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 for two terms. Becoming mayor of Harrisonburg made her the first African American female mayor in Harrisonburg’s history. 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 is invested in this community, a place she has always called home and is committed to keeping Harrisonburg an excellent place to live, work, and visit. She works toward fostering partnerships with a variety of community groups with the goals of trust and transparency within these relationships.

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. Previously,

Mayor Reed was the co-founder and director of Precious Gems Academy, another youth empowerment organization. In the summer of 2014, Mayor Reed created an original summer enrichment program for the Roberta Webb Childcare Center, which included a camp and community musical.

Beyond her leadership and achievements serving the youth, Mayor Reed has 20 years of experience in retail merchandising and community development initiatives. For over 32 years, Mayor Reed has served as a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and has served on the advisory team for the Iota Alpha Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority at James Madison University.

Recently, Mayor Reed was honored as one of the Strong Men and Women of the state of Virginia. She was featured in Essence Magazine on the top 100 WOKE list. She was recognized by Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Commonwealth Attorney Marsha Garst as Citizen of the Year in 2015. She was also the recipient of the MLK Community Service Award and the Northeast Neighborhood Community Service Award.

Mayor Reed continues to hold numerous offices within several community organizations. She serves as council representative on the Downtown Parking Committee, Metropolitan Planning Organization (Policy), Social Services Advisory Board and Parks and Recreation Commission. She is currently the Board Advisor of the Harrisonburg Women’s Service League and Trustee of Newtown Cemetery.

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