A Force for Good

She’s a cancer survivor, champion fisherman, licensed pilot, and CEO—but for Cheryl McLeskey, the greatest achievements are the ones accomplished on behalf of others.

When Cheryl McLeskey takes a seat, she means business.

Whether it’s reeling in a deep sea catch from the seat of her boat’s fighting chair, sitting in the cockpit of her private plane to fly patients to medical facilities, negotiating real estate deals from the seat of her company desk, or taking a seat at a cancer center in New York to receive chemotherapy treatments—whenever Cheryl sits down, she’s a force to be reckoned with—and a good one, at that.

Her adventurous and fearless spirit is a legacy she inherited in part from her dad—who was a World War II frogman and one of the first to clear the beaches of Normandy during the D-Day Invasion.

Later, after marrying her husband, F. Wayne McLeskey, Jr., an aviator and avid angler, Cheryl developed a passion for flying and competitive fishing, which eventually led her to earn her pilot’s license as well as land a 94-pound billfish in the White Marlin Open—becoming the first woman to win in the tournament’s 42-year history.

Yet through all these achievements and successes—including taking the helm as President and Chief Executive Officer of McLeskey, her late husband’s commercial and residential real estate development and leasing company—Cheryl’s focus remains fixed on how she can impact others for good.

“I attribute my successes in life to our Father Almighty,” Cheryl says. “I believe God blesses people with financial resources, not as a reward for their good works, but as a tool to do good for other people.”

And good she has done.

Cheryl leverages her skills as a pilot to fly patients in need of medical treatment through the Angel Flight program. She serves on more than half a dozen boards, including Operation Blessing, GO Virginia, Sentara Brock Cancer Center, Crush Cancer, Stop Abuse, and Military Aviation Museum. She donated her winnings from the White Marlin Open to a charity in her father’s honor, as well as several other charities. She established a deep sea fishing tournament to honor her late husband who passed away in 2012 from lymphoma—and after being diagnosed with breast cancer herself in 2017—Cheryl is now a survivor and tireless advocate, having helped raise over a million dollars for cancer research.

She’s also a lifelong friend of Regent University and Chancellor Robertson, having served on the Board of Trustees for Regent from 2006-2013 and a longstanding financial supporter of the university and its students.

In fact, of all her passions, she strongly identifies with Regent and its mission of Christian leadership to change the world.

“My passion is serving the Lord through Christian leadership,” says Cheryl. “I love Regent because it is one of the leading universities in America that still teaches the Judeo Christian heritage of America and explains the biblical worldview in modern terms.”

It’s a rewarding endeavor for Cheryl who believes higher education should be affordable and accessible for everyone.

“The ability to really impact the world can best be accomplished by investing in smart, well-trained, critically-thinking Christian leaders, who can be a remarkable force for good,” she says. “For me to contribute to Regent to build up the quality of the programs, to bring in world-class faculty, or to provide students with scholarships so they can afford to get a higher education degree… these are all things that are very meaningful to me.”

That—along with serving the Lord from the best “seat” in the house—the seat of servant leadership.

“It’s all about serving others to lead effectively rather than leading so others can serve us,” says Cheryl. “Regent teaches students to carry with them the very important attribute of servant leadership…to be humble, like Jesus. That doesn’t mean to take a back seat and not express your ideas—it just means you think about serving others first.”