To better meet the needs of the communities we serve, Charlottesville Tomorrow has filled two new positions on our team. Aliyah Cotton, People and Culture Officer, and Ashley Harper, Product and Technology Officer, will give our nonprofit news organization the capacity to grow and innovate.
Charlottesville Tomorrow welcomed Cotton as the People and Culture Officer in October 2023. Cotton brings a varied professional background and a strong passion for fostering connections. She fills this newly created role at Charlottesville Tomorrow to help create a positive work environment, promote equity, help nurture talent, and support the overall well-being of the team. Cotton also helps our volunteer board do its best work, and is a crucial team member in our partnerships in Charlottesville Inclusive Media.
Raised in Reston, Virginia, Cotton views Charlottesville as her second home. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2019, and went on to earn a Masters of Fine Arts degree from Boston University.
“The detail and intention that goes into writing and understanding poetry have prepared me to make an impact at Charlottesville Tomorrow, where creating a supportive and empathetic atmosphere is essential,” she said. “As the news industry shifts, creating healthy newsrooms is essential to having good local news and, ultimately, stronger and more informed communities.”
Cotton’s literary expertise and commitment to engagement were recently recognized when she was named a 2024 Gregory Djanikian Scholar by the Adroit Journal.
“We are thrilled to have Aliyah on our team and bring her unique perspective and talents to our organization,” said Angilee Shah, CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Charlottesville Tomorrow. “Her passion for community and her way of understanding people — not to mention her skills in managing operations — are helping our organization grow in a way that is healthy and sustainable.”
Among Cotton’s many early successes was helping us to bring Harper to our team as the first-ever Product and Technology Officer. Harper joined Charlottesville Tomorrow at the beginning of April, after spending almost two years working with the organization as a contractor through her company. With tremendous experience in product development and a passion for leveraging technology for social impact, Harper brings a wealth of expertise to her role in advancing the organization’s mission of promoting informed public engagement and community building.
As the product and technology officer at Charlottesville Tomorrow, Harper’s primary responsibility is to help more people access news and information through our website, emails and new products. Her strategic vision, commitment to transparency, and dedication to enhancing civic participation align seamlessly with our organization’s values and mission. Ashley has already played a key role in Charlottesville Tomorrow’s website relaunch, and in designing new products, such as our interactive Voter Guide.
Harper moved cross country to be with us — all the way from California.
“I was drawn to Charlottesville Tomorrow because of its commitment to providing accurate and in-depth reporting on local issues that matter to the community. As someone who is passionate about access to information, I wanted to be a part of an organization that empowers communities with the facts they need to make decisions,” Harper said. “I knew that Charlottesville Tomorrow was the perfect place to do this kind of work.”
“When we had the opportunity to bring someone as talented as Ashley to our community, we were thrilled. In today’s news ecosystem, we have to keep investing in making sure what we do is accessible to our many diverse communities. As Charlottesville Tomorrow grows, Ashley will play a key role in how we innovate and build up the ways we serve this region,” said Shah.
As Charlottesville Tomorrow continues to build, keep track of future openings on the team here, and by subscribing to our newsletter here.
