About the President and CEO

Collegiate Connections, LLC is the brain child of Shalonda Venable - Royster. It all started with small project management requests, directing the public relations division for a freight company, and the creation of multi-state billboard graphics. She continues to provide several consulting services but she prides herself on creating networks of Small, Women, and Minority owned businesses (SWaM) and assisting them with their brand building through strategic marketing / communications.

Shalonda attended St. Paul’s College (Lawrenceville, VA) and Virginia State University (Petersburg, VA), graduating with a degree in Business Marketing. She also attended Liberty University (Lynchburg, VA) for her Master’s in Business Administration.

Since 2001, Shalonda has worked in multiple areas to include: private industry companies, local government agencies, political subsidiaries of local government, and state government agencies (including her alma mater, Virginia State University).

In the years 2013 and 2016, she was the recipient of the Petersburg Chamber of Commerce “Hometown Hero” Award for her role with the Petersburg Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services as their Public Fire and Life Safety Educator.