FY16 Candidate Bios: VP Professional Development

Vice President of Professional Development Candidate:

Grace Lefebure

I moved to Seattle about 3 years ago from West Chester, PA to work as a Stress Analysis Engineer at Boeing. I graduated from the University of Virginia (UVa) in 2012 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in biomedical engineering; these studies reflect my passion for biomechanics, and I would ultimately like to use my degree to innovate products to reduce sports-related injuries.

I currently serve as the Newsletter Editor of SWE-PNW. Within this role, I communicate events, activities, and news to our members and work with the virtual brand team to ensure consistent interaction with members. In addition, as a board member of the UVaClub of Seattle (Alumni group), I organize events to encourage Alumni networking and a connection to the University after graduation. Prior to moving to Seattle, I held various leadership roles at many organizations that helped me develop a diverse set of skills, including Fundraising Chair, Marketing Chair, Service Chair, etc. Most notably of these was my 2 year term as president of the Monroe Society at UVa, an organization that sets up prospective student visits with current students, where I coordinated hundreds of volunteers and transformed our communication strategy.

I am interested in the VP of Professional Development role because I believe that learning never ends and learning something new brings people together. I hope to plan a variety of events that stimulate engaging conversations to facilitate learning and encourage relationships among SWE members.

Outside of work, I stay very active in athletic endeavors like triathlons, yoga, boxing, and soccer. I’m looking forward to competing in a triathlon this June and my first backpacking trip in July.