Beth Bennett was recently promoted to Assistant Director of Certification Programs after Al Spengler, former Certification Program Manager, retired in June. She has worked at the Cooper Center for 16 years, first as a temporary employee in the Cooper Center CATI lab helping with mailings and then in various departments at UVA as she was needed. A year later, after successfully helping to coordinate the LGOC summer conference for the certification program, she became the Certification Coordinator while also devoting some of her time to the University Internship Program. In her new position, Beth said, she is "looking forward to building cohesion between the two programs (treasurers and commissioners)" and continuing to develop strong relationships with the treasurers and commissioners. 

Molly Harlow was recently promoted to Interim Assistant Director of Leadership Development Programs after Tony Gardner retired from UVA this year. Molly has been at the Cooper Center for 20 years, first serving as the SEI Coordinator, then the SEI and LEAD Coordinator, and finally as the VLGMA Conference Coordinator (a position she still manages).  The Cooper Center was her first job out of college after she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology. Molly says she has stayed at the Cooper Center "because the Center has allowed and encouraged me to learn, grow and develop my skills and to take on increasing responsibility with lots of flexibility and autonomy. I really have a passion for developing local government leaders, so I’m excited that my new role increases my ability to do this because I’ll have more input over our program design and curriculum."

Jennifer Nelson was recently promoted to Assistant Director of Membership and Engagement in the Virginia Institute of Government (VIG). Jennifer joined the Cooper Center in 1994 first as a temporary employee, then as a graphic designer and then in various roles in VIG. In 2019, VIG expanded its services to include leadership development and certification programs. Regarding her new role, Jennifer is "eager to develop ways to connect our members with these programs, other Cooper Center units, and vice versa."