Breonna is a Master of Public Administration student in her final semester. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History and a minor in Political Science from Samford University in 2016. After graduation, Breonna became an Americorps member in Birmingham, AL. She worked with the YWCA in their Social Justice Department and facilitated in-school and community programs that promoted unity and understanding amongst middle and high school students. She later returned to Georgia and delivered Girl Programming for the Outreach Membership Department of Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. During her tenure in the nonprofit sector, she gained skills in collaboration, project management, and problem-solving, which spurred her passion for community development and stakeholder engagement.
During her time in the MPA program, Breonna applied the concepts and skills she learned from her courses in Public Management, Economics, and Administrative Law to an internship with Cherokee County. During her internship, she conducted research on affordable housing, completed updates to Cherokee County Ordinances, and presented her findings in a final presentation to the Board of Commissioners.
She currently works in local government as a county planner, where she interprets county ordinances and codes, processes permits, and assists with the facilitation of special projects and grants. She recently co-authored an application for the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Community Development Assistance Program (CDAP) grant and was awarded the grant in May. She is excited to engage and collaborate with the community and assist with the production of a small area plan for the historic Pearidge Community in Cherokee County.
Post graduation, Breonna looks forward to continuing her work in local government and leading more grants and county projects.
