Vanessa currently serves as Vice President with the Ron Brown Scholar Program. Before joining the Program in 2001, she was the Senior Assistant Dean of Admissions at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. Prior to that, she served as Assistant Director of Admissions at James Madison University (JMU). In both capacities her areas of responsibility were diversity recruitment and program planning.
Vanessa earned two degrees from JMU; a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Education in College Student Personnel Administration. She has previously served as Rector of the Board of Visitors at James Madison University and as chair of the JMU Women for Madison Advisory Council. Additionally, she has served on the Board of Directors for the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA), the JMU Alumni Association and the Monticello Community Action Agency.
Vanessa resides in Charlottesville, VA with her husband Richard (JMU ’92) and three step-children, Mykaela, Isaiah and Noah.