Nancy Howell Agee Shines Light on Nurses at Roanoke Star Event

For generations, the Mill Mountain Star has been a symbol of home for people across the Roanoke Valley. This year, the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke temporarily renamed the star to honor Nancy Howell Agee, CEO Emeritus of Carilion Clinic.

The recognition is part of the Kiwanis Club's annual Star of the Year tradition, which began in 2021. Each year, the organization temporarily renames the Mill Mountain Star in honor of an individual or organization while raising funds for Kiwanis programs supporting children, older adults and the environment.

Joined by friends, colleagues, and community leaders, Nancy shared remarks alongside Joyce Montgomery, president of the Kiwanis Club of Roanoke, and Michelle Franklin, our chief nursing officer. The remarks at the event touched not only on Nancy’s impact on the community, but also the impact that Nancy’s early career had on her, and how that impact lives on today.

Nancy began her career as a nurse, and although her roles changed throughout the years, nursing remained an important part of how she approached leadership and service. "When I look back on my career, I don't first think about leadership positions or board meetings. I think about patients, families, and the privilege of beginning my career as a nurse," she said. "Although my responsibilities changed over the years, my purpose never did." That purpose carried Nancy from the bedside through a series of clinical and leadership roles at Carilion, including more than a decade as CEO. Along the way, she continued to champion nursing, education, workforce development and patient care.

Michelle Franklin spoke about the compassion, attention to detail and commitment to patients that Nancy brought from nursing into her leadership. Those qualities continue in the work of nurses across Carilion today. Every day, nurses care for people during some of the most important moments of their lives. They bring clinical expertise to the bedside, but they also bring comfort and reassurance to patients and families. They teach, mentor and support their colleagues, helping prepare the next generation of nurses to do the same.

Nancy credited nursing with teaching her how to listen, lead with compassion and care for people during life's most meaningful moments. She also used the recognition to shine a light on the nurses and caregivers who continue that work every day. "Nurses are there during life's most meaningful moments," she said. "They provide comfort during uncertainty, celebrate victories, support families through difficult days, and remind people they are never facing those moments alone. That is the heart of healthcare."

The Mill Mountain Star has stood over the Roanoke Valley for decades, welcoming people home and serving as one of the region's most recognizable landmarks. Nancy said she hopes having her name associated with it, even temporarily, draws attention to the profession where her own career began. "My hope is that today's recognition shines as much of a light on the nursing profession as it does on me, because everything I've accomplished began with nursing," she said.