Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed, director of alumni engagement and community connections at EMU, has been named among the Top 50 Women Leaders of Virginia for 2025.
The list of luminaries, published online by Women We Admire on Feb. 10, features leaders who are “instrumental in shaping the state’s continued growth and success.” Women We Admire is a membership organization comprised of some of the most accomplished women executives and leaders across the U.S. and Canada, its website states.
Read the full list of awardees here (Reed is at No. 49): thewomenweadmire.com/2025/02/the-top-50-women-leaders-of-virginia-for-2025
Reed said she was honored and humbled to be selected for the list.
“It’s truly amazing to be recognized as number 49 of 50 incredible women across the state who are making a difference and leading with passion and purpose,” she said. “I’m deeply grateful for this recognition and for all the amazing people and colleagues who have supported and inspired me along the way.”
The list recognizes Reed for her community service work through Precious Gems Academy, an afterschool mentorship program she cofounded, and her role as program director for On The Road Collaborative, a nonprofit that connects low-income youth with academic support, career enrichment classes and leadership development.
“Driven by her love for her community and its children, she began attending city council meetings and was struck by the absence of female members at the time,” the Top 50 article states. “Motivated to create change, she decided to run for office…”
A pioneering political leader, Reed was elected to Harrisonburg City Council in 2016 and was appointed mayor the following year. She is the first Black woman elected to the council and also the first to serve as mayor. In November, she was reelected to a fourth term, from 2025 to 2028.
The Harrisonburg native was named in 2018 to Essence magazine’s “Woke 100.” She has been recognized by the Virginia Library of Congress as part of the “Strong Men and Strong Women of Virginia History,” and honored with the 2015 Citizen of the Year Award by Harrisonburg-Rockingham County Commonwealth’s Attorney Marsha Garst. She was EMU’s commencement speaker in 2020 and has been an active contributor to campus life, participating in convocations and special events such as EMU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations. In 2023, she joined EMU as its regional advancement director.
Congratulations, Deanna!