PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Page Valley News will be publishing profiles of local candidates in contested races for the Luray and Shenandoah councils in this fall’s elections over the next few weeks. Each race features four candidates for three open seats, and voters may cast ballots for up to three candidates.
[Ms. Meadows will be the final profile for Shenandoah Council candidates. Links to Q&As with Lynn Fox and Brenda Haggett are below. Vice Mayor William Kite did not participate in the process.]
Denise Meadows
• Age: 53
• Education: M.Ed., Counseling and Development, George Mason University, 1998; B.A, English, James Madison University, 1992; Transfer Studies, Blue Ridge Community College, 1989; Page County High School, 1987.
• Work: Career Services Employer Relations Team Lead, Southern New Hampshire University, 2020-Present; Admissions Representative, LincolnTech (Nashville Auto Diesel College), 2018-2020; Contract Recruiter, Masonite – Stanley 3 months; Career Services and Financial Aid, James Madison University, 2002 -2018; Career Services, University of Virginia, 1999-2002; Career Services, George Mason University 1998-1999; Government Contracts, 1993-1998.
• Community Service: Page County Economic Development Authority, District 5 Representative, Shenandoah Industrial Board.
• Family: Husband, Deric; son, Evan; step-daughters, Haley and Hannah.
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• Why are you running for public office?
Having grown up in this community and then having the opportunity to move away for some time while I pursued my education and began my career, I was provided with a level of appreciation for what we have as part of our town and for the good people who reside here. I became immensely proud of having Shenandoah as my hometown and have appreciated being back here for the last 20 years. I also realize the potential that we have as a community, and I hope to be a part of the process to attain that. I want to do my part in working with the challenges we face as a community while making this a better place for my neighbors who also call this home and for those who might see Shenandoah as a destination to visit alongside our neighboring communities.
• What makes you the best candidate?
My professional experiences, past and current, provide me with the opportunity to interact with others nationally and globally with a focus on workforce development. As a result, my scope of broad experiences related to budgeting, program development and management, technology operations, educational system infrastructures, etc. are ones that I can bring back to discussions that are relevant to our community. As part of my daily work, I may be speaking to a CEO of a large corporation, then a faculty member about their courses, to then a student about their career plans. I possess the agility as part of these communications to pivot based upon the present need and current collaborator. In addition, my involvement these past several years with the Page County Economic Development Authority has made certain that Shenandoah has a voice at the county level while providing me with a perspective on governing processes and protocols.
• What is the most pressing issue facing the Town of Shenandoah?
A pressing issue for the Town of Shenandoah is opening up the aperture to a change in perspective in order to discover the possibilities of how we might progress in making this a better community for our citizens and for visitors. A means in which to accomplish this is to have those such as myself with a fresh perspective as part of the process while being open to learning from those communities within our own county who have prospered and how we can emulate some of those best practices in order to meet our unique needs. This also involves transparency of communication between this governing body for the town and its citizens, so that there are increased levels of understanding of what is taking place and why it is needed.
• What is one thing that you would like to change or improve about Shenandoah?
I would like to work towards making sure that at first glance Shenandoah outwardly appears to be a welcoming community for those that visit, that currently reside here, and for those that are thinking of making this town their home. This involves meeting certain infrastructural and aesthetic needs that the town currently has that will not only create more of a sense of community, but also support those business owners who have currently invested in our town and for those that are considering our town as a location for their enterprise. I will begin with understanding our current situation as to how we can make community improvements along with the behaviors that have brought us to where we are and those behaviors that are needed for us to get where we want to be so that we can ultimately envision how we can make a positive impact.
• Briefly describe a decision you have made in a leadership role and tell why you made that decision.
In recent years, I experienced a career transition. Through this transition, there was some uncertainty in what my next step might look like. This required a high level of resilience, persistence and patience for me to lead myself successfully through the process. I also acquired a great deal of perspective on workforce needs within our local community for the time I spent at a large-scale manufacturer in the area and also with our secondary educational institutions throughout a large span of Virginia while working for a trade school. A common thread throughout these experiences which applies to where I am currently as well is my motivation to help others advance in meeting their goals. It is what I strive to do both professionally and personally which leads me to pursue this role to advance our local community in support of others.
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Denise Meadows Cave would be an excellent choice for a position to serve on the Shenandoah Council. I have had the pleasure to work with Denise several times in my positions at both George Mason University as well as James Madison University. Denise is very adept in cultivating and sustaining stroking relationships with a variety of constituents. She is also knowledgeable about the world of work and economy and has a great deal of experience interacting with employers. Finally, Denise possesses strong communication and leadership skills will would serve her well in this role. I highly recommend and endorse Denise for this position.
Best regards,
Christine Harriger, M.Ed.
Owner & Career Coach
Career View, LLC
Denise Meadows would be an excellent choice for a position to serve on the Shenandoah Council. I have had the pleasure to work with Denise several times in my positions at both George Mason University as well as James Madison University. Denise is very adept in cultivating and sustaining strong relationships with a variety of constituents. She is also knowledgeable about the world of work and economy and has a great deal of experience interacting with employers. Finally, Denise possesses strong communication and leadership skills which would serve her well in this role. I highly recommend and endorse Denise for this position. Best regards, Christine Harriger, M.Ed.
Owner & Career Coach
Career View, LLC