Chaquenta earned an undergraduate degree in agriculture economics from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, later obtaining a master’s degree in Agriculture Economics from the University of Kentucky with an emphasis on community leadership development and community economic development. She has worked in the Cooperative Extension Service specializing in 4-H Youth Development and as a diversity recruiter for Undergraduate Admissions. Before joining PDO, she worked for a Lexington nonprofit, seeking, writing, and managing grants for federal, local, and private foundations. Chaquenta’s primary agency responsibilities include NASA, USDA, and Department of Commerce.