Maybe she forgave and forgot?

Doubtful seeing the issue was "interpersonal conflicts"

It's been 8 years. Maybe those conflicts no longer exist.

Op made a point of saying "she knows." Does that sound like someone who has learned to forgive & forget?

I wouldn't count on it. Women never forgive and forget.

/sarcasm

Hopefully she'll act professionally and not put that against you

More professionally than OP did, if the decision was based on interpersonal conflicts and not on her work.

.

Maybe explain your side?

8 years would be a long time to hold a grudge over that. Unless it severely set back her career

Guessing not, since she's their Director now.

Maybe she would have been director 5 years ago if she had gotten the recommendation

Hopefully she's worked on her interpersonal skills enough to know it was just constructive criticism.

A lot of commenters are assuming that it was the new director who was the problem eight years ago and not the OP. Considering the new director is the boss of a company that the OP has been working in for many years, it is possible that the OP just didn't like them and was unprofessional and vindictive by trying to hold them back in their career. Kudos to the new director who seemingly is very successful in spite of the actions of the OP. In fact, it would seem that their success has surpassed the OP's. Perhaps the OP is the one who can't get along with others and that is why they are not the boss now.

Phew, glad it wasn't me? Why FML?

You know the best kind of revenge is living well. Looks like you got served OP.

Maybe she didn't deserve the recommendation?

Hopefully she won't hold it against you and will be professional about it.

you deserve it full time .. you were too scared and felt threatened by her .. which is so childish of yiu

ah ah, you can't say you deserve it now that it's phew, glad it wasn't me

Or she just improved her skill set in the last 8 years... Where do you get that OP felt threatened by the (then) intern?