March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the remarkable resilience and achievements of women who have helped shape our society and propel our nation forward. At Hagerty, we believe that our greatest strength lies in our people. This month, we are proud to honor a few of the exceptional female leaders and mentors who are integral to our firm’s success. We sat down with Danielle Holmstrom, Madeline Stoddart, and Hope Winship to discuss their career paths and gain insights into the valuable advice they have for the next generation of professionals.
Danielle Holmstrom | Deputy Director of Preparedness
Danielle Holmstrom, Deputy Director of Preparedness at Hagerty, is an accomplished emergency management and homeland security professional with over 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors. “I have been a public servant at heart since high school,” Danielle shares, “and that has led me throughout my career, driving me to serve others.” Danielle’s introduction to disaster recovery came while working at a consulting firm in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This experience sparked her interest and motivated her to pursue Homeland Security and Disaster Management courses throughout graduate school.
While earning her Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree at Virginia Tech (VT), Danielle had a pivotal moment during a guest lecture, when a speaker recounted a bomb explosion incident in Northern Virginia. As the speaker detailed the scenario, including its cascading impacts, Danielle’s eyes were opened to the critical role of emergency management. “That led me to focus the rest of my graduate studies on emergency management,” she reflects.
Danielle’s dedication to the field led her to serve as the Emergency Management Coordinator and Director of the Virginia Beach Office of Emergency Management (VBOEM). She has also been an Executive Board Member for the Virginia Emergency Management Association (VEMA) since 2021 and was recently appointed as President. When reflecting on her decision to join Hagerty, Danielle says,
“Hagerty’s professionals are practitioner-driven and genuinely care about the state and local governments and communities we serve. That resonates with me and is why I am happy with my decision.”
Danielle attributes much of her success to three core principles: goal setting, building subject matter expertise, and building a strong professional network. “Surround yourself with mentors, practitioners, and leaders,” she advises. “Learning from different perspectives and leadership styles has been invaluable throughout my career.” She encourages emerging professionals to “absorb as much knowledge as possible, gain as much exposure as you can, and take the time to form your own identity as a professional,” adding that doing so will help you pursue your career with confidence.
Danielle also emphasizes the importance of having both professional and personal mentors. “The women who have influenced me the most are my family and close friends,“ she says. “They have consistently shown a gentle resilience through different challenges, compassion to help others, and a humility that keeps them grounded. I strive to embody those same characteristics—staying humble and kind. I am a firm believer that you are shaped by the people you surround yourself with. Personally, I am very proud to surround myself with a great group of confident and compassionate female leaders and individuals.”
Madeline Stoddart | Manager, Recovery
Madeline Stoddart is a Recovery Manager at Hagerty with an extensive background in community organizing and international development. Joining our team in 2021, she brings a unique perspective to her work, shaped by early experiences in international development.
Madeline’s career began with the Peace Corps, where she served as a health education volunteer in the Kyrgyzstan Health Education Program. One of her proudest achievements was working on a participatory action community health research project with the Swiss Red Cross. “Bringing people together to address common needs and empowering them with the long-term tools to advocate for themselves was transformative,” she recalls. “That experience shaped how I approach working with communities and is something that I bring to my work at Hagerty.”
Her international work has also given her a unique outlook on emergency management. “Both emergency management and community organizing are really about complex problem-solving with limited resources,” she notes.
When offering advice to emerging professionals, Madeline encourages confidence and preparation. “Make sure you show up confident in the skills you bring to the table,” she says, reflecting on how her personal confidence grew over time as she developed expertise in the field. Madeline also highlights how evolving her communication style has been a key factor in her success.
“I was taught early on to soften my ideas in order to be taken more seriously, especially as a woman. Now, I focus on articulating clearly what I understand, what I can offer, the constraints of a decision, and my recommendations. Structuring my thoughts this way has helped me feel more confident in my contributions.”
Madeline’s personal experiences have profoundly influenced her approach to her work, but she also draws inspiration from the community activism of others. “As I started my career, I was really inspired by folks like Fannie Lou Hamer and Diane Nash, who recognized a need, led from where they were, and focused on connecting and advocating for their communities,” she says. Madeline also admires contemporary female leaders such as Catherine Coleman Flowers, whose impactful work serves as a touchstone for her career as a recovery professional.
“In the aftermath of disasters, there is a period of rapid change and disruption of existing structures. This creates a unique opportunity to rethink and radically transform communities in ways that better serve the people who live there.”
Looking forward, Madeline remains committed to disaster recovery, believing that crises offer opportunities for resilience, innovation, and lasting change.
Hope Winship | Deputy Director of Preparedness
Hope Winship is a Deputy Director of Preparedness at Hagerty, bringing over 15 years of experience across project management, city planning, and emergency management. After earning a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences (BAS) degree in Political Science at Boston University (BU), she began her career working on political campaigns, which provided her with valuable insights. “Political campaigns teach you how to work toward a timeline and a goal, and how to achieve them efficiently and effectively,” she says.
However, Hope soon realized her true passion lay outside of politics, prompting her to pursue a Master of City Planning (MCP) degree from the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). “Graduate school gave me a solid foundation in planning, as well as the ability to evaluate decisions about community development, land use, and how those choices impact communities for years to come.”
Her extensive experience working with both government and non-governmental stakeholders, alongside her expertise in managing teams, has shaped her unique perspective as an emergency management professional. “My time in government and in graduate school taught me how to collaborate with a wide range of people, understanding different perspectives, and figuring out how to align those viewpoints towards a common goal, which is incredibly important after a disaster.”
Hope also reflected on the lasting influence of a close family friend who has been a guiding force throughout her life and career. “I often think about her when facing tough conversations, asking myself, ‘How would someone like Malinda have approached this?’ She was incredibly fearless, tackling every challenge she set her mind to with amazing style.” Growing up, she was the kind of role model who showed Hope what it meant to be bold and unstoppable.
When offering advice to up-and-coming professionals, Hope emphasized the importance of balance.
“Know when to listen and know when to be proactive. That is a skill in and of itself, and while it is hard to teach, your instincts will guide you. Paying attention to those around you will help you develop it. At Hagerty, we work with some incredibly smart people, but being smart is not enough. You have to be able to listen, know when to speak up, and be effective.”
Acknowledging the challenge of this skill, she reassures young professionals: “You are not always going to get it right, and that is okay. The key is not letting one misstep shake your confidence. Learn from it and use that knowledge to improve next time.”
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