Jennifer Armstrong

Jennifer (Hawkins) Armstrong grew up in Rockingham County.  After working in accounting for several years, she started her own bookkeeping and QuickBooks software consulting business.  For 17 years, Jennifer trained small business owners to better utilize the popular accounting software.  The inner workings of small businesses and what made people take the risks involved in becoming entrepreneurs fascinated her. The fast pace and constantly changing landscape made for a great way to maintain a flexible schedule for her young family.

During this time, Jennifer also volunteered extensively for Rockingham County Fair.  Over the course of a few decades, she served in a variety of roles including initial set up and growing the fair’s social media presence and digitizing their box office and ticketing platforms.

In 2014, after a full 18 months of coaxing by the news director – Jennifer applied to be a part of WSVA 550’s Early Mornings.  The radio station’s call signs (WSVA) have long stood for “We Serve Virginia Agriculture.”  As part of this crazy early morning talk show in the Shenandoah Valley, Jennifer found a love for communication and an amazing platform to help grow the reach of Virginia FFA.  As those roles collided in many ways, with Jennifer cohosting the show from State and National Convention, the show allowed her to tell the story of FFA and “bring people home” to their FFA roots.

In 2017, the demanding and fast paced life of being the “QuickBooks Guru” had left her road weary and looking for something new.  She was asked if she was interested in keeping the books for Virginia FFA Foundation.  Just two weeks prior to State FFA Convention, she accepted the contracted position.  Once she stepped foot into Burruss Hall at Virginia Tech, she knew she had found a new focus.  Surrounded by polite, helpful and eager young leaders in a sea of blue jackets, she knew she needed to do more.  In the fall of 2018, Virginia FFA Foundation hired Jennifer as their full-time Executive Director.

It was a long, crooked path to find a passion for agriculture after growing up virtually surrounded by it, but she can’t imagine doing anything else now.  Jennifer lives with her husband Mike, two “big kids,” Clayton & Julie, and new addition – Josie the red heeler who is attached to her ankles.  Jennifer and Mike (mostly Mike) are helping to manage his family’s small beef cattle operation near Singers Glen.