Kate Reed
Alumni Coordinator, Leadership West Virginia
BE COMFORTABLE being uncomfortable.
These are words Kate Reed aims to live by.
As the alumni coordinator for Leadership West
Virginia (LWV), the Elkins resident is on a mission
to keep the program’s graduates engaged in the
work of moving the state forward. As a West Vir-
ginian, she spends each day trying to put herself
out there, demonstrating how to take risks, give
100 percent and be the type of citizen the state
needs to reach its full potential.
It’s not the exact line of work Reed had in
mind as she earned a bachelor’s degree in politi-
cal science from West Virginia Wesleyan College
and a master’s degree in political management
from George Washington University and then
spent six years working in politics in Washing-
ton, D.C., but for her, it’s fulfilling.
“My biggest challenge both in my career and
in my personal life was identifying my values and
finding important, meaningful work that allowed
me to serve others,” she says. “This journey of
self-actualization led me home to West Virginia. I
had to change my career path, and I realized that
money and climbing the ladder weren’t priorities
for me but service to others was.”
The time she spent working with the Republi