(from Local Colors) In 2014, Beth Lutjen stepped into the position of leadership for Local Colors following the retirement of it’s founder, Pearl Fu. “Pearl has tiny feet, but she left behind a very large footprint to follow,” said Beth Lutjen. “I hope that I have continued and grown her legacy.”
In Beth’s 5 years as Executive Director the agency began providing seminars and training on effectively working with our growing Hispanic community, the footprint of the annual festival has grown, expanding onto Franklin Rd which allows for many more food vendors to participate and better flow of foot traffic, and with Va Foundation for the Humanities, hosted the director of the film “Harvest of Empire” at a showing at the Grandin Theatre with round table discussion. Local Colors also partnered with Roanoke City for the Gateways to Growth grant and in hosting George Takei’s visit to Roanoke.
Lisa Spencer comes to Local Colors with 25 years of nonprofit experience in human services and community development, with much involvement in homeless services. Lisa recently arrived from Dallas, TX where she worked for various nonprofit organizations, most recently Volunteers of America Texas. She has also worked in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Lisa’s extensive experience in grant management, fundraising, nonprofit administration, and new program development will be an asset to Local Colors to lead the organization forward. “Both my work and personal experience has involved very diverse settings and appreciation for various cultures. I hope to leverage all my experiences to celebrate the beauty of multiethnic diversity and its positive impact on the city.”
