Cathie J. Vick

Cathie J. Vick is the chief development and government affairs officer (CDGAO) for the Virginia Port Authority (VPA) where she oversees The Port of Virginia’s government relations, community outreach, economic development, engineering, environmental services, and maritime incident response.

Cathie strives to build, develop and lead top-performing teams that communicate and align strategies with management, customers, colleagues, and external stakeholders.

“We employ a “leader/leader” relationship among colleagues which produces true sustainability for our organization. When every team member is leading from within, we build expertise, passion, and the fortitude to get the job done working together.”

Delivering results for the port that ultimately have a positive impact on the community and the Commonwealth are some of the most rewarding aspects of her job, she says. Her experience in the transportation, infrastructure, and regulatory sectors provide a unique understanding of the port and its role in the economy. Helping her team see and understand the “big picture” is vital to the success of the organization, on both a short- and long-term basis.

“Stewardship is the thread that knits together all that we accomplish. We are dedicated to and grateful for the communities in which we operate, the trade and business relationships we foster across the globe, our partners that efficiently move cargo and create jobs and invest in the Commonwealth. We will continue to work together to be the global gateway of the East Coast and a catalyst for commerce for the Commonwealth.”

Before accepting her role at the port, Cathie served as deputy director for energy policy in the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy, where she helped to implement energy policy initiatives in the Commonwealth. She also worked as director of government relations for Virginia Natural Gas, where her responsibilities included advocacy to state, local, and federal officials, guiding the company’s civic and charitable sponsorships and donations, and managing its conservation programs.

Cathie takes an active role in political and civic life in the Commonwealth. She serves on various Boards, such as The Alliance, TowneBank Leadership Alliance, the Sorenson Institute, Virginia Clean Cities, LEAD Hampton Roads and Optima Health. Cathie has been named as one of the region’s Top 40 under 40 in 2005, Top Women in Business in 2010 and was awarded the Julian Hirst Alumni Leader Award by Lead Hampton Roads in 2014.

She has a law degree from Georgia State University College of Law, a master’s degree in business administration from the College of William and Mary, and a bachelor’s degree in political science and communications from James Madison University. She is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma. Cathie is also a 2005 Fellow of the Sorenson Institute of Political Leadership, a 2009 graduate of LEAD Hampton Roads, a 2015 graduate of LEAD Virginia.