Roanoke Business- Jan. 2016 by Virginia Business

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JANUARY 2016

SERVING THE ROANOKE/BLACKSBURG/ NEW RIVER VALLEY REGION

Making the short list

To attract economic development, region focuses on behaving like one big place

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CONTENTS SERVING THE ROANOKE/BLACKSBURG/ NEW RIVER VALLEY REGION

January 2016

F E AT U R E S COVER STORY

Making the short list

To attract economic development, region focuses on behaving like one big place. by Mason Adams

Site selection Authority works to identify places that may attract new businesses. by Mason Adams

COMMERCIAL INSURANCE The year ahead

Increased competition and reduced risk should keep most premium increases small in 2016. by Joan Tupponce

MEETINGS & CONFERENCES The mojo of meetings

Neon lights and lightning bugs: The region’s venues offer a variety of amenities. by Kathie Dickenson

HIGHER EDUCATION Building the future

26 D 17

Roanoke College is expanding facilities to give students more academic opportunities. by Shawna Morrison

INTERVIEW: Jonathan Hagmaier

Interactive Achievement

From problem student to CEO

NEWS FROM THE CHAMBER Chamber Champions

•

Event sponsorships

by Beth JoJack

•

New members

COMMUNITY PROFILE: SALEM

•

Member news & recognitions

Not number two Sports, a college and small businesses put Salem on the map. by Gene Marrano

N •

Teacher-turned-entrepreneur says success comes from surrounding himself with right people.

JANUARY 2016

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FROM THE EDITOR

Un-American activities by Tim Thornton

oanoke Mayor David Bowers’ pronouncement that it is “presently imprudent to assist in the relocation of Syrian refugees” was bad. His justifying that with a reference to the “sequester [of] Japanese foreign nationals after the bombing of Pearl Harbor” may have been worse. Bowers eventually apologized, but before he did, the mayor earned a distinction. He is likely the only person who’s been called down by Del. Sam Rasoul, author Beth Macy, comedian John Oliver and George Takei, Mr. Sulu in the original Star Trek series. Bowers, as Takei reminded him, got his history wrong. “The internment (not a ‘sequester’) was not of Japanese ‘foreign nationals,’ but of Japanese Americans, twothirds of whom were U.S. citizens,” Takei said on social media. “There never was any proven incident of espionage or sabotage from the suspected ‘enemies’ then, just as there has been no act of terrorism from any of the 1,854 Syrian refugees the U.S. already has accepted. We were judged based on who we looked like, and that is about as un-American as it gets.” It is un-American, but Americans are like that sometimes. Quite often, unfortunately. While Bowers was being pilloried, the men who represent this area in Congress, Reps. Morgan Griffith and Bob Goodlatte, were promoting and voting for the American Security Against Foreign Enemies Act – legislation that would do on the federal level essentially what Bowers advocated locally. They weren’t alone, of course. The bill passed the U.S. House. More than half of the country’s governors (not Virginia’s) said they don’t want Syrian refugees in their states. Chris Christie, a governor who is also a presidential candidate, said he’d even turn away a 5-year-old orphan. Sadly, that seems to put Christie and Bowers and Griffith and Goodlatte in the American mainstream. According to a recent Gallup poll, 60 percent of Americans oppose a plan to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees in the United States. That is not unusual. In a 1979 Gallop poll, 57 percent of Americans were against letting “boat people” settle in the U.S. In 1958, after the Soviet Union crushed a reform government in Hungary, a Gallop poll said 55 percent of the Americans were against letting Hungarians settle here. In 1947, as the Iron Curtain was dividing Europe, Gallop found that 57 percent of Americans were against letting Europeans move to the U.S. The year before, according to Gallop, 72 percent of Americans didn’t want Europeans, including Jews, moving to the U.S. In 1939, the year the Nazis started World War II, 67 percent of Americans polled told Gallop they didn’t want children moving here from Germany. “Indeed,” Thomas Jefferson wrote in another context, “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just …”

JANUARY 2016

SERVING THE ROANOKE/BLACKSBURG/ NEW RIVER VALLEY REGION Vol. 5

JANUARY 2016

President & Publisher Roanoke Business Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Writers

Art Director Contributing Photographers Production Manager Circulation Manager Accounting Manager Vice President of Advertising Account Representative

No. 1

Bernard A. Niemeier Tim Thornton Paula C. Squires Mason Adams Kathie Dickenson Beth JoJack Gene Marrano Shawna Morrison Joan Tupponce Adrienne R. Watson Don Petersen Natalee Waters Kevin L. Dick Karen Chenault Ashley Henry Hunter Bendall Lynn Williams

CONTACT: EDITORIAL: (540) 520-2399 ADVERTISING: (540) 597-2499 210 S. Jefferson St., Roanoke, VA 24011-1702 We welcome your feedback. Email Letters to the Editor to Tim Thornton at tthornton@roanoke-business.com VIRGINIA BUSINESS PUBLICATIONS LLC A portfolio company of Virginia Capital Partners LLC Frederick L. Russell Jr.,, chairman

on the cover Construction for new business Downtown Roanoke Photo by Natalee Waters

Out About &

Small Business Awards

Recently the Roanoke Regional Chamber and Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center spotlighted small businesses at the 29th Annual Small Business Awards program. The awards were sponsored by First Citizens Bank, Gentry Locke Attorneys, First Piedmont Waste Solutions, City of Roanoke and the County of Roanoke.

1. HomeTown Bank was the 2015 Small Business of the Year Awards winner in the Business-to-Consumer Services category. HomeTown Bank staff members with the category award are: (seated) Susan Still, (standing, left to right) Peter Jessee, Carrie McConnell, Matt Hubbard, Terry Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Shaughnessy, Vic Bradley, Rob Mangus and Justin vanBlaricom. 2. Potentially Chic co-owners Lisa Fuller (left) and Gloria Fox attended the 2015 Small Business of the Year Awards program and were nominees in the Best New Small Business of the Year category recognizing small businesses in operation for one to three years. 3. Mechanical Development Co. was the Legacy Award category winner in the 2015 Small Business of the Year Awards program. The Legacy Award recognizes outstanding small businesses that have been in operation 50-plus years. The staff from Mechanical Development Co. shown with the award are: (left to right), John D. Powell, Sr.; Zachary J. Clayman; Margie H. Bowles; Paul A. Powell, Jr.; and John D. Powell, Jr.

3 6

JANUARY 2016

Photos by Markey Photography, courtesy Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce

Calendar of eventsJanuary Items on the calendar are just a sample of Roanoke/ New River Valley business events this month. To submit an event for consideration, email Tim Thornton at tthornton@roanoke-business.com at least one month before the event.

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January 1 January 8

Art by Night

Blacksburg Regional Arts Association Monthly Luncheon

Downtown Roanoke A monthly “gallery crawl” among art galleries in Downtown Roanoke. Occurs the first Friday of every month.

Blacksburg BRAA luncheons and Art Spots are always on the second Friday of each month at Famous Anthony’s on South Main.

www.downtownblacksburg.com

www.roanokeartbynight.com/

January 14

Roanoke Regional Chamber’s 126th Annual Meeting of the Membership Roanoke Held at The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. For more information or to register, call 540-983-0700 x100 or e-mail business@RoanokeChamber.org.

www.RoanokeChamber.org

January 21

SWVA’s Newest Historic Boutique Hotel Q Elegant Meeting Space Q Perfect for Board Retreats Q Chic Design & Luxurious Accommodations Q Award Winning Restaurant/Rooftop Views Q Service Beyond Expectations

Distinguished Speaker Series Roanoke Lecture related to the exhibition Tobacco People.Held at the Taubman Museum of Art.

www.taubmanmuseum.org

January 31

International Wine Festival Roanoke

170 E. Main, Wytheville VA 24382 www.bollingwilsonhotel.com 276-223-2333

This annual event, held at the Taubman Museum of Art, features wines from all around the globe as well as wine-related art.

www.taubmanmuseum.org

R E S T A U R A N T

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN WYTHEVILLE WHERE THE LOVE IS!™ ROANOKE BUSINESS

COVER STORY

Making the short list To attract economic development, region focuses on behaving like one big place by Mason Adams

hat does it take to land a big corporate relocation or expansion in 2016?

It’s a tough, complicated question, and one asked constantly as the needs of business evolve. The answers vary by sector and even by company, yet it’s also possible to find some constants on corporate relocation wish lists — good location, available talent, abundant access to utilities and the Internet. What else might distinguish the Roanoke and New River valleys? Do quality of life, a sense of self-confidence or social media campaigns make a difference? Based on its strengths and competitive advantages, what industries can the region expect to attract? As economic planners and recruiters look to a new year, they’re again asking those questions as they seek to retool their approach to business development. The Roanoke Regional Partnership is undertaking a strategic planning process, its first in nearly a decade. The last time it took a close look, the effort led to the Roanoke Outside marketing campaign, which emphasizes the Roanoke Valley’s outdoor recreational amenities. In the New River Valley, Charlie Jewell has settled in as the NRV

JANUARY 2016

Economic Development Alliance’s executive director after being hired in July. Outsiders are taking a look at economic development in the region, too. Virginia Tech’s Office of the Senior Fellow for Resource Development released a 248-page report in the fall that concluded that “lack of a self-conception and conscious efforts as a unified region may prevent the region from reaching its full potential.” The report recommended creation of a regional economic development entity to focus on a “core region” consisting of Montgomery and Roanoke counties and the cities of Radford, Roanoke and Salem. The report also identified industry clusters as important employers. Among the clusters are aerospace vehicles and defense, downstream chemical products such as lubricating oils and pigments, furniture, lighting and electrical equipment. The report also pointed to clusters that are poised to grow — biopharmaceuticals, local health services, insurance services, wood products, and metal products such as containers. Roanoke businessman Heywood

Fralin, chairman of Medical Facilities of America, funded another study by the University of Virginia’s Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service. The study had not been released when this story went to press, but Fralin says he wants to see the region reconfigure itself as a single location in terms of economic development. “If you look at all of the successful economic development activities throughout our nation, they all involve regional economic development. They all focus on a region,” Fralin says. “The best example of why regional economic development works is the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute. Our greatest potential for growth is right there.” Imprinting that perspective on a marketing and organization level involves rebranding, institutional change, geography and much more. “It’s going to take a lot of business and citizen leadership, because governments by their definition are confined to their geographic boundaries,” Fralin says. “We don’t have a serious unemployment problem in our area, but we have a serious income problem. Incomes are low, and we need to get them up. We have a wonderful region, but we need to maximize our efforts on a regional level.”

While Fralin is looking at the big picture, others are chipping away at a smaller scale. Roanoke County recently debuted a new tool intended to keep the locality from falling off potential employers’ lists for lack of information. The county’s “site selector” software assists business prospects — or more likely, site selection consultants hired to help with the process of finding a potential business location — in identifying the county’s inventory of potential sites. Roanoke County Economic Development Director Jill Loope calls the software a “one-stop shopping technology tool” that offers users a variety of filters and information about availLoope able sites. “Every prospect looks for a reason to eliminate you,” Loope says. “They’re looking at many states, many sites, many communities, so they need a reason to narrow their search. If they can’t get to information in easy, clickable formats, you get eliminated. Our objective is to stay in the game.” The county invested $14,600 in developing the software. The site was launched in early November, and by Thanksgiving it had about 700 hits. It’s not always easy to determine why a company chose not to locate to the Roanoke or New River valleys. It’s harder yet to figure out what the region should do to attract and grow business, particularly when each business has different needs. A manufacturer looks for different things than a tech company, while a business with a handful of employees has different needs than one with 50, or a large employer with 3,000. “My job, when I start working with a prospect, is to read them, to anticipate what people need,” says Beth Doughty, executive director for the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “What are they not telling me? I try to anticipate and match them up with what they need before they tell me they need it.” Jewell, Doughty’s counterpart at the NRV Economic Development Photo by Natalee Waters

Business leader Heywood Fralin says the region needs to market itself as a single location when courting economic development.

ROANOKE BUSINESS

cover story Alliance, says most of his prospects tend to fall into two categories: manufacturing and technology. Manufacturers, he says, focus on access to markets and the cost of doing business. They want to minimize the cost of utilities, as well as the distance to get their products to major markets, mostly metro areas on the East Coast and in the Midwest. Technology companies, meanwhile, want low costs and access to talent. In their case, the cost factor now extends to broadband Internet, while the question of talent encompasses a range of other factors: most notably, educational opportunities and quality of life — amenities such as the arts and culture, outdoor recreation and a low crime rate. There’s still disagreement about how to most effectively emphasize the Roanoke and New River valleys’ various traits, too. Much of the region’s marketing has focused on quality of life, for instance, but Fralin thinks it may be overrated when it comes to how businesses make decisions. It’s important, he says, but “as a region, we have tended to focus on that when I would much prefer us to focus on what are the needs of a business, and what can we do to satisfy those needs, whether it’s workforce or an incentive.” Still, some factors remain relatively constant. Getting on the long list Location —The Roanoke and New River valleys’ location along Interstate 81 connects the region to larger markets along the East Coast and in the Midwest. That proved invaluable when agricultural commodities and coal dominated the economy, and it remains a major asset today. Many of western Virginia’s biggest economic development announcements in recent years — the Ardaugh Group in Roanoke County, Red Sun Farms and Korona Candles in Pulaski County — came about because of the companies’ desire to ship products to consumers 10

JANUARY 2016

outside the region. Their locations, paired with interstate access, allow them to begin with a footprint in the mid-Atlantic before expanding north, south and west. Real estate inventory — A convenient location doesn’t mean much unless there’s vacant space. Despite perceptions of western Virginia as a rural region, there aren’t many options for businesses that require 50 acres or more. Doughty says the No. 1 reason the Roanoke region misses out on economic development prospects is a lack of adequate sites. That sentiment was echoed throughout western Virginia at the local and regional level. In late 2013, six localities banded together to form the Western Virginia Industrial Facility Authority Agreement to identify regional parcels of 100 acres or more, in hopes of forming partnerships to develop and market the sites with Anthony Bailey is part of the “large pool of qualified, skilled employees” that attracted Fuji Electric to the region.

the most potential for economic development. (See story on Page 13.) Recent closings have opened up the region’s inventory a bit, with the former homes of Home Shopping Network, Shenandoah Life and Norfolk Southern all currently vacant. Utilities — The creation and subsequent expansion of the Western Virginia Water Authority has ensured members in the greater Roanoke Valley that it can easily meet the needs of business prospects. Similarly, Appalachian Power can meet the electric needs of most potential customers. The bigger issue for economic development groups is ensuring that potential business sites have adequate access to these utilities while also maintaining low costs when compared with competitors. Workforce — Like economic development itself, different people have different ideas about what makes a good workforce. With constantly changing needs between sectors and employers, it’s not always easy for a locality to determine how best to train its workforce. People do agree, however, that it’s a big deal. “The biggest thing, ... we hear [from prospects] is workforce concerns,” says Wayne Bowers, Roanoke’s director of economic development. “‘If I move my business, or expand my business, am I going to be able to hire qualified employees in the numbers that will be needed?’ That’s sort of an ironic thing in that you want to try to get your unemployment rate low but want to have enough work- Bowers ers in the labor pool to meet the needs of new and expanding businesses. Every business is different, and every company has a little different spin, but it all comes down to the same question: Am I going to be able to find qualified employees?” Colleges and universities within the Roanoke and New River valleys Photos by Natalee Waters

regularly partner with businesses to tailor courses, and Virginia Western and New River community colleges offer programs intended to train employees for specialized manufacturing. Employer needs continue to evolve, however, so workforce programs need continual tweaking. Making the short list Natural gas service — Much of the region already has access to natural gas through Roanoke Gas, which serves the Roanoke Valley, and Atmos Energy, which serves the New River Valley. However, those gas lines don’t go everywhere. They’re sparse in rural areas, and some localities, such as Franklin County, have actively sought a connection from a transmission line, such as the proposed Mountain Valley Pipeline. County officials say the lack of natural gas lines has kept it from consideration in previous years, so they see a connection as a way to get a closer look. Broadband Internet — Both the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley have broadband Internet authorities to encourage best practices and coordinate public- and private-sector efforts to develop faster service. Despite consensus that Internet service is a growing factor in winning economic development prospects, however, not every locality agrees on how best to provide it. Members of the Roanoke Valley Broadband Authority split on a proposed $8.2 million project to build 60 new miles of fiber cable. Roanoke and Salem wanted to move forward on it; Botetourt and Roanoke counties chose not to participate. The result was a smaller, 40-mile version of the project that cost about half as much but also covered less ground. The bigger issue for broadband Internet isn’t necessarily the availability of the highest speeds but the cost associated with that service. Regulatory environment, taxes and government incentives — Lo-

Outdoor recreation has been a big marketing point for the region, and Roanoke added to the options with an outdoor skating rink in Elmwood Park.

cal and state governments often offer tax breaks, cover upfront costs, sell parcels at an artificially low price or provide some combination of these things. How much difference do they make when it comes to closing the deal? Regional economic development players agree that incentives are important, but note that situations vary by company. Incentives are a necessary part of a region’s business game, and in some cases can make the difference in whether a company lands or wriggles off the hook. Loope is hopeful about Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s “GO Virginia” proposal. More formally known as the Virginia Initiative for Growth and Opportunity in Each Region, the program would offer customized incentives to each region of the commonwealth. The General Assembly gets the final word on whether to approve the program and is expected to consider legislation during the 2016 session. Fralin — whose Medical Facilities of America contributed $83,500 to candidates and political action committees in 2015, according to the Virginia Public Access Project — supports the proposal as well.

Intangibles Community confidence — Few, if any, companies would list “swagger” on a checklist as they appraise potential sites. However, a community’s selfimage can make a difference in how it is perceived by outsiders. Executives who visit Roanoke or Blacksburg will come away with different impressions based the people they meet. Does that person complain about government and social dysfunction, or does he or she boast about the quality of life? Those conversations help cement the region’s image in the minds of those making decisions about investment and job creation. Regional players are starting to think more about this aspect of economic development. ”It’s more becoming a community development question: What are we doing to build better communities?” says Loope. “That translates into attracting more jobs, more investment, growing the population base and creating more livable communities. It depends on what you want to be, ultimately, and what your community wants to be.” Tyler Godsey, communications manager for the Roanoke-Alleghany Regional Commission, says that events such as outdoor activities and brewery tours not only boost tourism, but also ROANOKE BUSINESS

cover story create a feedback loop that results in visitors and locals becoming more excited about the region. “Our quality of life is infectious on visitors,” Godsey says. “When they hear about Roanoke, they want to see it. When they see it, they begin to feel it and want more of it.” Outdoor amenities — Growing interest in outdoor recreation has not only fueled a business sector dedicated to catering to hiking, biking and kayaking enthusiasts, it also has served as a marketing point for unrelated businesses. The Roanoke Regional Partnership recognized this benefit in its last round of strategic planning six years ago, which resulted in the launch of its Roanoke Outside initiative. The campaign touts western Virginia’s natural amenities and opportunities for recreation, from hiking to biking to fishing. It’s tough to argue with its success, as the outdoor business sector has grown, and executives like Meridium CEO Bonz Hart cultivate a company culture where employees bike Mill

Mountain on their lunch hour. The new emphasis on outdoors also has crept into the community’s external marketing and perception of itself, with Roanoke regularly appearing in ads and content of regional publications such as Blue Ridge Outdoors. (Last fall, that magazine’s readers voted Roanoke the region’s top midsize city.) Social media — In many ways, social media represents the epitome of the community’s self-image, as people take to Facebook, Twitter and other channels to alternatively extol and condemn life in western Virginia. Growing confidence in the region’s quality of life has led to campaigns to win Roanoke and the NRV recognition from publications running “best of” contests. That manifested itself in a recent “Deschutes2Roanoke” campaign. Michael Galliher, of Roanoke County, started the campaign with a Facebook page in an effort to win the attention of Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Ore., which has been searching for a site to build an East Coast facil-

ity. The region previously has been considered by craft brewers Sierra Nevada and Stone brewing companies, which ultimately opted for locations in Fletcher, N.C., and Richmond instead. Executives at Deschutes have seen the posts by Roanokers in the Deschutes2Roanoke campaign; whether it will actually play a role in the decision, set for 2016, remains up in the air. When Roanoke Mayor David Bowers invoked Japanese internment camps during World War II as reason to keep out Syrian refugees, his comments went viral and were internationally spotlighted and condemned. Many Roanokers responded by defending the city on social media, using the hashtag #RealRoanoke. “Do companies make decisions based on social media? Probably not, and definitely not based on that alone,” Loope says. ”But it does impact community enthusiasm. It demonstrates community enthusiasm and I think for those types of projects, that is valuable. It shows pride.”

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Radford, VA

Site selection

Authority works to identify places that may attract new businesses by Mason Adams

he Western Virginia Industrial Facility Authority has identified 10 sites of 100 acres or more with the potential to be economic development blockbusters. The challenge is determining what needs to happen to attract businesses to those sites and then assisting localities in working together to follow through. The authority, formed in late 2013 to study large economic development sites, works with members to enter into partnerships to make deals happen. Modeled in part on Virginia’s First Regional Industrial Facilities Authority, the Roanoke region’s version includes 13 localities and operates the New River Valley Commerce Park, home to Red Sun Farms, a greenhouse tomato-growing company based in Mexico. The business already has developed 18 acres of greenhouses, along with a distribution center. It intends to eventually grow to cover nearly 50 acres. In April, The Western Virginia Industrial Facility Authority received the results of a study, conducted by the Timmons Group of Richmond that identified the 10 potential sites. It ranked sites based on several factors, including proximity to roads and rail, zoning, utility access and physical features such as whether it was located in a floodplain. A $65,000 grant from the Building Collaborative Communities program of the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development funded the study. The Roanoke Regional Partnership contributed nearly $30,000 in additional money and support. Besides identifying the sites, the authority will allow members

BOTETOURT COUNTY

ROANOKE COUNTY

Roanoke

Salem Vinton

FRANKLIN COUNTY

The Western Virginia Industrial Facility Authority members include Botetourt, Franklin and Roanoke counties and the cities of Salem, Roanoke and the town of Vinton.

to work together on individual projects at the targeted locations.

For example, a locality might help cover upfront costs of preparing a site in another jurisdiction, with the two localities sharing revenue from taxes and utilities after landing a business. The authority also has the ability to issue bonds to help finance economic development projects. The sites have not been publicly identified as the authority continues to look at potential acquisition and development. “We’re talking now about acquisition and joining these parcels together,” says Beth Doughty, executive director at the Roanoke Regional Partnership. “There’s still a lot of work to do — who wants to partner and go after what?”

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COMMERCIAL INSURANCE

The year ahead

Increased competition and reduced risk should keep most premium increases small in 2016

Google has search and books and self-driving cars. Now, according to Stephen Hamilton of HAWK Advisers, Google is exploring possibilities in commercial insurance. by Joan Tupponce

f 2016 follows industry predictions, it will be a year of relatively low premium increases and potentially some new players in the commercial insurance market. Even Google is testing the market in certain geographic regions.

Google is among the companies “taking data and aggregating it, trying to price lines of insurance coverage based on the character-

JANUARY 2016

istics that make up the exposure,” says Stephen Hamilton, executive vice president of HAWK Advisers in Roanoke. “They are looking at

characteristics [involving] you and your behaviors to determine what your exposure is going forward. They are picking their spots as Photos by Don Petersen

to where they want to play in the marketplace.” How that all will work out is not clear, but thanks to a continued lack of catastrophic events and a competitive marketplace loaded with capacity, premiums are expected to remain flat or increase only about 3 to 5 percent, according to industry experts. “Carriers don’t want to lose business,” says Roy Bucher of Chas. Lunsford Sons & Assoc., a company based in Roanoke with offices in Richmond and Raleigh. “If an account is loss free, the carriers may do a flat renewal. If an account has had some losses, there may be an increase on the renewal.” Employers are working diligently to “control the total cost of risk and to manage their losses and exposures to losses,” says Duke Baldridge, president of Dominion Risk Advisors in Roanoke. “We are providing clients with risk management tools including risk control and safety resources to control their total cost of risk.” As the market steadily softens, competition continues to increase. “We have been in a pretty good market for a few years,” says Baldridge. “The types of events that have turned the market before were things like the events of 9/11 and Hurricanes Katrina and Andrew but it generally takes several significant events or one catastrophic event to turn the market.” There are some exceptions to the flat rates such as directors and officers’ liability, which has seen some 3 to 5 percent increases on renewals. “That is the nature of the beast,” says Bucher. “That is heavily underwritten based on financial statements and how strong the financial statements are.” Other lines of coverage seeing a slight rate increase include employment practices liability. “The exposures for employment practices liability are such a moving target. There are new regulations being introduced all the time. It’s difficult for insurance carriers to

“Carriers don’t want to lose business,” says Roy Bucher of Chas. Lunsford Sons & Assoc.

rate for the true exposure,” says Hamilton of HAWK Advisers. One of the biggest issues facing companies of all sizes is cyber liability. “A lot of our clients are realizing that it is a big issue and

are buying coverage,” Bucher says. “Even some of our smaller locally owned clients have experienced cyber attacks. I think that is going to be more of an issue in 2016 as people see and hear about it from friends and neighbors.” Because data breaches are continuing to evolve, insurance carriers have had to readjust their cyber liability products to cover new threats. Companies with a cyber liability policy issued more than a year ago should “look at the policy to make sure it’s addressing some emerging threats,” advises Hamilton. “Some of those threats might be lines of coverage for cyber extortion and loss of income due to data breach.” When it comes to workers’ compensation, insurance carriers are starting to see some underwriting profits, which equates to stabilization of the marketplace. “That is critical to carriers now. It’s the first time in 10 years you could say in-

Duke Baldridge, president of Dominion Risk Advisors in Roanoke, says the market has been good for years — and it should stay that way

ROANOKE BUSINESS

commercial insurance surance pricing for workers’ comp is going in a downward trend,” says Hamilton. With health-care costs continuing to rise, employers will need to consider all their options for 2016 to manage the increased cost of employee benefits. “We expect many will consider benefit design changes or ask employees to contribute more to the cost of the healthcare plan,” says Tammy White-Halsey, principal of the

Roanoke office of Digital Benefit Advisors. “Groups in the 50-to-100 employee range also will face a transition to a community rating if the state of Virginia decides to expand its definition of small group. Historically, these kinds of underwriting changes can result in significant premium adjustments — some positive and some negative.” The new reporting and monitoring requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will place

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JANUARY 2016

additional demands on humanresources departments. “They will need to look for solutions to efficiently support their efforts to adhere to these new requirements,” White-Halsey says. “We think it’s important that HR departments fully research and understand the resources that might be available to them to manage these new demands.” Medical insurance rates are predicted to increase next year by as much as 9 percent to doubledigits, depending on the company’s size and market segment, she adds. “Increased demand for services and introduction of expensive biological drugs continue to be the primary contributors to price increases.” Companies also will face the challenge of balancing the cost of employee benefits with the need to remain competitive. “At the same time, companies must understand and comply with all of the new ACA requirements,” White-Halsey says. “Increased cost combined with more complexity present a tremendous challenge that will require new support technology and HR ingenuity.” Employers may want to consider a “more restrictive and efficient provider network, focus on wellness programs aligned with the proper incentives to encourage compliance and provide access to lower-cost treatment options, such as onsite clinics and telemedicine,” she adds. “They can also consider expanding prior authorization and step therapy programs to their prescription drug plan. Many employers are looking closer at “Level Premium Funding,” a more conservative self-funding option, to help attenuate cost increases.” She believes employers need to align themselves with a brokerageconsulting firm that has the resources and the expert guidance to help “simplify the healthcare journey.” “We find that critical,” WhiteHalsey says.

INTERVIEW: Jonathan Hagmaier, CEO and co-founder of Interactive Achievement

From problem student to CEO Teacher-turned-entrepreneur says success comes from surrounding himself with right people by Beth JoJack

hen Jonathan Hagmaier talks about Interactive Achievement, he repeatedly points out that his company’s software, which assesses student progress in the classroom, can help at-risk youth get back on track. He knows it’s possible for kids with bad attitudes and bad grades to turn things around. After all, he managed it. Hagmaier’s family moved from Pennsylvania to Arizona when he was in the eighth grade. He didn’t get started on the right foot. In one nine-week school period, Hagmaier remembers getting 36 behavior referrals. His grades were in the trashcan. “I just picked the wrong friends,” Hagmaier says of that time. “Of the three guys I hung out with my eighth- and ninth-grade year, two are dead and one is in prison.” Luckily, a mutual love for strategy board games like Axis and Allies prompted Hagmaier to forge a friendship with Matt Muller and Gary Mohnsen, smart kids who stayed out of trouble. “Who you hang out with is who you’re going to be,” says Hagmaier, 44. “It’s a fact. So, when I met Gary and Matt, it just completely changed my life. My sophomore, junior and senior years were pretty outstanding.” That was a life lesson Hagmaier never forgot. After a divorce, when Hagmaier wanted to make a new start, he moved from Arizona to Southwest Virginia to be closer to Muller and Mohnsen, his childhood friends who earlier had made their own expedition east to work at Software Techniques in Hardy. Hagmaier, who became a teacher after graduating from Sterling College in Kansas, took a job teaching history at Franklin County High School. He met his future wife, Mary, when she sold him a house. Hagmaier had been promoted to assistant principal at Benjamin Franklin Middle School when he approached Muller about his idea to create software that would show teachers whether students were understanding the teachers’ lessons. Mary, an experienced real estate agent, provided the pair with business acumen. The idea took off. Hagmaier declines to provide Interactive Achievement’s annual

Photo by Don Petersen

Jonathan Hagmaier is always looking for potential employees who can HUG — be honorable, unselfish and generous.

revenue, but the company has experienced meteoric growth. Less than a decade after its 2006 inception, IA now boasts 92 employees. They work in a sleek downtown Roanoke headquarters that formerly housed a Harley-Davidson dealership. The company serves 2,300 schools in 13 states and just opened a pilot office in the United Kingdom. In August, IA executives announced they had signed a contract with the Virginia Department of Education to provide software to schools across the commonwealth. “It puts us nationally on the map,” Hag-

maier says. “It’s a multimillion dollar contract. It is a game changer.” The contract is worth $3 million annually for five years. Coincidentally, the same month, IA ranked No. 2,431 on the Inc. 5000, a ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Even now that he is forging a global business, Hagmaier still makes a point of surrounding himself with the right people. Muller, one of the four co-founders of IA, works as manager of research and design for the company while Mohnsen is a software developer. ROANOKE BUSINESS

interview wouldn’t that be bad for your business? Hagmaier: No, because you still have to support and assess your students. How would you know if what you taught worked? You still have to teach, and that’s what it’s used for. It’s not used for a score at the end of the year. It’s used to teach the students. The score at the end of the year sums up what the child was taught.

Hagmaier calls Interactive Achievement’s recent multimillion contract with the Virginia Department of Education “a game changer.”

RB: IA’s contract with the state will give the commonwealth’s public school teachers, principals and superintendents access to the TRAC LDS system, software that analyzes student data. What kind of information will that provide? Hagmaier: It [provides data about student performance in areas including] discipline to attendance to grades, but then it also has interventions so you can track that. So, when districts are trying to work with students who [are] troubled they can actually put things in place and track it and see if it’s working with the child. That can be attendance. Is the child coming to school? Instead of those kids getting lost in the shuffle, in the cracks, districts can keep good track of it and put in place different interventions. They’ll know if they work or if they don’t work with each individual student. Roanoke Business: IA has experienced a lot of growth over a short period. How are you handling that? Hagmaier: We’ve had to build on to [the IA headquarters on Campbell Avenue]. We’ve got two offices over at the Jefferson Center . . . What’s nice now is we have a great team, and that’s the key to business: just hiring great people and let them treat the clients in a way that we would all want to be treated if we were teachers or principals. RB: The Obama administration in October called on school systems to reduce the amount of time students spend on standardized testing and to look at other factors than these tests when evaluating teachers and schools. Is that bad news for your company? Hagmaier: We’re a formative assessment company. RB: Can you put that in layman’s terms? Hagmaier: Formative assessments are assessments used to inform the teacher on where the student needs help. What 18

JANUARY 2016

President Obama was talking about was the end-of-the-year testing and how much time that takes. In fact, outside of Virginia in [the 43 states which are members of the Common Core State Standards Initiative] it’s like a week or two of testing. It’s crazy. He’s right in saying that. What we do and what we want to be able to do is give quick snapshots to teachers. [A teacher can say,] “What I taught the last two days. Did it work? Did it not work?” We want districts to be able to do common assessments across the whole district. A pre- and a post-test. A child started here. Where did they end up? That’s what we focus in on. What we want to be able to do is give real-time data to teachers so they can make real-time decisions. RB: Is it accurate to say that school administrators are partly drawn to IA because these assessments can gauge how students will perform on Virginia Standard of Learning tests? Hagmaier: Yes. RB: If Virginia legislators ever decide to throw out the SOLs,

RB: In May, you were named Entrepreneur of the Year at the RoanokeBlacksburg Technology Council’s Technite 2015. Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia named you as one of two Entrepreneurs of the Year for the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame event in November. Are those awards meaningful? Hagmaier: It’s great to be honored. But I hope with all the speeches I’ve given [I’ve explained that] it’s not about me. It’s about us. Us would include the people who started the company, the people that have worked in the company, the community that we live in, the clients we’ve had. They’ve all contributed to the success of Interactive Achievement . . . I am just a small piece of the puzzle. RB: What advice would you give a small-business owner who is just starting out? Hagmaier: Perseverance. If you’re not willing to persevere through the hell of running a business; if you’re one that doesn’t follow through; if you’re one that’s willing to give up, don’t start a business. Photo courtesy Interactive Achievement

RB: From here, looking at the company from the outside, it seems like IA took off right from the beginning? Has tenacity been required? Hagmaier: We almost shut the company down in 2007. Before we sold one thing. RB: You didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think the concept was going to fly? Hagmaier: I was out presenting [the concept to a school system], and it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work. We were sitting on the couch â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Matt [Muller], Mary [Hagmaier] â&#x20AC;Ś and myself. We had borrowed everything we had. Had $46,000 left to our name . . .We were talking about [selling the content we wrote for the software] to get our money back. All the money we had put into it, which was our life savings, our parentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; life savings. Everything. My wife looked at us and just said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Is this going to work?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Keep in mind she had risked everything. I said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes.â&#x20AC;? Matt said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes.â&#x20AC;? Then she said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Quit talking about shutting it down. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s figure out what the answer is.â&#x20AC;? Then we hired Jake Gibson, who became the fourth founder of the company. RB: You hired him as a salesman, right? Hagmaier: He was doing sales. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s now my chief strategy officer . . . Brilliant mind. We didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know that when we hired the 25-yearold, by the way. We got very lucky there. He was that last piece of the puzzle. And then we just started growing. RB: Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made back that initial investment, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m guessing. No more worries about losing your life savings? Hagmaier: Did I get that money back? Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good question. I would say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Yes, sure.â&#x20AC;? Everything goes into the business. Everything still goes into the business. That doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t end. RB: IA sold a minority share of the company in 2013 in return for a $3.5 million investment. How did that happen? Hagmaier: We got very blessed and lucky. We werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even looking for an investor. To have that money . . . propelled us into where we are now. RB: That let the company expand? Hagmaier: Oh yeah. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve doubled, tripled in size. RB: Did someone just call you and say, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to give you $3.5 million.

Where should I send the check?â&#x20AC;? Hagmaier: He was at a [Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council] event . . . Just asked if I wanted to have lunch, and we did, and we talked about IA, and we talked about the plans, what I was thinking. He said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Have you considered taking on an investor?â&#x20AC;? RB: Who is this person? Hagmaier: I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t name him, but I will say heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an honorable, unselfish, generous man. He was just searching for a good company to invest in. RB: Speaking of HUG, the oftreferenced acronym for the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s philosophy that employees are always honorable, unselfish and generous. How do you find employees who embrace IAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values? Hagmaier: We actually try to interview that way . . . Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not as much about the skill anymore, but more character. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to go with: people with character. You can teach people with character anything, but you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t teach them character.

RB: How can you tell if someone has those qualities during an interview? Hagmaier: We try to do our best with certain questions and certain situations you put them in. See how they respond to those. Reference checks. RB: As we continue to recover from the recession, lots of employees find themselves paying more each year for health insurance policies with ever-higher deductibles. Meanwhile, IA pays 100 percent of each employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health policy. Other perks include six weeks of paid maternity and paternity leave and a free membership to the Kirk Family YMCA. Part of every employeeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job description includes the stipulation that they must spend some of their work hours volunteering in the community. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a pretty distinctive employee benefit package. Why do you offer that? Hagmaier: If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to tout that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re an honorable, unselfish and generous company, then you better act like it.

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ROANOKE BUSINESS

SPECIAL REPORT: MEETINGS & CONFERENCES

The mojo of meetings Neon lights and lightning bugs: The regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s venues offer a variety of amenities by Kathie Dickenson

JANUARY 2016

Photo courtesy Center in the Squuare

Participants in the fifth international Collaborating Across Borders conference are among many who have enjoyed the rooftop experience at Center in the Square.

right lights or starlight? Vibrant city or tranquil countryside? Meeting organizers considering the Roanoke and New River valleys have options. If they need hundreds of rooms, thousands of square feet and lots of entertainment, dining and shopping, downtown Roanoke is the best bet. Just up the road in the New River Valley reside smaller, more serene locations. Last fall Roanoke hosted the fifth international Collaborating Across Borders conference (CAB V), a biennial event focusing on preparing students across health-care fields to work in collaborative teams. Past CAB conferences had been held in Vancouver, Tucson, Minneapolis and Halifax, Nova Scotia. A total of 741 people from five countries attended the event, with the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center as the main conference location. Downtown Roanoke thrilled guests by closing Campbell Avenue for a Welcome to Roanoke reception in Market Square and Center in the Square. The reception, which featured live music and abundant finger foods, received rave reviews on conference evaluations, according to Kimberly Butterfield, medical education coordinator for the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, who provided a couple of sample comments: “I cannot believe that the city would close down a whole city block for us to have a reception. I have never seen anything like that. It was marvelous!” “The food and hospitality was great and really sparked interest in eating out around town for the next few nights. Well done!!” There’s a good reason for all that positive feedback. Erica Muyst, national sales man-

ager for the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau (RVCVB), says the Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center proved a good fit for the conference. The Conference Center, attached to the historic hotel, offers 63,000 square feet of flexible meeting space that can accommodate groups from 10 to 1,400. Plus, it’s within walking distance to downtown dining and cultural amenities. Two years ago RVCVB staff and city officials worked closely with David Trinkle, associate dean for community and culture at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, and Michael Friedlander, executive director of the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, to win Roanoke’s selection as the 2015 site for the prestigious medical conference. Large meeting venues, including the Berglund Center, with 110,000 square feet of meeting space, and the Salem Civic Center, with 40,000 total square feet, make it possible to win such bids. Smaller groups have access to unique downtown venues such as Charter Hall and Blue 5 restaurant’s event rooms. Out-of-the-way venues For a different kind of meeting, out-of-the-way venues abound in the New River Valley. Beliveau Estates Winery, Mountain Lake Lodge, Attimo Winery, Radford University’s Selu Conservancy and Retreat Center and the Floyd Event Center are only a few examples. A one-hour drive from downtown Roanoke, the Floyd Event Center contrasts in nearly every way with the offerings of the city. Lots of places in the region offer mountain views, says Maggie Hessinger, the center’s event coordinator, “but we are in the mountains. We are in the woods. It’s peaceful. We use fresh well water. There is very little outdoor lighting, so you ROANOKE BUSINESS

meetings & conferences “There is very little outdoor lighting” at the Floyd Event Center, says Maggie Hessinger, the center’s event coordinator, “so you can see the stars.”

can see the stars.” Built about four years ago, the Event Center hosted its first event in 2012. The timber-framed facility, on 75 private acres of farm

fields, gardens, pond and pine forests, comprises several meeting areas. Celebration Hall holds 150 people in a banquet set-up, 250 in theater-style seating, and

a 400-maximum standing crowd. With a podium, projector and 12’ x 16’ pull-down screen, Stage Sound audio system and LED lighting system with board, Celebration Hall is ideal for speakers and workshops. The room, which features a sprung floor for dancing and a baby grand piano on the stage, is used for community and regional events as diverse as the Virginia Blue Ridge Music Festival and TED Talk Floyd. The café, atrium and outdoor patio, amphitheater and pondside pavilion accommodate smaller meetings, receptions, breakout sessions or just breaks. In the basement, which on weekdays houses Springhouse Community School, classrooms can be available for breakout sessions. The building includes a fully equipped kitchen. The Event Center is part of Floyd EcoVillage, the vision of owners Jack Wall and Kamala Bauers for living, learning and working

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Photo courtesy Floyd Event Center

in a sustainable community. The EcoVillage includes several homes and duplexes – with more planned or under construction – flower gardens, vegetable gardens and a vegetable-sorting barn. Whenever possible, vegetables and flowers grown on the property or by other local providers are used for events. Organic, free-range chickens provide eggs, which are sold “to anyone who wants them,” says Hessinger. Sustainable farming and building practices are incorporated throughout the property. Solar panels and rods are visible on roofs and on the ground, and 18-inch insulating panels surround Celebration Hall. A bermed lodge – built into a hillside – is completely off grid. Wi-Fi is available only in the Event Center and in the community area of the bermed lodge, and cell phone coverage is limited. “If someone is looking for a retreat where people truly put their devices down, this is the place,” says Hessinger. Visitors are invited to tour the property, hike the walking trails or even work in the gardens. Overnight accommodations for small groups are available in the Bermed Lodge, which includes traditional rooms and retreat-style, bunk-bed rooms. The Creekside Campground includes 10 tent sites and several cottages. Hessinger says she refers overflow camping visitors to nearby Chantilly Farm. For additional hotel lodging, the Event Center partners with Hotel Floyd, also owned by Wall and Bauers, a 2.6-mile drive away in downtown Floyd. Hotel Floyd, built in 2007 and expanded in 2014, is a unique venue unto itself, with three indoor and two outdoor meeting areas accommodating 15-120 people and state-of-the-art presentation technology and videoconferencing. A designated Virginia Green Lodging facility, the hotel features locally made furniture and art and “showcases the essence of Floyd,” says Bauers. During warm months, the courtyard amphitheater hosts Photo courtesy Floyd Country Store

The Friday Night Jamboree at the Floyd Country Store provides a different kind of gathering for meeting-goers.

live music every Thursday night. Throughout the year, the hotel is often fully booked for the Friday Night Jamboree at Floyd at Country Store, a world-famous site on Virginia’s heritage music trail, the

Crooked Road. Bauers adds that Hotel Floyd gets visitors and travel writers from around the world who soak up the art, music and local color of the small town. It might not be city, but it surely is bright.

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ROANOKE BUSINESS

meetings & conferences

Meeting sites: sample guide Traditional venues

Venue

Location

Conference space in square feet

Baymont Inn & Suites

Salem

2,400

Holiday Inn-Valley View

Roanoke

Holiday Inn-Tanglewood

Banquet capacity

Guest rooms

Telephone

200

120

(540) 562-1912

11,500

370

153

Roanoke

9,000

500

190

(540) 362-4500 (888) 465-4329 (540) 774-4400 (866) 774-4401

Roanoke Civic Center

Roanoke

110,000

2,000

N/A

(540) 853-5483

Salem Civic Center

Salem

40,000

2,000

N/A

(540) 375-3004

Sheraton Roanoke Hotel & Conference Center The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center

Roanoke

17,000

500

320

Roanoke

63,000

1,100

331

(540) 563-9300 (800) 325-3535 (540) 985-5900 (800) 222-TREE

ROANOKE VALLEY

NEW RIVER VALLEY Hilton Garden Inn

Blacksburg

1,276

137

(540) 552-5005

Inn at Virginia Tech & Skelton Conference Center

Blacksburg

24,000

700

147

(540) 231-8000 (877) 200-3360

Radford University

Radford

Dormitory rooms for up to 2,000 people (in summer)

(540) 831-5800

Venue

Location

Many classrooms & auditoriums seating 10-1,500

1,000

Unique venues

Meeting spaces

Lodging/on-site catering availability

Telephone

ROANOKE VALLEY Bent Mountain Lodge Bed & Breakfast

Copper Hill

3 rooms, totaling 3,500 square feet

10 suites with private baths

(540) 651-2500

Blue 5

Roanoke

3 banquet rooms and meeting spaces for 10-160

On-site catering

(540) 598-2174

Blue Ridge Institute and Museum

Ferrum (Ferrum College)

1,080-sq-ft classroom

Camp Bethel

Fincastle

Center in the Square

Roanoke

Charter Hall

Roanoke

7 spaces in 6 buildings, total of 10,300 square feet 12,852 sq. ft., including rooftop butterfly deck; atrium with 6,000-gallon salt-water aquarium Meetings for up to 460 or formal dining for 300

Grandin CoLab

Roanoke

Reception space for 200

Natural Bridge Park & Historic Hotel

Natural Bridge

6 meeting venues, 10,000 square feet. Outdoor spaces for catered functions

155 rooms in historic hotel; part of Virginia Green Lodging program; full-service dining options

(540) 291-2121 x7809

Primland

Meadows of Dan

Accommodates groups to 200; 17-seat board room with global videoconferencing

Private rooms in the Lodge and Fairway Cottages; On-site catering

(866) 960-7746

Taubman Museum of Art

Roanoke

Banquet capacity: 200 Reception capacity: 500

JANUARY 2016

(540) 365-4416 3 lodges, 324 beds, on-site dining

(540) 992-2940

Banquet capacity: 220 Reception capacity: 500

(540) 224-1251 (540) 342-2028 (540) 524-2702

(540) 204-4139

Venue

Location

Meeting spaces

Lodging/on-site catering availability

Telephone

Vinton War Memorial

Vinton

5 rooms, 5,080 sq. ft.

On-site catering available

(540) 983-0645

W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center

Wirtz

23,000 sq. ft.

Hotel-style rooms and dormitory-style lodges accommodate 400+ people

(540) 721-2759

Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing

New Castle

1 room for 75; 3 rooms for 10-20; Pavilion for 100

3 “elegantly rustic” lodges for 82-97 guests; On-site food service; Overflow camping and bathhouse available

(540) 864-6792

Attimo Winery

Christiansburg

Indoor space available when winery is closed

On-site catering

(540) 382-7619

Beliveau Estate Winery and Recreational Venue

Blacksburg

On-site chef

B&B (5 rooms with private baths)

(540) 961-0505

Bolling Wilson Hotel

Wytheville

meeting space for up to 120 people

30 guest rooms, George Wythe Ballroom, Private dining available

(276) 223-2333

Chateau Morrisette Winery and Restaurant

Floyd

On-site catering

(540) 593-2865

Christiansburg Aquatic Center

Christiansburg

Crimper’s Climbing Gym

Christiansburg

Groups of 10-30 for climbing

CrossPointe Foursquare Conference Center

Christiansburg

Large meeting room for 350

Fully furnished apartments (2-3 bedrooms) for daily, weekly or monthly rental; On-site catering

(540) 382-7100

Custom Catering Center

Blacksburg

Formal seating for up to 500; Informal seating for up to 800

On-site catering

(540) 951-8295

Firefly Hill Vineyards

Elliston

Patio seats 175

The Vineyard House: 4 bedroom, 4.5 bath home accommodates 9

(540) 588-0231

Floyd Event Center

Floyd

150 people for banquet, 250 in theater seating

Bermed lodge with bunk-style and traditional rooms; Fully equipped, certified kitchen

(540) 750-4588, x4

Frank Theatres Cinebowl & Grille + IMAX

Blacksburg

Restaurant

(540) 750-4588, x4

Hahn Horticulture Garden

Blacksburg (Virginia Tech campus)

Historic Smithfield

Blacksburg

Indoor space for up to 50; Larger events on the tent lawn Outdoor spaces accommodate up to 300

Hotel Floyd

Floyd

Conference room: 80120

40 unique rooms include five two-bedroom suites and two pet-friendly suites in separate building

(540) 745-6080

Inn at Pepper’s Ferry

Christiansburg

2 meeting rooms, each accommodates 15

Efficiencies and apartments (1-2 bedrooms) accommodating up to 70

(540) 553-1700

Mountain Lake Lodge

Pembroke

12 event spaces accommodating 10-190

100 units housing up to 250 people

(540) 626-7121

NRV SuperBowl

Christiansburg

Small meeting room

Cafe

(540) 382-5525

Radford University’s Selu Conservancy

Montgomery County

Sinkland Farms

Christiansburg

5,000-square-foot barn Multiple outdoor spaces

The Event Centre

Christiansburg

Newly renovated facility for up to 360

NEW RIVER VALLEY

3 meeting rooms; private dining room; tented courtyard 2 multipurpose rooms, each accommodating 200

Warming kitchen available for rental

(540) 381-7665, x3104 (540) 251-3040

Kitchen available

(540) 231-5970 (540) 231-3947

4,100-square-foot Retreat Center

(540) 831-7018 or (540) 831-6037 (540) 382-4647

On-site catering available

(540) 381-8429

ROANOKE BUSINESS

HIGHER EDUCATION

Building the future Roanoke College is expanding facilities to give students more academic opportunities by Shawna Morrison

he largest construction project ever undertaken by Roanoke College is well underway, and it’s being paid for by the largest fundraising effort in the school’s history. The Cregger Center will be a 155,000-square-foot complex with classrooms, offices, meeting spaces, a fitness center, an athletic training room and a performance

JANUARY 2016

gym – where basketball games will be held – with a seating capacity of 2,500. Its field house will have a seating capacity of 3,500 and a 200-meter indoor track. “For a school that has had national champions in track, and we’ve never had an indoor track, that’s a really exciting thing,” says Director of Public Relations Teresa Gereaux. According to her, the facility,

on the school’s 80-acre campus in Salem, will hold the only NCAA competitive-size track between Lynchburg and Blacksburg, which may lead to opportunities for the college to partner with the city of Salem or with Roanoke Valley schools to host events. “We really hope it’s going to be not only a resource for Roanoke College but a resource for the Roanoke Valley,” Photo courtesy Roanoke College

Health Care

she says. Gereaux stresses that the building will be “more than a gym. It’s very much a setting for education of mind, body and soul.” It will be open to all students, and public lectures and large events such as convocations will be held there. The idea for the Cregger Center came from Morris Cregger, a 1964 graduate of Roanoke College

who felt the school needed a student hub, Gereaux says. Cregger, chair of the school’s board of trustees, and other board members decided it would be best to build one rather than try to renovate an existing building. Through the Roanoke Rising fundraising campaign, the goal of $30 million has been met, says Gereaux. The complex is scheduled to be completed in time

for students’ return to school in late August for the fall semester. Large chunks of the money came from a few Roanoke College alumni. During Alumni Weekend in April 2014, Cregger and Donald Kerr, a 1960 graduate, announced a joint gift of $5 million toward construction of the Cregger Center’s Field House. A 1972 graduate and co-chair of the board of trustees’ ROANOKE BUSINESS

higher education The 155,000-square-foot Cregger Center will hold classrooms, offices, meeting spaces, a fitness center, an athletic training room, a gym and a field house with a 200-meter indoor track.

Building and Grounds Committee, Nancy Mulheren announced in 2013 a $25 million pledge from her family to the school, $4 million of which is earmarked for use toward landscaping, hardscaping and interior design of the Cregger Center. The center will include academic facilities for the Health and Human Performance department. Associate Professor John Creasy, the department’s chair, says he thinks the center will attract students to the department’s four majors – athletic training, health and exercise science, sports management, and health and physical education – as well as to Roanoke College. “It will be a draw for the program as people see the investment the college has made,” Creasy says. He says his department has been growing by about 25 students annually and expects to see additional growth after the Cregger Center opens. It will provide the department with state-of-the-art technology and media capabilities, and laboratory size will be nearly tripled. The exercise testing equipment that will be housed in the building will make Roanoke College a leader in that field, he 28

JANUARY 2016

says. “There will be a lot of exciting opportunities for the students,” Creasy says. Business-related majors are the most popular at the liberal arts college, but those that fall under the Health and Human Performance department are the second

most popular. Students who work toward a bachelor of science in athletic training, health and exercise science, sports management, or health and physical education are prepared to directly enter the workforce upon graduation. Creasy says the school is committed to making sure graduates leave the school with up-to-date knowledge about their field of study. Completion of the Cregger Center will free up space in the Bast Center, the building where Roanoke College’s gym is currently housed. Plans are in the works, Creasy says, to hold aerobics, yoga, Pilates, dance and spin classes there. As the building takes shape, students are beginning to take notice. “We’re at a point now where every time I go up there, it looks more and more like a building,” says Gereaux. “For the first six months or so it was all underground, electrical work.” Now that the center is only months away from completion, Roanoke College has begun fundraising efforts for a new science

Roanoke College •

About 2,000 undergraduate students from 43 states and 33 countries

•

Offers 36 majors, 57 minors and concentrations and eight pre-professional programs

•

About 85 percent of students receive financial aid.

•

Student-teacher ratio is 13:1.

•

Michael Maxey of Bassett became the 11th president in 2007, after 22 years at the college.

•

School was founded in 1842 as Virginia Institute near Staunton. In 1853, the Virginia legislature granted its collegiate charter under the name Roanoke College.

•

Roanoke College was one of the few Southern colleges to remain open during the Civil War. Source: roanoke.edu

Photo courtesy Roanoke College

complex. That project is in the very early stages, Gereaux says. No drawings have been made, and no date has been set for a new complex to be completed. Current plans call for the school’s two science buildings, Life Science and Trexler Hall, to somehow be connected with the auditorium that sits between them, Gereaux says. Any new construction outside the boundaries of those buildings would be difficult because the school is landlocked. Also new at Roanoke College is an overhaul of the website, which took about nine months to complete and now focuses on student recruitment. The school also is offering two new programs: screen studies and medicinal chemistry, both of which are offered as concentrations. Screen studies focuses on the history of cinema and other visual media and offers internship opportunities with the Grandin Theatre in Roanoke and Alexander Films, a Roanoke Valley-based film production company. Medicinal chemistry focuses on how drugs are developed and offers internship opportunities with pharmaceutical companies. Asked what people should know about Roanoke College, Gereaux stresses the expertise and involvement of the professors. She says each class is taught by a professor, not by graduate teaching assistants, “so the professors our students have are very much experts in their field, and they are the ones actually teaching the classes.” About 95 percent of faculty members hold the highest degree possible in their fields. “The professors take an interest. The professors encourage students,” Gereaux says. She says many students have received scholarships because a professor suggested they apply, then helped them through the process. “For the student it often opens up a whole new world for them, and it just took a professor saying, ‘Hey, have you thought about this?’ That’s a very common story.” ROANOKE BUSINESS

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COMMUNITY PROFILE: SALEM

Not number two Sports, a college and small businesses put Salem on the map by Gene Marrano

on’t call Salem the valley’s second city — behind Roanoke — to a resident’s face. Salemites pride themselves on running a tight, efficient ship — and putting their city’s name on the national map via numerous NCAA athletic championships. As for Roanoke College coming to Salem all those years ago, its impact is still being felt — more than ever perhaps. A study conducted by Roanoke College Professor Bob Stauffer in 2009 showed a valleywide economic impact of more than $100 million annually. There’s no breakdown for Salem alone, but Stauffer’s study reported that for every dollar of college-related spending injected into the local economy via students, em-

ployees and visitors — or by the college itself — another 58 cents was induced via a “ripple effect.” More recently Stauffer looked at the economic impact that construction of the new Cregger Center will have; the one-time impact was estimated at $57 million. The Cregger Center, named for a Roanoke College alumnus and donor, will feature new athletic facilities and is scheduled to open late this year. (See story on page 31). John Saunders, the Salem Civic Center’s director of facilities, has his numbers, too. According to an economic impact report he prepared in 2012, Saunders found annual direct spending of more than $17.5 million that year for Virginia High School League wrestling playoffs, assorted

NCAA championships in football, softball and basketball, the Salem Fair and other events. The report does not include indirect spending — that ripple effect detailed in the Roanoke College report. Attendance at the James E. Taliaferro Sports & Entertainment Complex, of which the civic center is a part, topped 756,000. That’s before figures were added for the Salem Red Sox baseball team and its impact. The team added nearly $3 million through full-time and seasonal employees, visiting team stays and other related economic activity. A 5,000-square-foot ballroom and three community rooms that are available for rent are part of the civic center mix; there is also a visitor’s center at the complex.

Salem’s weekend farmer’s market is open most of the year.

Photo courtesy credit City of Salem

ROANOKE BUSINESS

community profile The Salem Red Sox provide entertainment for residents and visitors — and about $3 million for the local economy.

Saunders says that means the complex is technically dark just three or four days a year. The civic center has 19 full-time employees, although 60 to 70 may work during a concert or other major event. The annual summer Salem Fair “is the biggest moneymaker for the city,” says Saunders. He and Cary Harveycutter, Salem’s former director of civic facilities, came up

with the ride-heavy Salem Fair in part to fill a void after the demise of the city’s Lakeside Amusement Park after the flood of 1985. “We’re larger than most state fairs,” boasts Saunders. The Red Sox, Boston’s advanced Class A affiliate, leases Salem Memorial Baseball Stadium from the city. Salem Sox General Manager Ryan Shelton, the reign-

Salem Founded: 1802. The town of Salem became the city of Salem in 1968. Area: 14.3 square miles Population: 25,483 (2014 estimate) Fast Facts: Salem was one of the few “upstart towns” in Western Virginia that survived its infancy in the early 1800s. The Great Road through Salem – a thoroughfare for those heading toward the unsettled West – was one reason. Hardy travelers passing through meant stores and taverns sprang up to service them. Riverboat traffic on the Roanoke River, promoted by the Roanoke Navigation Company, led to another boom. By 1838, Salem became the seat of Roanoke County government. The relocation of Roanoke College to Salem in 1847 helped change the character of the town and in 1852 the arrival of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad also helped guarantee its economic vitality. Salem annexed land from adjacent Roanoke County to grow south and east in the 1950s and 60s – and became a city to avoid annexation from neighboring Roanoke City. Source: Salemva.gov

JANUARY 2016

ing Carolina League executive of the year, has overseen a significant attendance increase during his two-plus seasons as GM. That includes seven packed houses in 2015. “We sold out 10 percent of our schedule,” Shelton says, “and are aiming for more sellouts next year.” From 2013 through this past season, the number of fans with some sort of season ticket package jumped from 140 to more than 1,000, he adds. The team can employ as many as 150 people “on any given game night,” not including a full-time staff of 18 to 20. The Sox are “a great source of pride, a community asset,” says Shelton, “that adds to the quality of life.” The parent company, Fenway Sports Group, recently signed a 10-year lease with the city for the 20-year-old baseball stadium, which has undergone a number of facelifts over the years. “They are great to work with,” Shelton says of the Civic Center management team. He also says the Red Sox, visiting clubs, scouts and umpires also use 1,600 hotel nights in the Roanoke Valley every year — next season they will all be concentrated in Salem. Salem High School football also means a lot to the city. A former Spartan hero, Scott Switzer, is now making a go of it with his Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar on Main Street. Switzer was on a Salem squad that made it to the state semifinals more than 20 years ago. He purchased and remodeled a building constructed in 1880, with his architect wife, Ashley Tayloe Switzer, designing the makeover. Switzer was a chef at Metro! In downtown Roanoke before staking his own claim in Salem. He wanted to prove that a more upscale restaurant could sustain itself. “They weren’t fully conceived, they had [just] parts of the equation,” he says of past failed efforts. Switzer says funding is available for those who have the right business plan. Photo courtesy City of Salem

“There’s a lot of [investment] money on the sideline waiting to do something,” he says. Switzer describes Blue Apron, which opened five years ago, as a “modern take on French-American cuisine.” Regular clientele comes from a wide swath that includes the New River Valley and Lexington. The secret? “It’s awesome — the food is great,” he chuckles. Salem officials “were easy to work with ... They were pretty organized.” Rehabbing an old building is stressful enough, so Switzer was grateful for the smooth process. He did not pursue state tax credits, not wanting to be tied down when it came to design conformance. Like Salem Mayor Randy Foley, fellow City Council member Jane Johnson is a small-business owner. Johnson has run R.M. Johnson & Sons Jewelers since 2005, after her husband, Bob, passed away. (He started the business in 1992.) “We’re looking at our downtown

Photo by Don Petersen

City Council member Jane Johnson has run R.M. Johnson & Sons Jewelers since 2005.

with a real sharp eye,” says Johnson of an improvement plan that City Council will be considering over the next few months. A busier, more appealing downtown corridor including

Main Street and College Avenue — where Johnson’s store is — may entice more small business owners to fill in vacant spaces. Repairing sidewalks, resolving parking issues and enticing more Roanoke College students to leave campus to support Salem businesses are major goals. “We need to give them a reason to come by our stores,” says Johnson, “make it more exciting for [students] to stay in Salem.” Johnson hails her loyal customer base that comes largely from people living in Salem and says residents seem to go out of their way to support local small business owners. She has been on City Council since 2004. Johnson says Salem has tried over the years to make it easier for businesses, offering one-stop shopping, for example, when it comes to the permitting and licensing process. “I’ve really not ever fielded a complaint about it,” Johnson says, “and [residents] know where to find me.”

ROANOKE BUSINESS

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EVENT SPONSORSHIP

NEW MEMBERS

Business After Hours – Oct. 26

The following members joined the Roanoke Regional Chamber from Oct. 10 through Nov. 9, 2015.

Rockydale Quarries Corporation

Women of the Chamber Luncheon – Oct. 27 Interactive Achievement

Gwyn C. Gilliam, AIA

Thursday Overtime – Nov. 5

Hampton Inn & Suites – Roanoke

Peaks of Otter Lodge Spilman Thomas & Battle PLLC

Downtown Level 3 Communications

2015 State of the County Address – Nov. 17

Pita Pit (Lemon-Rapp Co. Inc.)

First Citizens Bank Carilion Clinic RGC Resources Hall Associates Appalachian Power

Securitas Security Services

ResCare Sarah’s Place Vinton Roofing Co. Inc.

MEMBER NEWS & RECOGNITIONS G.J. Hopkins Inc., a subsidiary of The Branch Group, has announced the promotion of Chris Becker to vice president. Becker has been with the company 20 years and has held a variety of positions. He Becker was promoted to mechanical division manager in 2014.

Wise

Matt Wise, corporate controller for the Branch Group, has passed the Certified Construction Industry Financial Professional (CCIFP) exam. Wise can now display this designation along with his current CPA designation.

Chateau Morrisette Winery has announced the appointment of Brian Smyth as enologist and winemaker and CooBrunk Smyth per Brunk as chef of the Restaurant at Chateau Morrisette. Smyth previously served as assistant winemaker. He has been with the winery since 2014. Brunk had worked with fine restaurants in France, Colora34

JANUARY 2016

do and Tennessee before joining the staff at the winery’s restaurant. CowanPerry PC has been named one of the U.S. News and Best Lawyers Best Law Firms in 2016. Firms included in the “Best Law Firms” list are recognized for professional excellence with persistently impressive ratings from clients and peers. Achieving a tiered ranking signals a combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. Cox Business recently hosted the inaugural CIO Forum at the Hotel Roanoke. The series brings together leaders in the information technology industry for discussion, relationship building and educational programming. The luncheon included a panel discussion focused on business continuity planning from an IT perspective. The panel included: Jonathan Whitt, Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council; Kendall White, Carilion Clinic; Carol Reed, Hollins University; Rick Pevarski, Virginia Utility Protection Services; and Jeff Merritt, Cox Communications. Glenn Feldmann Darby & Goodlatte has been named to the Roanoke “Best Law Firms” in the 2016 edition of U.S. News and Best Lawyers.

The firm received Roanoke Metropolitan Tier 1 rankings in the following specialties: Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Individuals, Labor & Employment Litigation, Real Estate Litigation, and Real Estate Law. The firm was also ranked in the Tier 3 category in Corporate Law and Public Finance Law. Jefferson College of Health Sciences, a part of Carilion Clinic, has announced the addition of two new doctoral-level programs to the institution’s 25 existing health-care-focused degree and certificate programs. The new programs, the Doctorate of Nursing Practice and the Doctorate of Health Sciences, will welcome their students in fall 2016. Jason R. Whiting has joined the law firm Johnson, Ayers & Matthews as an associate of the firm. Whiting earned his law degree from Washington and Lee University School of Law in 2014. FolWhiting lowing graduation from law school, he clerked for the judges in the 23rd Judicial Circuit of Virginia. The Greater Blue Ridge Chapter of JDRF recently held its annual meeting. The board of directors elected new officers, welcomed new Whisnant Crandell board members and received an important research update about Type 1 diabetes. New board members include: Chris Whisnant, Stevens Elle Crandell, Heather Neff Neff, Mike Stevens, Paul Economy, Terry O’Shaughnessy, and Mary Lou Bruce, community volunteer; Chris Dodd, Friendship Retirement Com- Economy O’Shaughnessy munity; Randi Carpenter Earls, Carilion Clinic; Matt Elliott, Centra Health; Cheryl Facciani, community volunteer; Mimi Kemp, community volunteer; Richard Pettit, Merrill Lynch; Tony Robie, Virginia Tech; Trish Young, Creditors Collection Service; Sally Southard, Carilion Clinic Children’s Hospital; and Mike Wray, Norfolk Southern (retired).

Sterne

Marc Sterne has recently been promoted to audit managing director with KPMG, certified public accountants, in Roanoke. He is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and has been employed with KPMG since 2000.

Jonathan “Gabe” DiYorio, David Marshall and Chen Song have recently joined KPMG’s professional staff in the Roanoke office. DiYorio is a graduate of James Madison University, and Marshall and Song are both Virginia Tech graduates.

LeClairRyan has announced that the firm has been recognized in the 2016 edition of Benchmark: Litigation as a “highly recommended” firm in Virginia and a “recommended” firm in Massachusetts. Additionally, nine of the firm’s attorneys were recognized as “local litigation stars” for their individual practices. The following LeClairRyan attorneys were selected in their jurisdictions: Rodney K. Adams, product liability and medical malpractice, Virginia; Everette G. “Buddy: Allen, Jr., general commercial litigation, Virginia; Thomas A. Coulter, general commercial litigation, Virginia; C. Erik Gustafson, bankruptcy and general commercial litigation Virginia; W. Michael Holm, general commercial litigation, Virginia; Vernon E. Inge Jr., bankruptcy, Virginia; Kevin G. Kenneally, general commercial litigation and product liability, Massachusetts; Charles M. Sims, general commercial litigation, Virginia; and Thomas M. Wolf, general commercial litigation and intellectual property, Virginia. LeClairRyan has announced that 52 of the firm’s practice areas have been selected for inclusion in the most recent edition of U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers listing of Best Law Firms for 2016. Firms were ranked in tiers, both nationally and by metropolitan area, based on specific data including client and peer review surveys. LeClairRyan’s Roanoke office metropolitan Tier 1 rankings included: Bankruptcy and Creditor Debtor Rights / Insolvency and Reorganization Law, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law – Management, Labor Law – Management, Litigation – Banking & Finance, Litigation – Bankruptcy, and Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, and Tier 2, Personal Injury Litigation – Defendants. Neathawk Dubuque & Packet (ND&P) won eight Summit Awards from the Blue Ridge Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America for excellence in public relations. The firm received the Best in Show award for work done on behalf of the Save the James public awareness campaign. ND&P also was recognized for achieving results for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts’ “Japanese Tattoo: Perseverance, Art and Tradition” exhibit and for RIDE Solutions and its “Change Your Perspective” campaign to increase safety for both bicyclists and motorists in the region.

Poe & Cronk Real Estate Group has announced Allstate Insurance Co.’s entrance into the downtown Roanoke office market. The large insurer has signed a new office lease to become a tenant at the Stone Printing Building at 116 N. Jefferson St., adjacent to The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center and Roanoke Higher Education Center. Allstate will occupy the entire 48,000-square-foot building, which can accommodate more than 300 employees.

cation Planning Initiative (VATPI) for the town of Clifton Forge in partnership with Alleghany, Botetourt and Craig counties, and the city of Covington. The VATPI program provides funding for communities to develop a comprehensive community-based telecommunications plan. The Roanoke ValleyAlleghany Regional Commission assisted local governments with drafting the grant and will provide ongoing technical support in managing it.

The city of Roanoke has retained its status as a Top Digital City by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Government. Roanoke was ranked second among the cities in the 75,000 to 124,999 population category. The annual survey recognizes leading examples of cities using technology to improve services and boost efficiencies. The city has maintained its status as a Top Digital City since 2000.

Spectra Venue Management, operators of Berglund Center and Breakaway Sports & Entertainment, recently announced professional hockey will be returning to Roanoke in fall 2016 as part of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). Roanoke Mayor David Bowers and SPHL President Jim Combs were at a news conference to introduce the team’s ownership group.

Roanoke County Administrator Thomas Gates has announced the appointment of Christopher R. Bever as director of the OfBever fice of Management and Budget. Bever had served as assistant director of the Office of Management and Budget for the city of Alexandria.

Spilman Thomas & Battle announced that the firm was ranked as a Tier 1 Metropolitan “Best Law Firm” by U.S. News – Best Lawyers in 29 areas of law across four of its offices in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Spilman’s Tier 1 Metropolitan rankings for the Roanoke office include: Employee Benefits (ERISA) Law, Public Finance Law, and Trusts & Estates Law.

Roanoke County Fire & Rescue announced the promotion of Christopher Travis Griffith as deputy chief in November. Griffith Griffith will begin to transition into his new job responsibilities for the department’s administrative division. Griffith replaces Stephen G. Simon, the former deputy chief, who was appointed as chief of the county’s fire and rescue department on July 28, 2015.

Virginia Business Systems (VBS), headquartered in Richmond with an office in Roanoke, has announced it has joined forces with Data Technologies, also of Richmond. The acquisition contributes to the growth of VBS in the Richmond market with additional people, resources and support.

After a nationwide search, the Roanoke Regional Airport Commission has selected Bradley A. Boettcher as director Boettcher of marketing and air service development at the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport. Boettcher began his new job in September. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has announced $50,000 in joint grants through the Virginia Telecommuni-

Five individuals were inducted into the Virginia Livestock Hall of Fame for 2015 at the College of Agriculture and Life Science’s Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena on the Virginia Tech campus. The portraits of the 2015 honorees were unveiled and will be permanently displayed in the arena. The new Hall of Fame members include: Olive K. Britt, Richard H.L. Chichester III, Allen F. Harper, Gary Minish and David Notter.

Barrett

Scott Barrett, assistant professor of forest operations and Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist in the College of Natural Resources and

Environment at Virginia Tech, received the Society of American Foresters’ 2015 Young Forester Leadership Award. The award recognizes a young forestry professional’s outstanding leadership supporting forestry and the Society of American Foresters, the world’s largest professional society for foresters. Charlie Cahoon has been appointed assistant professor of plant pathology, physiology and weed science at Virginia Tech and speCahoon cialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension. Virginia Tech has hired Steve Clark as assistant vice president of gift planning. In this role he will oversee gift-planning Clark services provided to the university community, including academic departments and program units, in line with university fundraising priorities. The Pamplin College of Business at Virginia Tech has appointed Sean Collins as Innovate director in the college’s Apex Systems Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Collins will lead and support Virginia Tech’s Innovate living-learning community focused on entrepreneurship, a key program of the Apex Systems Center, in partnership with Housing and Residence Life. Christina Fernandez-Fraguas has been appointed assistant professor in the Department of Food Science and Technology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Virginia Tech. Glenda Gillaspy, a professor of biochemistry in Virginia Tech’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been named departGillaspy ment head. Gillaspy has been a faculty member since 1998. Olga Isengildina-Massa has been named associate professor of agricultural and applied economics in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Steven Mackay has been named communications director for the Virginia Tech College of Science. As

ROANOKE BUSINESS

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Mackay

communications director, Mackay will lead the internal and external communications, media relations and marketing programs for the nine departments of the College of Science.

Monique McKay has been hired as the Virginia Tech Graduate School ombudsperson. A lawyer and mediator, she co-founded and was executive director of the Master Mediator Institute, an internaMcKay tionally recognized educational institute focused on furthering interdisciplinary understandings about the brain, human behavior, conflict resolution and facilitated decision making.

Mountain

Travis Mountain has been named extension specialist and assistant professor of agricultural and applied economics in the Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

The American Physical Society has elected Michel Pleimling, a professor with the Department of Physics and director of the Academy of Integrated Science, both in Pleimling the Virginia Tech College of Science, as a Fellow. The honor comes from the society’s Council of Representatives on the recommendation of its Statistical Nonlinear Physics topical group.

Rafie

Carlin Rafie has been appointed assistant professor in the Department of Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise at Virginia Tech and adult nutrition specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension.

David R. Raymond has been named deputy director of Virginia Tech’s Information Technology Security Lab and the IT Security Office. Before joining the university, Raymond served as the director of Raymond education research in the Army Cyber Institute at the United States Military 36

JANUARY 2016

Academy at West Point.

Scherer

Hannah Scherer has been named assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural, Leadership and Community Education and specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension at Virginia Tech.

Shivers

Carolyn M. Shivers has been appointed an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development at Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Stephanie A. Smith has been appointed an assistant professor in the Department of Communication in Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.

Smith Andrew Tevington has been named director for compliance and interim deputy Title IX coordinator at Virginia Tech. Tevington Timothy Warburton, professor of mathematics in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, was recently named the John K. Costain Faculty Chair by the Virginia Tech board of visitors. The John K. Costain FacWarburton ulty Chair was established through a 2007 gift by alumnus David Worthington and his wife, Beverly, and is named for Worthington’s mentor, a professor of geophysics in the Department of Geosciences. Joseph Wheeler, professor of architecture in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies at Virginia Tech, has received the Virginia AIA Prize for Design Research and Scholarship for Virginia Tech’s FutureHAUS. Professor Mehdi Setareh, also a professor in the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, received an honorable mention. Virginia Tech’s FutureHAUS is a fully functional working prototype of a nextgeneration responsive home.

Lisa Wilkes, Virginia Tech’s assistant vice president for business services, has been named associate vice president for administration. In her new assignment, Wilkes will oversee several functional Wilkes areas within human resources to further improve services and support university employees. Anisa Zvonkovic, head of the Department of Human Development at Virginia Tech, has been chosen president-elect of the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR). She has held various Zvonkovic leadership roles within the organization for more than two decades. The Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation has awarded its first endowed teaching chair to Cristin Barrett, an assistant professor of mathematics at Virginia Western ComBarrett munity College. Barrett is the first recipient of the Donald G. Smith Endowed Teaching Chair, an honor named for Don Smith, the retired head of Roanoke Electric Steel and a director emeriti of the Educational Foundation. Virginia Western Community College’s Educational Foundation has announced that W. Heywood Fralin, chairman of Medical Facilities America and co-trustee of the Horace G. Fralin Charitable Trust, has Fralin received a prestigious national Benefactor Award from the Council for Resource Development. The award was presented in recognition of Fralin’s endowed investment of $5 million for Virginia Western STEM-H scholarships. Jake Gilmer has been selected as the new director of the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board. The Roanoke native has worked in urban and community development, serving communiGilmer ties such as Hendersonville and Asheville in North Carolina. He most recently served as the director of partnerships and development with the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission.

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