Feb. 10, 2012

VCU Health System Named a Top 10 Nonprofit for Female Executives

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By Eric Peters

The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) this week named VCU Health System as one of the NAFE Top Nonprofit Companies for Executive Women.  

This is the sixth time NAFE has presented VCUHS with such an award, which is given based on female representation, hiring, attrition and promotion rates, access and usage of key retention and advancement programs within an organization.

"The nonprofit companies selected by NAFE represent what is best about the leadership of organizations who have set themselves up to move women through the pipeline,” said Carol Evans, president of Working Mother Media and CEO of NAFE. “They have given women executives the opportunity and have the women in top positions to prove it."

“VCU Health System is honored to have been recognized by NAFE for a sixth time. We take great pride in helping our female leaders advance and in nurturing our next generation of leaders by providing the opportunities for them to further their knowledge and skills,” said Maria Curran, chief human resources officer and vice president of human resources and community benefit at VCUHS. “Milestone achievements, such as the historical separation of conjoined twins from the Dominican Republic, are an indicator that our continued success - and the success of our 6,705 female employees - is limitless. In fact, one of the key surgeons on the twins' blue ribbon team is a working mother who is a leader in our organization.”

A newly released report revealed that women hold 38 percent of the executive positions at the NAFE Top Nonprofit Companies, while 48 percent of VCUHS executives are women. The report, conducted by the Working Mother Research Institute, also finds that women hold 27 percent of all board of director seats at the NAFE Top Nonprofit Companies, compared to 16 percent across the Fortune 500.

Women represent 80 percent of those who receive management and leadership training at VCU Health System.

To be considered for the NAFE award, companies must have a minimum of two women on their boards of directors as well as at least 500 employees in the U.S.