Meredith Lane

Meredith joined the Regional Commission in August, 2024 as a student intern. Currently in her third year of a criminology and peace studies degree from Virginia Tech, Meredith’s interests of study center around the intersection of substance use disorder and our criminal justice system. She questions the ways in which local institutions broadly impact our communities, aiming to facilitate change by listening to the needs of those who are too often ignored.

As a student in recovery, Meredith uses her experiences to lend insight into advocacy work while destigmatizing SUD through outreach. She serves as the vice president of VT Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a political action group that focuses on education, advocacy, and on-campus harm reduction efforts. She represented Virginia Tech as a fellow for SAFE Project’s (Stop Addiction Fatality Epidemic) national Collegiate Recovery Leadership Academy from 2023-2024. Meredith currently assists Virginia Tech’s community engagement center as a student program coordinator.

Prior to her work with the Commission, Meredith interned at a conflict resolution center in Roanoke, where she learned the ways in which restorative processes and dialogue can promote holistic community healing. She believes in the capability of radical compassion to foster a feeling of togetherness throughout the region.