Yvonne Rorrer

Yvonne Rorrer, a native of the Winston-Salem, NC, area, relocated to Stuart, VA, in 2002 after marrying Ryan Rorrer, a Patrick County native. They returned to North Carolina for several years before making Patrick County their home in 2011, where they have built a life together, raising their children and facing both life’s greatest joys and its most difficult challenges with resilience and strength.

While Yvonne is a moderate Democrat, Ryan is a center leaning Republican. While their differing perspectives can make for a fun discussion around the dinner table, together they foster meaningful discussions and a balanced approach to life. Their ability to find common ground reflects Yvonne’s broader commitment to unity and understanding, key principles that guide her both personally and professionally.

In her free time, Yvonne enjoys photography, live music, birdwatching, and spending quality time with friends and family.

Yvonne understands firsthand the challenges that come with adversity. Born into poverty to teenage parents, she overcame a childhood marked by severe abuse. These experiences shaped her deep commitment to advocating for those in need.

Driven by a passion for service, Yvonne has dedicated much of her life to volunteerism and community support. Currently, she works with Focus on Youth in Martinsville, VA, where she is a Court-Appointed Special Advocate (CASA), ensuring the voices of abused and neglected children are heard within the court system. Additionally, Yvonne serves as a professional affiliated photographer for Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep (NILMDTS), a nonprofit that offers remembrance photography for families grieving the loss of their babies. Prior to relocating to Patrick County, she founded ESF, a nonprofit in Forsyth County, NC, that focused on providing essential assistance to the homeless population.

Her lifelong dedication to service reflects her unwavering belief that every individual deserves compassion, support, and the opportunity to build a better future.

With over 20 years of experience in property management, Yvonne has successfully overseen numerous large residential communities across Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Charlotte. Her expertise in handling high-pressure situations, negotiating complex business contracts, and leading diverse teams earned her a strong reputation in the industry.

A natural leader and mentor, Yvonne took great pride in developing and guiding employees, many of whom have gone on to achieve success in their own careers. Her ability to navigate challenges with a professional and supportive approach made her the preferred choice for high-stakes projects requiring strong leadership and strategic decision-making.

In addition to her career in property management, Yvonne launched Zehn Photography in 2012, building it into a thriving business that attracted clients from Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. She retired from property management in 2020. She later chose to focus her time and energy on her family and their small farm and closed her photography business. This has allowed her even more time to focus on advocacy for victims, and their rights, as well as serving the public.

Prior to and throughout her career, Yvonne has studied a variety of subjects. Directly out of high school, she attended Forsyth Tech Community College where she studied Criminal Justice with a concentration on Crime Scene Investigation. She later attended Salem College in Winston-Salem, NC, where she majored in Sociology, and while enrolled at Salem College, she also attended UNCG where she studied Archaeology and enjoyed spending an entire summer on an active excavation site located in Old Salem.

After years of costly litigation over an easement dispute on their property, Yvonne took action. Under Virginia law, landowners could only relocate an easement after 10 years unless all parties agreed. However, in court, it became clear that no case law defined when that 10-year period began. Determined to find a solution, Yvonne researched and spearheaded the efforts behind bringing current House Bill 1721 (HB1721), the Uniform Easement Relocation Act, sponsored by Delegate Vivian Watts, to the Commonwealth of Virginia. This bill eliminates the arbitrary 10-year requirement, allowing landowners to relocate easements, at their own expense, without unnecessary legal battles. Initially, the bill applied only to easements created after July 2025, but following Yvonne’s passionate testimony before the House Committee, it was amended to apply retroactively once it becomes law.

This experience showed Yvonne the true impact of legislative advocacy and proved that one voice can spark meaningful change. Now, she is ready to take that passion further, and fight for policies that benefit the Commonwealth of Virginia and the people of District 47, regardless of wealth, race, or political affiliation.

Yvonne is a fighter, driven by compassion, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to equality in our district. She believes that every community member deserves to be heard, especially those too often overlooked. As your Delegate, she will take your concerns and ideas to Richmond, ensuring that real people, not politics, will shape our future.