With years of experience as a community organizer on issues of community involvement and sustainability, Bryce Carter is working hard to move Blacksburg forward.
Having grown up in Fairfax County just two blocks away from what would become the Fairfax County Parkway, Bryce has experienced firsthand the negative consequences of unmonitored suburban sprawl. After several summers of construction internships that included the Pentagon Renovation and LEED Certified projects, an environmental science course led him to volunteer hundreds of hours to a local environmental non-profit.
He continued to seek environmental education upon his arrival in Blacksburg and soon became heavily involved with the Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech. Over the course of his college experience, Bryce has been involved with local, state, and national lobbying efforts, helped recruit record numbers of attendees at national conferences, organized roundtable discussions with environmental and energy groups, and continues to take various other leadership roles in the community.
On April 15th, 2009 Bryce received the Gwin-Parker-Gwin Community Service Award from the Center for Student Engagement & Community Partnerships which recognizes “the importance of preparing students to be engaged citizens and successful professionals in the 21st century.” This Award was presented in response to his contributions as a central planner and recruitment coordinator for the Virginia Power Shift 2008 conference at Virginia Tech, an event which brought hundreds of youth from across the state to educate and empower them about issues of sustainability, renewable energy, and citizen action.
As the only undergraduate candidate and recognizing his unique opportunity to become the first student on Town Council, Bryce is committed to promoting new opportunities for the Virginia Tech community to actively engage with Blacksburg. Bryce is currently the Town Liaison of the Sustainability Committee of the Student Government Association and is involved with the community nonprofit Sustainable Blacksburg. He is also drafting legislation for the Virginia Tech SGA to create a new Student Advisory Committee that will strengthen the dialog between students and long term community members.
Recognizing the importance of moving Blacksburg forward even in an economic downturn, Bryce understands it is critical to pursue all opportunities for diverse investments and university involvement so as to minimally affect Blacksburg’s excellent bond rating and property tax levels. From developing new online methods of community involvement through interactive online technologies to increasing and expanding renewable energy in town, Bryce sees many opportunities for university participation without forfeiting any town resources.
With Virginia Tech continually expanding, Blacksburg must respond with growth that takes into account the kind of community we want to create. Bryce will continually work towards stimulating our walkable downtown by actively searching for opportunities for economic and civic development. This will include seeking out sites for potential business incubators and investigating the feasibility of a downtown enterprise zone and an indoor recreation center. With concentrated growth comes the need for expansion of alternative transportation options such as bike lanes and the Blacksburg Transit system, both of which will help open new avenues for community interaction and development.
With his experience, Bryce knows cooperation is essential in moving Blacksburg forward. Bryce is eager to actively engage with community members, businesses, and developers in bringing about the Blacksburg we all want and deserve
