Leader and mentor Michelle Caldwell Thompson received the 2024 Patricia Lacey Metzger Award for distinguished achievement from the Women’s Leadership Colloquium at the University of Mary Washington. Thompson is CEO of the firm CTI Real Estate as well as a dedicated community leader and advocate for women in business, education, mentorship and entrepreneurship.
Presented last week for the 25th year, the Metzger Award goes annually to someone who upholds high standards and achieves personal and professional success. Traditionally, the honor is bestowed during the UMW Women’s Leadership Colloquium. But with both events celebrating milestones – the Colloquium turns 30 on Thursday, Nov. 7 – a quarter-century worth of Metzger winners deserved a day of their own.
“She is making an impact in all that she does,” Fredericksburg area professional trainer and coach Beth Sinkler, one of Thompson’s two nominators, said of her community involvement.
Thompson’s company, CTI Real Estate, is a pillar in the Fredericksburg regional landscape with more than 20 years in business and approximately 70 dedicated agents, many of whom share a passion for service to the community. She also serves on the boards of several organizations, including the Rappahannock Educational Foundation, University of Mary Washington Honors Program, Mary Washington Healthcare Foundation, and the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, where she is the incoming board chair.
The Metzger Award is named for the late Mary Washington professor, Patricia Lacey Metzger, who helped establish the Women’s Leadership Colloquium in 1994. Colloquium founder and former award winner Meta Braymer – who retired as vice president for economic development and regional engagement after a 23-year career at Mary Washington – provided a history of the event and an impactful tribute to Metzger and her commitment to women in leadership.
The event drew several other former award recipients, including Worrell Management Group CEO Linda Worrell and Herlong Associates Owner Dana Herlong, as well as Fredericksburg City Schools Superintendent Marci Cattlet and Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Susan Spears. Rappahannock United Way President Janel Donohue, UMW Executive Director of Events Susan Worrell, Executive Life Coach Susan Coleman and Topside Federal Credit Union Director of Marketing and Outreach Stephanie Lyles also attended. See the Metzger Award at UMW’s Women’s Leadership Colloquium webpage for a full list of past recipients.
UMW Associate Provost for Career and Workforce Kimberly Young, who co-chairs the Colloquium with Executive Director of Human Resources Beth Williams, said Thompson was a brilliant woman and role model with a legacy of leadership.
“Above all of her professional and community accomplishments, Michelle is a mentor to many, a mother, wife, daughter and cherished friend,” Sinkler said. “She has made her presence in this community known and our region is better for her being here.”
About the Women’s Leadership Colloquium at UMW
The mission of the Colloquium is to create conversations and connections for a lifetime of learning and leadership. The Colloquium prepares and supports women in leadership positions, attracting managers, administrators, educators, business owners and leaders of public, private and nonprofit organizations. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter. Learn more about the Women’s Leadership Colloquium and the Patricia Lacey Metzger Award.
