Career FRONT

MARKETING FRONT

Carter

5Points Creative in Roanoke announces the addition of Strategic Communications Consultant Meg Carter. She will be assisting the 5PC team with key client communications, brand development, and the expansion of their leadership development work. Carter has recently worked as a freelance consultant specializing in internal brand communications, crisis and strategic messaging, and assisting business leaders with workforce optimization challenges.

EDUCATIONAL FRONT

Verletta White is the new superintendent of Roanoke City Public Schools, effective

White

July 1. White succeeds Dr. Rita Bishop, who is retiring after 13 years in the position. White was recruited to the City of Roanoke from Baltimore County, where she held a variety of position after starting out as a teacher – including interim superintendent at one point. “When you get here and meet the people there’s no way not to be excited. Everybody person I’ve encountered so far has just been so incredibly nice,” said White about relocating with her family to Roanoke.

The Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences has named Farida Jalalzai as associate dean for global initiatives and engagement. Jalalzai most recently served as professor and head of the Department of Political Science at Oklahoma State University. Her research focuses heavily on the representation and behavior of women and minorities in politics and the role of gender in the political arena.

Widdowson

Mark A. Widdowson

has been appointed head of the Charles E. Via Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech. Widdowson assumed the role in late April after serving as interim department head since last July and as assistant department head from 2009 to 2019.

Orsolya Balogh, associate professor in the Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences in the VirginiaMaryland College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech, has been

Balogh named the JoAnne S. O’Brien Professor of Theriogenology by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. Before joining the veterinary college last year, Balogh served as a senior clinician and researcher at the University of Zurich for nearly a decade. She completed a residency in theriogenology at Cornell University and became a diplomate of the American College of Theriogenologists.

Fox

Michael A. Fox, director of the Center for Neurobiology Research at the Fralin Biomedical

Research Institute at VTC, will transition from his current leadership position into a new role as director of the School of Neuroscience within the Virginia Tech College of Science. Fox stepped into his new position on July 1, while remaining a professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute. Fox will step down as director of the institute’s Center for Neurobiology Research but will maintain his research programs there.

FINANCIAL FRONT

Johnson

First Bank & Trust Company, a financial services firm, has announced that Steven M. Johnson has been appointed as Vice President and Branch Manager. Johnson has over 19 years of

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experience, most recently with Wells Fargo Bank. He assumes the role of Branch Manager for the First Bank & Trust Company office in Christiansburg.

MUNICIPAL FRONT

Roanoke-based VA811 founder and CEO, Rick Pevarski has retired as of June 30, 2020. He will stay on in an advisory capacity until July 2022. Scott Crawford, currently the Company’s Vice President, will assume the role of President and Chief Executive Officer in July. A811 (Miss Utility as its also known) was a startup organization Pevarski created in 2001; before that he was a 17-year employee of Roanoke Gas Company, where he served as VicePresident of Operations & Marketing.

VA811 provides onecall notification services for the Commonwealth of Virginia, alerting utilities of upcoming excavation work so they can locate and mark the underground facilities to prevent possible damage to underground utility lines — also preventing injury, property damage, and service outages.

Milburn

Jason Milburn is the new director of the New River Valley Emergency Communications Regional Authority. Said Marc Verniel, Chair of the NRV Emergency Communications Regional Authority, “his service to our community in public safety and fire and rescue for more than two decades has provided him with the vast field experience and the proven dedication we need and value.” Milburn has worked for Montgomery County in public safety for nearly 22 years. While at the Sheriff’s Office, he worked exclusively in field operations and served in various assignments to include Canine Handler, SWAT, and Crash Reconstruction.

Compiled by Gene Marrano