Courtney Rice Named New President and CEO of Northern Virginia Health Foundation

The Northern Virginia Health Foundation is pleased to announce that Courtney Rice has been selected as its next President & CEO. Following an extensive national search led by Good Insight, Rice begins her new role on February 26, 2024.

“Courtney is the visionary and skilled executive we need to carry our work forward,” said Judy Feder, chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. “The Board is confident she will continue our legacy of bold leadership for improving the health and wellness of Northern Virginians.”

As President & CEO, Rice will serve as the Foundation’s chief strategist and spokesperson, responsible for setting a framework for achieving improved health outcomes through grantmaking, directed initiatives and key partnerships that advance the overall health of Northern Virginia residents.

“I am thrilled and honored to join an organization so pivotal to the health of our communities,” said Rice. “I look forward to working with the Board, staff, and the Foundation’s partners to accomplish our mission, maintain a culture of learning, and increase responsiveness to community needs.”

Rice succeeds founding President & CEO Patricia N. Mathews, whose retirement was announced in 2023. Mathews has served as the Foundation’s President & CEO since 2005. Her last day at the Foundation will be March 8, 2024.

“Courtney’s deep experience in grantmaking, along with her commitment to equity and inclusion and passion for community building will be essential to the Foundation’s ongoing success,” said Mathews. “I am confident that her leadership will continue to move the needle on the health and health care needs of low-income and under-insured Northern Virginians.”

About Courtney Rice

Courtney Rice is an experienced philanthropic leader with a commitment to elevating civic engagement, policy and advocacy through a health and racial equity lens. She joins the Foundation from the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation (RMHF). As Chief of Strategy and Impact there, she led their team to implement a strategic framework to provide capacity building and general operating support to mission-aligned grantees.

Before RMHF, Rice served as the Chief Community Impact Officer at the Robins Foundation, focused on helping children and families build resilience and fostering organizational development with an equity and inclusion lens. Her career has included work with 501 Advisors, a foundation and nonprofit consultant group; the Cameron Foundation, a health-legacy foundation in Central Virginia; and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

Rice is a charter member of SisterFund, a giving circle that supports nonprofits addressing issues in the Richmond region that affect Black women and girls. She serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, and the boards of Exponent Philanthropy and Virginia Funders Network. Rice holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and a master’s degree in project management from Virginia State University, and is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

About Northern Virginia Health Foundation

The Northern Virginia Health Foundation is dedicated to improving the health and health care of residents of Northern Virginia, with a particular emphasis on the health needs of low-income, uninsured or underinsured people living in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park.

The Foundation focuses its grantmaking on organizations that address the Foundation’s priorities and promote its values. Since inception, the Foundation has awarded more than $5.9 million in grants to organizations that respond to emerging community needs and increase access to primary care, mental health, dental health and specialty care. Learn more at novahealthfdn.org.

About Good Insight

With a mission to connect good causes to great leaders, Good Insight is an executive search firm and governance consultancy serving the social sector. They plan leadership transitions, recruit talented senior executives, and strengthen boards of directors. Good Insight focuses on leadership searches for small and mid-sized nonprofits with a nationwide reach. Learn more at www.good-insight.org.