CIVIC Leadership Institute is proud to announce its 2024 Darden Award honorees. Richard and Carolyn Barry, philanthropists, and community activists, will be presented with the Individual Darden Award while Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) will receive the Corporate Darden Award on the evening of Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at the Waterside Marriott in Norfolk. The event is sponsored by TowneBank.

“We are excited to recognize and celebrate the incredible contributions to the arts and education by Richard and Carolyn Barry as well as the medical and surgical innovations of CHKD,” said CIVIC Leadership Institute’s President and CEO, Dr. Mary Kate Andris. “They have shown an unwavering dedication to fostering the economic growth of our region, all while effecting significant, lasting change in our community—a legacy that will resonate for generations to come.”

About Richard and Carolyn Barry – Individual Darden Honorees

The Barrys have a long history of promoting philanthropy and civic engagement in the community. They have made numerous artistic and cultural contributions to Hampton Roads institutions over the years and endowed scholarships that have helped hundreds of students complete their education. In 1985 Richard Barry chaired the United Way General Campaign covering the South of Hampton Roads. The Barrys have also supported EVMS and CHKD as well as the Mariners’ Museum. They have been longtime benefactors of the Chrysler Museum of Art where they endowed the Curator of Glass position and where Carolyn served as a docent for 35 years and was on the board for 8 years.

Perhaps their biggest impact can be felt at Old Dominion University with a $37 million gift – the largest in the University’s history – to establish the Barry Art Museum. This state-of-the-art, 24,000-square-foot museum features modernist paintings, historical dolls and glass sculptures donated by the Barrys. Richard, a long time Landmark executive, was a member of the University Board of Visitors for eight years, serving two years as rector. Carolyn has shared her love for the University over the years, teaching math as an adjunct faculty member, and most recently as a board member of the Barry Art Museum. In 2012 they made the lead gift to construct the Barry Art Building, which houses classrooms as well as the Elise N. Hofheimer Art Library and the Jean Outland Chrysler Library of the Chrysler Museum.

The Barrys’ community efforts will be felt in Hampton Roads for many decades.

About Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters– Corporate Darden Honoree

Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters (CHKD) is the only freestanding, full-service, children’s hospital in Virginia and serves the medical and surgical needs of children throughout greater Hampton Roads, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. The not-for-profit CHKD Health System operates primary care pediatric practices, surgical practices, multi-service health centers, urgent care centers, and satellite offices throughout its service region.

Children’s Pavilion, CHKD’s new mental health hospital and outpatient center, opened in 2022 to address the region’s need for pediatric mental health services. When fully operational, the facility will admit approximately 2,500 children annually for inpatient care, conduct 48,000 outpatient therapy appointments each year, and create 400 new jobs in the Hampton Roads area.

Thanks to the community’s generous response to the CHKD Lighting the Way fundraising campaign CHKD was able to reach its $75 million goal.

Overall, CHKD plays a crucial role in enhancing the health and well-being of children and families in the Hampton Roads area through its comprehensive healthcare services, educational initiatives, and community partnerships and is deserving of the Corporate Darden Award.

“To be included among the organizations that have shared this honor in the past is both humbling and inspiring,” said Amy Sampson, CHKD’s president and CEO. “We are incredibly grateful to CIVIC for their acknowledgement and for all that they do to empower leaders in our community to make a difference.”

About the Darden Awards

The CIVIC Leadership Institute, founded in 1994, is a nonprofit organization based in Hampton Roads, Virginia, dedicated to connecting and developing leaders from diverse backgrounds and providing a platform to collaborate, share knowledge and address regional challenges through innovative solutions.

Additionally, the CIVIC Leadership Institute offers other programs, such as the CIVIC Scholars Program designed for college students at Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College. This is a customized program for young professionals to develop their leadership talent all while networking with leaders here in Hampton Roads.

Overall, the CIVIC Leadership Institute plays a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of leaders in Hampton Roads, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and civic engagement.

About CIVIC Leadership Institute

The CIVIC Leadership Institute, founded in 1994, is a nonprofit organization based in Hampton Roads, Virginia, dedicated to connecting and developing leaders from diverse backgrounds and providing a platform to collaborate, share knowledge and address regional challenges through innovative solutions.

Additionally, the CIVIC Leadership Institute offers other programs, such as the CIVIC Scholars Program designed for college students at Old Dominion University and Tidewater Community College. This is a customized program for young professionals to develop their leadership talent all while networking with leaders here in Hampton Roads.

Overall, the CIVIC Leadership Institute plays a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of leaders in Hampton Roads, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and civic engagement.