Meet Our Winter 2025 Cover Model
Shot on Location at the Hunter Museum of American Art
A native Chattanoogan, Virginia Anne Sharber is well connected to the community. After practicing law locally for 25 years, Sharber stepped into the role of executive director at the Hunter Museum of American Art in 2015 and has been leading there since. Here, Sharber shares her passion for making a difference, no matter her role, and the ways she invests in her well-being along the way.
What is your approach to wellness? How has that changed over time?
I grew up dancing (classical ballet, tap, and modern) and even was part of a Broadway revue troupe in college. As a young lawyer, I stayed active keeping up with three energetic children, each involved in a number of different ventures, and for many years, I took Zumba and step classes at the Downtown YMCA. During COVID, my husband Hugh and I started walking, originally just to get out of the house, but now it’s an activity we have continued and cherish. We have found that not only are we getting great exercise with the hilly terrain, but we learn so much about the various neighborhoods we explore and trails we hike. Perhaps most importantly, we have the opportunity to catch up with each other with uninterrupted talk time. I highly recommend long walks for emotional, as well as physical, health!
What are your favorite ways to practice self-care?
As someone who is very busy and for whom there is never enough time in the day, self-care for me means finding the time to do things I really enjoy. I’ve already mentioned how much I value the long walks I take. I also enjoy reading, working in my vegetable garden, attending theater, ballet, and Broadway shows (whether in New York or here in Chattanooga!), and cooking, especially for my son and his family who live here in Chattanooga (so I get to spend lots of time with my grandchildren)!
What are some of your current goals, and what are you doing to work toward them?
Aside from spending time with my family, most of my current goals are focused on the Hunter Museum. I have been so honored to be at the helm of the Hunter for the past 10 years and to see how the museum serves the community. Not only is the Hunter a beautiful location for special occasions and a venue with artwork that is provocative and engaging, it is an educational tool for community students and life-long learners and a safe space for the discussion of sometimes difficult but important issues. Making sure that the entire community is aware of and feels comfortable taking advantage of all that the Hunter has to offer is a goal we are constantly pursuing.
When it comes to health and wellness, is there anyone you admire or look up to?
My father, Bob Summitt, who lived an incredibly full and very active life of 94 years. My dad was raised on a working farm in Monroe County, TN. While growing up, I heard lots of stories about his childhood feeding the chickens and milking the cows before dawn. Even as a busy young attorney, and then 30 years on the bench as a civil circuit court judge, Dad remained very active physically, mowing and raking his hilly front yard and expansive back yard, plowing and cultivating a large vegetable garden, working out at the YMCA every day, and climbing onto the roof of his house to brush off the autumn leaves and winter snow (while in his 90s)! He minded his mental health as well. In addition to actively serving on numerous community boards, he kept learning. He and a group of friends signed up every semester to audit classes at UTC to continue learning. Dad fought and survived three different cancer scares. My three siblings and I are convinced that Dad’s commitment to health and wellness, and perhaps his incredible tenacity (bordering on stubbornness!), played a huge role in his longevity.
What do you find the most rewarding?
My parents instilled in me a desire to make a difference. I learned from them that once I committed to something, it was critical that I always showed up, that I carefully considered how I was uniquely positioned to contribute, and that I then did my best to impact that situation. Whether it was as an attorney offering a solution to someone needing advice, as a volunteer with several of the many nonprofit organizations doing great things in our community, or now as the executive director of the Hunter where the talented team at the museum is conducting so many impactful programs, I have tried diligently to make a difference, and it has been very rewarding to feel that my efforts have had a positive impact.
