Inia Burginger
Virginia Burginger managed the Communications department for the Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative, which provides electricity to residents of Fairfax, Loudoun, Prince William, Fauquier, Stafford, and Clarke counties. “Inia,” as she is known to friends and colleagues, relocated to Northern Virginia from Southern California in 2005.
At NOVEC, she oversaw all external and internal communications for the not-for-profit corporation, including branding and advertising; community, media, and legislative relations; and print and electronic communications. She received the 2009 Silver Telly Award and 2008 Summit Award for NOVEC’s TV advertising, and multiple APEX Awards and NRECA Spotlight on Excellence Awards for communications projects.
Inia oversaw sponsorships and cause-based advertising for the more than 100 non-profit organizations NOVEC supports financially. Because these organizations frequently need “feet-on-the-street” volunteers as much as financial help, she envisioned and oversaw the development and launch of NOVEC HELPS (Hands Engaged in Local Public Service), the company’s employee volunteer organization. In its first two years, NOVEC HELPS volunteers organized and participated in fundraisers for 14 non-profit organizations that directly benefitted NOVEC customers. The program received the 2009 APEX Award for Communications Excellence.
Highlights of her two decades of working in the public relations and marketing arena include managing marketing communications and channel programs for Hewlett-Packard’s North American Designjet Marketing Center in San Diego, Ca. While there, she headed an initiative to standardize product marketing communications worldwide, while based in Barcelona, Spain. She also served on the HP Corporate Advertising Council and Web Consolidation Task Force, and received HP’s Marketing Prowess Award, Garage Spirit Award, and Key Employee Retention Award (during HP’s merger with Compaq). Prior to HP, she managed communications for Tucson Electric Power Company, for which she won PRSA’s Silver Anvil Award for Crisis Communications.
Inia has launched, developed, and sold two entrepreneurial endeavors, one a boutique public relations agency in San Diego, and the other a stained glass and art photography studio and retail store in Northern Arizona.
Her strong belief in giving back to the community has led Inia to serve on the boards of the Tucson Area Literacy Council, the Rotary e-Club of the Southwest, the Public Relations Society of America – Phoenix Chapter, and the Invisible Theatre (Tucson, Az.), as well as to serve as an adult literacy tutor through Literacy Volunteers of America.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Arizona (magna cum laude) and is APR accredited through the Public Relations Society of America. Born in Yokosuka, Japan, she currently resides in Fairfax.