Polly Federico is Senior Director of Tax for Sentara Health, one of the largest health systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, and among the top 20 largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the country, with 30,000 employees, 12 hospitals in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, and the Sentara Health Plans division which serves more than 1 million members in Virginia and Florida.

A CPA licensed in Virginia, Polly began her public accounting career in 1986 with Coopers and Lybrand, ultimately focusing on tax exempt healthcare clients. During a 10-year hiatus from accounting, she raised three children, taught middle and high school, and earned a graduate degree. A gifted musician, Polly also led various church worship groups and taught piano and voice lessons to kids of all ages. Once Polly’s children were older, she returned to the field of accounting in 2002, accepting a part-time position in Sentara’s Tax Department. Within five years, she was promoted to Sentara’s full-time Tax Director and ultimately became Senior Director in 2023. In this position, she plays a key role in community benefits compliance and reporting.

Polly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Information Systems Management, with Certificates in Accounting and Finance, from the University of Maryland; a Master of Taxation from Villanova University; and a Master of Arts in Biblical Interpretation from Regent University, where she also served as an adjunct professor. She is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the TEGE Exempt Organizations Council and a conference speaker for the American Health Lawyers Association where she previously served as the Tax In-House Affinity Group Leader. She currently serves on the Virginia Beach Ambulatory Surgery Center Board of Managers.