continues to shape the future of our region, leaving a lasting impact for generations to come.
Meghann Cotter – Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2009, Executive Servant Leader- Micah Ecumenical Ministries, Inc.
Nicole Cole – Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2017, Owner and President- Nicole Cole Financial Services Group
Veronica Curry – Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2018, Associate Vice President- Germanna Community College
Martha Hutzel – Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2017, Library Director – Central Rappahannock Regional Library
Paul Milde – Leadership Fredericksburg Class of 2021, Founder and President- CIP Finishes
Keep reading to learn about the lasting legacy they hope to leave as leaders in our community.
Meghann Cotter
Q- How do you define leadership, and what does it mean to you personally?
A- The best leadership means driving from the back. You drive the fastest, worry the most and work the hardest to make sure everyone gets to the right destination. Frankly, I’m not always good at that because I usually know where I want to go and can’t wait to get there. But knowing our place in the story is half the battle. Sometimes we have to make the road; but when others can see the path clearly, it’s time to drop back and let them own what was always theirs to begin with.
Q- What drives your passion to lead others?
A- Frederick Büchner says that passion (or I prefer calling) is where your great gift intersects with the world’s greatest need. I am a visionary, I see the interconnectedness in the world and I know how to tell a story, but the unique need God has placed on my heart is the deep suffering that occurs within unhoused communities. The deeper I have journeyed into ministry with people who live on the streets, the more I am convinced that it doesn’t have to be that way. We do not have to be a community where human beings sleep outside. And better yet, our community has enough compassion for ALL people to access to a flourishing life. The lessons I have learned from the privilege of sharing life with the unhoused leave me no choice but to lead through vision, story and invitation because a world that works for all neighbors cannot come to fruition without a movement.
Nicole Cole (left) was presented with the Leadership Fredericksburg Impact Award by Susan Coleman LF class of ’19 (right)
Q- What legacy do you hope to leave as a leader?
A– I want to leave a legacy of leaders. For a community, organization, family, tribe, etc. to not only survive, but also to thrive and progress, leaders must not only lead followers to share and execute a collective vision. Leaders must identify, encourage, seek out, and develop other leaders. I want my legacy to be the leaders alongside and after me.
Q- How do you define leadership, and what does it mean to you personally?
A- To me leadership is a service where one decides to give of themselves at the highest level of a thing/organization to move a collective body to serve the best interests of the thing/organization. It means being accountable to those best interests, goals, and visions. It means dedicating yourself to something larger than yourself for more than selfish reasons.
Paul Covill LF class of ’24 (left) presented Martha Hutzel with the Leadership Fredericksburg Impact (right)
Q- What legacy do you hope to leave as a leader?
A- I would like to be remembered for making a positive difference to my staff, to the entire library system and to my community.
Q- How do you define leadership, and what does it mean to you personally?
A- Leadership to me is making the best choice possible for your staff and your organization; always leading by example and sometimes making sacrifices for the benefit of those you lead. Leaders eat last is a good adage to remember.
Diana Hill LF class of ’23 (left) presented Veronica Curry with the Leadership Fredericksburg Impact Award (right)
Q- What legacy do you hope to leave as a leader?
A- I’d like to leave a legacy that I gave back. Many over the years took precious time with me and others to mentor, guide and help professionally and personally. I have always treasured those that have given back. My desire is to leave a legacy that I have done the same. In sum, that I have lived a full life using the time, talents, resources and abilities that I have been blessed with to support and give back to others.
Q- How do you define leadership, and what does it mean to you personally?
A- I define leadership as the ability to positively inspire or motivate others. Leadership consists of a blend of qualities/characteristics. Some of these qualities are innate or come more naturally to some, while other qualities may be nearly impossible to ever train or teach. Yet, I believe leaders are made. I don’t believe you wake up one morning and magic dust is sprinkled on you to make you a great leader. True leaders develop over time, along with lessons from trial-and-error experience the qualities that inspire others.
Brad Neal LF class of ’21 (left) presented Paul Milde with the Leadership Fredericksburg Impact Award (right)
Q- What legacy do you hope to leave as a leader?
A- I would like to leave my community better off than I found it, especially in ways that are lasting. For example putting land permanently into conservation or expanding our transportation networks like roads and rail.
Q- How do you define leadership, and what does it mean to you personally?
A- Simply put, leadership is the ability to lead others towards accomplishing a common goal. For me it is about having a vision of where I think we should be going as a community and what the world around us should look like. Then working with people who have a similar vision or helping people see and appreciate that vision with enough focus and determination to manifest the desired end result.