COMMUNITY OVER COMMUTE
Beth’s drive for connecting people has made her indispensable over the years. She and her husband, a Navy officer, moved to Brambleton in 2009 when he was first stationed in D.C. “We rented for the first 1.5 years,” Beth says, “and even though the commute wasn’t ideal, we loved the people here. So we chose community over commute.”
She quickly got involved as our Community Lifestyle Manager, presenting solid ideas even when she was new to the role. “I had a lot of volunteer experience as far as event planning goes, but this was the first time I was getting paid for it.” The position let Beth flex her creativity and knack for problem-solving while still keeping her close to her family — who often helped out at the events she’d work on.
One of Beth’s favorite achievements? Creating the Bunny Trail. “That’s my baby!” Beth beams, “It was a truly original idea that I saw through from beginning to end. Other communities just don’t have something like this.”
FROM BRAMBLETON TO LCPS
After a while, Beth found herself nostalgic for what she’d studied in school: early childhood education. “When I was teaching,” she says, “even on my worst days, it felt worth it. A big piece of my heart is always in youth advocacy.” So when the time came to elect a new school board member at-large for Loudoun County Public Schools, Beth emerged as a logical candidate.
Campaigning was difficult, but locals loved Beth for her open-mindedness and relatability (“I’m a parent with kids in school, and I’m going through this just like you are,” she says), and she credits those qualities for her eventual win.
After that, it was time to start doing the work and making a difference. Beth took the reins on important efforts, and was the first to spot a critical detail in a controversial zoning situation. “We thought one street was saying ‘don’t move us,’” Beth says, “when they were really saying ‘realign us with the rest of our street.’” She spearheaded the cause to an amendment that won majority board agreement. “That had never happened before.”
Besides sparking change in the education system, Beth loves her job for the chance to visit local school events — from graduations to epic musical theater performances. “Their energy is amazing,” she says, “It’s so great to be a part of it all.”
ON THE HORIZON
So what’s next for a Brambletonian who already wears so many hats? Working as event manager for government contractor, Blue Compass, LLC, and hopefully taking a vacation in the near future. “We’ve been going to the Caribbean with our best friends for the past three years, and this summer we also went to Iowa for my husband’s brother’s wedding.” Downtime may be necessary, but Beth certainly doesn’t dwell on it. “There are a few things in the works,” she says, “I’m always keeping an eye out for what’s next.”
Humans of Brambleton is our blog feature that focuses on one of the many interesting personalities who calls Brambleton home. If you’re interested in being a future Human of Brambleton, email us at brambletoninfo@gmail.com.
