Valerie Parlave-FBI Arkansas

For anyone following the investigation into the Washington Navy Yard shooting, the face of Valerie Parlave may be familiar.

Parlave, assistant director in charge of the FBI Washington Field Office, is responsible for informing the public about what happened when a gunman entered Navy Yard and opened fire, the Democrat and Chronicle reports.

Parlave announced the identity of the shooter, Aaron Alexis, and appealed to the public for more information about the shooting spree.

It was big news for residents of rural Ontario County in New York.

“Here’s a small-town gal from Naples, N.Y.,” Henry Savage, a family friend who keeps in touch with Parlave from time to time, told the Democrat and Chronicle. “Naples, N.Y., in the grand scheme of things is about as small as you can get. Just through good honest hard work and stick-to-it-iveness, she’s one of the top people in the FBI now. That’s exciting, and it’s exciting for her.”