I've sat where you sit.
I'm Beth and I spent the last six years in rural Virginia local government, most recently as a county administrator. I've been in the 9pm budget meeting. I've handled the wildfire, the special election, the major organizational transition, all in the same five months. I know what your Tuesday morning looks like, because I've been there myself.
Before that I taught high school in Henry County, owned a CrossFit gym in downtown Eden, North Carolina, and spent ten years working in restaurants. Different jobs, same lesson: figure out what's in front of you and start.
Beth Simms
Local Government & Economic Development Consultant
Fractional Leadership | Special Projects | Community Engagement
Getting things done
Maybe it's a comprehensive plan that got adopted two years ago, but nothing in the budget is tied to it. Maybe it's a box of brochures that never got distributed. Maybe it's a zoning update or a marketing campaign that stalled when the staff turned over. The plans exist. The intentions are good. The people are capable. But the day-to-day eats the long-term, and "we'll get to it" turns into eighteen months of getting to it.
How I help
Implementation support
Taking the plan off the shelf and building the budget, timeline, and team to actually execute it.
Fractional leadership & organizational capacity
Providing experienced, part-time leadership when an organization needs executive-level support but not another full-time position. I can stabilize operations, manage priorities, strengthen systems, support a transition, or move special projects forward.
Economic development & strengthening communities
Helping communities identify the opportunities that best fit their assets, needs, and goals, and build a practical strategy to pursue them.
Storytelling & community communications
Turning the narrative around. Surfacing the businesses, people, and wins your community already has but isn't talking about.
Community and stakeholder engagement
Building productive conversations among local leaders, businesses, residents, and project partners, especially when the issue is complicated, unfamiliar, or politically sensitive.
How I'm different
My perspective comes from doing the work inside local government, not simply advising it from the outside. I’ve managed real crises, competing priorities, limited budgets, and small teams, and I bring that practical experience to every engagement.
I'm allergic to analysis paralysis. I dive in, figure it out, and pivot when I need to. That's how the work actually gets done.
I'm good at seeing what the people in the weeds can't see. The reframe. The story already sitting there waiting to be told. The version of the plan that turns an internal grind into a community asset.
Ready to get something off the shelf?
Tell me what you're working on. If we're a fit, the next step is a free 30-minute call.