2026 Leaders Doing The Most Good Awards Luncheon
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About the event
About the Luncheon: The Leaders Doing The Most Good Awards Luncheon honors corporate, organizational and individual excellence. Since 1885, we have served the Greater Metro Richmond Area thanks to you and a community passionate about Doing the Most Good.
Interested in supporting our luncheon? Partner with us.
- NEW! Press Release: Mayor Avula to Keynote 2026 Leaders Doing the Most Good Awards Luncheon
- Press Release: 2026 Leaders Doing The Most Good Award Winners Announced
- Check out last year's 2025 Doing The Most Good Awards Luncheon
Keynote
Dr. Danny Avula took office as the 81st Mayor of the City of Richmond on January 1, 2025.
Before his election to public office, Danny served the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts for 12 years, including 6 years as its Director. There, he championed efforts to increase access to care for the most vulnerable residents of our community, prioritized the voices of those with lived experience, lifted up the intersection of housing and health, and addressed the root causes that shape health outcomes-especially poverty and race.
In January 2021, Governor Northam appointed Danny to lead Virginia's COVID-19 vaccination effort. He jumpstarted a struggling vaccine rollout and elevated the Commonwealth from 50th to one of the top 10 most-vaccinated states in the country. As Virginia emerged from the pandemic, Danny was then appointed as Commissioner of the Virginia Department of Social Services by Governor Youngkin, where he led significant transformational work to support families and to create more sustainable pathways out of poverty.
Danny is a pediatrician and works as a hospitalist at Chippenham Hospital.
Born in Hyderabad, India, he immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1979. A father of five, Danny and his wife, Mary Kay, have lived in Richmond's East End for over 20 years. Mary Kay is a teacher with Richmond Public Schools.
Danny holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Johns Hopkins. He was named one of Richmond's "Top Docs" each year from 2013-2022, a Richmond Times-Dispatch Person of the Year in 2019, and Style Weekly's Richmonder of the Year in 2020. In 2017, he won the Dancing With the Richmond Stars contest.
Mayor Danny Avula
City of Richmond
Emcee
Ms. Jasmine Turner
Jasmine Turner is an Emmy-award-winning anchor and reporter for 12 On Your Side.
She joined the team in October 2016. Jasmine was born and raised in Henrico County and attended The Richmond Montessori School and The Collegiate School. Her college years were spent at Elon University, where she graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism. Before returning to Richmond, Jasmine was a multimedia journalist and weekend anchor for WECT News in Wilmington, North Carolina.
Jasmine has covered several breaking news events in Central Virginia, such as the chaos in Charlottesville in August 2017 and the deadly tornadoes caused by Hurricane Florence in September 2018.
In 2021, she joined the On Your Side Investigators team. Through the On Your Side franchise, she helps the community solve issues they may be encountering, such as housing, healthcare and consumer issues. She also co-hosts 12 On Your Side's monthly Managing Your Mental Health segment, which was created to offer resources to the community.
Jasmine strives to live by the words of a song written by Alma Androzzo: "If I can help somebody as I pass along, then my living will not be in vain."
Outside of the newsroom, she loves spending time in the community. In addition to serving on several volunteer boards, you'll often find Jasmine hosting events or speaking to students. She is also passionate about helping others live well. She is a certified yoga teacher.
Jasmine is ecstatic to be in her hometown, anchoring and reporting for the station she grew up watching. Her family means the world to her. She is especially grateful for her husband Marcelus, her two daughters and their rescue dog Libbie!
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