Suffolk Foundation Fall Forum
Join us to celebrate good works in Suffolk and Western Tidewater. Learn how we can work together to help our community thrive.
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
- 11:30 am to 12:00 pm: Coffee, Networking, & Nonprofit Expo (Meet our 2024 Community Impact Grantees!)
- 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm: Luncheon, Program, & Keynote Speaker — including an exciting announcement about a new grant program!
- Keynote Address: “Hope and Healing: Advancing Pediatric Mental Health” by Amy Sampson, CHKD
- Location: Suffolk Center for the Cultural Arts, 110 West Finney Avenue, Downtown Suffolk
Meet Our Speaker
Amy Sampson is the President and CEO of CHKD Health System, where she leads with vision, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the health and well-being of children.
Ms. Sampson has devoted her entire career to the region’s children and families through her decades of service at Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters. Since joining CHKD in 1990 as director of public relations, Ms. Sampson has played a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s growth and community impact. Over the years, she has led a wide range of critical functions—including strategic planning, government relations, philanthropy, marketing and communications, community outreach, and patient experience—helping to position CHKD as a national leader in pediatric care.
Ms. Sampson was the driving force behind the transformative “Lighting the Way” campaign, which mobilized community support to confront the escalating mental health crisis among youth. Her leadership was instrumental in securing state approval and financial support for CHKD’s groundbreaking pediatric mental health hospital, the Children’s Pavilion—the only facility of its kind in the region. She also spearheaded the development of a full continuum of mental health services at CHKD, setting a new standard for pediatric mental health care.
Appointed President and CEO in December 2022, Ms. Sampson is recognized for her strategic acumen, compassionate leadership, and ability to unite diverse stakeholders—from policymakers and civic leaders to grassroots advocates and patient families. Her efforts have earned her widespread recognition, including being named one of the most powerful people in Hampton Roads by Inside Business in both 2024 and 2025, and one of the “Virginia 500” by Virginia Business in the same years. In 2024, Virginia Business also named her among “100 People to Meet.”
Ms. Sampson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Communication Studies from the University of Virginia, where she was honored as a Jefferson Scholar.
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Thank You to Our Sponsors!
Register
Our Fall Forum Is Sold Out! At least, for now. It is likely that a few more seats will open up, and we would love to have you at the event. Please use the form below to sign up for our wait list, and we will contact you if we can accommodate you. Thanks for your interest in joining us! We hope to see you there.
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