MEET VANESSA

Vanessa Atterbeary believes that “Now is the Time!” for District 18 to elect an inspirational and energized leader to the Maryland House of Delegates!

For the past decade Vanessa has been dedicated to serving the Montgomery County community.  She served three terms on the Community Development Advisory Committee, including one term as the Chair.  As Chairperson, she made recommendations regarding community development grants focused on jobs, education, housing, and other community initiatives.  Vanessa was appointed to this position by then County Executive Doug Duncan and reappointed by County Executive Ike Leggett.

Currently, Vanessa is the 1st Vice President of the Montgomery County Commission for Women (CFW), having been appointed by Mr. Leggett in 2008.  As an advisory board and a department of the Montgomery County Government, the CFW focuses on critical women’s issues in the County, including pay equity, health, and employment.   Continuing with a post she assumed in 2008, Vanessa also serves as Chair of the CFW’s Annual Women’s Legislative Briefing, the leading public policy forum in Montgomery County.

As Vice President for Scholarship for the Theta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland, Vanessa chaired programs to raise scholarship funds for the County’s graduating high school seniors.  Similarly, as a member of the Silver Spring chapter of the Links, Inc., she is co-chair of a committee focused on legislative issues in the County, and on promoting healthy living through Maryland’s 10,000 Steps Program in partnership with Northwood High School.

Serving her community has been a hallmark of Vanessa’s life since childhood.  The daughter of a public school teacher and an entrepreneur, Vanessa was born and raised in Howard County, Maryland where she attended public schools and devoted much of her time to organizing and participating in activities to benefit others.   As the Teen Editor of The County Globe Newspaper, she lobbied for causes affecting young people across the state.

Vanessa graduated from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1997 with a B.A. degree in Government.  While at William and Mary, she volunteered as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Williamsburg. Through the College and Big Brothers Big Sisters, Vanessa developed an outreach program to recruit, retain, and involve the retired population of Williamsburg in a mentoring program for the city’s youth.  In addition, she championed environmental causes as a member of the College’s Environmental Group by assisting in the development of an international environmental conference.  This included identifying and coalescing corporate philanthropists, environmental interest groups, and other activists to develop a comprehensive educational program. Additionally, Vanessa designed and implemented an AIDS Awareness Program, worked with disabled adults through ARC, planned and promoted blood drives with the Red Cross, implemented food and clothing drives, worked with a domestic violence shelter and worked with senior citizens.

In 2000, Vanessa graduated from Villanova University School of Law and received the Community Service Award, an honor bestowed on a graduate who demonstrated a commitment to the surrounding community while attending law school. She is currently admitted to the Maryland State Bar, District of Columbia Bar, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

Vanessa is the Corporate Counsel at KRA Corporation, a company providing workforce development and health consulting services, headquartered in Silver Spring.  She came to that position from the Office of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia where she served as an Assistant Attorney General representing its mayor, agencies, agency heads, and employees in a variety of civil actions before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.   In addition, Vanessa worked several years as an Associate at Bulman, Dunie, Burke & Feld, Chartered in Bethesda, Maryland.  In private practice, she litigated cases in the Maryland Courts (District & Civil) and argued in the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, the Court of Appeals for Maryland, and the U.S. District Court for Maryland.

Vanessa’s memberships include the Maryland State Bar Association; District of Columbia Bar Association; Silver Spring, MD Chapter of the Links, Inc.; Theta Omega Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; Montgomery County Maryland Commission for Women; National Association of Commissions for Women; Maryland Legislative Agenda for Women; African American Democratic Club of Montgomery County, MD; and the Montgomery County Chapter of the NAACP.

Vanessa Atterbeary’s experience and lifetime commitment to community service, combined with her energetic, creative, and inspirational approach to leadership, make her an exceptional candidate to represent District 18 in the Maryland House of Delegates.  “Now is the Time!”