Curry School of Education | University of Virginia

Sheila Johnson joined the Curry School Foundation Board in 2006.

Sheila is CEO of Salamander Hospitality, LLC, and a partner in Lincoln Holdings, LLC, which owns the Washington Capitals and Washington Mystics. She also has a minority interest in Washington Sports and Entertainment Limited Partnership, which controls the Washington Wizards, Washington/Baltimore TicketMaster, in-house promoter Musicentre Productions, and the management of the Verizon Center and the George Mason University Patriot Center. She is president, managing partner, and governor for the Washington Mystics.

Although Sheila is committed to developing success­ful businesses, her philanthropy is of ultimate importance to her. An accomplished violinist, her primary concerns are to make opportunities available for children and young adults to express their creativity through the arts and to ensure that the world is a safe place for children. Her directorship with the Curry Foundation exemplifies her commitment to education and youth.

Sheila sits on several boards and is president of the Washington International Horse Show. She sup­ports the United Negro College Fund, Bennett College (to strengthen their program in the arts), and SUNYMorrisville (to pro­mote the diversity of students and staff). Her support of the arts in education for children has included gifts to Strings for Schools in Philadelphia; Urban Gateways in Chicago; and The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, to offer early childhood educa­tion programs. She also established the Sheila C. Johnson Performing Arts Center at the Hill School in Middleburg, Virginia.

Sheila has spoken around the world on behalf of the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. Believing that children are our future, she has helped introduce tougher sanctions and legislation to protect children globally. A co-founder of Black Entertainment Television, her crowning achieve­ment was the development of an award-winning weekly program, Teen Summit, giving teenagers a chance to talk frankly about critical issues. Young adults still approach her to tell her how valuable the show was for their lives. The entrepreneurial spirit runs through every aspect of her life and she is both a catalyst and a tireless supporter of the causes to which she gives herself.

Sheila resides in Middleburg, Virginia.