Lisa Leichner

I grew up in New Jersey but have lived in the New River Valley for twenty-two years. My three sons are all recent high school graduates, two currently attending local colleges. I work in admissions at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), and you might see me at my second job for Rhino that staffs many Virginia Tech athletic events. In my free time I enjoy thrifting, hiking, walking, the enneagram, and generally anything that gets me out and around people. I have been involved with several international mission trips, both through my job with the medical students, and with our church’s youth group.Over the years, I have participated in many service areas around the NRV including tutoring elementary kids, leading women's book clubs, mentoring teens, and working with people in need of benevolence from my local church. I love supporting the Montgomery Christmas Store each December. It is inspiring to see the enormous number of community members who have come together to support a dignified shopping experience for our neighbors who otherwise may not be able to provide many gifts for their children. Another recent service opportunity I had was to coordinate the donations of household items for a family who needed to move here from Afghanistan. Working with the Blacksburg Refugee Partnership through that effort inspired me to want to do more for folks in our towns without sustainable housing.This community is the one I call home, invest in, and am passionate about serving, and I hope we can make it even better for our neighbors in need.