Virginia Rural Leadership Institute (VRLI) Mentors

Thank You To Our 2022 VRLI

Annual Sponsors

Listed Alphabetically

Mentorship is a valuable tool for developing our most important asset in rural communities - our people. Research shows that individuals who are mentored have an increased likelihood of career success as a direct result of the targeted developmental support they receive. Recognizing the important role that mentoring plays, a unique component of VRLI is the Mentorship Program that helps Cohort members grow professionally and provide them valuable insight into their future Community Impact Project. Mentorship meetings occur throughout the VRLI experience and include at least three 1-hour meetings between Mentors and Cohort members.

Thank You To Our VRLI Mentors

Anne Herring, Community Development Specialist, Rural Development Innovation Center, US Dept. of Agriculture

Anne Taylor-Wright, Founder, Southern Virginia Food Hub

The Honorable Bette Brand, Former (USDA) Rural Development Deputy Under Secretary & President/CEO, Strategic Consulting LLC

The Honorable Bettina Ring, Former Virginia Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry; Chief Sustainability Officer, Sustainable Forestry Initiative

Bryan David, Program Director, UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service/Growth & Opportunity Virginia Region 3 Council

Carrie Chenery, Principal, Valley Pike Partners

The Honorable Cassidy Rasnick, Former Deputy Secretary of Commerce & Trade for Rural Economic Development, Commonwealth of Virginia

Conaway Haskins, Vice President of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems, Virginia Innovation Partnership Corporation

Cookie Scott, Retired, Deputy Director of Administration, Virginia Department of Corrections

Dean Lynch, Executive Director, VA Association of Counties

Demas Boudreaux, Government Relations Manager, VA Housing

Dr. Julie Brown, Vice President of Advanced Learning, Institute for Advanced Learning and Research

Ed Walker, Owner/Developer, The Bee Hotel

Dr. Eric Kaufman, Associate Department Head, Virginia Tech

Joanie Eiland, Owner, Elk Logistics

Joe Lerch, Director of Local Government, Virginia Association of Counties

Kyle Meyer, Revitalization Planner, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

Lauren Mathena, Director of Economic Development & Community Engagement, Mid-Atlantic Broadband Communities Corporation

Linda Green, Executive Director, Southern VA Regional Alliance

Liz Povar, Principal, River Link Group

Neal Barber, President, Community Futures

The Honorable Nicole Riley, Deputy Secretary of Commerce & Trade, Commonwealth of Virginia

Patricia Harper Tunley, Certified Travel Concierge, P.T. Enterprise, LLC

Ramona Chapman, Capacity Development Specialist, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

Rebecca Rowe, Community Development Manager, Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development

Robin Gahan, Vice President of Health, Richmond, American Heart Association

Shannon Blevins, Vice Chancellor for Administration, Government Relations and Strategic Initiatives, UVA-Wise

Will Payne, Managing Partner, Coalfield Strategies

VRLI Advisory Committee

Over the last year, the 12 individuals below have served on the Virginia Rural Leadership Institute’s Advisory Committee and have invested countless hours and resources in creating and launching VRLI. Because of their dedication, the Inaugural Cohort has been a success and the vision of VRLI as the only statewide leadership program focused on rural leadership development is coming to fruition. We sincerely thank these rural leaders for their commitment to VRLI!

Jay Poole, VRLI Advisory Committee Chair, Owner, Common Sense Strategies

The Honorable Frank M. Ruff, Jr., Member, Senate of Virginia

Liz Povar, Principal Officer, The RiverLink Group

Katie Frazier, Chief Marketing & External Affairs Officer, Farm Credit of the Virginias

Patrick Mauney, Executive Director, Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission

Anne Herring, Community Development Specialist -

Rural Development,

United States Department of Agriculture

Dale Moore, Owner, Virginia Wagyu & Campbell County Board of Supervisors

Dr. Edwin Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech

Dean Lynch, Executive Director, Virginia Association of Counties

Bryan David, Program Director, UVA Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service/Growth and Opportunity Virginia Region 3 Council

Thank you to our past contributing VRLI

Advisory Committee Members

The Honorable Roslyn C. "Roz" Tyler, Former Member, Virginia House of Delegates

Robin Sullenberger, Board Member, Virginia Growth & Opportunity Board

Other VRLI News & Updates

Session 2 of the Virginia Rural Leadership Institute Highlights Rural Coastal Communities

Session 2 of VRLI was held in Tappahannock, VA on July 14 – 16^th. Over the course of 3 days, Cohort members participated in a heritage water tour and a Tappahannock downtown walking tour along with learning about growing their professional networks, gaining capital, rural health partnerships, engaging elected officials, rural tourism, building a tribal government, and communication and listening skills.

Unfortunately, due to the tragic fire in the Town of Tappahannock, the VRLI Session 2 schedule was adjusted to allow Cohort members and staff to remain safe and the remaining educational sessions were held virtually. Over a dozen jurisdictions sent first responders to fight the fire that had flames reach over 100 feet high and claimed nearly an entire block of the Historic District of Tappahannock and causing over $10 million in damages. VRLI Session 2 in Tappahannock, VA was a real-life example of the importance of regional collaboration, leadership, and rural resiliency.

READ ARTICLE HERE