Applying her educational background to her profession, Kristie Helmick Proctor has served as the executive director of the Virginia Rural Center since 2017.
HANOVER COUNTY, VA, January 27, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Kristie Helmick Proctor has been inducted into Marquis Who's Who. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
A respected voice in her community, Kristie Helmick Proctor initially earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, with minors in political science and women's studies, from Longwood University. She later obtained a Master of Arts in Government from Regent University in 2007. Notably, Mrs. Proctor also was selected to study national security affairs at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, where she received a certification in 2006.
Applying her educational background to her profession, Mrs. Proctor has served as the executive director of the Virginia Rural Center since 2017. The Virginia Rural Center is a collaborative partnership of the Center for Rural Virginia and the Council for Rural Virginia, which work together on a joint mission to work with policymakers and stakeholders to create innovative solutions and expand entrepreneurial opportunities to ensure economic prosperity for rural regions in the state. Born and raised in Hanover County, she discovered that rural Virginians are some of the most passionate, devoted and innovative people. Feeling strongly that rural communities are often forgotten in the United States, Mrs. Proctor believes that she can be a voice for rural communities nationwide.
From 2010 to 2017, Mrs. Proctor worked as a senior grassroots manager at the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the nation's largest small business association. While at NFIB, she managed a staff that implemented and oversaw grassroots activities in 17 different states. In this role she excelled in policy work and coalition building, which aided her in her transition to the Virginia Rural Center. In addition to her career experience, she was involved in public affairs for Transurban, USA from 2008 to 2009 and public affairs at AAA Mid-Atlantic prior to that.
A fellow of the Sorensen Institute at the University of Virginia in 2008, Mrs. Proctor was active as an adjunct professor at John Tyler Community College in 2007, where she taught American Government. Alongside her professional growth, she was recognized among Style Weekly Magazine's Top 40 Under 40 in 2019, and also featured as a "Decision Maker" by The Richmond Times Dispatch in 2018. Mrs. Proctor currently participates on the board of directors for Partners for Rural America, serves on the executive committee of the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT), and she is a member of the following prominent organizations: Virginia's Broadband Advisory Council, Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA) Rural Housing Advisory Council, Virginia Economic Development Partnership (VEDP) Rural Think Tank, and most recently Kristie was appointed to Hanover County's newly created Broadband Advisory Committee.
As the first person in her family to obtain education beyond a high school degree, Kristie attributes her success to the values that her parents instilled in her, teaching her that "nothing worth having comes easy." From innovation and hard work, they lived the American Dream despite having a modest upbringing. Kristie's late father was a respected small business owner and entrepreneur, and her mother worked her way from the mailroom to management at a Fortune 500 company. Looking toward the future, Mrs. Proctor will continue to be busy with her growing family as she and her husband prepare to welcome their third child. In addition, she will also continue to build on the promotion of economic prosperity in rural areas. As Executive Director of the Virginia Rural Center, Kristie is in the process of creating a rural leadership insitute to teach and train future leaders of the Commonwealth's rural communities.
About Marquis Who's Who®
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America®, Marquis Who's Who® has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America® remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis® now publishes many Who's Who titles, including Who's Who in America®, Who's Who in the World®, Who's Who in American Law®, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare®, Who's Who in Science and Engineering®, and Who's Who in Asia®. Marquis® publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who® website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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