Wildcat Connect Webinar | Career Mapping

Hosted by the Chico State Women's Philanthropy Council

Career Mapping: Join us in conversation with visionary business leader Virginia Walker, on women, leadership, and best practices for moving up to executive positions.

Summary:  Women are a powerful force in the United States economy, and yet they struggle to reach executive leadership positions. Join special guest Virginia Walker, President Gayle Hutchinson, and Dean Tracy Butts in discussion about how women can be empowered to seize opportunities, promote their abilities, and move from midlevel positions to executive leadership roles.

Host: Dr. Gayle Hutchinson, University President

Panelists: Dr. Tracy Butts, Dean, College of Humanities and Fine Arts; Virginia Walker

Tracy Butts joined the faculty at Chico State as a professor of American and African American literature upon the completion of her Ph.D. in English (University of Georgia, 2001). A native of Norfolk, Virginia, Butts earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Virginia Tech.  Prior to assuming the position of Dean of the College of Humanities and Fine Arts, she served as the director of Multicultural and Gender Studies, chief diversity officer, and chair of the Department of English.  She is a firm believer that with privilege comes great responsibility, which is why service is a top professional priority for her. Butts is a recipient of the Lantis Endowed University Professorship, the A.S. Women’s Center Carol Burr Lifetime Achievement Award, the Black Grad Celebration Outstanding Faculty Award, and the 2015/16 Outstanding Faculty Service Award.

Virginia Walker is a senior executive with over 35 years of executive suite experience in companies ranging from Silicon Valley start-ups to Fortune 500 firms. Her corporate expertise is both operational and strategic, having served as CFO and as head of Corporate Strategy and Marketing. Over the course of her career, she has raised nearly a billion dollars from the successful execution of IPOs and follow-on equity financing. Virginia has served on several corporate and non-profit boards, is Director Emeritus for Tri Counties Bank, and a founding member of The Jamison Group, a business strategy consultancy. Her human experience as a black woman in C-Suites and boardrooms, uniquely qualifies her as a mentor who can personally speak to issues of diversity and equality. In this moment where the national conversation around the lived experiences of people of color and women has come to the forefront, she is passionate about work that will move the needle towards a more inclusive future.