Christie Steele-Garcia is an Appalachian native, originally from Pulaski County in the New River Valley. She is a proud graduate of James Madison University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Theatre and Dance. She is currently pursuing her MBA from Radford University. Professionally, Christie currently works as the Development Director for the American Heart Association, leading Roanoke's annual Heart Ball and Go Red for Women fundraising campaigns. Her career in nonprofits spans over a decade of service, work with three major nonprofit brands in New York City and Roanoke, as well as several small shop non-profits. She has both worked and volunteered for a variety of causes, including, children's literacy, youth mentoring, education, arts education, women's health, homelessness, job readiness, and public health. Christie was drawn to nonprofit work by her first love, the arts, and believes the collaborative and creative nature of both the arts and nonprofits go hand-in-hand.

 

After becoming a mother to Lucy Jo in 2019, she became a passionate advocate for maternal health after suffering an emergent case of postpartum preeclampsia. She credits Huddle Up Moms and her village of support for guiding her through the darkness that followed that health trauma. She is passionate about building support networks for mothers in Roanoke and beyond, and sharing the work of Huddle Up Moms with the community she loves dearly. Christie lives in Roanoke with her husband Chris, their daughter Lucy Jo, and their rescue dog of 10 years, Tuck.