Notable and Quotable

Jeopardy! watchers may have noticed Erin J. Merrill ’04 blazing through the categories during the April 5 episode of the game show. Merrill beat fellow contestants to the buzzer with correct responses about knives (oyster, Bowie, Ginsu), French phrases, geographic locations, and more. In the clever category of “Before and BAFTA” – looking for a mashup of a pop culture staple and the name of a BAFTA-awarded movie – Merrill deduced that a comic strip about a red-haired adoptee plus a movie starring Diane Keaton was Little Orphan Annie Hall. And she netted a Daily Double by figuring out that a TV show about zombies plus a film starring Robin Williams as a teacher was The Walking Dead Poets Society. Merrill had an easy rapport with fellow contestants and the show’s guest host, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. She racked up 14 correct responses and missed just one, but didn’t dislodge the episode’s returning champion. Merrill, who lives in Woodbridge, Virginia, … [Read more...]

Matt Paxton ’97 is still helping people sort treasures from trash. The second season of his TV show Legacy List With Matt Paxton is online now and on many PBS stations. In it, he helps families, especially older people, prioritize as they unclutter and pack for smaller houses. Well known from his time on A&E’s Hoarders, Paxton has been in the profession for more than 20 years, and he’s seen it all – from 300 cats to a Picasso in the attic. The business administration grad was featured in The Washington Post and The New York Times last winter, and he appeared earlier on Jimmy Kimmel Live. In April, he lent his knowledge to fellow alumni during a Zoom presentation. He discussed his career and his time at Mary Washington, and he shared wisdom about getting organized. … [Read more...]

Lily Eghtessad ’20 is helping Fredericksburg celebrate its diverse businesses through her work on the FXBG Diverse City project. The historic preservation graduate is a tourism associate at the Fredericksburg Department of Economic Development and Tourism, which along with the Economic Development Authority sponsored the program that highlights small-business owners. From February through June, FXBG Diverse City posted stories and videos on its website, Facebook, and Instagram. February, Black History Month, featured a barber, a popcorn specialty store, and a design and marketing firm. Women’s History Month in March meant a focus on women-owned businesses such as a gluten-free bakery, a yoga studio, and a coffee roaster. The project continues with a highlight video at the end of each month through June, with LGBTQIA-owned businesses. With support from city staffers, Eghtessad developed the look, feel, and operation of FXBG Diverse City, according to The Free … [Read more...]

In April, Melissa E. Schoeb ’90 became Nokia’s chief corporate affairs officer and a member of its leadership team. She oversees communications, government relations, brand, and sustainability. The international relations and Spanish graduate joined Nokia from Occidental, one of the world’s largest independent oil and gas companies, where she was vice president of corporate affairs. Schoeb serves on the UMW College of Business Executive Advisory Board. She is based in Espoo, Finland, and reports to Nokia’s president and CEO. … [Read more...]

The Virginia Economic Developers Association presented Meghan Hobbs Welch ’13 its inaugural Rising Star Award in December. She was recognized as senior business manager for business investment of the Richmond-based Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP), which she joined in May 2018. She manages projects that cultivate job growth in the commonwealth. Her leadership has contributed to more than $1 billion in capital investment and nearly 3,000 new jobs with salaries well above the state’s prevailing wage. Welch earned a degree in political science and international affairs at UMW and is pursuing an MBA from the College of William & Mary. She was one of 17 accepted into the College Leaders Program at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. … [Read more...]

Joan M. Bienvenue, MBA ’13, has been named executive director of the Oak Ridge Institute at the University of Tennessee. The institute was established last year to align Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the university in support of research and talent development. At the institute, Bienvenue will focus on graduate research in emerging fields and lead recruitment of faculty, staff, and students. Before joining Oak Ridge in March 2021, Bienvenue was senior executive director of the University of Virginia Applied Research Institute. Besides her Mary Washington MBA, Bienvenue holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Virginia, a master’s of forensic science from the University of New Haven, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Rivier University. … [Read more...]

Courtney Elliott Gardner ’89 is the new director of the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts in Spring, Texas. She had been the executive director of the Peninsula Fine Arts Center in Newport News, Virginia, since 2011. It closed at the end of 2020, according to the Daily Press. Gardner has received numerous awards including “Top Forty Under Forty” from Inside Business Hampton Roads, the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Rotary Club of Newport News, and the YWCA Women of Distinction Award. According to a press release from the Pearl Fincher Museum, Gardner is known for her leadership skills in increasing an organization’s visibility; fundraising and financial management; and overseeing exhibits, educational activities, and programs that offer broad appeal to the community. … [Read more...]