Advisory Members

Rachel Covington is a Consultant and Facilitator for Epstein Clark Consulting. In addition, she consults with the Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce to lead and facilitate Leadership Southside, the region’s longest-running professional leadership development program. 

A native of Danville, Rachel graduated magna cum laude from the University of Mary Washington with a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish and a minor in Arabic. She holds a M.A. in Nonprofit Leadership Studies from the University of Lynchburg and has earned the Duke University Certificate of Nonprofit Management.

Previously, Rachel served as an intern and Fellow for DRF. From there, she served as the Director of Community Engagement at Averett University and the Senior Director of Member Services at the Danville Pittsylvania Chamber of Commerce. 

In the community, Rachel proudly serves on the Board of Directors for the River District Association. She is a 2013 graduate of Leadership Southside and a 2017 recipient of the Young Professionals PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) Award.

Philip Kauneckas is the Operations Manager at Intertape Polymer Group (IPG) in Danville, VA. Philip has over sixteen years of professional experience in engineering and lean manufacturing. Born in Australia and raised in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Herndon, VA, Philip has lived in the region since 2007. He holds a degree in industrial engineering from North Carolina State University and an MBA from Averett University. Philip is the recipient of the 2020 Young Professional PACE Award for Professional and Community Engagement in the Danville-Pittsylvania County Region. He is a founding member of the Association of Energy Engineers – Danville Chapter and held various officer positions within the chapter. Philip serves on the Averett University Business Advisory Committee and is an active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church. He is a Certified Energy Manager and Six Sigma Black Belt.  Philip is married to Stephanie Kauneckas and they are proud parents of Ethan and Emily.

Austin, the General Manager of the Danville Otterbots, was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina before graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Religious Studies. He was named 2022 Appalachian League Executive of the Year, was a recipient of the 2022 Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) Award, and was named June 2023 Danville Citizen of the Month. Under Austin's leadership, the Otterbots were named 2023 Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Small Business Award winners, were placed on the Virginia School Boards Association's 2023 Business Honor Roll, were voted Favorite Family Funspot by Showcase Magazine readers in 2021 and 2022, and were recognized by eVince Magazine for Exceptional Community Service in 2022 and 2023. He currently serves as the Fundraising Chair for the Danville After Hours Rotary Club--where he was named 2022-2023 Outstanding member of the Year--is the Chair of the Danville Public Schools Education Foundation Board, and was the United Way of Danville-Pittsylvania County 2021 campaign chair.