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ISSUE 216 SEPTEMBER 2026 Spilman’s Suzanne Pierce Roanoke Holistic Hub VT’s JLab Lichen or Knot Feeding America’s Pam Irvine RVARC

VIRGINIA’S BLUE RIDGE BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Andrea Garland RIDESolutions

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WELCOME TO THE FRONT Beam me to work, Scotty. Remember in the original Star Trek television series, how amazing we found the “Transporter Room” on the USS Enterprise? “Fascinating!” as Spock would say (without the explanation mark though, of course). Well, our technology is not quite there yet, but we do have some practical—if not fascinating—ways to commute to work that don’t include our personal automobiles. Our special FRONTcover feature presents some “solutions.” You do know that Star Trek transporter rearranged your body’s molecules, converted them into a “matter stream” or energy beam, sent all that across space to a target coordinate, and then brought all your molecules back together to your original physical form, hopefully—right? Yeah. We’ll stick with bikes and paths and public transit and sharing rides. At least for today’s stardate.

Tom Field Gene Marrano Publisher Editor

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CONTENTS DEPARTMENTS 18 Spilman’s Suzanne Pierce by Rachel Nicole Edwards

22 Roanoke Holistic Hub by Gene Marrano

LEAD STORY PAGE 8

COMMUTING ALTERNATIVES How We Get to Work

26 VT’s JLab

by Lindsey Hull

30 Lichen or Knot by Tom Field

60 Feeding America’s Pam Irvine by Gene Marrano

PERSPECTIVES 20 Lead By Example by Carrie Cousins

24 Real Estate Matters

by Frazier Hughes

REVIEWS & OPINIONS 32 There’s Something Happening Here

by Gene Marrano

33 On Tap from the Pub by Tom Field

34 Guest Commentary by Lisa Archer

36 Reviews FRONTLINES 38 FRONT’n About 50 Career FRONT 56 FRONT Notes

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The Erins agree: ” “ this is a lovely workspace.

FRONTcover photography of Andrea Garland by Tom Field.

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— Page 31

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SEPTEMBER

P.O. Box 1041 Salem, VA 24153 (540) 389-9945 www.vbFRONT.com

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Tom Field tfield@vbFRONT.com (540) 389-9945

Editor

Gene Marrano news@vbFRONT.com

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Lisa Archer

Carrie Cousins

Tom Field

Frazier Hughes

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Office Administration Emily Field info@vbFRONT.com Production

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morefront.blogspot.com © Copyright 2026; Valley Business FRONT, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of this publication in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Information within Valley Business FRONT is obtained from sources considered reliable, but cannot be guaranteed. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the ownership. Valley Business FRONT is primarily distributed to subscribers by mail, digitally and select locations throughout the Roanoke Valley, New River Valley, and western Virginia.

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Advisory Board Valley Business FRONT has organized an Advisory Board comprised of a selective group of diverse business professionals who support our mission and have an interest in how our business journal best serves our local communities and region. As a sounding board throughout their term, board members have been given the task of helping FRONT understand the issues and develop coverage. You will note that the Board is comprised of experts in many different business / industry “fronts.” This is intentional, as we are reporting on all the areas that affect our regional economy and are important to you. Although the members are encouraged to keep FRONT updated on their own industries and the key players, they aren’t limited to their area of specialty, as all commercial enterprises ultimately collaborate to impact our quality of life here in this part of Virginia. An additional contribution by the Advisory Board involves direct input on the various FRONTLists we present throughout the year. In keeping with our policy of being “the voice of business in the valleys” we ask each reader to join us as an editorial partner by contacting us with your ideas. You know more than we know about your business—or you certainly should—and that inside knowledge shared with our readers will make us all better at what we do.

2026 CONTRIBUTORS

Dan Dowdy

Rachel Edwards

Emily Field

Lindsey Hull

Gene Marrano

Nicholas Vaassen

Jason Boone

Freedom First Credit Union / finance—credit unions

Micah Fraim

Fraim & Cawley CPAs / finance - accounting

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We're up to around 37 different modalities now. — Page 22

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When we purchase food that is locally produced, we help feed and nourish the communities to which we belong. — Page 35

Mary Ann L. Miller

Bank of Botetourt / finance – banking

“”

Alicia Smith

F&S Building Innovations / construction

Biographies and contact information on each contributor are provided on Page 54.

She came back with a vision. — Page 61

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COMMUTING ALTERNATIVES How We Get to Work SPECIAL FEATURE

We’re not all working remotely from our homes. That’s hardly the case. Although a lot of recent employment news has been about the “explosion” of at-home workers, the truth is only about 22% of the U.S. workforce is from home, at most. And that statistic was elevated with the pandemic, even as many of those same workers have been asked to return to a physical workplace. Companies cite everything from justifying using their real

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estate to productivity, operational efficiency, and comradery. Of course, many jobs and industries simply require onsite workers. So, off to work we go. For most of us, that means jumping in our car, driving to work, parking, then coming back home. RIDE Solutions—a program of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission

FRONT COVER (RVARC)—wants to reduce those singledriver cars commuting back and forth and clogging up our infrastructures and environment.

THE MISSION RIDE Solutions helps residents and workers find transportation options for commute and non-commute trips, by promoting existing local resources, empowering mode-shift curiosity, and assisting local government with projects that enhance the region’s transportation network, infrastructure, and facilities.

“I think we have been too focused on getting cars to and from places, and then figuring out how to store them when they get there,” says Jeremy Holmes, executive director of the Commission. “However, cars don’t eat or vote or spend money or play at the park or hold down a job—people do. What RIDE Solutions focuses on is the work of getting people to the places they want and need to be, agnostic of the machine or method that gets them there. “It’s about making the best use of the investments we have made in our transportation system… delivering people in the most efficient way possible. It’s also about recognizing that not everyone can or should drive. Those people also deserve access to services, civic opportunities, and recreation.” RVARC has been compiling data since 1969. A regional planning agency that works with local governments on economic, growth, emergency planning, and transportation matters, it established a regional commuter assistance program for the 5th Planning District of Virginia to help workers and students find alternative transportation options—and branded it as RIDE Solutions. Formed in 2001 (partly in response to EPA air quality compliance concerns) the RIDE Solutions “campaign” faced big challenges; perhaps the first is simply overcoming a mindset.

Jeremy Holmes, executive director Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission

“We have a long-standing car-oriented culture,” says Jessica Mahuron, who is the Commission’s public engagement manager and has the task of getting the word out about offerings from RIDE Solutions.

Jessica Mahuron, public engagement manager Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission

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THE SERVICE AREA RIDE Solutions serves the COUNTIES of Alleghany, Botetourt, Craig, Roanoke, Franklin, Patrick, Pittsylvania, Henry, Montgomery, Giles, Floyd, Pulaski; CITIES of Roanoke, Salem, Martinsville, Danville, Covington; TOWNS of Vinton, Rocky Mount, Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Clifton Forge

Andrea Garland, who is the Director of TDM (transportation demand management) is quite familiar with the challenges. “Conversations with residents and employers consistently suggest that carpooling can be a difficult market to grow and sustain across the region, especially in rural localities,” she says.

But it’s not just “the American mindset of driving our own cars.” There is a lack of reliable regional transit services, verified by RVARC reports. At present, transit is most practical for residents traveling within the City of Roanoke or between Roanoke, Vinton, and Salem. For much of the broader region, commuters continue to rely heavily on personal vehicles. “Vanpooling offers one of the strongest solutions to this challenge because it bridges the gap between traditional transit and single-occupancy vehicle travel,” Garland continues. “It can be especially effective for longer-distance commutes and employment centers where multiple workers travel from the same general area. The pandemic significantly disrupted vanpool participation and rebuilding that momentum has required renewed employer engagement. In our experience, vanpool programs are most successful when employers recognize transportation as a workforce issue and actively support solutions through leadership, human resources coordination, and internal champions.”

The Greater Roanoke Region Travel Survey Andrea Garland, TDM director RVARC / Ride Solutions

In 2023, RVARC hired a research company to survey residents in our region about travel patterns, trip satisfaction and transportation options. Insights reflect the answers of the survey’s 1,662 respondents. Car Trouble Personal vehicles are the main mode of transportation

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FRONT COVER in our region, but gas prices, maintenance costs and traffic congestion are burdening residents. • Of those surveyed, 42% work outside the home. Among those, 87% drive to work alone, and 61% commute to the City of Roanoke or Roanoke County. • A majority of those surveyed (59%) said high gas prices were the biggest challenge for commuting in a personal vehicle. • 39% said the cost and time of personal vehicle maintenance was a challenge. • 40% said traffic congestion is a challenge. Re-Routing Many areas throughout our region need more public transportation, bike paths, and safer and better-connected sidewalks.

CONNECTINGVA Since 2019, RIDE Solutions has managed a ridesharing assistance app, ConnectingVA, funded through the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. The app allows residents across the region to share commute trips, voluntarily participate in carpools, and record sustainable commute trips made by transit, biking, or walking. The average number of app users each year is approximately 260. In Fiscal Year 26 (July 2025 through June 2026), commuters in the region recorded 1,218 carpool trips, 3,191 bike commute trips, 3,608 transit trips, and 1,561 walking commute trips. Together, those trips resulted in an estimated reduction of 85 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

• About half of respondents agreed that our region needs more public transportation, with younger adults agreeing more strongly. • Most respondents said our region needs better bike paths, with Roanoke City (66%), Roanoke County (67%) and the City of Salen (70%) leading the way in their agreement. • Many respondents (40-55%) strongly favor improving the sidewalks in their communities. Sharing is Caring Commuting in our region can be expensive and frustrating, but carpooling and vanpooling can help. • According to a 2023 TRIP study, drivers in the Greater Roanoke Region pay an average of $407 in yearly additional vehicle operation costs because of fuel consumption, wear and tear and other factors associated with commuting.

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• Only 27-40% of survey respondents were aware of RIDE Solutions’ free carpooling and vanpooling assistance services. • The survey also showed that the top motivator for carpooling or vanpooling is the offer of a free ride home in case of emergencies. (46%)

RIDESHARING The first and easiest way to reduce single-occupancy drivers is to share a ride with a co-worker—carpooling. One source estimates that 14 million people carpool to work in the U.S. (8.64% of the working population) and that most of these shared rides consist of twoperson carpools. RIDE Solutions is particularly energized by “vanpools.”

Nick Quint, sustainable transportation manager Virginia Tech

Vanpooling is usually set up at the workplace. You share a ride with coworkers who live nearby or along your commute route in a vehicle owned by a thirdparty leasing company. The vanpool company provides insurance, vehicle maintenance and repairs, and a backup vehicle if the leased vehicle becomes unavailable. If qualified, a registered vanpool could receive a monthly subsidy to reduce the total cost of the vanpool.

RIDE HOME REWARDS Employees who use carpool, vanpool, or transit options to commute and log their trips in ConnectingVA at least six times within 30 days can use the Ride Home Rewards program. This program provides a ride home for unexpected situations, ensuring they can get home or back to their car at a park-and-ride.

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Nicholas (Nick) Quint is the sustainable transportation manager at Virginia Tech. He says vanpooling has been a valuable component of Virginia Tech’s transportation demand management program for years. “Because many of our employees live in surrounding communities, vanpools provide an important transportation option where fixed-route transit service may be limited,” Quint says. “They help connect employees to campus, reduce commuting costs, and give people a practical alternative to driving

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alone, all while reducing parking demand and helping us achieve our sustainability goals."

PUBLIC TRANSIT To encourage individuals to take the bus to work, RIDE Solutions has initiated several programs, promotions, and awareness campaigns. Last year, “Transportation Day” was held in collaboration with Leadership Roanoke Valley, a component of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. “We were given an immersive experience with the Valley Metro bus system,” says Sarah Gilmore, a LRV participant and long range planner with Roanoke County. “We were shown the important role public transportation plays in connecting people to landmarks, businesses, and everyday destinations in the Roanoke Valley.” The experience featured a “Bus BINGO” game, a panel of local transit leaders and advocates, and of course, a bus ride.

Sarah Gilmore, long range planner Roanoke County

“Bus BINGO” players Andrea Garland, Jessica Mahuron, Sarah Gilmore, Sally McQuinn

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TRY TRANSIT WEEK: SEPTEMBER 14–18 Try Transit Week in Virginia is an annual campaign of the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation that introduces more people to public transportation by providing education and incentives. RIDE Solutions supports this effort through community partnerships that empower individuals with the tools and confidence they need to reach their destinations. Whether you represent an employee group or an organization that supports people needing transportation, RIDE Solutions can create a customized bus trip tailored to your needs.

“The activity was a tremendous success,” Gilmore says. “Several LRV participants commented on how it changed the way we think about our daily routines and transportation choices… how essential public transportation is…” Another initiative from RIDE Solutions is “Try Transit.” Try Transit activity helps community members build confidence using public transportation through a guided, hands-on bus experience. The activity is designed to make learning the bus system engaging and approachable. Participants receive hands-on instruction on how to use the VMGO app and Google Maps to look up routes, check schedules, and plan trips more easily.

By combining education with a group outing, Try Transit helps participants feel more knowledgeable and comfortable navigating the bus system. This kind of direct experience is especially valuable for staff members and organizations that support individuals seeking transportation for work, school, medical appointments, and everyday errands.

WALKING & BIKING Depending on proximity and route, walking or bicycling to work is the best option of all, when considering environmental and infrastructural impact. RIDE Solutions addresses these commuting options as well, with a number of programs.

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The “Walk and Roll to School Toolkit” is a resource designed to help families, schools, and community partners encourage students to walk, bike, scooter, skateboard, or roll to school safely and regularly. The toolkit highlights benefit such as increased physical activity, improved mental well-being, stronger social connections, enhanced focus in school, and the development of lifelong traffic safety skills. It also provides step-bystep guidance for launching both informal walking and rolling initiatives and larger schoolwide events. RIDE Solutions provides support to local event organizers participating in the annual Bike and Roll to School Day in May and Walk and Roll to School Day in October.

HOW TO RIDE VALLEY METRO RIDE Solutions released a video on how to ride Valley Metro. The collaboration with Roanoke Valley Television, the video (easily accessible on YouTube) gives viewers essential information to get started, passes, routes, boarding, and services. It shows routes in nine local locations, the airport, transit center, and Amtrak station. It also features a local cast of community leaders, disability advocates, Valley Metro employees, a college mascot, and mayors from Roanoke, Salem, and Vinton.

Our region—particularly in the past five years—has been gaining great publicity as being “bike-friendly.” Between the Roanoke Valley Greenways system and branding as a premier East Coast cycling destination, more bicyclists favor the community, and more individuals are biking to work. Roanoke is a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly City, a national designation by the League of American Bicyclists.

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One bike champion is the director of Transportation Demand Management at RVARC and RIDE Solutions program manager, herself, Andrea Garland.

THE BIKE RACK PROGRAM The Friends of Blue Ridge, in partnership with RIDE Solutions, works to expand access to bike parking across the region. This annual program provides locations that serve the public with custom bike racks manufactured locally by Lift Arc Studios. These bike racks support sustainable transportation by making it easier for communities and organizations to accommodate cyclists. Bike racks have been installed across the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany region. (At publication time, 40 bike racks have been installed since 2023.)

“Andrea walks the talk,” fellow staffer Mahuron says. “Yes, I’ve always been a bicycle advocate, and I’ve always been in this field,” Garland agrees. She’s ridden bikes since her youth, studied transportation engineering in college, and even her family rides bikes. Her own bike was made here in Roanoke. “You’re in this field because you care,” she says. “I’d love to reach more young people. Riding a bike… as my own daughter knows… it represents freedom.”

Garland says RIDE Solutions has a lot of tools to help reduce traffic. What she would like more than anything is to reach more decision-makers at organizations to engage commuters. “I want to hear from employers who are interested in getting their employees to work. Whether it’s carpooling, vanpooling, public transit, or even providing bikes… we’re here to help.” Holmes says when it comes to commuting, having the freedom to choose is important. “I want to be able to drive when it makes sense, bike when it makes sense, take the bus when it makes sense, and those options should all be as reasonably

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FRONT COVER CONNECTING WITH RIDE SOLUTIONS Learn more at ridesolutions.org 540-343-4417 info@ridesolutions.org Also on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn @ridesolutions The RIDE Solutions Workplace Partner program is designed to help with business and sustainability goals by providing transportation options to employees such as vanpooling, transit, and biking to work. Through the commuter assistance program, employers gain access to options that can save them money and provide regular, reliable transportation. Workplaces can receive RIDE Solutions expert assistance to help them set up and implement a commuter options program and ensure the program is working. As a program of local planning districts and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation, all RIDE Solutions employer services are free of charge. RIDE Solutions Workplace Partner Services: • Creating custom commuter benefits program for employers: RIDE Solutions will analyze data to determine employee transportation needs, help employers start vanpools and carpools, provide transit assistance on bus routes and make other recommendations. • Connecting with tax incentives. Section 132(f) of the IRS tax code allows employers to provide tax-free benefits to employees related to transit and vanpools. • Creating custom marketing materials including flyers, brochures, and meeting/ event communications to educate employees on commuting options.

safe and accessible as possible,” he says. “Employers have an enormous say in and how their employees can make these choices. Things like flexible schedules, bike parking facilities, and transit pass support are all incentives or amenities that help employees make the choices that make sense for them. I think the work that RIDE Solutions has done has directly impacted the region's reputation as an outdoor destination by elevating bicycling as a form of transportation as well as recreation. My bike commute generally takes me along the greenways, for example, so I'm visible using and supporting these investments in outdoor infrastructure. Its work around transit has helped improve workforce outcomes by helping more people get to work, and the investments it has supported in bus stop infrastructure with the City have supported transit riders with more comfortable, equitable facilities while they wait for the bus. I think cities and communities thrive when people can get to places in a variety of ways. It's better for neighborhoods, for employers, for civic engagement, and for the environment.” vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

Suzanne Pierce

Practical, Business-Minded By Rachel Nicole Edwards Spilman’s Suzanne Pierce’s trek from Ireland to Virginia carried a hands-on approach to her corporate law practice. At Spilman Thomas & Battle, a full-service law firm, Suzanne Pierce’s typical day might look like counseling an international tech company, a local entrepreneur or a non-profit based in the Appalachian region. “I enjoy working with local businesses because I understand that behind every legal issue is an owner who is deeply invested in the success of their company,” Pierce says. Her love for the intricate

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workings of small business comes from experiencing it first-hand as she grew up. “My dad owned a commercial construction company, so I was exposed to the day-today operations of a small business from an early age. I loved visiting job sites, helping with paperwork as I got older and hearing about the challenges and successes of his latest projects. I believe that early exposure played a significant

EXECUTIVE PROFILE corporate law to litigation and commercial property. After she qualified, Pierce worked on high-value litigation in Belfast, Edinburgh and London for three years. Her next chapter would bring her to Virginia. Roanoke, Virginia is home to one of Spilman Thomas & Battle’s nine offices. The super-regional law firm serves local, national and international businesses from offices in West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida. Their attorneys are admitted to practice all over the United States, assisting clients wherever their business takes them. Before she joined Spilman, Pierce shares that she “was looking for a firm where collaboration is valued, attorneys are encouraged to build lasting partnerships with clients and the community, and the focus is on delivering practical, business-minded solutions rather than one-size-fits-all advice.” Spilman provided just what she was looking for.

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role in my decision to become a corporate attorney.” Suzanne Pierce was born in Northern Ireland, where she took her first steps into her legal career. She earned her undergrad in law from Queen’s University Belfast, before pursuing an apprenticeship at Pinsent Masons while attending the Institute for Professional Legal Studies. Pierce shares, “during my apprenticeship, I had the opportunity to rotate through every department in the firm. The breadth of exposure and exceptional training I received at Pinsent Masons provided a strong foundation for my career and continues to shape my practice today.” Much of Pierce’s current focus at Spilman reflects the same departments she experienced at Pinsent Masons, from

Pierce shares that what initially drew her to Spilman was its “reputation for providing exceptional client service and its commitment to developing meaningful client relationships. I was also impressed by the firm's culture. From my first interactions, it was clear that Spilman invests in its people and fosters a collaborative environment where attorneys support one another while remaining deeply committed to their clients. That combination of exceptional client service, teamwork, and a strong regional presence made Spilman the right fit for me.” For almost a year, Pierce has been on a team of attorneys who are passionate about delivering legal solutions to help businesses achieve their objectives and reap the benefits of a long-term partnership. “We are committed to a client-first approach, providing responsive, hands-on, and collaborative counsel tailored to each client’s unique needs.” When Pierce walks into the office every day, she is carrying a valuable toolbox of experience with her from across the Atlantic. With every client she sits down to offer her advice to, her aspiration is the same. Pierce affirms, “my goal is to provide practical, strategic legal guidance that helps businesses grow and navigate challenges with confidence.” vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

How do you know when it is time to pivot? In a world where artificial intelligence questions – and potential efficiencies – are front and center, is it time for your business to pivot? The challenges are many: • Pivot too soon and you can miss opportunities in your current plan • Pivot too late and you may not recover quickly enough from a challenge or loss • Any business change can also create unease among your team So how do you know when it is time to pivot?

LEAD BY EXAMPLE By Carrie Cousins, LeadPoint Digital Executive Summary: It’s one of a handful of business buzzwords that many of us cringe to hear: Pivot. The action of changing course is not a trend; often it is a necessity.

This is a question I ask myself all the time. As someone who has pivoted careers and lead wholescale internal business change, you kind of just know. It starts with the feeling that something is off or data that says your current path is not sustainable. Then the best business leaders start preplanning that change in their heads. What would the pivot look like? What are the benefits? What are the risks? Then the what-if conversations start happening out loud. Is the idea of a pivot mutually accepted? Here’s the red flag: You are considering a pivot because everyone “says you should.” That’s been a lot of the emphasis in the AI conversation. Leaders feel like they “should” be using some type of AI technology. The better conversation is figuring out if it can help you before you make a blanket AI decision. At LeadPoint Digital, we approached this pivot with a lot of conversation. From ethics to usage to governance, AI has

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PERSPECTIVES been an integral part of conversations at our company. We dipped our toe into the pivot like this: • We encouraged every member of the team to find an AI course or certification this year that interested them and complete it • We created internal teams to solve problems using AI (they would recommend to adopt or abandon during the course of those projects) • We picked a toolset and made sure everyone on the team had access and understood rules for usage • We’ve incorporated training throughout the year and kept conversations open as technology continues to change • We’re continuing to work on company-wide policies for usage This is a big pivot that most companies are dealing with right now. The takeaway is that being a little conservative has helped us develop a path forward without changing the level of service clients get or expect from us. We are learning every day and continuing to pivot almost weekly. Moving a few degrees at a time has been a lot more successful for us than a full 360, and the change has been of benefit to everyone.

out if it can help you before “”Figure making a blanket AI decision.

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Choosing Holistic By Gene Marrano

Going to see the doctor every so often for a checkup and maybe a prescription or two isn’t the only way to find wellness, says Tara Jones of Roanoke Valley Holistic Hub. Now a meditation teacher after stints at medical practices and with Microsoft as a programmer, Tara Jones set about to bring many of the holistic medicine practices under one roof so to speak, so that those seeking such services could find them with less difficulty. Thus the Holisticroanoke.com website was founded, home to the Roanoke Valley Holistic Hub Jones has created. Click on holisticroanoke.com to find everything from aromatherapy to plant medicines, Reiki and energy healing, yoga, massage, breathwork and more. Jones has taken her meditation classes on the road, working with the City of Salem public school system on ways for teachers and staffers to get through their often tough days with less stress.

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“There are a ton of really amazing holistic wellness practitioners in the Roanoke area. I wish when I had started my journey here that I had been able to find them more easily. The are sort of scattered all over.” Jones knew some of the other practitioners and met others when she launched the Hub in July. “We just make it easier for folks to access the practitioners in their area with a free online resource. We’re up to around 37 different modalities now. It’s kind of amazing the variety that’s represented there.” Jones sees a movement towards more holistic wellness, an “enlightenment or a different approach to their physical wellbeing.” One service on the holisticroanoke. com offers pain management pre and post-surgery that does not rely so much

WELLNESS FRONT on prescribed painkillers that in some cases can become addictive. “There’s a lot of crossover – people are really waking up to different ways of living and wanting to feel better. We have lots of folks [in the Hub] that can help them do that.” Jones says the Hub website makes it easier to search for the wellness modality desired, or just scroll the services page to learn about crystals, tarot, sound healing, hypnotherapy – even animal communication and more. Weekly 30 minute free livestreams (donations are welcome) on the website keep people up to date on the latest holistic happenings and techniques, “for folks that are curious or just don’t have the time or the resources available.” The Roanoke Valley Holistic Hub, launched this summer gave away a “healing package,” for those that entered a free drawing, looking to entice more people to look at alternative ways to get well or stay well. A certified mental health provider was part of that package. “I think there’s space for both [approaches to wellness].” She worked in the healthcare field for many years in back office roles and as a medical coder, and calls what she’s doing now “another path to healing.” Jones also worked for Microsoft for five years before making the complete transition to her current role, developing AI to make it easier for physicians to produce patient notes. She also views the traditional medical profession as becoming more receptive to holistic practices as part of overall wellness

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Tara Jones

picture. MRI’s for example she notes of people who are meditating shows a change in brain wave patterns that appear to promote better overall health for a patient. “Teaching your patients to mediate is going to help them receive the healing that they need.” “Holistic wellness is about the wellness of your body, mind, and spirit,” says Tara Jones. “We believe that if you heal yourself, you can heal the world around you. Whether or not Roanoke is ready for the holistic movement, it's already happening. We’re trying to make it more accessible to everyone.”

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PERSPECTIVES Fast price feedback and price the property I remember just a few months ago speaking with one of the top realtors in the area. I mean in the top five of last year and he had said the market is now healthy, and balanced homes are not moving like they used to during covid. Some are sitting a little bit longer - a month to a month and a half and he's been doing this for years. I told him I have had to reduce the price for some of my homes, and he said that it’s totally okay and normal. This made me feel good as I do not like to have to reduce the price. It’s hard to price homes at times. I always want to hit a homerun and get the property I list under contract fast. But just because it does not move fast also, does not mean it’s not priced correctly too.

REAL ESTATE MATTERS By Frazier Hughes Executive Summary: The housing market is not what it used to be, in fact it's changed a lot. Sometimes dropping your price a little bit at the time does the trick. Frazier Hughes is with Keller Williams Realty. Reach him at frazierhughescom@ gmail.com

Want fast feedback? Well, I figured a way to do it for price without an open house, realtor luncheon, or tons of showings. Here is what I do. I call the agents both listing and buyers within a couple of streets that have sold homes in the past 6 months. I send them my listing and ask for feedback. If 3 out of 5 are saying price, then you know immediately you need to lower it. Some sellers set their own price. Yes, it’s true. I will come up with a strategic price based on comparables and they want to list higher. They will lower it if it has no traction and the market will test it. If the price is right, it goes under contract pretty quickly! But how much do you lower it? I priced a home with my client, and we went way high on the price just to see if we could get it. No luck. So, after a couple of weeks, we did a large drop and had 3 offers. Statistics show too, don’t drop a little but a lot. See: Real Estate Brokerage Guidelines (e.g., RE/MAX, Redfin, & MLS Data.) Top listing agents generally advise a 3% to 5% drop as the baseline threshold to re-engage active buyers. A cut smaller than 2% typically goes unnoticed in automated email drip alerts and MLS searches. Bottom line: stay positive - and let’s get it sold!

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Groundbreaking for the Jefferson Lab Data Center at Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. (L-R) Jefferson Lab Director Jens Dilling, SURA President and Chief Executive Officer Sean Hearne, Virginia Tech President Tim Sands, Newport News Mayor Phillip Jones, Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger, DOE Under Secretary for Science Darío Gil, U.S. Senator Mark Warner, Representative Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, and Representative Rob Wittman.

High hopes at Tech for JLab By Lindsey Hull

On June 1, Virginia Tech and the Southeastern Universities Research Association (together called SURATech) took over management and operations of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. Less than two weeks later, they broke ground on the Jefferson Lab Data Center. It will be home to the DOE’s future High Performance Data Facility, referred to as JLab.

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TECHNOLOGY FRONT

Courtesy of Virginia Tech

The groundbreaking “marks an important investment in the future of scientific discovery,” said Jens Dilling, laboratory director. “The Jefferson Lab Data Center is purpose-built to support the advanced computing, data, and AI [artificial intelligence] capabilities that modern science increasingly demands. As the future home of the High Performance Data Facility Hub, this facility will help researchers across the Department of Energy harness the power of data to accelerate breakthroughs and strengthen America’s scientific leadership.” Prior to this change, the Jefferson National Accelerator Facility had operated as a single-purpose Federally Funded Research

and Development Center (FFRDC) that focused on nuclear physics using advanced computing and particle accelerators. That program will remain. Computer engineers will soon be tasked with finding new ways to index data so that computers can more quickly find the information needed, helping scientists hasten their research process. Indexing is a pressing problem, according to Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, the John W. Hancock Professor of Engineering at Virginia Tech. “You need an efficient way to be able to search the data, which is not as simple as just browsing through the data.” vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

Courtesy of Virginia Tech

Jefferson Lab Data Center sign

It’s like trying to find a photo in a stack of shoeboxes.

discover. They speed up the scientists’ work, Nikolopoulos said.

“You need to understand the origins of the “It’s like a scientific assistant of sorts,” he data and the sources of the data and the entire said. “The primary use of the data is to feed history of the data,” Nikolopoulos said. the scientific assistant with information, so that they can help the scientists.” JLab is tasked with indexing the entire DOE’s research data, produced by its 17 National “But the scientist doesn’t go away. The Laboratories. scientist is still there to verify the findings, to validate the findings, to take the findings That’s a big bucket. and plan the next experiment or the next step in using those findings,” Nikolopoulos, “The data is coming out at very high speed, added. very high volume on a daily basis, from experiments and instruments,” Nikolopoulos “Data computational science is a new said. The scientists need to be able to filter thrust area as a part of the new SURATech the data quickly, to pull the information that partnership. It’s also going to be an integral is interesting and useful to them. “So that’s part of the Genesis Mission,” said Dan Sui, why they need this facility. That’s why they Senior Vice President and Chief Research need [computer engineers to build new] and Innovation Officer at Virginia Tech. technologies to process the data, index the data, prepare the data for AI models and Genesis is the charge, issued by Executive for science.” Order 14363 on November 24, 2025, to accelerate discovery science and innovation, “We’re a science accelerator,” Nikolopoulos national security and global competitiveness said. through artificial intelligence. After the data is indexed, it becomes a tool for training AI. Those AI tools will make inferences or discoveries for the scientists that would take the scientists a very long time to

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Genesis’ goal is to connect the “world’s best supercomputers, experimental facilities, AI systems, and unique datasets across every major scientific domain to double

TECHNOLOGY FRONT the productivity and impact of American research and innovation within a decade.” Sui calls Genesis the “Manhattan Project for the AI era.” By sharing in the operation and management of JLab, Virginia Tech has positioned itself to be at the forefront of innovation. “Instead of us being an occasional collaborator, we are more like a missioncritical partner for the Department of Energy and for Jefferson Lab in particular,” Nikolopoulos said. With SURATech at the helm, eight other Virginia colleges and universities have partnered to support JLab in its mission. Christopher Newport University, George Mason University, Hampton University, Norfolk State University, Old Dominion University, University of Virginia, Virginia

Commonwealth University and William & Mary join Virginia Tech in relaunching The Spark Institute at Jefferson Lab. This collaboration provides students, researchers and faculty members at those colleges and universities access to the technology, scientific knowledge and workforce development available by working on-site in an HPDF; that amounts to an unparalleled pathway from the classroom to a high-end technology-centered career. “I would say it’s something that certainly creates business opportunities long term,” Nikolopoulos said. “There is a lot of applied science out there that can translate findings into new ways…” he said. “Let’s figure out ways to generate energy… Let’s figure out ways to manage heat in space...”

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WORK SPACE

Planted!

customers and give advice on a busy Saturday in August. Retail manager Now here’s a workspace that’s a true Chloe St Clair says owners Heather and greenspace. Lichen or Knot is all about John Barbieri are all about sustainability, plants, and the street-level part in downtown and to “come make community with us!” Floyd (there’s additional retail space up In addition to Floyd, Lichen or Knot has and around the corner) draws all kinds of locations in Staunton; Apex, NC; and appreciative folks—with or without green Mooresville, NC. The Erins agree: this thumbs. Erin Coffin and Erin Hassell help is a lovely, invigorating workspace. Photo by Tom Field

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CHIP and local residents, helps families gear up for return to school Public school systems in the Roanoke Valley gear up for the annual Load the Bus events at local Walmarts in early August – and CHIP of Roanoke Valley held its 5th annual Back to School Celebration as well, providing school supplies and other services to hundreds of children and families. Tiffany Dennis is the major gift officer for CHIP, an early childhood visiting program in downtown Roanoke focused on mothers-to-be and low income children: “our CHIP families are here but this event is actually open to the [entire] community and its free. Anybody is welcome to come. What we’re doing is important. Gathering these school supplies is a lot of hard work for two months – but it’s a lot of hard work for [some] families to come get this.” Making the start of the school year as stress free as possible for these families is the goal, says Dennis. At last month’s Back to School celebration CHIP community partner booths offered information on wellness activities and other services. Not to mention free haircuts for students. Roanoke City Councilman Nick Hagen stopped by as well: “I think that it’s great that so many people are coming out to help the community. CHIP does a really wonderful job organizing this every year. It always takes a village, right?” CHIP is an early childhood visiting program in downtown Roanoke focused on wellness for mothers-to-be and low income children.

THERE’S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE By Gene Marrano

Meanwhile at the Clearbrook Walmart in southwest Roanoke County, public school system spokesman Chuck Lionberger says the four buses they had parked outside local Walmarts were filling up with school supplies they had purchased – maybe as they also gathered them for their own kids or recalled younger days when they had to do the same. I threw some glue sticks, notebooks, maybe some pencils into the mix, can’t quite remember, but it was nice to see that despite spiking prices for so many items, Roanokers (and Salemites) once again came through for their neighbors who might be living on a tighter budget that makes prepping for the first day of school difficult. Warms the heart you might say.

Executive Summary: Before the classroom bells rang again there were several local efforts to distribute school supplies ranging from pencils and glue sticks to loaded backpacks, to those families where money is very tight. Tom Field

Chuck Lionberger on a Loaded Bus

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REVIEWS & OPINIONS Good living with magazines The latest research is in. And it’s good news. Magazines—as it turns out—aren’t just good for you, they’re actually good for your health and wellness. People who don’t read magazines, over time, face higher risks of chronic diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis, and risk of early death. Unbelievable, right? Researchers created a new tool to estimate if a person is at risk of a deficiency of magazines. In 48 studies, the findings were published that indicated magazines support a variety of functions, from bladder health to better sleep—and more than half of Americans aren’t getting the recommended time with magazines. The data from these researchers confirmed many risks from a lack of magazines. We were delighted to see this research, of course. We’ve been in the magazine and publications business for a long time. We didn’t want to see everyone jumping to screens and phones for all of their reading and scrolling (even though we also place our publications online). Good ol’ printed magazines turn out to be beneficial and a healthy choice. We salute the findings and encourage you and all of our patrons to keep making the right choices. To keep our locally owned and operated magazine with its local and regional news close at hand. Regular intake, if you will.

ON TAP FROM THE PUB By Tom Field Executive Summary: Reading magazines— like this one— is good for you.

You have to admit, reading a printed magazine is a different experience than online scrolling. Yes! We KNEW our magazine was good for you. Okay, I just discovered a bit of oversight. The research was about magnesium—not magazines. Still, we believe our magazine is good for you. There’s a study out there somewhere that says so. Stay well.

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What it Takes to Feed a Community It takes a community to feed a community,” says Jared Frye, third-generation farmer and owner of C&F Farms in Bonsack. But how many of us take the time to know and support those growing food in our backyards? I’d wager most of the items in our refrigerators are from big box stores. But when we shop at those behemoths of retail, we have no direct connection to our food and those who grew, harvested, packed, and distributed it before it made its way to our tables. And that disconnect is vividly felt when there is a nationwide recall. The recent cyclosporiasis outbreak in lettuce made many of us wary if not downright scared to purchase our salad greens or other produce items from the supermarket. Here in the Valley, it’s hopefully no great secret that we have an abundance of agriculture. Drive for 25 minutes in any direction from the Roanoke City Market Square and you’re bound to pass fields of growth: This time of year, rows of corn, squash, or sweet potatoes are interspersed with animals on pasture. Perhaps the real secret of our regional agriculture is how unique it is. Our stunning mountains, valleys, and floodplains provide diverse growing opportunities. Variations in topography mean that growing conditions change drastically between Roanoke, Botetourt and surrounding counties and even valley-to-valley.

GUEST COMMENTARY By Lisa Archer Executive Summary: Supporting local farms strengthens our regional economy and community .

Fluctuations in temperature and differing soil composition means one farm may have summer squash at the beginning of June, while another isn’t flush with squash until July, extending the seasonality of many beloved crops. The majority of our region’s farms all grow on a smaller scale, often operating with less than 150 — or very often, fewer— acres. Given this smaller growing scale, many of our farms rely on direct-to-consumer sales, which is to the benefit of us all, if we pause to consider. Whenever there is a national food scare, health crisis or hiccup in the supply chain, local farmers markets, farmstands and small-scale growers see their sales and demands for locally grown food increase. This is because there is traceability of the product. There is transparency of how the food is grown and harvested and more than that, there is a human-to-human relationship, conversations form and the beginnings of a friendship are sown. When we purchase our food locally, we become active members of our food system. We can ask questions at the farmers market or farmstand about how a crop is grown, when it is at peak ripeness and discover new ways to prepare it. We also have the opportunity to feel good about and have a direct connection to where our dollars are spent. But we can’t expect those farms to be there only when it is convenient or essential for us. “If you're going to rely on these small farms during the hardest economic times," says Anna Wills, co-owner of Bramble Hollow Farm in Bedford, “then you

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REVIEWS & OPINIONS also have to rely on them during other times so that they're there for you.” We all want to feel the value of any purchase we make. Locally grown food has value beyond its nutrition content. When we purchase food, it is with the intent to nourish, and when we make the choice to purchase food that is locally produced, we help feed and nourish the communities to which we belong. As Jared Frye says, “it takes all of us to feed us all.” Interested in learning how you can support local farmers and access locally grown food? Visit www.roanokefoodandfarmtrail.com to learn more.

Given the smaller growing ” “ scale, many of our farms rely on direct-to-consumer sales.

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FRONTReviews > Readers and patrons of the business journal are invited to submit reviews (along with an optional photo) to news@vbFRONT. com. We’ve expanded our reviews to include books, music, art, performances, culinary—with a preference for local productions. Reviews must be original, include the author’s name and location, and should be brief, under 350 words.

A lot happens What happens within a small family – one man and his three children – who live on a small, remote island that is disappearing due to sea-level rise with no means of communication with the outside world? What happens as they race against time to save a precious resource needed to ensure the survival of humanity in the event of a global catastrophe? What happens when a woman survives the wreck of a small boat and manages to reach the island to be rescued by the family? What happens when the man and the woman withhold information that each knows the other wants? What happens when the woman realizes that she can rescue the family from the conflicts that are tearing them apart? Australian author Charlotte McGonaghy explores these and other questions in Wild Dark Shore (Flatiron; 2025). —Bill Bestpitch

Reassuring To accompany our cover feature last month [“Caring for Pets at Rainbow Bridge” August 2026 FRONT], we’re inclined to suggest The Rainbow Bridge: A Visit to Pet Paradise (Harbour; 2012) by Adrian Raeside. It’s a classic, described as “reassuring and uplifting… [helping] children cope with the grief of saying goodbye to a pet.” Of course, it illustrates the pain of loss by describing a young, seven-year-old boy and his best

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friend and dog companion, Koko. Reviewers say it’s “comforting,” and “gentle,” including those who applied it in their personal experiences. Some said it was too long; but the majority resulted in earning it five stars. —Tom Field

A most costly error Heavy. And sad. How’s that for a sophisticated book review? Sorry, but those are the first words that come to mind with Wally Lamb’s The River is Waiting (Simon & Schuster; 2025). The first-person narrative of Cody Ledbetter, who makes a parent’s most nightmarish error that sends him to prison is full of so many lessons, it’s amazing that they’re all ultimately and simply boiled down to one in the end: don’t do what he did. All the empathy in the world will never be enough to spread to everyone. Lamb’s storytelling is as excellent as it is tragic. —Tom Field

Dig it Imagine that everything you’ve been told about history is incorrect. Perhaps even manipulated and intentionally wrong. Who better to question history than an archeologist? Ruins (Grand Central; 2026) by Lily BrooksDalton was a fantastic read. An adventure story I won’t easily forget. Formatted in three archeological parts: artifacts, structures,

REVIEWS & OPINIONS

formations—the three tenants necessary to analyze and interpret our past—I liked the hidden treasures dug up from the pages. Our protagonist has flaws that make our trek all the more compelling. Sail along with the 6 mariners and 6 archeologists to see how the clues from our past reveal the misinterpretations of our present. There’s little question our professor Ember Agni is comparable to Moby Dick’s Captain Ahab— with an independent, solo persona that is both melancholy and driven. So much is unearthed.

one way or another. Martha Jackson was a 1950s abstract modern art dealer and an unlikely owner of the portrait of Lexington that came to the Smithsonian. Lexington’s skeleton is on long-term loan from the Smithsonian Institution and is currently displayed at the International Museum of the Horse in Lexington, Kentucky. —Bill Bestpitch

NYC crime scene

—Tom Field

Well, I did it again. Picked up a book from a genre I don’t fully appreciate. Dirty Metal (Flatiron; 2026) by Allison LaMothe is the Whoa, Lexington crime-detective story that, to me, feels just like watching a TV show from one of those Most people recognize the names many crime-detective offerings. There’s a Man o’ War and Seabiscuit as champion line in here where the detective makes fun racehorses of the early 20th century. What of another for uttering a phrase that she was the name of the most famous racehorse, says sounds just like it came from a cheesy both in terms of races won and offspring television detective show. I immediately sired, in the 19th century? Horse (Viking; thought, is this our author poking fun at 20222) by Geraldine Brooks is historical herself? Because the whole novel reads that fiction which tells the true story of Lexington, way. In any case, if you like the genre, you’ll the enslaved groom who trained him, the probably like this. The story is presented 1950s modern art dealer who purchased a well enough. Stereotypes and voice aside. painting of him, the Nigerian-born Georgetown University graduate student —Tom Field who rescues the painting, and the Smithsonian specialist who works to reassemble Lexington’s skeleton and falls in love with the grad The reviewers: Bill Bestpitch is a member student. While it’s sometime hard to of Roanoke Kiwanis Club and its book club; separate fact from fiction, most of the 19th Tom Field is a creative director and publisher century characters in the book are historical of FRONT; Gene Marrano is a news figures who were connected to Lexington in reporter and FRONT editor. vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

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FRONT’N ABOUT

FRONT

You’re not / you are dreaming > “Daydream” was the motif of the FloydFest 2026 ever-so-popular music festival in Floyd County July 22—26. Festival goers were not dreaming because the event at the massive, well-configured site was for real. But the experience? Most would agree… dreamlike. Although it was drizzling light rain much of the event, spirits weren’t dampened as campers and music aficionados enjoyed more than 100 artists and performances at multiple stages, including Main Stage; Dale’s Pale Ale Oasis Stage; Devil’s Backbone Higher Ground Stage; Omnibuild Canopy Grove Stage; Porch Stage; Children’s Universe Stage; and VIP Stage. Roughly 10,000 attended FloydFest over the five-day event, according to early post-show reports; and we counted nearly 100 food and merchant vendors. It was a good dream for our local economy, too, with FloydFest’s undeniable economic boost. FF’s COO Sam Calhoun spoke of the Festival’s 25-year milestone, calling it “unlike any other festival in America.” He also said an objective was “for you to leave with a new favorite band you’ve never heard before.” vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

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Most sunflowers ever > Beaver Dam Farm Sunflower Festival has been called the largest sunflower festival and vendor show on the East Coast. The 2026 event runs Saturday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, September 20 (weekends and select weekdays; see schedule at www.BeaverDam Sunflowers.com). Stats include: 700,000 sunflowers; over 115 handmade craft and food vendors; over 20,000 visitors (though parking is easy and accessible on the big property).

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FRONT’N ABOUT

Submitted

Building smart at Ferrum > Ferrum College, Roanoke-based Build Smart Institute, the Franklin County Office of Economic Development, Procon, Inc., and Virginia Housing celebrating the successful completion of the 2026 Franklin County Future Builders Academy last month, a two-week summer program introducing high school students to careers in the skilled trades. Students learned about essential concrete and carpentry skills, practiced safe tool handling, explored job site safety, learned to read blueprints, learned about the importance of site preparation, and got an up-close look at construction equipment. They also built a picnic shelter at the College softball field. Held on the Ferrum College campus July 6–17, the academy provided high school students ages 14 to 19 from across Southwest Virginia with immersive, hands-on training in the construction trades at no cost. By combining the strengths of higher education, workforce development, local government, and private industry, the program helps remove financial barriers and exposes students to high-demand, high-paying career opportunities. vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

BCCC

Like a big tent revival > Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce held its annual Meeting of the Membership at Virginia Mountain Vineyards on July 30, under the big tent—a tradition over the past few years. The well-attended affair included recognition of board members, sponsors, advocates and leaders, addresses by director Jacqui Sobieski and president William Nelms, and keynote speaker Cathie Vick (Google), with the release of the newest Botetourt Living magazine, and dinner and—of course, VMV local wine.

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FRONT’N ABOUT

City of Salem

Run Salem, run > Salem Distant Run was held Aug. 8 with 361 runners. The popular race (52nd annual event; described as the oldest distance run in the Roanoke Valley) closes select streets on a Saturday morning for a 5K, 10K, and Kids run. This year’s winners included: Bryan Austin (men’s 10K); Sabrina Hall (women’s 10K); John Stovall (men’s 5K); Ruby Bills (women’s 5K). vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

Virginia Tech

Better grass ahead > A $1.1 million endowment established by the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation is will create opportunities for graduate students in Virginia Tech’s School of Plant and Environmental Sciences, strengthening cutting-edge turfgrass research while advancing sustainable solutions for the turfgrass industry. The endowment represents a milestone in the longstanding partnership between Virginia Tech and the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation. Established in 1988, the Virginia Turfgrass Foundation promotes the benefits of natural grass and works exclusively with the VT Turfgrass Team in funding research that provides homeowners and industry professionals with strategies and tools to achieve the highest possible quality turfgrass with the fewest required management inputs.

Roanoke County

Smile, now > Legacy Orthodontics also celebrated the opening of their new location at 6112 Peters Creek Road in the Hollins area with the Roanoke Regional Chamber and Roanoke County Economic Development. Legacy Orthodontics is a local practice offering personalized care.

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FRONT’N ABOUT

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First place civics champ > Will Finney, a student at North Cross School in Roanoke, earned first place at the 2026 National Civics Bee® Virginia State Finals held at Colonial Williamsburg on July 24. Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce hosted one of the nine regional qualifying competitions. Finney will advance as the Commonwealth’s champion to compete against students all across the U.S. in October in Washington DC.

Virginia Tech

VT’s cloud lab > A team of Virginia Tech researchers received a $20 million grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation to establish an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled cloud-based semiconductor laboratory. The Virginia Tech Programmable Cloud Laboratory (PCL) Node will allow the team to make the university’s semiconductor facilities remotely accessible to a range of users as part of a nationwide network of AI-enabled automated laboratories. As one of 20 teams to receive funding in what the National Science Foundation calls "a core ... contribution to the U.S. government's Genesis Mission, a national effort to harness AI for scientific discovery," Virginia Tech says it will use its PCL Node to “strengthen U.S. semiconductor innovation, manufacturing resilience, and workforce development.” vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

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New old award > The Roanoke-based Local Office on Aging’s Emergency Food Pantry has received a 2026 Aging Achievement Award from USAging, one of the highest honors presented by USAging to its members. The Emergency Food Pantry, which provides supplemental non-perishable food for at-risk seniors, was among 33 local aging programs to receive Achievement honors during USAging’s 51st Annual Conference and Tradeshow, late July in San Diego. An additional 16 agencies received Innovations Awards. Ron Boyd, LOA President and CEO, who accepted the award, says, “the Emergency Food Pantry Program helps reduce food insecurity, supports health and independence, and offers peace of mind to older adults facing financial hardship. No senior should have to go hungry simply because their grocery budget doesn’t last until the end of the month.”

Gene Marrano

Playground designed for autistic > VIA Centers for Neurodevelopment celebrated a transformative milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its newly renovated, specialized school playground at the Roanoke VIA Day School in July. The redesigned space on the northeast Roanoke City campus replaces a twodecade-old structure, providing an outdoor learning environment specifically engineered for students with autism and related neurodevelopmental challenges. Leslie Painter is the VIA Center director: “I was the lucky one who got to [help] design this playground,” putting in features like cubbyholes where children along for a while if they get overwhelmed. VIA is also adding more pediatric ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) services for its young Roanoke clients, a therapy that applies an understanding of how behavior works to real world situations. The Pediatric ABA Program in Roanoke will launch with a pilot involving in late summer or early fall.

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FRONT’N ABOUT

Gene Marrano

Glen Cove’s open design tightened > Roanoke County Public Schools celebrated the remodeled Glen Cove Elementary School last month, a day before students came back for the new academic year to find that open style classrooms that were the rage in the early 1970’s when the school was built had been replaced with walls and doors for each classroom, in order to provide less distracted learning. A new administration wing was built as well, for a project that cost around $27 million. Branch was the local general contractor. The Glen Cove makeover was part two of a $130-milliondollar capital projects package approved by the Roanoke County School Board previously; part one was a similar upgrade finished at W.E. Cundiff last year. The crown jewel and final piece of the puzzle is Roanoke County’s Career and Technical Education Center (CTE), an $80 million-dollar new build that could open by the end of this year or early in 2027.

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Agee gets 2026 SOTY > For the past six years, Roanoke’s Kiwanis Club’s Star of the Year program has spotlighted individuals whose dedications to public service have left lasting impacts on the Valley. This year’s Star is Nancy Howell Agee, CEO Emeritus of Carilion Clinic. A Roanoke native, Agee began her career in healthcare at the age of 18 as a nursing student, working her way up through leadership positions until she became CEO of Carilion in 2011. Jeanne Bollendorf – Past President of the Roanoke Kiwanis Club - says the impact Agee has had on the Valley can’t be overstated: “she really helped grow Carilion during her tenure. Some amazing things happened during the time she was CEO.” Roanoke Kiwanis uses the selection process for Star of the Year as a fundraiser also to support its community outreach. vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

WVWA

Water upgrades—with or without DCs > The Western Virginia Water Authority called it an "Open House for Water Supply,” with no formal presentations, just the opportunity late last month to drop by, look at future planning, and ask questions. Laura Schirmer is public relations program manager for the Water Authority; she says whether or not those multiple data centers in Botetourt County get the greenlight, “we know … that our community has adequate water through the year 2060.” That’s the year the Water Authority is shooting for in long range planning on water sources, storing it and then distributing it. Schirmer says the optics at Carvins Cove are not good right now (down 17 feet below normal due to drought in mid-August) and the Botetourt data centers could pull about two million gallons of water per day per each building in the peak summer months to cool the high-tech chips that fuel AI. “Part of this study we’re doing with these engineers is to look at large water users, and how do [they] fit into that picture?” Some heavy rain last month allowed the Authority to pump more water from the Roanoke River into Spring Hollow reservoir, which is also part of the regional distribution system.

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FRONT’N ABOUT

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ER for pets > Shenandoah Veterinary Associates celebrated the opening of their new location at 4461 Starkey Road in the Tanglewood area with the Roanoke Regional Chamber and Roanoke County Economic Development. Shenandoah Veterinary Associates provides after-hours emergency and urgent care.

Tom Field

Berry easy to spot > Be Happy acai bowl (a Brazilian/Pará/Amazonas fruit-granola-organic seed smoothie treat made with frozen acai berries), based in Christiansburg, places its distinctive pink mobile trailer in various places (such as West Main Street Salem shown here). Locations are provided on Instagram and Facebook, with more information at BeHappyAcai.com. Maria says Be Happy is also available for special events. Valley Business FRONT is FRONT’n About at many events each month. Check the social media links at www.vbFRONT.com for more coverage. vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

Group, an independent chapter of the American College of Health Care Executives.

WELLNESS FRONT

Snyder

Tammy Snyder was officially sworn into the role of Executive Director to lead the Healthcare System at Salem VA Medical Center. She had been serving as interim director. Snyder has 23 years of dedicated service to southwest Virginia veterans, beginning her career at Salem VA in 2003 as a social worker. She advanced to Chief of Social Work Service, Assistant Director, and Associate Director. She has a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in business administration from Emory & Henry College, and earned her master’s degree in social work from Radford University. Snyder is a member of the Central Virginia Healthcare Executive’s

Michael Ehrat has been introduced to LewisGale Hospital Montgomery as Chief Executive Officer. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare leadership experience and a proven record of advancing quality, driving strategic growth and building highly engaged teams.

Roanoke Valley. A Roanoke native, Pankey Camper attended local elementary, middle, and high schools, and earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Jame Madison University. She is completing her Psy.D in Clinical and School Psychology.

Cullom

Christopher Cullom has been named chief operating officer at Carilion Clinic. He Pankey Camper has served as COO Valencia Pankey at Philadelphia-based Camper has been Thomas Jefferson named Clinical Director University Hospitals of Pediatric ABA Services and was president of to the new Roanoke Trinity Health Midprogram at VIA Centers Atlantic (South region) for Neurodevelopment. and president of She will lead the clinical Mercy Catholic Medical team supporting the Center. Cullom has program opening and a master’s degree in training in applied health administration behavior analysis to and a MBA from the VIA’s expansion in the University of Alabama.

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FINANCIAL FRONT

Harris

Pamela Harris has been promoted to vice president, head of deposit compliance, Bank Security Act and fraud, and board recording secretary at Bank of Botetourt. She is a Rockbridge County native with more than 21 years of banking experience, all with Bank of Botetourt.

Coffey

T. Rosa Coffee has been promoted to enterprise risk and information security officer at Bank of

CAREER FRONT Botetourt. She was raised in Botetourt County and has more than 30 years of experience in financial services. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting and is a Certified Banking Cybersecurity Manager as well as an active member of Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council.

Have a career announcement? Send announcements to news@vbFRONT.com. Photos should be color, 300dpi. A contact / source must be provided. Inclusions are not guaranteed and all submissions are subject to editing.

Horan

Focht

Kelly Focht has been promoted to Bank Security Act (BSA) and fraud officer at Bank of Botetourt. She’s a Buchanan native and Ferrum College graduate. She has served Bank of Botetourt for 15 years and is active in community programs such as the sheriff’s offices, chambers of commerce, and community service organizations.

Dana Horan has been promoted to human resources officer at Bank of Botetourt. She has more than 15 years of experience from Virginia Tech, Virginia Tech Foundation, Hollins University, and Roanoke College. She is Society for Human Resource Management certified professional and earned her bac’elor's degree in education from Virginia Tech.

EDUCATION FRONT Cleive Adams ’02 has been promoted from

Adams

Luther

Director of Athletics to Vice President for Athletics at Ferrum College. A Ferrum College alumnus, former student-athlete, and football coach, Adams is credited with helping his alma mater through the transition from NCAA Division III to NCAA Division II membership and Conference Carolinas competition.

guide Ferrum College through a period of significant transformation while maintaining a disciplined approach to financial stewardship and accountability.

Jessica Luther ’06 has been promoted to Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at Ferrum College. Luther is hailed for helping

Jackson

Penny Jackson is the new Senior Director of Human Resources at Ferrum College, bringing more than

vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

CAREER FRONT three decades of human resources leadership to the position. Jackson joins Ferrum College following her service as Director of Human Resources for TriCounty Community Action Agency, filling HR leadership positions previously with organizations including The Results Companies, Aramark at High Point University, Infinity Global, ICF International, and CIT Group.

LEGAL FRONT

services for the western Virginia markets of Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer. He joined Thalhimer in 2021 as a portfolio manager and will now continue to oversee the retail, office, and industrial Peters properties portfolio with the American Academy a focus on maximizing of Matrimonial Lawyers, asset performance. and both he and Peters Honaker is a graduate of Virginia Tech with have served on the Board of Governors for a BS in Property the Family Law Section Management; he holds the Accredited of the Virginia State Commercial Manager Bar. In this capacity designation with the they both have Institute of Real Estate participated in both Management. legislative drafting and domestic relations education across the state.

REAL ESTATE FRONT

has worked in commercial real estate since 2001. She is a principal of the firm alongside founder Michael M. Waldvogel, CCIM, SIOR. Vannoy’s background includes working with downtown economic development (Roanoke, Martinsville, Lexington) and earning a Bachelor of Arts degree from Meredith College. She holds both the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) designations and is the incoming president of the Virginia Chapter of SIOR. She’s also an active with Saint Francis Services Dogs and Opera Roanoke.

Vannoy Weaver

The Roanoke-based law firm Gentry Locke has expanded its divorce and wealth protection practice with the addition of David Weaver and Melanie Peters. Weaver is a member of

Honaker

Kevin Honaker has been promoted to associate director, commercial property

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Krista Vannoy has been promoted to president of Waldvogel Commercial Properties. She previously served as vice president and chief operating officer and has been with Waldvogel Commercial Properties since its founding in 2004 and

Wade-Lopez

Jessica Wade-Lopez has joined the commercial property services team at

Cushman & Wakefield | Thalhimer in Roanoke. She will support the management of commercial properties throughout the region. Wade-Lopez has a strong background in multifamily operations and customer service and has a BS degree in property management from Virginia Tech.

DEVELOPMENT FRONT

for Economic and Community Engagement as an economic and community development specialist, with a focus on working on the multi-year Alleghany Thrives initiative. He graduated from James Madison University with a bachelor’s degree in political campaign management and communications and earned a master’s degree in public policy at the University of Virginia.

Quinlan

Colbert

CONSTRUCTION FRONT Branch Group has announced key executive leadership appointments to Woods strengthen long-term Jory Woods has joined growth, business Virginia Tech Center development, pursuit

strategy, and operational excellence. Brian Quinlan has been named Executive Vice President, Strategic Growth. Mike Colbert has been appointed Executive Vice President, Enterprise Pursuits at

Evans

Branch Group. This role will serve as the accountable executive for all major pursuits. Brian Evans is the new Branch Civil Executive Vice President. His career in the heavy/highway construction industry spans over two decades, having directly managed both state and federal highway projects in Virginia. Compiled by Gene Marrano and Tom Field.

Vanpooling can be especially effective ” “ for longer-distance commutes and employment centers.

— Page 10

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CONTRIBUTORS Jason Boone is Vice

Rachel Nicole Edwards is

business financial expert in

past-president with the

President & Business Banking

an award-winning author and

national media channels.

Botetourt County Chamber

for Freedom First Credit Union.

soon-to-be Hollins University

[ micahfraim@fraimcpa.com ]

of Commerce, a board

He is a lifelong resident of the

graduate. Rooted in her home

Roanoke area, graduated from

of Botetourt, she has enjoyed

Frazier Hughes was

Institute, and is vice chair

Cave Spring High School and

writing about her community

recruited by the CEO of Keller

of the board of with the

earned a degree in business

for the FRONT, Botetourt

Williams Realty after being

Botetourt Family YMCA.

from Liberty University. He has

County Historical Society, and

named 2017 salesman of the

A native of Botetourt County,

over 20 years of experience in

in her own Giollachríst novel

year at Berglund Luxury of

she resides in Daleville with

banking, more than half of that

series. [ morningstarnovels@

Roanoke. He also hosts The

her husband and two children.

at Freedom First. He enjoys

gmail.com ]

Roanoke Real Estate Podcast,

spending time with his family

member with the Daleville

is Dale Carnegie Trained, a

Alicia Smith is vice

and friends, hiking, playing

Emily Field is the office

former radio personality, and

president of F&S Building

volleyball with RVVA, and

administrator for Berryfield,

is a Social Media Influencer.

Innovations in Roanoke. She

following Penn State football.

Inc. (publisher of FRONT and

[ frazierhughescom@

grew up in the construction

[ jboone@freedomfirst.com ]

a media / marketing firm).

gmail.com]

business and has served in

She lives in Salem with her

multiple capacities, currently

Carrie Cousins is the

husband, Tom, and is the

Lindsey Hull writes about

managing all sales, design,

Director of Digital Marketing

mother of three and

a little bit of everything.

production and marketing of

at LeadPoint Digital in

grandmother of three.

As a poet, she authored

the residential division. She's

Roanoke. For 15+ years, she

[ efield@berryfield.com ]

"the mountains rumble" in

also the president of Build

2024. Reach her at lindsey.

Smart Institute and serves on

[ smith.hull@gmail.com ]

several boards, community

has helped businesses tell their stories and get better

Tom Field is a creative

results online with practical

director, marketing executive

digital marketing strategies.

and owner of Berryfield, Inc.

Gene Marrano is FRONT

Alicia enjoys lake-life living

She also an active leader in

in Salem, and owner of Valley

editor and an award-winning

and fun times with her family

AAF, serving on the local and

Business FRONT magazine.

anchor and reporter for WFIR

(husband and two daughters)

district boards, and is an adjunct

He has written and produced

Newstalk radio. "Best one

and friends.

professor at Virginia Tech.

programs and materials

on one interview" award

and church organizations.

for local and international

from Associated Press of

Nicholas Vaassen

Dan Dowdy is the

organizations for 40 years.

the Virginias for his interview

is a graphic design specialist

business development

[tfield@berryfield.com]

with former Roanoke County

with over a million years of

Chief of Police Howard Hall.

experience. His design projects

[gmarrano@cox.net]

include logos, magazines, web

director for Valley Business FRONT and owner of The

Micah Fraim is a top-

Proofing Prof proofreading

referred Certified Public

services (proofingprof.net).

Accountant and business

Mary Ann L. Miller is

postcards, business cards, and

His background includes

finance strategist who

vice president of business

any other marketing materials

service in the U.S. Air Force

is well-connected in the

banking and community

you can think of. [ nicholas

and an extensive career

regional business community

relations at Bank of Botetourt.

vaassen@gmail.com ]

in education, including

and nationally recognized.

A graduate of Bridgewater

teaching college-level writing

Publisher of The Little Big

College, she has been in the

competency and business

Small Business Book, he

banking industry for more than

courses, and working for

also publishes a blog at

fifteen years and currently

a Fortune 100 company.

www.fraim.cpa/blog and is

serves on the board and

[ddowdy@vbFRONT.com]

frequently interviewed as a

executive committee as

design, signs, newsletters,

She is carrying a valuable toolbox ” “ from across the Atlantic. — Page 19

t SEPTEMBER 2026 / vbFRONT.com

FRONT NETWORK

It's going to be an integral part ” “ of the Genesis Mission.

— Page 28

Put your Business Card in the FRONT for only $149! Email ads@vbFRONT.com or call 540-389-9945 vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

Two Top 10s in higher ed Sarasota, FL; New Haven, CT; Greenville, Both Virginia Tech and SC; Bethlehem, PA; Fort Radford University Collins, CO; Bulington, were listed in the top VT; Juneau, AK; Iowa ten “2026 Best Value City, IA; Lawrence, KS. Colleges in Virginia” ____________________ by Niche.com. VT was ranked 4th; Another art stop RU ranked 9th. ____________________ The Artisans Alley has opened in downtown B’Burg’s Transit Roanoke on Campbell mobile-friendly Ave, featuring local artists and handcrafts. The Transit Center ____________________ in Blacksburg is the winner of the No waves needed 2026 Commonwealth Connectors Award by DrySurf Roanoke—a the Virginia Chapter of surf-inspired workout the American Planning challenge—has opened Association. This award in Roanoke. The training “underscores Virginia’s is designed to mimic commitment to inclusive surfing and strengthen mobility and community the core and improve connectivity, [highlighting] balance and overall projects that bridge fitness. gaps in transportation ____________________ access, foster economic development, and Roanoke College strengthen regional ties.” changes ____________________ Roanoke College Vinton’s vision announced the establishment of a The Town of Vinton’s School of Health “Vinton 2050 Sciences and Health Comprehensive Plan” is Innovation, the the recipient of Virginia elimination of degree Chapter of the American programs in health and Planning Association’s physical education, Plan of the Year 2026 French, physics, and Virginia Award (for German studies localities under concentration, and the 100,000 population). relocation of student ____________________ housing from Elizabeth Campus back to the Star City makes Top 10 main campus. The 2027-2028 changes are CNN Travel ranked attributed to financial Roanoke 10th in the realignment and nation in its “America’s strengthening Best Towns to Visit: sustainability and 2026” list, citing the Mill market competitiveness. Mountain Star, railroad ____________________ heritage, outdoor recreation, downtown Still hanging in there? merchants, cultural attractions, and foodie Hanging Rock Taven scene. Most described has experienced a is the outdoor activities tumultuous operation (and accompanying since it opened (from views). The top nine the old, longtime “Billy’s (in order) include: Barn”) less than two

t SEPTEMBER 2026 / vbFRONT.com

years ago. It closed unexpectedly merely six months after opening; then reopened months later; and management announced its second “permanent” closing again at the end of July this year. The Homeplace Restaurant (seven miles away on the other side of Catawba Mountain) has purchased it. ____________________

bakery (1928) on Salem Ave downtown that has been converted into a 33 loft-style apartment (with 2,600-square-foot commercial space on ground level) and is now taking reservations. The development preserved its historic character. ____________________ VT’s AI cloud lab

Virginia Tech received a $20 million grant from the US National Science Parkway Brewing of Foundation to establish Salem opened its first an artificial intelligence new satellite (second) (AI)-enabled cloudlocation in downtown based semiconductor Roanoke at 17 Campbell laboratory. The Virginia Ave, Suite C. The grand Tech Programmable opening was July 31. Cloud Library Node ____________________ will allow the team to make the university’s Senior meds semiconductor facilities remotely accessible to SpecialtyRx—a a range of users as part medications packaging of a nationwide network business that supplies of AI-enabled automated nursing homes and laboratories. assisted living facilities— ____________________ has opened in Roanoke, employing about 20 staff Liquidated stuff members. The national in Buchanan company currently has 15 pharmacy centers Bin & Barrel has and is expected to opened in the Town designate Roanoke of Buchanan. It’s a a regional hub. warehouse-style retail ____________________ operation offering new merchandise at Just across discount prices that was the parking lot overstocked or returned or inventoried from Unwined has now online sources and big fully opened in its new box outlets. It’s a similar building at Daleville business model to Small Town Center (mere Batch Liquidators outlet steps away from its in Roanoke. Tizzone / Wine Bar ____________________ location in the same plaza). The restaurant New state budget serves wine, cocktails, woodfired pizzeria, and Virginia’s two-year an upscale gathering budget – which the environment inside Spanberger administration and out. calls historic - includes ____________________ four percent raises for teachers and school Loafing around downtown support staff each year. Institutions of higher Sunlight Bakery Lofts education will also is a former Roanoke see $349.7 million in Star City gets bent

FRONT NOTES funding — including $82.5 million to bring down tuition costs, $65 million in new financial aid, and $50 million to support HBCUs. The budget also includes $519 million in grants to fund school construction. ____________________ Record Tourism Revenue in 2025 Virginia’s tourism industry continues to reach historic milestones, with visitors spending a record-high $36.2 billion in the Commonwealth last year. Visitor spending increased 3.1 percent, or $1.1 billion, over the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth in visitor spending. Virginia welcomed a record 46.6 million domestic and international overnight visitors, marking an increase of nearly one million visitors and the second consecutive year of record visitation. Visitors spent $99 million per day in Virginia, up from $96 million the previous year, with dining, recreation, and other experience-based spending fueling much of that growth as travelers continued to prioritize meaningful travel experiences. Tourism directly generated more than $2.6 billion in state and local tax revenue over the previous year. Including tourism’s full ripple effect across Virginia’s economy. visitors saved the average Virginia household $1,020 in state and local taxes, according to a news release from the Governor’s office. ____________________ Board appointments Joint Advisory Board of Economists (JABE):

Dr. David Kohl of Blacksburg, Professor Emeritus, Virginia Tech, Dr. Can Dogan of Blacksburg, Associate Professor, Radford University, Dr. Alice Kassens of Fincastle, Dean of the School of Business, Economics, and Analytics, Roanoke College. Scientific and Technical Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council: Dr. Michael Sorice of Blacksburg, Associate Professor, Virginia Tech. Student Advisory Board: Vivienne Eaton of Salem High School. ____________________ Life Sciences Grants A $2.4 million investment in Virginia’s life sciences ecosystem through Virginia Catalyst’s competitive grant program has been announced. Virginia Catalyst was founded in 2013 as Virginia’s research consortium through the efforts of the Virginia General Assembly and five of Virginia’s premiere research institutions. $800,000 of that will go to Sonogen Medical, working with Virginia Tech, Old Dominion and the University of Virginia, for research on what Sonogen calls, “first in-human testing of an AI/ML-enable therapeutic and diagnostic ultrasonic bone fracture healing device” ____________________ VT gets 2 million in research grants The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Virginia Tech four research related grants worth $1,936,905. The funding breakdown:

Have an announcement about your business? Send announcements to news@vbFRONT. com. A contact / source must be provided. Inclusions are not guaranteed and all submissions are subject to editing. $774,123 to support trial on safe drinking water in Appalachia; $667,837 to support research related to brain development in children; $451,417 to support research into development of new painkiller treatments and $43,528 to support research into therapies for osteosarcoma, a bone cancer. ____________________

Partnership’s Virginia Leaders in Export Trade (VALET) program, and 13 additional companies have joined the most recent cohort of the two-year program. The VALET program — which 453 companies have completed since its inception in 2002 — assists Virginia companies that have firmly established domestic operations and are More grant money for VT committed to exporting research related to AI internationally as a growth strategy. VPT, The U.S. Department Inc. in Montgomery of Health and Human County, which makes Services (HHS) has products for the awarded Virginia Tech, aerospace industry, is based in Blacksburg, one of those 14 recent Virginia, a $460,260 graduates. grant. The funding will ____________________ support research of artificial intelligence (AI) Tourism awards applications like machine learning and natural Nearly 200 tourism language processing to professionals gathered medically treat seniors in last month at the seventh rural communities often annual Celebrate areas where there is a Tourism Summit at shortage of health care the Wytheville Meeting professionals. “I believe Center, presented by much of our health care Visit Wytheville, Virginia success will hinge on Tourism Corporation, the blossoming potential and Friends of Southwest of artificial intelligence Virginia. During the (AI) and machine event, Friends hosted learning (ML),” wrote the Southwest Virginia Congressman Morgan Tourism Awards Ceremony Griffith in announcing to honor the exceptional this grant funding. work within the region's ____________________ tourism industry. Among the winners in this Local graduate region: Best Tourism of VALET program Business Related Website for The 14 companies across Crooked Road. Best the Commonwealth Destination Marketing have graduated Organization Website from the Virginia (tourism marketing Economic Development budget of $50,000 or vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

FRONT NOTES less) Discover Rocky Mount Moonshine. Best Magazine (tourism marketing budget of $50,000 or Less, Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce. Best Long Form Video (Tie) Floyd Tourism, Town of Wytheville Department of Museums & PBS Appalachia. ____________________

wall and the drop box, it just got lost. There were a few checks in there, around 400 dollars in cash.”

Eight years after Tudors Biscuit World closed in downtown Roanoke when owner Louis Tudor took his own life, the non-profit founded in his honor to help prevent suicide felt his presence once again. One day in 1992 Louis Tudor made his regular daily deposit from the day's biscuit sales into the bank drop box across the street. But that deposit never reached the Biscuit World account says Dr. Kathleen Thorell, the executive director for Tudor House, based at Jefferson Center: “the money fell between the

VBR has some of best Fall colors per USA Today

That bank became the home office for the Western Virginia Water Authority, which kept the drop box in place for customer payments. Earlier this year when the Water Authority More kudos for 5Points removed it - they found the Biscuit World money Roanoke-based 5Points pouch from 1992. They Creative was recognized knew about Tudor House for outstanding creative and returned the cash work during the 47th to the non-profit. Thorell annual Telly Awards in says it felt like a donation July. The agency earned coming from Louis Tudor a Silver Award for himself: “kind of like a Friendship Living’s “Live full circle moment. I was Fully” campaign in the getting the deposit ready General-B2C: Business- for our treasurer and to-Consumer category kind of laughing that this and a Bronze Award for was a direct donation EZ Mobility Solutions’ from Louis Tudor.” “Rediscover Your Many in the community Freedom” campaign in also knew Louis Tudor the General-Products from the swim team he & Services category. created after Biscuit These awards represent World on Franklin Road the 17th and 18th Telly closed after nearly three Awards earned by the decades. Thorell says Roanoke marketing and Tudor House was busy advertising agency. this summer, welcoming ____________________ volunteers who help others as they battle Tudor House suicidal thoughts. surprise donation ____________________

The Roanoke Region in Virginia’s Blue Ridge has officially been nominated as a Best Destination for Fall Colors by USA TODAY 10 Best. A total of 20 destinations will compete for the prestigious top title over the next 4 weeks. In 2025, Roanoke took home second place honors in the competition. Locals are encouraged to vote daily for Roanoke now through Monday, September 7. The top 10 winners will be announced on

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Wednesday, September garages; and free 16 at noon online at Sunday parking. 10Best.usatoday.com. ___________________ ____________________ Stopping the Brain Drain Big gift for VT architecture A new report hopes to help states like Virginia Tech professor Virginia keep its college emeritus Salahuddin educated workforce. Cloudhurry and his wife, The Strada Education May, made a recordFoundation's Talent in setting bequest of $20 Motion report found million dollars to the about two-thirds of College of Architecture, college-educated adults Arts, and Design. The live in the same state gift is directed to for where they attended endowed resources to high school. 55% also support the dean and attended college in that director in keeping state and remained there Virginia Tech at the after graduation. Peter forefront of architecture Bahr, Vice President of education. Employer Engagement ____________________ and Managing Research Director for the Institute Water [plus] air for the Future of Work at Strada Education Google announced that Foundation says in “at least” three of the Virginia that number is planned buildings at its actually a little lower data center complex at 46%: “Virginia is an in the 300-acre site interesting case because at Greenfield Indusit has a particularly large trial Center in Botetourt percentage of its college County will utilize educated workers air-colling technology coming from other states. instead of water. 38% of Virginia’s college ____________________ educated workforce had all of their education Grand Old Lady’s [completed] outside the sidekick worth $14 mil state of Virginia.” Bahr says the number of Virginia Tech Foundation people coming to work has offered to purchase for the federal government Hotel Roanoke may play a role in that Conference Center for unusually high percentage. $14 million dollars; it Bahr hopes the report already owns the Hotel and future studies help Roanoke. states create better ____________________ policies to build stronger economies. See the Roanoke’s complete report at downtown parking STRADA.org. ____________________ Although a change has not been implemented Funding for Amtrak yet, Roanoke City is service improvements considering a major overhaul of downtown The U.S. Department parking that could of Transportation has eliminate parking issued what Senators meters, extend free Mark Warner and Tim 60-minute to 90-minute Kaine call “robust” federal limits; free “first hour” funding for passenger parking in city-operated rail in Virginia, including

new trains to replace aging equipment and expand Amtrak’s fleet. “The investment will support numerous services operating in Virginia, including … routes connecting Washington, D.C., with Newport News, Norfolk, and Roanoke. The project will improve reliability, accommodate growing passenger demand, and support additional service,” the two Virginia U.S. Senators wrote in a joint news

release. $15 million is earmarked for upgrades at the Staunton Amtrak station. ____________________

of the year), will expand its enrollment somewhat at the adult high school located inside Melrose Plaza. Earlier this summer they were hiring Excel Center new teachers. They were looks to expand also looking for a Lead Life Coach, someone Kelly Weems, senior to help eliminate the director of community obstacles that adults impact for Goodwill who never earned a high Industries of the Valleys, school diploma – an says the Excel Center, early gateway to a better which graduated its first job – can face. “Kind of and only student so far a guidance counselor recently (more graduates for adults, throughout are expected by the end their entire enrollment

with us.” The life coach will meet with Excel Center students every 1-2 weeks says Weems, “removing any barriers they may have.” Excel Center graduates also will leave with a certification in one particular field that should help them land a good job. ____________________ Compiled by Gene Marrano and Tom Field.

Check out additional FRONT Notes from Valley Business FRONT on our Facebook site or social media links at www.vbFRONT.com.

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FSWVA

45 years at the food bank

Pam Irvine

By Gene Marrano

Pamela Irvine is stepping away from the Feeding Southwest Virginia food bank at the end of the year. 45 years ago, Total Action for Progress – TAP – created a food bank to help supplement what low income families needed to stay supplied with nutritious, non-perishable foods. It then spun off to become the Southwest Community Food Bank, then Second Harvest Food Bank, Feeding America Southwest Virginia – and then finally, Feeding Southwest Virginia. Irvine chuckles at all the different name changes over the decades – and now after being there for all 45 years she will retire as President and CEO at the end of 2026. “From the beginning … it’s been a journey.” She’s held that last title for almost 20 years she reckons.

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Irvine says she never intended to stay long term with the non-profit that relies on some grant funding, the generosity of the public and significant donations of food from local supermarkets and other benefactors to help keep warehouses in Salem and Abingdon stocked, with that inventory earmarked for hundreds of local pantries in a 26 county coverage area. Inflation has made keeping those warehouse shelves stocked more of a challenge in recent years, especially since monetary donations used to buy additional foodstuffs don’t have as much purchasing power as in past years. Changes at the Federal level

NONPROFIT FRONT as to eligibility for the SNAP program - aka food stamps - also means more people in the region are looking to Feeding Southwest Virginia and the pantries it supplies for help, placing additional strain on the food bank. Irvine says it wasn’t her intention to stay in the food bank world for too long but after a meeting she attended in Norfolk about the impact of food banks on food insecure households it serves, she came back, “with a vision that resonated with me.” This core mission has remained the same over all those years, but Irvine says some things have changed. Getting more food distributed to more people has always been the goal, but at the last strategic planning session it was also agreed on that the goal was also to “nourish our neighbors,” as Irvine puts it. The realization that many being fed through the food bank had health issues, some of that due to the lack of access to more nutritional foods. “That’s been a shift, in our organization as well.”

manufacturing industries started collapsing in southwest Virginia more than 20 years ago, some of that tied to the 2008 Great Recession, “it became a crisis situation for us economically to try and address those issues. We’re seeing the same cycle now.” SNAP is always “the first line of defense for food insecure individuals,” notes Irvine, with what is distributed at pantries intended to be a supplement. “We could never replace [SNAP]. There’s just not enough food.” Irvine says they are just starting to see the first wave of SNAP recipients who are seeing their benefits reduced or eliminated due to issues like new work requirements. There’s also been a reduction in federal funding used to purchase foods to stock the shelves. That has concerned Irvine and her staff at the home office in Salem. Health care partners now screening patients for food insecurity is allowing food banks nationwide to focus on what that population needs to improve their overall health outcomes.

Partnerships with grocery and retail partners have grown over the years, a necessity Irvine says with a lack of food production facilities in that 26 county, 9 cities coverage area. Learning how to move that donated food through the system quickly and distribute it to partner agencies was a logistics challenge they had to overcome as well.

“[We have] a strong team here, we’re in a good financial position. Food is a concern; our resources are challenged – we don’t know what that’s going to look like in the future. But as I look back on 45 years … it took all of the communities and financial contributors, donors, [and] volunteers. Elected officials, board members, media partners. Our partner agencies are strong.” After 45 years with “We’ve seen progress and cycles of progress. retirement just ahead Pamela Irvine says, “ Right now, our [partner] agencies are seeing it takes all of those partnerships to make more people, and less resources.” When food happen - for one person.”

vbFRONT.com / SEPTEMBER 2026 u

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Keep our locally owned and ” “ operated magazine with its local

and regional news close at hand. — Page 33

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PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID MERRIFIELD, VA PERMIT NO. 1434

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