WOMEN OF WISDOM IN NOVEMBER

Donna Douglas

Donna is a "Phoenix" Woman!

She attributes her professional success to the  early sacrifices of her working single mother who provided a roof over her head , food on the table and clothes on her back and to her grandmother, who instilled in her the importance of having a strong moral compass and helping others in need. In addition, Donna's accomplishments couldn't have been possible without the love and support of her dedicated and loving husband and daughter.

For over 40 years, she served on numerous Boards/Committees , including Chair of the Virginia Social Services Executives Child and Family Services Committee, the Chair of the Rappahannock Electric Cooperative  Charity Board, and Chair of the National American Public Welfare Association Local Social Services Committee.

She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Sociology from the University of Mississippi and a Master's Degree in Social Work Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University .

She also served as  adjunct faculty for Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work, is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Global Change, the Richmond Federal Bureau of Investigation Citizens Academy, the Leadership Metro Richmond Program and the United States Senate Quality Assurance (SPQA). She was a member of the Virginia League of Social Services Executives and The American Public Human Services Association, and is  graduate of the University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service.

Her final career achievement culminated in a 2011 gubenatorial appointment as Deputy Commissioner of Organizational Improvement for the State Department of Social Services .This appointment led to the Statewide conversion of the State's Medicaid Information Technology system and the creation of theVirginia Department of Social Services  Office of Performance Management and Organizational Effectiveness

Like the "Phoenix" and a rewed sense of energy, Donna is  now headed "due North" to travel, spend time with good friends and family ( especially her two awesome grandchildren) and provide "one act of kindness" for someone every day!

Amanda Walker

My Time with the Phoenix

My attraction to the Phoenix started in Charlottesville, with a store called the Rubaiyat.  When I arrived at UVA in 1987 straight from the beautiful bayou landscape of north Louisiana, I was fascinated and excited by all things Virginia.  I was especially excited by the cool looks of the stylish women around me, and an essential part of that cool look was a woven straw bag with an open top and leather handles.  Clearly I had to have one!  As a college student on a limited budget, I had to wait a year to save the forty-five bucks for this frivolous but oh-so-essential element of my collegiate wardrobe.

Fast forward some years to when I moved to Richmond as a fresh graduate, seeking my first job and my first apartment.  I discovered this amazing sister-store to the Rubaiyat of my Charlottesville days!  Once again, the beautiful wares were far outside of my price range.  But many of the pieces were timeless, and I started a practice of adding one or two quality items to my wardrobe each year.  This sort of bravery came on the advice of my sage aunt living in Dallas.  She was my mentor in all things fashion and wardrobe-related, and without a doubt she was right!

In a few years, I had collected enough pieces that I could put together just the right look when the need arose, even though I was just starting out or even when I was an impoverished graduate student.  Through the years, I collected beautiful timeless pieces that became stalwarts of my wardrobe, and I have crafted a look that is uniquely mine. I am able torun around town looking cute, make decisions in a board meeting, attend the ballet with confidence, or travel the world looking just like myself.  

Good well-designed pieces last and can withstand the exciting whims of fashion.  They can work beautifully now, and in a few years as the looks change, they remain thrilling and flexible.  I believe this so firmly that both of my adult daughters get occasional trips to the Phoenix to add something special to their wardrobes.  My inspired and timeless aunt makes time for a visit to the shop when she is here.  And yes, I still have that awesome straw bag.  It did need some new handles and a trim of stray fibers over the years, but it still looks fantastic with its patina of age and happy use.  Of course, what lady would not want that for herself as she moves though life?

Sandy Shaw

My childhood was spent in northeastern North Carolina growing up on a farm with two younger sisters.

Our mother was an amazing seamstress and made our dresses. 

I attended the University of NC at Greensboro and graduated from Chapel Hill.

I was teaching middle school in Fairfax County but wanted to see the world, so I became a flight attendant for PanAm. 

 Not long after, I met my husband and we were married and had two children. He was in the Secret Service and we lived in the Chicago area, New Orleans, and settled here in Richmond.

When the children were older I returned to teaching English and language arts and retired from Henrico  schools about ten years ago. 

My time is now spent  reading good books , playing Mahjongg and bridge, volunteering at VMFA and in my woman’s club. The six grandchildren also greatly occupy my time.

My parents had a cottage in Kitty Hawk, NC and that is how I found The Phoenix and K. Her knowledge of fashion is remarkable. 

My granddaughter wore a dress I bought from the Duck store in the last century to a graduation party last year. Classic!

Dawn Flores

I am a multidisciplinary artist who cycles between writing, performance and the visual arts, working in painting, photography and fiber arts. I use salvaged material to construct assemblage pieces and design fabric patterns that are sewn into quilts.

Using the rituals of remembrance and grief, I make art inspired by the ephemeral beauty of the natural world, and in response to environmental and social injustices.  I collaborate with communities to curate performances and exhibitions that inform and inspire.

I chose art as my vocation at the age of six and have, since that time, moved through the world in awe, observing and examining structure in nature and society. Growing up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, forged in me a great love of the forest. I came to see art as a vital component of a healthy neighborhood, learning to build and create from members of my farming community.

Contemplating the meaning and function of art, went in tandem with making it, while studying at two religious universities. As an adult, my eyes were opened to the struggle and immense contributions of immigrants and refugees, while living in New Orleans and New York City.

Living in Richmond, Virginia, the former capital of the Confederacy, has given me over 30 years of opportunity to actively study and rethink the histories that I have been taught.

I believe art is humanity's most potent form of medicine. My art is a practice of tending to myself, my neighbors and the land.