Meet the Roanokers Championing Life and Work as Get2KnowNoke Ambassadors 

2025 Roanoke Region Talent Ambassadors Make Finding a Home, Community, and Jobs Easy – Transforming Recruitment and Building Connections 

Aarge group of young and mid-career professionals gathered in the middle of Market Street in Downtown Roanoke, Virginia. They're all looking at one another, smiling and laughing, with historic buildings lining the street.
The 2025 Class of Get2KnowNoke Regional Talent Ambassadors

Get2KnowNoke (G2KN), the Roanoke Region’s talent attraction and retention brand, has welcomed 25 new recruits to its ranks for the 2025 team of regional talent ambassadors. Added to the 16 returning members, there are now a total of 41 passionate professionals who are redefining how employers recruit top talent while showcasing the region’s unmatched quality of life. The goal of the program is to make moving to and thriving in the Roanoke Region effortless. 

Now in its third year, the Get2KnowNoke talent ambassador program brings together a diverse group of residents to share the Roanoke Region’s story, answer questions from prospective residents, and build a vibrant professional community. Powered by the Roanoke Regional Partnership, G2KN continues to build momentum as the talent-attraction brand connecting people and possibilities in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. 

Roanoke Region’s Welcome Wagon

G2KN ambassadors are not just for show – they are a “welcome wagon” for anyone considering life in the Roanoke Region. They connect with prospective residents and employers over coffee, Zoom, or happy hour to provide insights on everything from neighborhoods to nightlife to career opportunities. Their career and lifestyle diversity provides an inside look at living, working, and connecting in the region, allowing anyone to envision their life here. 

Group of four white women smiling at a table of plants at Roanoke GoFest
Boas (far right) hosting a Get2KnowNoke pop-up event at the Anthem GO Outside Festival

“Our talent ambassadors are a vital resource for both employers and individuals. They bring a personal connection to the talent-attraction process, offering recruits valuable insights that help people imagine their life here,” said Julia Boas, director of business investment at the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “They don’t just talk about what makes the Roanoke Region great—they are actively building the communities they want to exist here.” 

Employers have taken note of the program’s value. In 2024, companies like New Belgium Brewing partnered with ambassadors to help recruit talent, having ambassadors entertain several young recruits from Colorado and North Carolina to experience the region’s appeal firsthand.  

“The Ambassadors are awesome! They consider both our recruitment and retention goals and the candidate’s interests when showcasing the local communities,” New Belgium’s senior recruiter, Carly Straata, said. “Candidates come back to us with outstanding feedback about the time with their Roanoke Ambassador. One candidate compared it to a good friend showing you around while giving you the intel on the best places for activities and entertainment – all thoughtfully tailored to each individual.”

A Black man with long dredlocks and a beard poses with a young Black woman with the Wells Fargo Tower in the background. The two are wearing sunglasses and warm coats and smiling for the camera.
Two new Talent Ambassadors at one of the Roanoke Regional Professional Network quarterly socials in 2024

Ambassadors have also helped with recruitment efforts with Salem-based STS group, assisted with livability photo and video shoots, and served on panels at conferences and events. Their authentic expertise is a vital resource to regional employers hoping to connect with potential talent. 

“I’ve enjoyed meeting with recruits from area employers and showing them what I love about living and working here,” Kristen Chapin, second-year ambassador, said. “I’ve unofficially been singing Roanoke’s praises for years, so to be able to channel that into having a real impact is rewarding.” 

Regional, Lifestyle, and Career Diversity

This year’s ambassadors represent the region’s full footprint, including Alleghany, Botetourt, Franklin, and Roanoke counties, the cities of Covington, Roanoke, and Salem, and the town of Vinton. From tech and healthcare to small business and the arts, the ambassadors highlight the diversity of careers, lifestyles, and communities in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. 

“As an ambassador, I want to highlight why the Roanoke Valley is a great place for recent graduates to build their careers and lives,” new ambassador (and boomerang) Khal Clary said. “With its scenic mountains, vibrant seasons, affordable living, and growing nightlife, it offers the perfect balance of work and play.”  

Five young professionals, three women and two men, pose for the camera with their arms around one another. They're in a park in the evening.
Attendees at the Mill Mountain Park Sesh, a Get2KnowNoke quarterly social.

Through young professional pop-up events, quarterly networking socials, social media storytelling, and mentorship opportunities, the G2KN talent ambassadors serve as the face of the region’s talent-attraction efforts. This initiative is part of the Roanoke Regional Partnership’s five-year strategic plan to engage talent, grow the regional workforce, and position the market as a destination for career growth and personal fulfillment. 

In addition to the ambassador program, G2KN supports the Partnership’s efforts with a newly launched talent recruitment website Get2KnowNoke.com featuring jobs board only for local companies and a “Where to Live” tool, talent-focused marketing campaigns, the Onboard|ROA summer onboarding program for ages 18-26, the Go Virginia Future of Talent Summit, and quarterly socials that strengthen connections among employers and local talent. 

Learn more about the program and meet the 2025 ambassadors at get2knownoke.com/talent-ambassadors.