Virginia Tech has named Nancy M. Moga, of Covington, Virginia, and Charles T. “Charlie” Wood, of Richmond, Virginia, as its Alumni Distinguished Service Award recipients for 2017.

The awards, which recognize alumni for contributions to Virginia Tech, are presented at University Commencement each year. This year's event is scheduled for May 12 at 8:30 a.m., in Lane Stadium.

Nancy Moga has identified improving the quality of education and life in her community and commonwealth as being a lifelong goal. She has worked in public education since the mid 1970s in positions of increasing responsibility. Since 1993, she has served as principal of Callaghan Elementary School, part of Alleghany County Public Schools.

Moga, who was named Virginia’s National Distinguished Principal for 2001-2002, earned her bachelor’s in management, housing, and family development from Virginia Tech, as well as a certificate of advanced graduate studies in educational administration. She also earned a master’s in education from the University of Virginia. Over the course of her career, Moga has taught or administered schools in the Louisa County, Stafford County, and Alleghany County Public School divisions in Virginia, and in Louisiana’s East Baton Rouge Parish.

Her extensive service to Virginia Tech includes membership in Hokies for Higher Education and on the Alumni Association Board, College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences Alumni Advisory Board, Women in Leadership and Philanthropy Council, and Virginia 4-H Foundation Board of Directors. She is a member of the Ut Prosim Society of extraordinarily generous donors to the university.

Moga’s service extends well beyond Virginia Tech. She is a past president of the Covington Women’s Club, the local Delta Kappa Gamma Education Society, and the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals. She is chair of the Virginia Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure.

Charlie Wood has identified helping others maximize their potential as being his passion. He is the owner of Attributes for Success, which helps executives, managers, and human resources professionals select appropriate applicants for jobs. He previously served as a management consultant for Harmony Product and before that was an executive with Southern States Cooperative for 32 years, rising from district manager to become vice president for retail operations.

Wood earned his bachelor’s degree in economics from Virginia Tech. He is an alumnus of the University of Richmond Management Development Program and the University of Missouri’s Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership, and served in the United States Army for two years.

Wood’s extensive history of industry leadership includes chairing the Virginia Agribusiness Council. He is a past president of the North Carolina Agribusiness Council, served on the board of the North Carolina Retail Merchants Association, and is a past chair of Legislative Committee for the Virginia Retail Merchants Association. He co-chairs the Business First Team for Henrico County Economic Development and is a founder and facilitator of Career Prospectors, which provides free assistance to people in greater Richmond who are seeking job opportunities.

Wood is a generous, consistent supporter of Virginia Tech Athletics. His volunteer service to the university includes being a leader of the Richmond Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and a member of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Leadership Council.

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