Two local leaders, Tamara Wallace, PhD, Associate Dean, Radford University College of Education and Human Development, and Kevin Byrd, AICP, of Blacksburg, Executive Director, New River Valley Regional Commission, have been tapped to join the McAuliff administration, the secretariat announced last week.
Joining the Virginia Board of Education, Dr. Wallace has served since June 2014 as Associate Dean and Director of Field Experience at Radford overseeing development and implementation of policies and procedures regarding admission, retention, clinical experiences, graduation, and licensure for candidates in 22 educator-preparation programs. Dr. Wallace taught in the elementary education program beginning her career as an educator in Roanoke City, first as a middle school teacher and later as an assistant principal
Kevin Byrd, AICP of Blacksburg, Executive Director, New River Valley Regional Commission will represent Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation on the board. Executive Director for NRVRC since October 2009, Byrd has over 10 years of public-sector community development experience at town, county and regional levels of government as well as private-sector consulting experience. According to the New River Valley Regional Commission web site, he currently is in leadership roles with ‘Round the Mountain, Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network, serving as President of the Board and with the Virginia Association of Planning District Commissions as the Treasurer. Kevin also currently serves on the boards of the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO), the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC), the Southeast Regional Director’s Institute (SERDI) and the Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. His Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning is from Virginia Tech. He is also past president of the New River Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
The administration described these appointments as focusing on finding common ground with members of both parties on issues that will build a new Virginia economy and create more jobs across the Commonwealth. – Liz Kirchner
