PLP Alumni News

The Abingdon Town Council appointed Garrett Jackson (PLP 2011) to the position of Assistant Town Manager on Jan. 3. The town's press release about this appointment appears below.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Abingdon Town Council Appoints Assistant Town Manager

Upon recommendation of Town Manager, Greg Kelly, the Abingdon Town Council, at its January 3 meeting, appointed Garrett Jackson as the Assistant Town Manager. This position was recently created by the Town Manager and Town Council. Jackson has served as the Planning Director and Zoning Administrator since August 2005, overseeing zoning, preservation and community development and will continue in that role. Prior to August of 2005, he served two years as the Assistant Town Planner.

Jackson’s 12-year career has been dedicated to public service in local and regional government and education. Prior to his tenure with Abingdon, he served as a Public Administration Specialist and Regional Planner at the Mount Rogers Planning District Commission (MRPDC) in Marion, VA from 1999-2003, where he also worked in Planning/Zoning and Town Management through the MRPDC Regional Town Management Program in Damascus, VA. Mr. Jackson also served as an adjunct professor of Cultural Geography at the Southwest Virginia Community College from 2001-2008.

Mr. Jackson, a native of Abingdon, holds a B.A. in Geography from Emory & Henry College; Graduate Certificates in Urban Design and Planning and Local Government Management from The Ohio State University and Virginia Tech, respectively; and a M.A. in Community and Organizational Development from Emory & Henry College, where his capstone project was the creation of the Abingdon Civic Academy, a program designed to educate employees and citizens on the aspects of the Town as an organization, its history, values, structure and vision. In December 2011, Mr. Jackson graduated from the Political Leadership Program of the Sorensen Institute at the University of Virginia. He is a member of the Virginia Local Government Managers Association (VLGMA), the Southwest Section Director of the Virginia Chapter of the American Planning Association, a Certified Zoning Administrator through the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials, a Certified Planning Commissioner through PlanVirginia, the Treasurer for the Southern Appalachian Greenways Alliance, and is the Virginia Representative Board of Directors Overmountain Victory Trail Association.

According to Greg Kelly, “the Town has grown rapidly over the past five years during his tenure as Town Manager. He noted that the position of Assistant Town Manager is “long overdue given the fast track of growth and major upcoming town projects. This rapid pace necessitates much more direct hands on involvement by management. As such, Jackson’s past proven work ethic in his role as Director of Planning and Zoning Administrator, his love and commitment for the town, along with his education and his respect both for and by town employees and town residents made Jackson an obvious fit for the job,” said Kelly. In addition, Kelly stated “I have worked closely with Garrett over the past five years and I know him to be a very loyal and dedicated team player. This loyalty and team effort on the part of Town staff, along with the dedication and effectiveness of the Abingdon Town Council, are what make Abingdon the successful town that it is. I am confident that with Garrett’s assistance, we will continue this trend for many years to come."

Sean Holihan, a member of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2007, officially announced his candidacy for Alexandria City Council on Tuesday, Jan. 10. He joins two current council members and three challengers in the Democratic primary scheduled for June 12.

Get the full story at Alexandria Times.

Michele Zehr (PLP 2010) accepted a position with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services as a Program Analyst for the Community-Defined Solutions to Violence Against Women program. In this role, she will be responsible for coordinating multiple trainings for Virginia's law enforcement officers on responding to sexual and domestic violence, as well as coordinating the projects of a state-level multidisciplinary team consisting of representatives from the Office of the Attorney General, Virginia Department of Health - Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Supreme Court of Virginia - Office of the Executive Secretary, Virginia Poverty Law Center, Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance.

Atima Omara-Alwala (PLP 2010) was recently elected to serve as Vice President for the Young Democrats of America. She had previously served as Director of the Mid-Atlantic Region for the last two years, and before that served three years as the Chair of YDA's Women's Caucus. Atimas has also served in the state and local leadership within the Young Democrats, including state women's caucus chair and national committeewoman in the Virginia Young Democrats. Congratulations, Atima!

Kelly Carmichael (PLP 2011) has been promoted to the position of Director of Civic Education at the Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier in Orange, Va. Kelly is responsible for developing and implementing programs and services that enhance civic engagement and constitutional education for the Center for the Constitution and The Montpelier Foundation. This includes directing programs for educators, elected officials, and the general public as well as developing and directing outreach and partnerships with other civic-related organizations, and directing online courses for educators and the public on the Constitution.