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Wednesday, November 22, 2023
10 UNDER 40
Harrisonburg, Va.
Bridgewater Public Works Admin On The Ball For Residents By HARLEIGH CUPP Daily News-Record
When most people categorize a young, successful careerperson, they may picture an educator or doctor or small business owner. Megan Byler spent the first few years of her working life as a teacher, she bears none of those titles — yet has still worked her way through the ladder to hold a position that affects many people in the community. As assistant town manager for public works for the town of Bridgewater, Byler oversees a variety of projects that keeps the town running smoothly each day. She played a pivotal role on the team who opened the ice skating rink at Generations Park, Sandy Bottom golf course and the Sipe Center and it all started with a part-time position making reservations for players at the tennis center. Byler is a Rockingham County native who now raises her three children in Bridgewater alongside her husband. After graduating from Bridgewater College
Harleigh Cupp / DN-R
Megan Byler is Bridgewater’s assistant town manager for public works. in 2006, she lived in New York City for several years as she pursued her Masters degree. Throughout her schooling in New York, Byler worked within the education system and continued in that field for eight or nine years following. “We have been rooted in this community as we started to grow our family,” Byler said. As she and her husband looked to
start a family together, Byler decided it was time for a career shift and settled into a 10-hour weekly commitment at the Doug Will Tennis Center in 2015 as the opportunity arose. “I took that on because it was a good fit for our family at the time,” Byler recalled, “and over the course of [eight years] that has grown into the position I have now.” After proving her strong work ethic at the tennis center, Byler was asked to serve full-time for the department of parks and recreation. In February, 2020, Byler was promoted to her current assistant town manger for public works position and continues to foster the slow and steady growth of Bridgewater. From talking to residents — of which the town has more than 6,000 — about their ideas and concerns to meeting about upcoming projects, every day at work looks a little bit different and each project the town sets out to tackle brings many new opportunities for Byler to expand her knowledge, whether it be about how a movie studio runs or what
Bomfim Finds ‘Her People’ At The Community Foundation By VIC YOUNG
Daily News-Record
She is a TV connoisseur. She’s The Community Foundation‘s director of marketing and program initiatives. She is on the Daily News-Record’s Top 10 Under 40 list. She is Amanda Bomfim. While Bomfim has worked with The Community Foundation for six years, she has been a part of the Harrisonburg community for longer. Amanda first came to the Harrisonburg area from New Fairfield, Connecticut, when she decided to follow her cousin to James Madison University for undergrad. “Whether she picked the University of Alaska or Oregon, it didn’t matter. Wherever she was going, I was following. Luckily she picked JMU,” Amanda said. While at JMU, she not only dove into student life, but she immersed herself in the community. She worked
We are honored to have Amanda as part of the team at TCFHR! Daniel Lin / DN-R
Amanda Bomfim, The Community Center’s Director of Marketing and Program Initiatives, poses for a photo. at Kline’s Dairy Bar, and, through her social work studies, she volunteered at Open Doors where she was able to chat with clients she served, which she said was a game changer.
See BOMFIM, Page 10
Congratulations and thank you for your leadership and service to our community.
resources are needed to re-paint faded lines on the roadway or putting a recycling center in place. “I truly believe that I work for a very unique organization,” Byler noted, “but for me, I believe my success has been geared around the willingness to put in the hard work and effort. I love seeing how what we do here [in the office] makes such an impact out there [for each of our residents]. I had no idea that this was the direction my career would take, but I can’t think of a better career — I’m where I’m meant to be.” Aside from her dedication to taking care of the town through public works, Byler is dedicated to taking care of her family and much of her spare time is spent at baseball fields and basketball courts. “I love that I have a career,” Byler said, “and that is a blessing, but when the day is over I want to be there with my family.” Contact Harleigh Cupp at 540-5746279 or hcupp@dnronline.com