Cynthia is the Director of the Office of Workforce Development at Carilion Clinic, prior to which she founded and led two companies from 1986 – 2015. Cynthia has a long history of service to our community serving on many Boards over the years including the Virginia Lottery Board, Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport Commission, Western Virginia Workforce Development Authority, Mill Mountain Theatre, Science Museum of Western Virginia, Virginia Museum of Transportation, VA Ready, Virginia Chamber’s Workforce and Education Committee, Blue Ridge Partnership for Health Science Careers, Foundation for Roanoke Valley, Virginia Western Community College Foundation, Opera Roanoke, Virginia Opera, House of Bread Roanoke, President’s Advisory Council for Hollins University, and the Advisory Board for the Department of Management at the Pamplin College of Business and Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech.
Cynthia also founded Food for Thought, an edible education partnership between VWCC, Roanoke City Schools, and the City of Roanoke establishing a teaching garden and agri-science-based program at James Madison Middle School and The Commonwealth Council, an organization of women business leaders focused on mentoring emerging women leaders and funding undergraduate scholarships for adult working women of need. She also serves as a student mentor for House of Bread Roanoke, an ecumenical Christian organization that assists formerly incarcerated women with job skills, education, and stable housing.
Cynthia is a native and lifelong resident of Roanoke, Virginia. The Lawrences live in Roanoke City.