I am a Virginia girl born and raised in Richmond, and I love the state and its beauty. My career has been built around Virginia government and politics, and I have served as support and campaign staff at the local, state and federal level. It was on Capitol Hill that I first encountered Career Technical Education (CTE) policy and the local programs in Virginia, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to empower CTE leaders nationwide to help every learner find their passion and excel in a learning path and career. 
I graduated from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia in 2011 with a bachelor of arts in political science. Prior to joining Advance CTE, I worked on community engagement with historically underrepresented populations in Loudoun County as a Project Manager for 2020 Census outreach. I loved the opportunity to bring unheard perspectives to the table and elevate voices through communication tools and outreach events to populations historically undercounted in the census. In particular, my lessons learned from working with the local school system and family advocates cultivated a passion about improving equity and access for English Language Learners that will shape my work as Senior Associate for Communications and State Engagement. As Senior Associate I will be responsible for helping states and local communities communicate about the value and benefit of CTE to learners and families, supporting media engagement efforts and leading components of Advance CTE’s communications strategy to advance its mission and vision.  
My favorite things include sweet tea, pizza, reading, hiking, community service (I am a member of Kiwanis) and writing a blog on Virginia wineries.
Stacy Whitehouse, Senior Associate for Communications and State Engagement