Back to Grounds, Alum Lily West’s Darden Journey Home

For Lily West (MBA ’12), it was love at first visit.

Her Darden School of Business interview marked her first time in Charlottesville and without a doubt, that visit changed everything.

West, who earned her undergraduate degree in journalism and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, spent her early career in broadcast news, national politics, and public service.

After earning her MBA, West built a career rooted in connecting with people. Today, as President and CEO of the University of Virginia Alumni Association, West leads with the same values she developed at Darden, nurturing relationships that span generations.

Her mission?

To make sure every UVA graduate feels connected to and invested in the life of the university.

“We’re in the business of relationship building,” she says. “Keeping people connected for a lifetime.”

West brings that same philosophy to her leadership style, which was shaped at its foundation by her Darden experience.

“At Darden, you learn to lead with your values and make good decisions with limited information. As long as you have values-based leadership and strong business fundamentals, you can tackle an extraordinary range of challenges.”

She continues to carry Darden with her, both personally and professionally.

Some professors became mentors and lifelong friends. She still remembers the anxiety of sitting in Luann Lynch’s accounting class, only to end up loving with the subject and ultimately becoming close friends with Lynch herself.

Today, she is helping shape a chapter in the history of the UVA Alumni Association: a new Alumni Hall.

The building, set for ground-breaking this year, will replace the Association’s 1936-era home and serve as a modern, welcoming hub for future generations of alumni.

“It’s the most ambitious thing we’ve ever done,” West says. “And it’s going to help us meet the needs of all the alumni we serve, now and into the future.”

Beyond the university, West fosters an active life in the Charlottesville community.

She founded a local women’s networking group, The She Lab, guest lectures at Darden, and enjoys the chaos and joy of life with her two young sons, Benjamin and Harrison.

Her advice to current students? Lean into the alumni network.

“Darden’s alumni base is arguably its most valuable resource,” she says. “And I promise, that email you send to an alum? It might be the brightest spot in their day.”

As West sees it, every connection counts. And thanks to Darden, she’s made a career, and life, out of nurturing them.