Deanna Reed to Address EMHS Commencement

Mayor Deanna Reed will bring the address at Eastern Mennonite High School’s 103 Commencement exercises on June 6, 2021 on the school’s south lawn. This article is reprinted with permission from Eastern Mennonite University, where Ms. Reed was commencement speaker for the EMU class of ’21. Photo courtesy of Eastern Mennonite University.

Mayor Deanna Reed was sworn into office for Harrisonburg City Council on January 3, 2017, and then selected by her fellow council members as mayor. Becoming mayor of Harrisonburg made her the first African American female mayor in Harrisonburg’s history. In 2019 Mayor Reed was selected by her colleagues to serve a second term as Mayor.

Although this is her first public office, she is no stranger to Harrisonburg and its people. Mayor Reed is a native of the city and is a proven leader, impacting the lives of those of all
ages.

Mayor Reed currently serves as the program director for On the Road Collaborative, a non-profit youth empowerment organization that serves more than 300 middle school and
high school youth annually. On the Road Collaborative, helps to set students on the road towards high school, college and successful careers.

Beyond her leadership and achievements serving the youth, Mayor Reed is a member of Word Ministries Christian Outreach Church. She has served as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. for over 32 years and serves on the advisory team for Iota Alpha Chapter of James Madison University, And she is currently serving as Vice President of the Charlottesville Alumnae Chapter.

Recently, Mayor Reed was recognized by the Virginia Library of Congress as one of the Strong Men and Strong Women of Virginia History. She was featured in Essence Magazine in the top 100 WOKE list. And she was recognized by Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Commonwealth Attorney Marsha Garst as Citizen of the Year in 2015.

Mayor Reed continues to hold numerous offices within several communities. She serves as a council representative on the Virginia Municipal League Legislative Committee, Virginia Municipal League Human Development and Education Committee. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Eastern Mennonite University, the Advisory Board for Civic Engagement, Social Services Advisory Board and the Parks and Recreation Commission. And she is an honorary member of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).

Mayor Reed remains passionate in her work to enrich the lives of youth in her community.