Independent gubernatorial candidate Donna Charles will host a community listening session Saturday in Richmond as she seeks to become Virginia’s first elected female governor.

The event, titled “Community Voices: A Listening Session,” will take place at The Legacy Theater beginning at 10 a.m. The session is part of Charles’ effort to hear directly from Virginians about the issues they care most about, according to a press release.

A former Air Force officer and federal civil servant, Charles is one of several women vying to become the first female governor in Virginia history. She has positioned herself as an alternative to partisan politics, drawing on more than 20 years of experience in national security and foreign policy.

Her career has included roles at the Department of Defense, the State Department, Capitol Hill and the National Security Council. A native of Queens, N.Y., and the daughter of immigrants, Charles earned a biology degree from Penn State and later completed officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. She served for nearly a decade in active duty and reserve roles, including deployments to Iraq.

After leaving military service, Charles settled in Virginia and continued her work in public service, focusing on counterterrorism and sanctions policy. She also earned a master’s degree in international affairs from Tufts University.

The Legacy Theater is located at 1717 Bellevue Ave.