Xavier Richardson, Mary Washington Healthcare Honored with the Community Changemaker Award

Fredericksburg, VA – Mary Washington Healthcare (MWHC) congratulates Xavier Richardson, MWHC’s Chief Development Officer and President of Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital Foundations for receiving the Community Changemaker award by Nimali Fernando, MD, founder of the Dr. Yum Project.

Mr. Richardson has been a long-time supporter of the many efforts of the Dr. Yum Project to help families and communities overcome barriers to eating well. He was also instrumental in providing the guidance needed in fulfilling the Dr. Yum Project’s vision of making their website a state-of-the-art resource that community physicians can share with their patients. Years later, doctoryum.org continues to be a resource for healthcare providers in our community but also for providers in 32 states and four countries.

“We congratulate Xavier for receiving the Community Changemaker award by the Dr. Yum Project,” says Mike McDermott, President and CEO, Mary Washington Healthcare. “This reflects Xavier’s dedication to serving and uplifting the communities we are privileged to be a part of. We thank Xavier for his commitment to fostering healthier, happier communities for generations to come.”

"Xavier Richardson's unwavering support has been instrumental in propelling The Dr. Yum Project forward and fostering its impact in promoting children's health and nutrition. His dedication to our mission has truly been a cornerstone in our journey towards creating healthier communities in Virginia and beyond,” says Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, Founder of The Doctor Yum Project.

As a Fredericksburg native, Mr. Richardson has served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer for Mary Washington Healthcare since 1989. In this capacity, he also serves as President of Mary Washington Hospital and Stafford Hospital Foundations. He is also responsible for MWHC’s Community Benefit efforts and legislative affairs. He is the founder and executive director of The Partnership for Academic Excellence which has assisted over 7,000 minority students over the past 32 years in their quest for a college education. He is also well known in the community for his mentoring work with young adults.

Mr. Richardson is a member of numerous local, state, and national boards, and is also the Charter President of the Fredericksburg Education Foundation. The City of Fredericksburg proclaimed April 24, 2021, Xavier Richardson Day, in honor of his numerous contributions to the greater Fredericksburg Region.

A graduate of James Monroe High School, he is also a graduate of Princeton University where he received his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude and the Harvard Business School from which he earned his MBA. He also received an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Saint Paul’s College.

For 10 years, the Dr. Yum Project has been teaching pediatricians, preschool teachers, and parents how to eat healthier. Click here to learn more about Dr. Yum’s programs, impact and how you can help.

Photo credit: Megan Bishop, Meg & Bee Photography, courtesy of The Dr. Yum Project.

About Mary Washington Healthcare:

Mary Washington Healthcare is a fully integrated, regional healthcare system that provides inpatient and outpatient care at over 60 facilities including Mary Washington Hospital, a 471-bed tertiary hospital, Stafford Hospital, a 100-bed community hospital, four emergency departments, and a multi-specialty graduate medical education program. Mary Washington Healthcare is a non-profit health system with a longstanding commitment to provide care regardless of ability to pay. For more information about our services and facilities, visit mwhc.com.

About The Dr. Yum Project:

The Dr. Yum Project is a pediatrician-founded and led non-profit organization on a mission to help families and communities overcome the barriers to eating well. For more information about our programs, visitDoctorYum.org.