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By Jeanna Baxter White

Word Master Media Group

Jeannette Pitts has hit the ground running as Mocksville’s new Director of Marketing and Community Development.

She arrived during a busy time for downtown Mocksville with summer concerts, movies in the park, the farmer’s market, festivals, and event planning for the holidays in full swing.

That is a great deal of work without adding in learning a new community, getting to know merchants and residents, and adjusting to a new job, but Pitts doesn’t mind the excitement.

In fact, she thrives on the energy she has found in Mocksville. She has been coming in early and staying late to get the lay of the land.

“I don’t like to sit still; I Iike to be doing something. I’ve enjoyed meeting the merchants, and I’ve definitely done some shopping. I also thoroughly enjoyed dancing with residents at the Moxie concert”, she said. “I absolutely love what I’ve seen so far. Everyone I’ve met has been so welcoming. They are rightly proud of their town and want to share it.”

Pitts was born and raised in New York but spent most of her summers on a farm in Puerto Rico with her grandfather, and she understands rural living. She lived and attended school in Puerto Rico from second through sixth grade. She is fully bilingual. She moved to North Carolina to pursue a career in the medical field in 1992 and now considers herself a North Carolinian.

She spent 30 years working in the medical field. As the administrator of a large multi-modal pediatric practice for Moses Cone, she gained experience with skills she will need in her new role, including planning, capital project management, budgeting, grant writing, and administration.

She is a self-professed “people person” and loves building relationships between business, individuals, organizations, and the community. She is not afraid of challenges like managing the Moses Cone COVID-19 community vaccine clinic that served 3,000 patients daily.

Pitts is thrilled to combine her corporate “hard skills” with her softer “people-centered skills” like event planning, fundraising, and community engagement to enhance everyone’s downtown experience.

“I love working with the community and being out there serving others. I also enjoy interacting one-on-one with people and hearing about their experiences, what motivates them, and what makes them happy. My focus for the rest of this year will be listening to discover what our merchants, residents, and community leaders are looking for to move our already amazing downtown to the next level. I am here to help bridge the gaps between ideas, people, and organizations.”

She is a devoted mother and grandmother. She has five grown daughters, two teenage stepdaughters, five granddaughters, and a great-grandson. In her spare time, she enjoys swimming, dancing, reading, and spending time with her grandchildren and three dogs.