Ruanda has dedicated her career to public service in local government and higher education.  Ruanda has spent more than a decade in a variety of roles in student admissions, community development, planning and housing. She began her career at her undergraduate alma mater, Hendrix College, where she served as Assistant Director of Admissions. In this role, Ruanda saw firsthand the disparities in educational access based on where someone lives. This experience shaped her passion for serving local communities and supporting place-based solutions.

Ruanda began her local government career as a Planning Intern at the City of Madison, Wisconsin and a Cookingham-Noll Fellow with the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Ruanda later supported the City’s Housing Division by managing contracts for CDBG funds, overseeing special projects and developing policies and procedures.  Continuing her work in housing, Ruanda most recently served as the Community Development Coordinator for the City of Overland Park, Kansas, overseeing all aspects of the City's CDBG program.

Ruanda earned a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies, a Masters of Public Affairs and a Masters of Science in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In her spare time, Ruanda enjoys exploring the outdoors and visiting with family in her home state of Arkansas.