2020 - Joshua Gooden
Joshua Gooden, 26, has always had a passion for serving his hometown of Elkton, Virginia. From an early age, he could be found volunteering at community events or trying to find new ways to draw awareness of what the small Rockingham County town has to offer.
At the age of 18, Gooden a freshman at Bridgewater College, was elected to the Elkton Town Council. Through his time on town council he helped to spearhead various revitalization projects such as beautification efforts, special events, and promoting small business to visitors and residents. In 2018, Gooden was elected mayor for the Town of Elkton. Two of his biggest goals once elected were to promote small businesses and growth in downtown Elkton and the restoration of an 1840's era Jennings House in the center of the Downtown which was used as the town offices from the 1960's until 2016. Over the last two years, Downtown Elkton has seen the addition of over a dozen small businesses including retail shops, restaurants, service businesses and a brewery.
For the last 2.5 years, Gooden has been able to not only market the Town of Elkton, but all of Rockingham County as their Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator where he works with community members and business owners on a larger scale.
As an avid Photographer, Gooden also likes to showcase the community through his camera lens. It is common to see him at community events snapping photos and capturing the moments to share with community members and future generations. Gooden is an active member of the Elkton Downtown Revitalization Corporation, Elkton Progressive Improvement Committee, Shenandoah Valley Tourism Partnership, and the Rockingham County Fair Marketing Committee among others.
Some of Gooden's favorite projects over the years include the creation of the Benjamin Graessle Memorial Basketball Court in the heart of Downtown Elkton, the Elkton Town Hall (Historic Jenning's House) restoration, and the creation of a sidewalk improvement plan for the Town of Elkton.
At the age of 18, Gooden a freshman at Bridgewater College, was elected to the Elkton Town Council. Through his time on town council he helped to spearhead various revitalization projects such as beautification efforts, special events, and promoting small business to visitors and residents. In 2018, Gooden was elected mayor for the Town of Elkton. Two of his biggest goals once elected were to promote small businesses and growth in downtown Elkton and the restoration of an 1840's era Jennings House in the center of the Downtown which was used as the town offices from the 1960's until 2016. Over the last two years, Downtown Elkton has seen the addition of over a dozen small businesses including retail shops, restaurants, service businesses and a brewery.
For the last 2.5 years, Gooden has been able to not only market the Town of Elkton, but all of Rockingham County as their Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator where he works with community members and business owners on a larger scale.
As an avid Photographer, Gooden also likes to showcase the community through his camera lens. It is common to see him at community events snapping photos and capturing the moments to share with community members and future generations. Gooden is an active member of the Elkton Downtown Revitalization Corporation, Elkton Progressive Improvement Committee, Shenandoah Valley Tourism Partnership, and the Rockingham County Fair Marketing Committee among others.
Some of Gooden's favorite projects over the years include the creation of the Benjamin Graessle Memorial Basketball Court in the heart of Downtown Elkton, the Elkton Town Hall (Historic Jenning's House) restoration, and the creation of a sidewalk improvement plan for the Town of Elkton.