Alumni Coordinator, Leadership West Virginia
By Jean Hardiman
Be comfortable being uncomfortable.
These are words Kate Reed aims to live by. As the alumni coordinator for Leadership West Virginia (LWV), the Elkins resident is on a mission to keep the program’s graduates engaged in the work of moving the state forward. As a West Virginian, she spends each day trying to put herself out there, demonstrating how to take risks, give 100 percent and be the type of citizen the state needs to reach its full potential.
It’s not the exact line of work Reed had in mind as she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from West Virginia Wesleyan College and a master’s degree in political management from George Washington University and then spent six years working in politics in Washington, D.C., but for her, it’s fulfilling.
“My biggest challenge both in my career and in my personal life was identifying my values and finding important, meaningful work that allowed me to serve others,” she says. “This journey of self-actualization led me home to West Virginia. I had to change my career path, and I realized that money and climbing the ladder weren’t priorities for me but service to others was.”
The time she spent working with the Republican State Leadership Committee in Alexandria, VA, prepared her for the executive director position at the Elkins-Randolph County Chamber of Commerce she accepted in 2011. She joined LWV in 2013 where she now organizes more than 1,300 alumni, raises funds and develops collaborations. Encouraging the state’s leaders to continue improving the state is a job she takes very seriously.
“The time I spent as a member of a Leadership West Virginia class and the time I’ve spent serving the organization have molded me into being a lifelong advocate for the state, and I am deeply passionate about its success and growth,” she says. “I take our success personally, and I want to be the best version of myself as a citizen.”
It was Reed’s mother’s endless support and her father’s encouragement to take risks and never accept mediocrity that had a major impact on her success, as well as the opportunity to work with Pam Farris, the executive director of LWV.
“Having a strong, smart, insightful woman like Pam who lives the mission of her work and lifts me up in my own work and service has changed me in so many ways,” says Reed. “Women in leadership roles who spend more time creating a seat at the table will make our state and our world a better place.”
She also believes that making the world a better place means serving others.
“I believe service to others is the most important thing we can do as human beings,” she says.
Reed is the chair of Generation West Virginia and the founder and leadership committee chair of Generation Randolph, for which she helped facilitate the first ever community symposium to discuss attracting and retaining talent in the state. She is a den leader for her son’s Cub Scout troop, an assistant coach for her daughter’s soccer team, a volunteer for Read Aloud Randolph County and an active member of the First United Methodist Church. She is also involved with Elkins’ youth Seneca Soccer club and the West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners.
Reed helped oversee the efforts of Elkins OnTrac in its goal of becoming Elkins Main Street, and she maintains an active role with the organization. She has also been involved in the Rotary Club of Elkins and the Mountain State Forest Festival, and she has led several summer Family Fun Runs in Elkins to promote healthy living.
Despite the long hours committed to moving West Virginia forward, Reed still finds time to be an ultra-marathon runner, and she recently participated in a 40-mile race through Dolly Sods and Canaan Valley. She loves exploring West Virginia’s trails with her family and sharing her love of the Mountain State with her children.
“No place I’ve ever lived or visited has pulled on me like West Virginia,” she says. “Living here has created for me a renewed love of nature, community and friendship. In my opinion, West Virginia has the most incredible sense of community in the nation. That is something to be proud of.”
