Olivia Reeder vividly recalls a defining moment in her life. A frustrated college student, she had found herself in a large school, missing the sense of community that she loved in her small town. Feeling lost about her future, she left that school to return home. Landing at WVU Parkersburg, she found a place where she felt like a name instead of a number.
“Jeff Holland, now a colleague, says his leadership style is ‘management by walking.’ When I walked in, he was walking by the front doors that day, and he saw my ‘deer in the headlights look.’ I was almost crying, and he asked what he could help with,” Olivia said. “I showed him my schedule for a major that I wasn’t interested in, and he asked what I liked to do. I told him I loved newspaper in high school. He took me to meet the journalism professor, Dr. Torie Jackson. That woman changed my life and became my mentor.”
Olivia completed her undergraduate degree on time, majoring in Business Administration with an emphasis in Public Relations and an Associate’s in Journalism. After completing her Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications at West Virginia University, she was named coordinator of the Media and Communications program, replacing Jackson, who had been promoted to a dean position.
Now, continuing to pursue higher education, Olivia is the Dean of Early College at WVU Parkersburg, which serves over 700 students annually. She has sustained relationships with a vast network of area high school counselors, vocational-technical centers, alumni, donors, area businesses, and officials in that role. Her efforts have shown a trifecta of results: securing funding for critical programs, bringing students into those programs, and promoting the overall well-being of communities.
“One of my favorite quotes is ‘you don’t have to move away from a community to live in a better one,'” she says. “Creating excitement and then getting people excited to share the vision and understand that a rising tide lifts all boats. The more we do together and collaborate, the better it is for everyone.”
Olivia also serves as the Executive Director of the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation, spearheading fundraising for projects, including a capital campaign for the WVUP Innovation and Technology Center and The Student Health Fund, which provides free healthcare to students of WVU Parkersburg.
This aspect of her career also allows her to continue her love of community building with various stakeholders in and around her community. Central to who she is, assisting students from disadvantaged backgrounds and helping all students find their way through life provides ongoing fuel for her passion.
Through her volunteer work with Clutch MOV, Downtown PKB, The Historic Oakland Estate, and the West Virginia Symphony League, Olivia advocates for preserving Appalachian arts and history for all ages.
Recently, she was elected PVA President for Parkersburg Catholic Schools. “I think it’s important to start modeling community building at a young age, and it’s a way for kids to see what big change can come from a small group of dedicated people,” she says.
Born in North Carolina, Olivia has been raised in Parkersburg since the age of 5. When Olivia was in middle school, her mother returned to school to finish her bachelor’s degree, showing her what hard work and dedication look like while still being a productive community member and managing a family. Her mom’s example, including avid volunteer work for the WVU at Parkersburg Foundation, has been a driving force in Olivia’s life.
Olivia and her husband, Dylan, live in Parkersburg and have two young sons, Luke and Logan. She is pursuing her Doctorate of Higher Education Administration through Valdosta State University and continues to create synergy in her community through fundraising projects and volunteer work.
Her superpower? “I would say it’s some form of adaptability – being willing to do whatever is needed to keep the inertia going,” Olivia says.
