1. What is your educational and career background, and what is an accomplishment you are most proud of?

I transferred from Brightpoint Community College in 2019 to James Madison University where I graduated with Honors in 2021. I also recently completed my master’s at University of Virginia’s Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy.

I am most proud of my work at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) where I helped to manage an innovative pilot success program focused on helping students. Learn more about it here.

2. What made you want to work in economic development?

My reasons are two-fold. First, I think there’s so much room for creative solutions and opportunities to make an impact. Working in this field, I never stop learning, and it’s incredibly rewarding to have a job where I can constantly think about the future and what’s possible. Second, I grew up watching my mother balance multiple jobs while taking care of me and my three other brothers. At PVCC, I worked with many mothers struggling to balance the needs of their families and the opportunity before them to successfully upskill and provide for their family. I knew I was not simply helping one person get a better job, I was helping a family.

3. What interested you in the work CECE does?

What interests me about CECE is the community involvement aspect. The work at CECE is focused on applied research and seeing how we can serve the community and the region. I see the work here as public service, which is important to me. It’s an incredibly rewarding kind of work because you're able to see what's possible and what can be improved. But it's not just thinking about what can be better, it’s seeing how that work can translate into outcomes and make a real difference for people.

4. What have you been working on at CECE in your first month?

I have been working on Alleghany Thrives, a multi-year initiative focused on helping the Alleghany Highlands region thrive, whether it be creating and supporting a vibrant economy, helping people flourish, or enhancing quality of life. I travel between Blacksburg and the Alleghany region often and am getting to meet and directly engage with county leaders and stakeholders. I’m helping people see opportunities they have not seen before, amplifying the great work they're already doing, and seeing where I can provide value as we think about the long-term goals and the type of future this region is striving for.

I’m also enjoying the opportunity to learn about other ongoing projects at CECE. In the future, I’d love to start and lead my own projects, but right now I'm learning from some amazing folks about best practices and different approaches to project work around the office.

Specifically, I'm learning about a promise program evaluation project in Washington County, a community kitchen feasibility study in Dickinson County, and a healthcare career pathways project in Southwest Virginia.

5. What type of project would you like to work on or lead in the future?

I would love to be a part of a big workforce project. Helping to develop and implement a regional workforce program focused on interesting and creative ways to address multiple problems at once – such as transportation, child care, addiction, mental health, and housing – is something I would love to participate in.

6. What skills are you looking forward to strengthening at CECE?

Something I would love to learn more about is entrepreneurship and business, how industry operates, and employer engagement. I would love to understand the minds of business leaders and how they approach their work.

7. Since you have stepped into the role at CECE, what has been your favorite part?

At CECE, there is a genuine appetite for what's possible. People are looking for new ideas, and I can collaboratively engage with the people at CECE to navigate possibilities. Having folks here that have the expertise and knowledge to bring structure to ideas I pitch has been cool. I enjoy how creativity is an asset within economic development work.

8. What is a fun fact people might not know about you?

I wanted to be a screenwriter after high school. Even though I'm not doing any kind of screenwriting or fiction writing currently, I find myself appreciating the value of a story and storytelling.