Our Communications Manager is Samantha Ellis . Samantha oversees the daily communications of the organization and administers the website and other electronic communications via email, the FIRST Family blog , our quarterly newsletter , and social media. She also manages Technology and Scholarship Row and the Alumni event at the FIRST Chesapeake District Championship.

Samantha started with FIRST Chesapeake in 2014. Although she was not involved with FIRST prior to that, her daughter was on an FLL team while in middle school and her son has been on an FTC and/or FRC team for the past two years.

Prior to 2014 Samantha worked for various non-profit organizations including Virginia Association of Museums, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, Library of Virginia Foundation, Virginia Fire and Police Museum, and C&O Historical Society. She has a BA in Historic Preservation and an MA in Folk Studies (yup, it's a real thing).

Samantha and her husband have two children, the oldest of whom left for her first year of college a week ago, two dogs and three cats. In her off time Samantha enjoys reading non-fiction; being creative- sewing, quilting, cooking, mixed media, photography; volunteering at her church; watching British TV programs, and visiting junk shops.

Fun Fact: Samantha and her son like to cosplay. She has only dressed as Doctor Who characters, although she's considering other characters for the future.