Deena grew up in a log cabin that their father built. Born and raised in NE Ohio, Deena grew up with log walls and a plethora of animals including dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, goats, chickens, hamsters, newts, and sugar gliders, though not all at the same time. She spent a lot of time exploring her surroundings, especially the creek out back and the variety of creatures that lived in and around the running water and spending time in the next door neighbors’ barn, petting horses and befriending as many barn cats as she could.
Deena earned a BA in music from Winthrop University in South Carolina and a Master of Heritage Preservation from Georgia State University. She is deeply passionate about historic preservation and adaptive reuse of the built environment. She was employed as a historic preservation specialist with a transportation engineering firm in Atlanta as well as serving as a remote contractor with a preservation planning firm. She brings a diverse background, both personally and professionally, to the CVC. When not at work, Deena can be found practicing flute, piccolo, and clarinet as well as participating in various aspects of the local theatre community. She lives in NE Roanoke with her husband and their two ultra-spoiled house cats.