University of Mary Washington’s President Troy Paino in top 500 of Virginia’s leaders for 2024

As the 10th president since 2016 of the University of Mary Washington, Troy Paino is at the top of the Fredericksburg college’s leadership.

And for five years, he has been named among the top higher education leaders in Virginia. The 2024 Virginia 500 Power List once again listed Paino.

“There is an aspirational joy to reading about the career journeys of the leaders in these pages,” said Virginia Business Editor Richard Foster in his letter introducing 2024’s Virginia 500.

Virginia Business compiles a list of the most powerful and influential leaders in business, government, politics and education every year. The list includes 20 major sectors, including banking, federal contracting, health care, law and real estate. Consideration is based on staff research, factoring in career achievements, company revenue, number of employees, scope of responsibilities, personal wealth, community and industry involvement and philanthropy.

Paino earns praise for recent philanthropic success at UMW, including a record-breaking year in 2023 and the largest gift in UMW history coming through a $30 million bequest from 1959 alumna Irene Piscopo Rodgers. His continued commitment to students through the highest quality undergraduate education shines through the summary, with recent national awards in student affairs. Among the academic accomplishments are grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities to advance AI research and applications, and two statewide grants expanding internship opportunities for students and area employers.

Paino also serves on the boards of the Northern Virginia Technology Council and the Virginia Business Higher Education Council.