Cara Colbert Hopson

Cara Colbert Hopson has a diverse work experience in various organizations. Cara currently holds the position of Managing Director of Development at the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, where they previously served as Director of Development. Prior to this, they worked as an Independent Contractor for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Detroit, where they designed and implemented a fundraising campaign and developed content for campaign outreach. At Bridgewater College, they held the role of Director of Annual Giving, overseeing all aspects of the annual giving program and managing partnerships with cross-campus teams and outside vendors. Cara also has experience at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Harrisonburg-Rockingham Co, where they served as Director of Communications and Communications Specialist, handling various tasks related to stakeholder engagement and communication. Earlier in their career, they worked as a Match Support Specialist at the same organization and also gained experience as an Agriculture Teacher, FFA Advisor, and Head Varsity Softball Coach at Luray High School. Cara began their career as a Feed Formulation Specialist at Southern States Cooperative, where they collaborated with various teams to produce livestock feeds and provide support to sales personnel and customers.

Cara Colbert Hopson has a Bachelor's Degree in Animal and Poultry Sciences from Virginia Tech. Additionally, they hold a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Agricultural and Applied Economics from the same institution. Cara also has a Master of Science (M.S.) in Career and Technical Education, which they obtained from Virginia Tech.