WIRGAU NAMED ASSOCIATE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Christiansburg, VA, September 21, 2009 – The Community Foundation of the New River Valley has named Jessica Wirgau as its new Associate Executive Director. The position will manage the Foundation’s grant making process; organize and manage workshops, seminars and events; coordinate development work carried out by the Board of Directors; and develop and manage new and existing programs responsive to community needs.

Wirgau earned her bachelors and masters degrees in art history from Duke University and the University of Virginia respectively. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at Virginia Tech’s Center for Public Administration and Policy with a focus on arts and cultural policy and nonprofit management. Wirgau worked in numerous nonprofit museums before coming to the New River Valley in 2004 where she served as the Town of Blacksburg’s Museum Coordinator. Since 2007 she has been a part of the Arts Initiative at Virginia Tech, a university-wide effort to enhance the presence and practice of the arts on campus and in the surrounding region, where she worked to build community support for new arts facilities and programs.

Wirgau has been an active community volunteer since coming to the region, earning the 2006 American Association of University Women/YMCA Women’s Leadership Award for her service. She has participated on numerous committees in and around Blacksburg to encourage downtown revitalization and economic development, and has been a community advisor and board member for the Community Foundation since 2005 providing leadership for its grant making and scholarship programs. “I have been fortunate to volunteer with the Foundation over the past several years and witness firsthand its significant impact on our community. I look forward to working with the Board of Directors, staff, advisors, donors and nonprofits to continue that work in my new role,” commented Wirgau.