MARTINSVILLE, Va. (rbs news now) — The West Piedmont Planning District Commission (WPPDC) has promoted Rebekah Morgan to Director of Community Development.

Morgan joined the WPPDC in early 2024 as the Community Development Specialist and has played a role in several regional initiatives, including the Stuart Downtown Revitalization Project, the Patrick County Business Development Center, the Martinsville MiNet Expansion, and marketing and infrastructure planning for the Dan River Basin Association’s Southern Virginia Blueways System.

In her new role, Morgan aims to address challenges faced by rural communities, such as limited resources and staff, by increasing capacity and identifying critical needs for localities and community partners.

“We have a lot of great community sparkplugs in our region who work tirelessly to improve the communities they serve, and working for the WPPDC has allowed me to meet them and work
alongside them on some amazing projects,” Morgan said. “I never know what idea someone is going to approach me with, and it’s a lot of fun helping brainstorm how to make that idea come
to fruition. I want to see our region thrive, and the WPPDC exists to provide the extra hands that our partners need to be successful at what they do.”

Morgan holds a master of public administration from Troy University and a bachelor’s degree in women’s and gender studies from the University of South Florida.

She previously served in the Marine Corps as a Special Intelligence Communicator and System Administrator and worked as Assistant Park Manager at Fairy Stone State Park.