Hi, I’m Dee Dee Becker from Virginia!

As the oldest of six sisters, I’ve been practicing community—and conflict—management for as long as I can remember. That early experience sparked a lifelong passion for bringing people together, solving problems, and fostering connection.

Today, I’m the parent of a Virginia Tech alum and the lead admin of the Virginia Tech Parents Facebook group, now the largest parent-only university group in the U.S. with over 32,000 members. I’m also the founder of University Parent Group Admins (UPGA), a community of nearly 700 admins representing almost 300 parent groups across the US, UK, and Canada.

With a background in marketing, PR, and crisis communication, I’ve led communities through high-stakes moments, ranging from student mental health emergencies to an active shooter incident and the early days of the pandemic. These experiences showed me the true power of online communities: their ability to comfort, mobilize, and create real-world impact when it’s needed most.

Over the years, I’ve authored several case studies, spoken at Meta’s global headquarters on crisis management in online spaces, and served as a full-time contingent worker on both Meta’s Community Partnerships Management Team and Health Partnerships team. I’m also a Meta Certified Community Manager (through 2026).

In addition to my work with parent communities, I’ve spent over 15 years managing online health communities for hospitals and health systems, telling the stories of healthcare heroes and helping brands build trust with the communities they serve.

Ask me about the time a Navy jet crashed into a Virginia Beach neighborhood (miraculously, all survived), a fake bomb threat caused a hospital lockdown, or when an active shooter incident in which a local student was killed, polarizing a Facebook parent group of 10,000 members.

If you're looking for a seasoned, mission-driven community leader with hands-on experience navigating both everyday conversations and extraordinary challenges, I’d love to connect.