Profiles of WBCNOVA Staff

Barbara L. Wrigley, Executive Director

Barbara L. Wrigley was the first Director (now Executive Director) of the Women’s Business Center of Northern Virginia and oversees all aspects of the Center’s growth and operations as it provides training and support to women seeking to start or grow their own businesses. A program of the Community Business Partnership, Inc., the Center is funded by a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration, receives matching funds from Fairfax County’s Office for Women, and support from George Mason University’s Mason Enterprise Center.

In May 2003 and again in 2006, Ms. Wrigley was named the “Women in Business Advocate of the Year” by the Washington Metropolitan Area District Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Under her leadership, the Center has served over 7500 women in the past five years, has assisted in over 1050 business start-ups, and has been recognized as one of the fastest growing WBCs in the country.

Ms. Wrigley has more than twenty years experience as a manager and advisor to women and fifteen years experience as an organization development consultant and adult educator. She was the founder and President of Bradwood Resources, Inc., a firm that served clients in the U.S. and Canada, improving managerial and organizational effectiveness. She received her Masters degree in Human Resource Development/Organization Development with honors at American University in 1985.

Ms. Wrigley serves on the national board of directors for the Association of Women’s Business Centers, as well as on the board for Rising Phoenix Retreat Center in Maryland.

Lisa Goodman,  Director

Lisa Goodman has been in and around the business community for the last 10 years and was recently hired as the Director of the Women’s Business Center of Northern Virginia.  In this capacity, she educates and counsels those interested in entrepreneurship (and those new to entrepreneurship) in all aspects of success. 

She was a client of the Community Business Partnership and Women’s Business Center for over 4 years, prior to joining the staff and was recently chosen as one of 10 companies in the Northern VA area to receive the Advancing Micro-Entrepreneurs Program Equity Award in April 2006 and was also selected as a MVP Business Success Story in November 2006 for the DHL Corporation. 

She began her career as an Image Consultant with Mary Kay Cosmetics and is among the top 2% of that company’s sales force.  During her tenure with Mary Kay, she has received awards for outstanding personal sales on five separate occasions. She has also led a team of entrepreneurs for over seven years. During that time she was awarded on their behalf for reaching a pinnacle of over $300,000 in sales in one year.

 Lisa has worked with numerous professionals in helping them create the look of professional success.  She spent over 13 years working in both the government and private industry and, as a result, knows just what is needed to create the look of confidence.  She is also a renowned public speaker with audiences ranging from 10 to 800, working with the legends of the business, including Brian Tracy.

 Lisa graduated with a degree in Computer Engineering from Clemson University and a master’s degree in Information Management from Webster University.  She worked as a Systems Engineer for the Department of the Navy for 12 years, primarily in Air Traffic Control. During this time she designed Air Traffic Control systems for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and the FAA.    In private industry, she worked as a Test Engineering Manager for a company that designed three-dimensional laser measuring devices before entering the image community full-time and later joining the team at the Community Business Partnership.

 When not running her business and working at the Women’s Business Center, Lisa loves to cook, read, travel and listen to jazz and gospel music. Her favorite way to relax is sitting on her balcony in the early morning with a pot of tea.  And the loves of her life are her two nephews, Jonathan and Joshua.