Rena has an extensive background in the areas of communications, strategic planning, and development through her previous work in the banking, non-profit, and K12 education sectors. She spent the past 20 years developing corporate and community partnerships, building and connecting resources with needs, serving as the V.P. for Investor Relations with United Way of Madison County, Program Director for Leadership Greater Huntsville, Director of Community Relations for Huntsville City Schools, and Client Engagement Director for LeanStream Resource Partners.

During her tenure as the Community Relations Director for a public school system, she supported a multitude of STEM projects across 42 schools serving 24,000 students, including the Greenpower Program, CyberPatriot, STEM Summer Institute, Internship Program for a STEM Magnet High School, and the district-wide Digital 1:1 Initiative.  A few career highlights include serving as the district lead for the U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan’s STEM Townhall and Back-To-School Bus Tour in 2014 and hosting the CBS Sunday Morning production crew in 2015 to highlight the school district’s cyber curriculum.

Rena has a passion for volunteering and currently serves on the board of directors and Past President for Arts Huntsville and the advisory board for Burritt on the Mountain.  A 2007 graduate of the Leadership Greater Huntsville Flagship program, she continues to serve in a volunteer capacity, leading team-building activities for various classes and chairing the Management Academy Class in 2019.  One of her most memorable volunteer roles was serving as the Public Relations Chair for the 2014 Girl’s Inc. “Invest in a Girl” fundraiser with guest speaker former Secretary of State, Dr. Condoleezza Rice.

Rena works in Huntsville, Alabama, just down the street from Marshall Space Flight Center, Redstone Arsenal, and Cummings Research Park.