Roanoke Business- Oct. 2014 by Virginia Business

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OCTOBER 2014

SERVING THE ROANOKE/BLACKSBURG/NEW RIVER VALLEY REGION

Better roads

Projects that improve traffic keep region competitive

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CONTENTS SERVING THE ROANOKE/BLACKSBURG/ NEW RIVER VALLEY REGION

October 2014

F E AT U R E S COVER STORY

Short term pain for long term gain

Ten road projects that will change the Roanoke and New River Valleys. by Mason Adams

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION Big bucks for big players

The chief executives of the four largest drivers of the region's economy collectively are paid more than $16 million.

by Sandra Brown Kelly

BUSINESS LAW Proceed with caution

It's not easy to follow rules on drones when rules haven't been written. by Joan Tupponce

HEALTH Medical access "Doc in a box" evolves into "nurse in a store." by Jenny Boone

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COMMUNITY PROFILE: RADFORD

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M 32

INTERVIEW: CLAUDIA WHITWORTH

Building Radford

Family business

The city and the university are constructing their future.

Leading Roanoke's African American newspaper beyond its 75th birthday.

by Shay Barnhart

by Tim Thornton

OCTOBER 2014

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FROM THE EDITOR

Taking another look at an oft-repeated myth by Tim Thornton

hen Sen. Tim Kaine visited CoLab — an office space in Roanoke’s Grandin Village that offers tenants amenities such as networking and educational opportunities — he sat down to talk with 18 entrepreneurs. Their businesses included a cleaning service, a fashion blog and an organization that turns community interest into loans for small businesses. Repeating what’s become common wisdom, Kaine declared small businesses the engines that power the American economy. “All the statistics that I continue to see suggest that the lion’s share of job creation is with small and startup businesses,” Kaine said. “Now, that doesn’t mean that every small and startup business becomes super successful, but it might mean that somebody creates their five or eight employees and somebody else’s five or eight employees and somebody else’s … But I still think if you look at the stats, you’re going to find that most jobs are created in the small business area.” That depends on what you mean by small. Coffee shops, restaurants, boutiques, independent bookstores, all kinds of high-tech startups — they’re small businesses. But so are The Roanoke Times and Old Virginia Brick. If Hollins University and Roanoke College were businesses, they’d be small businesses. Salem has two too many employees to be a small business. Generally, the Small Business Administration considers a business with 500 or fewer employees a small business. But in some cases, such as manufacturing, a small business can have 1,000 or even 1,500 employees. According to the Virginia Employment Commission, there were 12,085 businesses in the Roanoke and Blacksburg-Christiansburg-Radford metropolitan statistical areas at the end of 2013. All but 23 of them were small businesses. By the SBA’s reckoning, small businesses account for 64 percent of the nation’s job growth — and 99.7 percent of the country’s businesses. Kaine’s own experience should have made him skeptical of claims about small businesses generating jobs. “I grew up in a small-business household,” Kaine said, explaining that his father ran an ironworking and welding shop. “In a good year, there would be eight employees. In a bad year, there’d be five employees.” Most small businesses — if they survive — stay small. They don’t hire a lot of people. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, companies with 500 or more employees accounted for 37.9 percent of the new jobs in this country between 1992 and 2010. Companies with 100 or more employees accounted for 61.3 percent. Truly small businesses, with fewer than 20 employees, accounted for 15 percent. Saying that small businesses create most of the new jobs in this country requires a definition of small business that includes the CoLab, CUPS Coffee and Tea, across the street, Kaine’s father’s welding shop, an oil refinery with 1,500 employees and a securities brokerage with $38.5 million in annual revenue — a definition that includes nearly every business in the country. That’s a definition that doesn’t make sense.

OCTOBER 2014

SERVING THE ROANOKE/BLACKSBURG/ NEW RIVER VALLEY REGION Vol. 3

OCTOBER 2014

President & Publisher Roanoke Business Editor Contributing Editor Contributing Writers

No. 10

Bernard A. Niemeier Tim Thornton Paula C. Squires Mason Adams Shay Barnhart Jenny Boone Sandra Brown Kelly Joan Tupponce

Art Director Contributing Layout Artist Contributing Photographers

Adrienne R. Watson Pam McCallister Sam Dean Natalee Waters

Production Manager Circulation Manager Accounting Manager Vice President of Advertising Account Representative

Kevin L. Dick Karen Chenault Sunny Ogburn Hunter Bendall Lynn Williams

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

on the cover Interstate 81 truck climbing lanes under construction Montgomery County Photo by Tom Saunders/VDOT

COVER STORY

Eddie Snuffer prepares to pour concrete for a sidewalk at Elm Avenue. The work is part of a $24.4 million project expected to be completed in 2015.

Short-term

pain gain for

long-term

OCTOBER 2014

Photo by Natalee Waters

Ten road projects that will change the Roanoke and New River valleys by Mason Adams

oad construction projects clog traffic, frustrate commuters and litter the landscape with orange cones. Yet despite their inconveniences, they also solve troublesome traffic problems and make a region more economically competitive. Fueled by a mix of regularly scheduled funding, federal money and state bonds approved by the General Assembly, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has lined up a series of construction projects for the region’s roads. Some already are finished. Others will have motorists pulling their hair for years before they’re complete. “The short cliche way to put it is, it’s short-term pain for long-term gain,” says Montgomery County Administrator Craig Meadows. “A lot of these projects do create short-term inconvenience for drivers in terms of cutting off lanes and slowing the flow, but they do provide quicker transportation on key routes.”

Once they’re done, the projects become a generally unnoticed yet crucial piece of the puzzle for business and economic development. “Our region’s competitive advantage is being at the crossroads of a number of things: The Heartland [rail] Corridor, the Crescent [rail] Corridor and being along [Interstate] 81,” says Tori Williams, vice president of public policy for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce. “Ongoing investment in these resources is crucial to our competitiveness.” Food packaging manufacturer Ardagh Group and organic produce grower Red Sun Farms are investing millions in new facilities in Roanoke and Pulaski counties, respectively, because of their proximity to major interstate and rail shipping routes. Road conditions can make or break businesses that rely on shipping products, especially in a global economy. “We’ve seen over the years and decades that the logistics and supply chain approach that businesses take is not only here to stay, but it continually improves and gets refined,” says Mark McCaskill of the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission. “At some basic level, transportation improvements, even ones that incrementally improve a situation, help by providing additional access and better flow to the logis-

tics and supply chain that businesses rely on.” Western Virginia’s central location places it within 11 hours of most of the Eastern Seaboard. That’s an important attribute because federal regulations limit the number of hours a trucker can drive in one stint: 11. “That makes Roanoke an attractive area for distribution, for trucking companies,” says J.D. Robinson, vice president of human resources and safety for Lawrence Transportation, a regional residential and commercial moving company. “That driver has 11 hours to drive. If he’s slowed down by congestion or roadwork, whatever the problem is, that cuts into his effectiveness and efficiency, and his pay.” Both the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission have released recent reports looking at key roads and intersections in need of reworking due to traffic congestion and business considerations. Some of their mutual concerns – Exit 150 on I-81 in Botetourt County, for instance – have already been targeted by the Virginia Department of Transportation for more work. Others, like U.S. 460 heading east from Roanoke toward Bedford, have not, although they may be named for improvements in the future. ROANOKE BUSINESS

cover story

One of two recently completed bridges over Back Creek that were part of a $26.7 million project on Route 221 in Roanoke County.

Here’s a list of transportation projects – recently completed, under construction and in the planning stages – that will dramatically affect regional motorists and businesses.

Recently completed 1. Interstate 81 Truck-Climbing Lane Montgomery County Cost: $90 million, funded by a federal earmark Scope: Added five miles of truckclimbing lane between mile markers 120 and 125 on southbound I-81. Background: Tractor-trailer trucks heavily use the stretch of I-81 between the Roanoke Valley and New River Valley and commuters are headed both ways, which in a mountainous region creates a recipe for frustration and danger. Construction of the truck-climbing lane created additional inconveniences that resulted in regular delays and detours from spring 2011 through fall 2013, but it ultimately should decrease the number of wrecks along I-81 and create more confidence among businesses using the interstate for shipping. “We got numerous calls about the delays and challenges,” Meadows says. “People in Elliston and Shawsville were upset about the detours on 460. Now that project is complete and we have three lanes all the way up Christiansburg Mountain; traffic on southbound side flows much more smoothly and provides capacity for the future.” 8

OCTOBER 2014

2. Route 221 – Roanoke County Cost: $26.7 million Scope: Widened the section of Route 221 from Crystal Creek Drive to Cotton Hill Road. Eliminated sharp curves. Built two new bridges over Back Creek and replaced an existing bridge. Background: Southwest Roanoke County has grown, with new residents and businesses. The three-year construction project just southwest of Cave Spring straightened several sharp curves and made the route smoother for a steady stream of commuters traveling from Bent Mountain and beyond.

Under construction

Spring property has links to the earliest European settlers in the Roanoke Valley, yet it’s the largest chunk of undeveloped land within the city of Roanoke. It sits just across the interstate from the valley’s most lucrative retail development, Valley View Mall. VDOT will use what’s known as a “diverging diamond,” only the second in Virginia, for the interchange. The diverging diamond design uses traffic signals on each end of the intersection, with lanes shifting from one side to the other and back. Right turns onto the interstate will function as they do now, but the shifting lanes also allow left turns to the other side of the interchange without cutting against oncoming traffic. Roanoke City Manager Chris Morrill says building out the intersection won’t just help traffic and open up a previously undeveloped chunk of land, but it also will include expansion of the Lick Run Greenway north to the Countryside neighborhood. As for the Evans Spring development, Morrill says it won’t mirror Valley View itself, with central buildings surrounded by an ocean of parking lots. The city and development team have instead looked at new developments throughout the Southeast to draw ideas for a mixed-use project incorporating retail, residences and parks.

3. Valley View Interchange – Roanoke Cost: $63.9 million Fixed completion date: Fall 2016. Scope: Complete the partial interchange at Interstate 581’s Exit 3C. Construct an off ramp from I-581 southbound onto Valley View Boulevard and an on ramp from Valley View Boulevard onto I-581 northbound. Construct new auxiliary lanes along I-581 between Valley View Boulevard and Hershberger Road. Build a diverging diamond interchange.

4. Elm Avenue – Roanoke Cost: $24.4 million, ($19.4 million federal stimulus) Completion date: Expected to be completed by Summer 2015.

Background: This project will complete the half-intersection that links Valley View Boulevard to I-581, while also opening access to roughly 100 acres on the west side of the interstate known as Evans Springs. The Evans

Background: The intersection of Elm and I-581 may be the most important crossroads in Roanoke. It marks the gateway to downtown Roanoke and neighborhoods in southeast, southwest and South Roanoke, not to men-

Scope: Widen Elm Avenue and add one lane to both off ramps from I-581. Add a right turn lane from Elm Avenue onto Williamson Road and extend the left turn lanes on Elm Avenue. Widen and repair bridges over I-581 and railroad, improving vertical clearance.

Photo by Natalee Waters

cover story tion access to Williamson Road. Yet it’s also the biggest source of frustration for motorists during Roanoke’s otherwise benign rush hour. State transportation officials set out to alleviate the problems by adding turn lanes. The project will also increase the vertical clearance beneath Elm Avenue’s bridge over I-581, allowing larger vehicles passage on the interstate. “It’s critical,” Morrill says of the construction’s importance. “If you look at the [city’s] investments with the Market Building, Market Square and Elmwood Park, including improvements to Williamson Road, and then private investment with Meridium and downtown living, this is one of the key entrances to downtown, so to make that interchange better will do nothing but enhance those other investments we’ve made.” 5. Route 114 bridge replacement – Montgomery/Pulaski County line Cost: $22.5 million Fixed completion date: November 2014. Scope: Replace the old, damaged Route 114 westbound bridge over the New River and the smaller bridge over the railroad tracks. Background: The bridge replacement allows for four-lane traffic between Fairlawn and the Radford Arsenal, providing easier access for commercial shipping from the Arsenal out to I-81. Trucks will travel from the arsenal to Route 11 to Route 100 in Dublin and then on to I-81. “The Arsenal is one of the top three employers in this region behind the public schools and Virginia Tech,” Meadows says. “Having access for the arsenal to have easy access over to Route 11 and ultimately to 81 is critical to ensure we keep the arsenal in the region and that they have efficient transportation in and out.” 6. Route 603 Ironto-Elliston Connector Montgomery County Cost: $21.2 million

OCTOBER 2014

Completion date: Expected completion in Spring 2016. Scope: Reconstruct two miles of Route 603 (North Fork Road) from I-81 (Exit 128) to Route 11/460, replacing existing roadway with 2, 12-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders. Background: This project came about largely because of Norfolk Southern’s interest in building an intermodal rail station in Ellison. However, Meadows argues it’s important even if that station never gets built. “A lot of folks have started using [routes] 11 and 460 because they don’t want to put up with truck traffic on 81. The Ironto connector already exists but it’s winding and not good for trucks. Improvements for Route 603 will allow for much safer travel between 81 and 11/460.”

Under development 7. I-81 Exit 150 Improvements Botetourt County Project Value: $46.7 million Estimated construction start: Spring 2015 with completion in Fall 2017. Scope: Relocate the northbound I-81 entrance ramp (from northbound Route 220 onto northbound I-81) to a new location adjacent to the Exit 150B off ramp. Construct a roundabout at the Exit150B/Route 11 intersection. Build a new loop road, Gateway Crossing, to extend from the new Route 11 roundabout to Route 220 Alternate. Install a raised median and reduce the number of entrances on Route 11. Reconfigure the northbound Route 220 lanes north of the Route 11 intersection to accommodate a third lane. Background: Exit 150 off I-81 marks the northern entrance to the Roanoke Valley, as well as access to U.S. 220 north to the Alleghany Highlands. It’s a freight hub whose importance is made clear by the presence of truck

stops. However, the alignment of entrance and exit ramps has proved confusing for visitors and a source of major congestion during peak traffic times, especially for Botetourt County commuters traveling to and from Roanoke. Virginia Del. Terry Austin, who served on the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors for years before he was elected to the state house, says the project will “create opportunity,” partly through the related construction of a loop road that will allow the county to access about 50 acres of open land east of the interchange. “Right now topography doesn’t create opportunity for a lot of development” on the county-owned land, Austin says. He hopes to see more commercial business locate in Daleville once the project is complete. The proposal does face some opposition, mostly because it will involve removal of a Travel Centers of America (TA) truck stop. If TA builds a new center elsewhere, it could mean that fewer truckers will be stopping – and spending money – off Exit 150. 8. Route 460 Southgate Connector Blacksburg Project Value: $46.7 million Estimated construction start: Spring 2015 with completion in Spring 2017. Scope: Build diverging diamond interchange to replace signalized intersection at Route 460 and Southgate Drive. Construct new bridge over Route 460 as part of interchange. Background: After the Valley View interchange, VDOT plans to build many more diverging diamond interchanges, including the main entrance from Route 460 to the Virginia Tech campus. Meadows predicts more “shortterm pain for folks” during construction on the Southgate interchange, but he says it will eventually result in more efficient travel in Blacksburg. “Virginia Tech is the economic driver for this entire region,” Meadows says. “By being able to provide better access to Virginia Tech and the properties that surround that area,

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cover story it [construction on the interchange] helps grow the economy, provide better access for residents and citizens who work at Virginia Tech and associated companies around it.” 9. 10th Street – Roanoke Project Value: $33.5 million. Additional $11.7 million needed Scope: Improve 10th Street from Williamson Road to Fairfax Avenue. Improve the intersection at Orange Avenue and provide left turn lanes at Grayson, Hunt and Orange avenues. Install curb and gutter, bike lanes and sidewalks. Background: Originally conceived as a four-lane expansion, the 10th Street project has been scaled back to include additional turn lanes at key intersections, bike lanes and new curb and gutter improvements along a major route that links multiple neighborhoods and provides crossings of I-581 and the railroad. “Tenth Street is one of Roanoke’s vi-

tal connector roads,” says Sherman Stovall, Roanoke assistant city manager. “If you travel 10th starting at Williamson, it brings traffic to Orange Street, brings traffic downtown at Salem or Campbell [avenues]. It can improve the flow of traffic along that corridor.” 10. Route 220 Reconstruction Botetourt County Cost: $150 million estimate with $78 million identified Ad Date: 2021 for the first of three phases Scope: Reconstruct 10 miles of Route 220 between Eagle Rock and Iron Gate. Construct turn lanes and passing lanes at selected locations. Background: Route 220 serves as a major connector between I-81 and I-64. Lawrence Transportation’s Robinson says the route to the Midwest preferred by the company’s truck drivers is a “toss-up” between taking Route

460 to I-77 to I-64 and taking Route 220 to I-64. For the latter, that stretch of Route 220 is perhaps the most challenging, as it drops to two lanes and includes several narrow bridges and sharp turns. As such, this project to widen the shoulders and add passing lanes in key sections makes this one of the “most beneficial” projects on the list, as far as Lawrence Transportation and its drivers are concerned. Austin sees this as a gamechanger, too, for northern Botetourt County and the Alleghany Highlands. “There are 300 trucks per day on that road just going to MeadWestvaco” in Covington, Austin says. “I think it will greatly enhance our abilities to do something over there. Our area is challenged because of its remoteness and ruralness. If we can get this road straightened out, we can start to promote this area … If we do all those things, we’ll have the ability to [better] market the Alleghany Highlands.”

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Norfolk Southern's predecessors helped create Roanoke. The company is still a significant presence in the region.

OCTOBER 2014

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

Big bucks for big players

The chief executives of the four largest drivers of the region’s economy collectively are paid more than $16 million by Sandra Brown Kelly

all them the Big Four. Norfolk Southern Corp., or the companies that became Norfolk Southern, virtually created Roanoke and served as the region’s economic driver for decades. Advance Auto, the only Fortune 500 company headquartered in Roanoke, grew from three local stores into the largest aftermarket auto parts company in North America. Carilion Clinic evolved from Roanoke Memorial Hospital into a nine-hospital health system and is affiliated, through its medical school and research center, with Virginia Tech. Tech has evolved from an all-male military school focused on agriculture to a Top 40 research school.

Wick Moorman Norfolk Southern Corp.’s CEO, Charles W. “Wick” Moorman, leads in total compensation for 2013 with $9.6 million. While Norfolk-based NS still pays for Moorman’s annual physicals and allows more than $100,000 for use of the corporate plane, the company has not provided company cars or paid club dues for the CEO since 2008. The management salaries are based on return on average invested capital, operating ratio and toPhoto by Sam Dean

Two publicly traded companies, a nonprofit corporation and a state university. Collectively, they employ more than 129,000 people — not all in this region. The companies bring in revenues of more than $19 billion annually. Tech has an annual budget of $1.35 billion. The chief executives who run them include two Roanoke Valley natives in long relationships with their companies and two relative newcomers. All four are in their 50s or 60s and collectively their annual compensation is more than $16 million. Who are these leaders, and what do they oversee?

tal stockholder return vs. S&P 500. Norfolk Southern’s history with the region dates to the 1800s. While employment numbers locally have fallen sharply in recent years, its physical presence remains strong. Who hasn’t seen its trains rumble through downtown Roanoke? Moorman, a Roanoke native, is a graduate of Georgia Institute of Technology and Harvard Business School. An employee of the transportation

company for 44 years, he became CEO in 2005 and chairman in 2006. In 2013, the company reported operating revenue of Moorman $11.2 billion and net income of $1.9 billion, an increase of 9 percent over 2012. The company’s Norfolk Southern Railway Co. subsidiary operates some 20,000 route miles in 22 states and the District of Columbia. ROANOKE BUSINESS

executive compensation Norfolk Southern Corp. (NYSE: NSC) has more than 30,000 employees, in 22 states. Only 1,700 of them work in the Roanoke region. These include 532 in a coal-hued building in downtown. The highest ranking position in Roanoke is vice president-coal, according to Robin C. Chapman, director of public relations. David Lawson was named to that position in 2013; he has been with NS since 1988.

Carilion president and CEO Nancy Agee has been with the organization for 40 years.

Darren R. Jackson Darren Jackson, who became CEO of Advance Auto Parts in January 2008, heads a revered company founded in the Roanoke Valley by the T aubman family (for Jackson whom the Taubman Museum of Art is named). It grew to national prominence and success and went public in 2001. Jackson received $4.2 million in total compensation in 2013 — up from the $3.5 million he earned in 2012. During that period he also commuted between offices in Roanoke and Bloomington, Minn., while overseeing the purchase of General Parts International. The deal moved Advance Auto from the No. 2 to the No. 1 provider of automotive aftermarket parts in North America. Jackson’s new offices will be in Raleigh, N.C., where General Parts International was based. The Roanoke offices will remain the official headquarters as well as one of two corporate store support centers. Advance has some 1,600 employees in Roanoke, 1,000 at the support center. Six senior vice presidents are located in the Roanoke offices, according to Shelly Whitaker, manager of public communications. The company (NYSE: AAP) has some 74,000 employees overall. As of July 12, Advance Auto supplied 5,289 company-operated stores and 106 Worldpac branches and served some 1,400 Carquest stores in 49 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Is16

OCTOBER 2014

lands and Canada. Its revenue for fiscal 2013 was $6.5 billion with net income of $391.8 million.

Nancy Agee Nancy Agee, a Roanoke Valley native who has been a standout in her 40 years with Carilion Clinic, completed her first full year as president and CEO in 2012. Her compensation for that year totaled $1.9 million. It included a base salary of $827,518 — with an almost equal amount in retirement and other deferred compensation — a bonus of $297,075, with benefits making up the remainder. Eric Earnhart, Carilion spokesman, noted the retirement reflects her longevity with the company. She began working for

Roanoke Memorial Hospital, now part of Carilion, as a nurse in 1973. According to a Harvard University study published in JAMA Internal Medicine in January, the top officer of nonprofit hospitals had an average salary just under $600,000 with those who head teaching hospitals making more. Agee, who lives in Salem, is responsible for a system that serves a million patients a year in western Virginia, employs more than 600 physicians, has 11,400 employees and had net revenues of $1.4 billion in 2013. She was appointed this year to the board of the American Hospital Association. Agee graduated from the University of Virginia and Emory University and participated in postPhoto by Sam Dean

executive compensation

Timothy Sands became Virginia Tech's 16th president in June.

graduate studies at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. She is a member of the boards of the Roanoke Gas Company and Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine. The medical school sits on the campus of a Carilion outpatient clinic on Reserve Avenue near Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital.

Timothy D. Sands Timothy Sands is the newest among the top leaders, having become Virginia Tech’s 16th president in June. Tech has 13,000 full- and part-time employees and 1,422 faculty and offers more than 240 degrees. Its Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg houses 150 companies with some 2,700 employees. In addition to the school’s partnership with Carilion in the medical school, the Virginia Tech Foundation owns The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, the historic hotel built as a Roanoke centerpiece by the Norfolk and Western Railway, Photo courtesy Virginia Tech

now part of Norfolk Southern. The university manages a research portfolio of $494 million. A California native, Sands has three degrees from the University of California-Berkeley: a bachelor’s in engineering physics and a master’s degree and doctorate in materials science. He has a dual tenured appointment in electrical and computer engineering and materials science and engineering and can assume that position at the end of his presidency. He came to Tech from Purdue University. His five-year employment contract includes $500,000 in annual salary and deferred compensation of $180,000. He gets his annual physical paid for ($3,000) and has a $20,000 vehicle allowance. The family resides at The Grove, a mansion on campus. No value is placed on Sands’ use of the home, says Mark Owczarski, assistant vice president-news and information, because the president is required to live there and “the house is used for university functions and entertainment.” ROANOKE BUSINESS

BUSINESS LAW

Proceed with caution It’s not easy to follow rules on drones when rules haven’t been written

Amanda Loman

OCTOBER 2014

Photo by Amanda Loman/Virginia Tech

by Joan Tupponce

quick check of YouTube shows videos taken by unmanned aircraft systems – everything from the April CSX train derailment in Lynchburg to the Galax Old Fiddlers Convention. But the people making those images may not have had the permission of the Federal Aviation Administration. That presents both a safety and regulatory issue. The FAA is in the process of establishing regulations for unmanned aircraft, but it could be up to two years before the agency has those regulations in place. “People are flying unmanned aircraft without FAA approval,” says Tim Adelman, unmanned aircraft systems practice team leader at the LeClairRyan law firm. “They need to be concerned that the FAA is actively investigating and imposing enforcement actions to try to stop these operations. Whether the FAA will be successful is another story under the current regulatory structure.” One of the challenges with unmanned aircraft systems is the body of law that governs them. The FAA’s lack of current regulations is causing confusion. “The question is who is allowed to use them and who is not?” says Adelman. “The FAA takes the position that a UAS used for commercial reasons, such as real estate photography, farm-

ing and marketing, is an aircraft and, therefore, bound by the laws applicable to all aircraft. Unfortunately, that body of law wasn’t really created for unmanned aircraft systems. Where we stand right now is that the FAA is going to create unmanned aircraft regulations. Once those are in place you are going to see more civil operators.” Adelman, whose law firm, Adelman, Sheff & Smith, merged with LeClairRyan, has been working with legal issues surrounding unmanned aircraft systems since 2007. LeClairRyan is one of only a few firms with a group already in place that specializes in unmanned aircraft. However, as the potential for use of the technology grows, Adelman says he’s seeing “an uptick in firms that are creating groups.” LeClairRyan works with public safety entities, manufacturers and industries that want to use unmanned aircraft in their operations. “We assist manufacturers, for example, in obtaining experimental airworthiness certificates, which allows them to fly a particular system under certain guidelines. It gives them certain parameters to fly for demonstrations, research and other purposes,” Adelman says. “We also help end users walk through the process.” Public safety entities in Virginia, such as the Virginia State Police, would like to use unmanned air-

craft but the state instituted a moratorium on the use of unmanned aircraft systems that “prohibits state and local law enforcement and regulatory entities to use unmanned aircraft until July 1, 2015, except in defined emergency situations or in training exercises related to such situations.” The moratorium does not apply to research and development conducted by institutions of higher education such as the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership at Virginia Tech, a test site to help the FAA establish guidelines. “This is the next pioneering step in aviation,” says MAAP’s Executive Director Rose Mooney of the commercial use of the unmanned aircraft. Last December the FAA chose six U.S. test sites that will aid the agency in integrating unmanned aircraft systems into the airspace. Besides Tech, the other sites are University of Alaska, the State of Nevada, New York’s Griffiss International Airport, the North Dakota Department of Commerce and Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. In selecting the six test site operators, the FAA considered everything from geography, climate and research needs to safety and aviation experience and risk. Virginia Tech plans to conduct UAS testing as well as identify and evaluate operational and technical risks. The test site at Virginia

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business law Tech covers Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey. “We will be setting up launch and recovery sites where unmanned aircraft can take off and land. We will have different locations in each of those states,” Mooney says. “We will be working toward standards development and furthering airspace access for commercial use.” From a business point of view “there is a necessity to have those rules defined as quickly as possible. Other countries have them and that behooves the U.S. to be swift but sensible and safe in its development of rules and regulations to govern the skies,” says Rachel Stohl of The Stimson Center in Washington, D.C., a nonprofit, nonpartisan institution devoted to enhancing international peace and security. Currently the only people allowed to fly unmanned aircraft systems are the military, public entities such as states and universities with special authorization and hobbyists abiding by the rules of the Academy of Model Aeronautics. Recreational use of airspace by model aircraft is generally limited to below 400 feet above ground level, and it must be away from airports and air traffic. Hobbyists can fly unmanned aircraft as long as they are flying them for their own purposes. They would not be allowed, for example, to post a video taken with an unmanned aircraft on YouTube because the FAA could consider that commercial use. “Taking a video to put on YouTube or for a client is illegal,” Mooney says. “Are there people doing it? Absolutely. Our goal is to safely integrate unmanned aircraft into the airspace at all altitudes and levels so it’s safe for everybody.” Unmanned aircraft systems would be useful in many settings such as assessing crop health, inspecting power lines, finding lost persons and assisting search and rescue missions. The systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Some have wingspans as large as a Boeing 737 while others are small enough to fit

into the palm of a hand. They have been around for decades. “They are a tool like any other technology,” Mooney says, noting that the technology was developed by the military and that unmanned aircraft were used in Desert Storm more than two decades ago. They are used today by the Department of Homeland Security to perform border and port surveillance. Virginia Tech held an event in August to conduct the first flight of an unmanned aircraft through a Certificate of Authorization signed by the FAA. The certificate allows someone to have limited use in a specific area for a specific mission. Leaders from Virginia, Maryland, and New Jersey were invited to the Virginia Smart Road in Blacksburg at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute to watch Virginia Tech engineers use a six-rotor, unmanned aircraft to gather information at a mock accident scene. The helicopter used was specially modified for

transportation research by Kevin Kochersberger, a research associate professor in the College of Engineering, along with mechanical engineering students from the Unmanned Systems Laboratory. This fall MAPP also will launch an unmanned aircraft from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. “We will keep adding launch and recovery sites as the market dictates,” Mooney says. Testing at the sites will hopefully help speed along the FAA’s regulatory process. Yet until the agency has its regulations in place, Adelman would advise businesses that want to use unmanned aircraft for business purposes to proceed with caution. “I wouldn’t suggest investing in that technology until they have explored the regulatory options for operations,” he says. Manufacturers building unmanned aircraft are “ahead of the curve,” he adds. “It’s a good opportunity.”

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HEALTH

Medical access

‘Doc in a box’ evolves into ‘nurse in a store’

Nurse practitioner Cathy Kay examines Katelyn Lane, 11, at the CVS MinuteClinic on Williamson Road. 22

OCTOBER 2014

Photo by Natalee Waters

by Jenny Boone

om and Debra Lane and their daughter, Katelyn, were driving from their home in Cape Coral, Fla., to upstate New York for a vacation in early June when Katelyn, 11, began complaining of a sore throat. The family already planned to stop in Roanoke for the night. They checked in at the Fairfield Inn & Suites off Interstate 81 in Roanoke County and the next morning looked for the nearest pharmacy to buy Katelyn some cough drops and medicine. At a nearby CVS on Williamson Road they found more than a pharmacy. The Lanes spotted the CVS MinuteClinic — a walkin, health-care clinic. It’s one of a growing number of retail clinics nationwide and in the Roanoke and New River valleys. The walk-in clinic model is an emerging form of health care that offers routine medical services,

similar to an urgent care facility but not as extensive. The clinics are becoming another option in a landscape where people want immediate health-care results without having to schedule an appointment with a primary care physician or head to an emergency room. Other pharmacy and retail chains, including Walgreens and Target, have launched similar clinics. While consumers appreciate the convenience, some national groups, such as the American Academy of Family Physicians, caution patients against using these clinics for the treatment of chronic medical conditions. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics claims the clinics do not provide the high-quality preventive care that children need. Representatives of retail clinics say their mission is clear. They don’t intend to take business away from primarycare physicians but instead work with them, particularly for after-hours and weekend care. “We don’t try to be their primary-care doctor at all,” says Cynthia Ramsey, manager of five MinuteClinics in the Roanoke and New River valleys and one in Lynchburg. “We’re the interim acute-care model.” Compared with other retail health clinics, CVS MinuteClinics are leading the way nationally in growth and volume. MinuteClinics had 844 locations

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health Cynthia Ramsey, who manages six MinuteClinics, says they aren't trying to replace primary care physicians.

as of July, according to Merchant Medicine, a company that helps health systems and groups research and launch retail health clinics. There are five MinuteClinics in the Roanoke and New River valleys and 43 in Virginia. Walgreens’ clinics by Take Care Health Systems are the second largest, with 402, though none exist in the Roanoke and New River valleys. Experts point to several reasons for the growth of retail health clinics. A nationwide shortage in physicians, particularly primarycare doctors, has created demand for a place where people can go for routine medical services. Accenture, a global management consulting firm, projected in a 2013 report that the number of retail health clinics in the U.S. would double by 2015 due to the rise in newly insured patients because of the Affordable Care Act. An estimated 1,418 clinics would double to 2,868 by 2015, creating the capacity for 10.8 million pa24

OCTOBER 2014

tient visits per year, according to Accenture. The first Southwest Virginia CVS MinuteClinic opened in Christiansburg in August 2013. The clinics are open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. “Demand has increased significantly,” Ramsey says. In particular, the clinics were busy just before the school year began with providing school and sports physicals to children. MinuteClinics, each staffed by two nurse practitioners, provide a variety of general medical exams and services, including vaccinations, cholesterol screenings and physical exams. They also conduct exams to diagnose everything from mono to ear infections, bronchitis, pink eye, sinus infections, minor burns and skin conditions and more. Nurse practitioners write prescriptions for medications as

well. Patients who have health insurance pay a co-pay for MinuteClinic services, while those who do not have insurance pay based on the services they received, Ramsey says. Those without insurance could pay more than $100 for a visit. MinuteClinics do not conduct blood laboratory tests, provide Xrays, EKG tests and other advanced services. For those needs, a clinic’s nurse practitioners refer patients to local urgent care centers or to the emergency room, Ramsey says. Nurse practitioners call the emergency room ahead of time to alert doctors to the patients’ needs. In addition, an area doctor is assigned to each MinuteClinic to serve as an on-call resource for medical direction and consultation. In Northern Virginia, where Ramsey worked before coming to Southwest Virginia, some primarycare physicians referred patients directly to MinuteClinics for certain services, such as tests for strep Photo by Natalee Waters

health throat. By offering these routine exams and tests, the clinics freed up doctors’ time to handle more serious conditions, Ramsey says. “Up to a point this more immediate availability retail medicine is a very good thing … It really does increase access for patients,” says Dr. Brandon Coates, a physician and medical director of Carilion Clinic’s VelocityCare urgent care facilities in the Roanoke and New River valleys. “That really does help to bring about a better model of health care for the patient.” Coates says he often treats patients who have been referred to VelocityCare from area retail health clinics. “Part of it [the increase in retail health clinics] represents how society is overall these days,” he says. “In this digital age, where everything is available at your fingertips, that is translating over into health care.” Still, such clinics should not

Family nurse practitioner Cynthia Ramsey at the CVS in Hollins.

take away from the role of a primary-care doctor, he says. “The primary-care doctor is vital to manage chronic health care” needs, Coates says. When the Lanes arrived at the CVS MinuteClinic in Roa-

noke County, they registered their daughter at a computer station. They waited about 10 minutes, before Katelyn and her mom stepped into a small exam room, where Cathy Kay, a nurse practitioner, welcomed them and began examining Katelyn. She took Katelyn’s temperature (it was 99.7) and checked her blood pressure. “Now, I’m going to start torturing you,” Kay said jokingly, as she gently pressed on Katelyn’s sinuses and under her eyes. She examined her ears and then, pulled out a long swab for the strep throat test. The first rapid strep test was negative, but Kay explained that she would send the DNA to a lab for an additional strep test and call the Lanes with the results. With that, the family was on its way. The stop in Roanoke came at the right time, Tom Lane says.

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COMMUNITY PROFILE | RADFORD The nearly complete student recreation and wellness center is one of the construction projects on Radford University's campus.

Building Radford

The city and the university are constructing their future by Shay Barnhart

ig construction projects are changing the landscape in Radford. At Radford University, two academic buildings and a student fitness center are under construction. Plus, plans are underway for new recreation fields on

OCTOBER 2014

a former industrial site. New construction helps the university on many levels. Joe Carpenter, vice president for university relations and chief communications officer, says the projects support growing enrollment and modernize Radford’s ability to

teach students. “It allows us to get the facilities up to what our student population expects,” Carpenter says, noting that last fall Radford was just shy of 10,000 students. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Radford’s 2013 population at 17,184, which includes univerPhoto by Christina O'Connor

sity students. The city’s permanent population stands at a little more than 7,000, says Basil Edwards, the city’s economic development director. Radford has welcomed that growing student population, officially 9,928, as well as construction

workers as they contribute to the city’s tax base when they purchase food and lodging and go shopping. “As it grows, so do we,” Edwards says. Since 2010, the city has seen an increase of 8 percent in its retail sales tax revenue, 14.5 percent in its meals tax revenue and 10 percent

in its lodging revenue, adds Edwards. No tax increases went into effect during that period. In addition to campus construction, city officials have a wish list of other things they’d like to see built in Radford, such as more hotel rooms, but say the economy ROANOKE BUSINESS

community profile Private development near Radford University has already made big changes to the city. Many more changes are on the way.

isn’t quite ready to support that. “There’s interest, but the market is tough for all development right now,” Edwards says. Instead, they’ve focused on infrastructure improvements to

Basil Edwards, Radford's economic development director, says the market is tough, but the city is preparing for when that changes.

OCTOBER 2014

support future development, such as the Second Avenue-Park Road improvement project. They’ve improved parks and New River access points. And they’ve worked on relationships with area developers

and regional partners to show that the city is ready to help when the time comes to build. “There’s a buzz here now. I think if the economy and banks could open up a little bit more, we could really take off running,” says Mayor Bruce Brown. At Radford University, the state has authorized more than $300 million in either new construction or renovations to update academic buildings and residence halls since 2005, says Carpenter. “In the process of renovating those residence halls, a focus has also been on energy efficiency and LEED certification,” Carpenter says. “Anytime we undertake those renovations, that’s a goal.” The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system is a standard for measuring building sustainability administered by the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2012, the university opened the $44 million, 110,000-square-

Photos by Christina O'Connor

community profile

When it's finished, Radford University's Center for the Sciences will be the largest academic building on campus — for a short while.

foot building for its College of Business and Economics at the corner of Jefferson Street and Tyler Avenue. The massive building redefined an entrance to campus first seen by visitors traveling from Interstate 81. The building is the largest academic building on campus, although it won’t be for long, Carpenter said. The Center for the Sciences, being built along East Main Street onto the existing Reed and Currie halls, is a $49.5 million, 113,671-square-foot classroom and laboratory building for the College of Science and Technology. It includes a new planetarium and a museum and is expected to be completed in spring 2015. About a block away, between Muse Hall and McConnell Library, construction began this past spring on a $52.8 million,

Photo courtesy of Radford University

143,600-square-foot home for the College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences. When completed in 2016, it will be the largest academ-

“There’s a buzz here now. I think if the economy and banks could open up a little bit more, we could really take off running,” says Mayor Bruce Brown. ic building on campus, Carpenter said. Like the College of Business and Economics, “It’s going to take the vast majority of our schools

and departments within that college, which right now are literally scattered across campus in outdated facilities, and bring them into one building,” notes Carpenter. Set to open this fall is the new Student Recreation and Wellness Center. The $32 million facility will consolidate two student fitness centers into one modern building complete with an indoor track that changes elevation over two stories. Next, the university plans to demolish the old Burlington Mills factory building on East Main Street and turn the nineacre parcel into recreation fields for students and club sports. That project, with a lighting system designed to minimize light pollution and an indoor batting facility, is estimated to cost $8 million. “Upon completion of those build-

ROANOKE BUSINESS

community profile Radford University provides a live stream for its construction sites. Student Recreation and Wellness Center: www.radford.edu/content/construction/home/fitness-stream.html Center for the Sciences: www.radford.edu/content/construction/home/csat-stream.html College of Humanities and Behavioral Sciences Building: TBA (link will be available at http://www.radford.edu/content/construction/home.html)

will feature Roanoke and New River Valleys in their November issue Community Proﬁle.

irginia Business looks at trends in economic development, education, health care and regional quality of life in the Roanoke and New River valleys. The area continues to attract new businesses while growing its own hometown companies. For information on how your marketing message can be a part of this exciting feature, please contact: Lynn Williams - 540-597-2499 lwilliams@roanoke-business.com Advertising deadlines: Ad space - 9/29 Ad material - 10/6

OCTOBER 2014

ings, right now there are no other construction projects slated at this point in time,” Carpenter says. The city, meanwhile, is working to better connect the east and west sides of the community and its schools. The $5.4 million Second Avenue-Park Road improvement project is expected to be done later this month and will help promote that goal. Crews have rebuilt the Second Avenue-Park Road corridor, moved utilities, added bike lanes and sidewalks and created a roundabout where the roads intersect with Sundell Drive and the city’s bikeway/walkway. The improved road will be critical as an alternative way around the city, especially when drivers are routed through the city because of wrecks on Interstate 81 or U.S. 11, says Brown. It’s also a key link between Radford University and Belle Heth Elementary on the east side of the city and Radford High and Middle schools and McHarg Elementary on the west. The city also is improving its public transportation. Radford Transit, now in its third year, is helping move people around the city and beyond, says Brown. In three years, it has taken an estimated 900 vehicles a day off the city streets. The public transit system is operated by New River Valley Community Services through a partnership of the city, the university, the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration. It offers connections in Christiansburg and Blacksburg and to regional bus routes. The next step, says Brown, is linking to the Amtrak train routes once they’re running into Roanoke in 2017. “We’re really working hard with the regional partners to try to get Amtrak down to Radford once the Roanoke corridor opens up. We’re very committed to that,” he says.

Opening New Doors ÂŠ2012 Tom Holdsworth Photography

h "EST #OLLEGES AND 5NIVERSITIES IN THE 3OUTHEASTv (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015)

h"EST 6ALUE #OLLEGES n 4OP 0UBLIC IN THE 5 3 v (2013, 2014)

h "EST "USINESS 3CHOOLSv (2012, 2013, 2014)

h 4OP 'REEN #OLLEGES IN THE .ATIONv (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)

Offering a solid foundation for success, Radford Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 69 undergraduate degrees, 21 masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degrees and three doctoral programs allow students to pick their point of entry into a wide range of careers. Since 2005, Radford University has completed or initiated more than $330 million in capital construction and renovation to provide an innovative learning environment with state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories and student life facilities, including: s #OLLEGE OF "USINESS AND %CONOMICS (completed 2012) s 3TUDENT 2ECREATION AND 7ELLNESS #ENTER (pictured above, 2014) s #ENTER FOR THE 3CIENCES (2015) s #OLLEGE OF (UMANITIES AND "EHAVIORAL 3CIENCES (2016) Radford Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s transformation of its 191-acre campus continues to provide dynamic spaces for the growth and learning of its nearly 10,000 students. Learn more at www.radford.edu

www.radford.edu

Radford, VA

â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Princeton Review

INTERVIEW: Claudia Whitworth, editor and publisher, The Roanoke Tribune

Family business Leading Roanoke’s African-American newspaper beyond its 75th birthday

“Hate is so easy to instigate, you know," Whitworth says. "I want to give a more peaceful, rational approach to whatever is going on.” by Tim Thornton

laudia Whitworth’s first newspaper experience was working alongside her father, Fleming E. Alexander, as they learned to operate a Linotype machine. The Linotype was a great leap forward for The Roanoke Tribune. The machine set type a line at a time. Before that, Alexander set type for the newspaper one letter at a time. “When he first started and got his Linotype machine, oh, we were sailing then,” Whitworth says. The paper, which had an irregular publishing schedule before the Linotype, started to come out every week. Alexander opened offices in Charlottesville, Martinsville and Bluefield, W.Va., adding news from African-

C 32

OCTOBER 2014

American communities in and around those cities to his Roanoke copy. “That’s when he took The Roanoke Tribune off and just called it The Tribune,” Whitworth says. Whitworth and her father didn’t get the hang of the new machinery right away. “The Roanoke Times Linotype operators used to come over and teach us what to do with it,” she says. “They were union people, and we were in a filling station there at the forks of the road at Gilmer Avenue and Jefferson Street. It had glass all across, a big glass window, and they had to put up newspaper and stuff over the windows so nobody would see those union people in there. Because they actually did it for us until they taught us how.”

Whitworth worked for a while with her father but soon took her Linotype skills to African-American newspapers in New York, Cleveland, Columbus and Vinton before coming back to The Roanoke Tribune. Her father had been injured in an automobile accident, and Whitworth intended to keep the paper running until he could return to his office. She ended up as editor and publisher, jobs she’s held for 43 years. Through a fire and the death of her father and her husband, Whitworth says she’s never missed an issue. The paper’s old office was bulldozed to make way for urban renewal – after the paper’s operations had moved – but while its records were still inside. “We lost everything in that one,” Whitworth says. “Our 75 years of history – our records start in the ’80s. August of 1983 is when they bulldozed it. My husband died of cancer in March of that same year.” The Roanoke Tribune calls itself “the paper with a purpose”: “To promote self-esteem; To encourage respect – for self and for the differences in others; and To provide and support lasting vehicles through which diverse peoples can unite on some regular common basis.” Whitworth follows the Baha’i faith, something that’s evident in her weekly editorials. “Hate is so easy to instigate, you know,” she says. “I want to give a more peaceful, rational approach to whatever is going on.” The paper wasn’t always that way. “My purpose was totally different from Daddy’s purpose,” Whitworth says. “Daddy was a politician back in those days.” Alexander was a politician who evolved. In 1943, he editorialized against segregation, poll taxes and racial discrimination in employment, calling for them to be outlawed immediately. In 1953, he had a campaign office for Thomas Stanley in The Roanoke Tribune office. Stanley, a furniture executive who had served in the Virginia House of Delegates and the U.S. House of Representatives, was Virginia’s governor from 1954 until 1958. His Stanley Plan aimed to keep Virginia’s public schools segregated despite the Brown v. Board of Education decision outlawing segregated schools. In 1963, Alexander’s editorials advocated gradualism, the idea that blacks should be patient and win their rights gradually rather than demand them immediately. Photo by Sam Dean

Whitworth describes her father’s shift as a change in tactics, not goals. He decided it was more productive to work within the system than to rail against it from the outside. “They have all the artillery, all of the everything,” she says. “You have to be smart enough to be part of it to work for the change. It was a different philosophy for the same result, but it wasn’t popular at all.” Alexander made two unsuccessful runs for Roanoke City Council. “It was the president or the vice president of N&W that came

over to that little shop and talked Daddy into running for council,” Whitworth says. “Of course, he was highly honored but it wasn’t an honorable gesture. They wanted someone popular to run … so they could split that very narrow black vote … Daddy considered it such an honor, but I considered it political tactics. In the Baha’i faith, which I am governed by, we are forbidden from joining anything divisive, and nothing is more divisive than partisan politics.” The Roanoke Tribune has some local

Roanoke Business: Newspapers were a male-dominated field when you started setting type, and the back shop was even more male-dominated than the front. What was that like? Claudia Whitworth: It was, I’ll say, interesting to say the least. Of course, in something as small as my dad’s paper, it didn’t matter. It was just me and him. But when I went to work on the New York Age and the Cleveland Herald and all of these bigger papers it got more interesting because you had to be better than the men to prove you’re in there. And I was. I could outset them. We used to get paid by the galley – each line of type was printed separately on hot lead. The keys were in magazines they called them, but they were heavy. If you wanted to change from one kind of type to another, you had to change the magazine. I couldn’t do that. I had to get a man to help me with that one. That was about the only thing I had to ask them to do. So I had to stay at least compatible with them to change my magazine. But nobody was rude. In those days, there wasn’t the open vulgarity and promiscuouscy that is just commonplace today. People were very respectful. I was single and of course they would flirt or something, but it was just very respectful. I can’t remember anything disrespectful in the whole series. It was a different era back in those days. When you carried yourself respectfully, you were treated that way. RB: It’s surprising you could get a job to begin with. Whitworth: It had to be non-union shops. I taught one of the guys at The [Roanoke] Times. I helped teach him on the Linotype, and he was saying he was so embarrassed that I couldn’t get a job at The Times because it was union, and they didn’t hire women and they didn’t hire us, either. RB: The Roanoke Tribune bills itself as a paper with a purpose. That’s very different from other papers. Whitworth: It is. … When we belonged to the NNPA – the National Newspaper Association – which was a big black national organization, we used to go to the meetings, and they’d argue with me all the time. They were saying nobody’s going to buy a peaceful newspaper or good news. I

news, written by Whitworth’s son, Stanley Hale, who will one day be the paper’s editor and publisher. But much of what appears in the weekly are announcements people send in marking milestones and announcing achievements. Whitworth, who’s been Roanoke’s Citizen of the Year and is a member of the Virginia Women’s Hall of Fame, talked with Roanoke Business about her role in helping The Roanoke Tribune live up to its motto of “making and recording black history since 1939.”

said I know it’s a slow mover, but that’s what I’m going to do. … And the president of the NNPA at that time had a paper in L.A. – it was a tabloid size, it wasn’t even a full paper – and every front page had rapes, murders, all this stuff. I said, “Why would you do that? The other papers show only that side of us. We have the opportunity to show a better side.” That’s what I want to show the people. You don’t have to do something great to get in The Tribune. We always try to encourage people who aren’t anybody – just the least little thing that you do well you can get into The Tribune. That was the purpose it’s always been. Like I said, it’s a slow mover. We don’t have hundreds of thousands of subscribers. But those who do are just religious. They don’t throw it away. The mailman said, “I’d rather go without checks at the first of the month than go without The Tribune. People just attack me.” People just take us personally. Two people in one household have to get their own subscriptions. It’s just that personal. Since that is our purpose, I feel we are accomplishing our purpose even though we are not the most wellknown or the biggest circulation or whatever. RB: It’s hard to stay in business for 75 years. What special challenges has The Roanoke Tribune faced? Whitworth: Staying small enough to survive. That was my challenge here in this Roanoke Valley. I guess it’s not unique to this valley, but this is the only one I have experienced firsthand. For a black business to survive, in the South, in this city, you had to be controllable. If they can’t control you, they destroy you. And so that was what my biggest challenge was because in the early days of legal desegregation, that’s what we lived through. It was quite challenging. RB: Do you see The Roanoke Tribune going on with the next generation? Whitworth: Yes, I’ve got that protected. I’ve got a trusteeship [Board of Trustees] that’s going to help. [The trustees would take over upon her death.] My son … he’ll be the editor and everything but like they are my trustees; they will be his. To handle it from the professional – to protect you from all the things I had to learn firsthand. ROANOKE BUSINESS

SPONSORED CONTENT | Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce NEW MEMBERS

2014 CHAMBER CHAMPIONS

The following businesses joined the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce from July 4 to Aug. 8, 2014: Bonitz Flooring Group Inc. Mountain Lake Lodge Queenpin Acupuncture Staunton River Vet Clinic Taste of Asia

2014 STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS SPONSORS Appalachian Power Cox First Citizens Bank Hall Associates RGC Resources

BB&T Brown Edwards Cox Business Gentry Locke Rakes & Moore LeClairRyan LifeWorks REHAB (Medical Facilities of America) MB Contractors Pepsi Bottling Group rev.net Richfield Retirement Community Spilman Thomas & Battle PLLC Trane Valley Bank Woods Rogers Attorneys at Law Note: Chamber Champions are members who support the Roanoke Regional Chamber through year-round sponsorships in exchange for year-round recognition.

Member news & recognitions Advance Auto Parts has announced the appointment of David Allen as senior vice president, supply chain manageAllen ment. Allen will lead the supply chain function in its efforts to support Advance’s stores and commercial customers. This includes developing strategies to support the integration of Advance’s supply chain with Carquest. Allen will be based in Raleigh, N.C. Advance Auto Parts has announced the promotion of Zaheed Mawani to vice president of finance planning, analysis and inMawani vestor relations. Mawani joined Advance in July 2013 and served as director of investor relations.

HancockClifton 34

Brown Edwards, a regional accounting firm, has announced the election of four new partners. They are: Kristie Hancock-Clifton, CPA, a OCTOBER 2014

Fries

Barbour

Jessee

Farmer

Densmore

partner in the Bluefield, W.Va., office; Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s office 34 MBA, based OCTOBER James R. Fries, CPA, in has 2014 appointed two area businessmen the Harrisonburg office; Betty D. Jes- to state boards. William “Will” M. see, CPA, CSEP, the taxation partner Farmer, general manager of Farmer in the Bristol office; and Jeffrey G. Auctions, has been appointed to the Barbour, MBA, CPA, a taxation part- Auctioneers Board. Douglas Densner in the Roanoke office. more, an attorney with CowanPerry, has been appointed to the Treasury Brown Edwards has an- Board. nounced the promotion of Ronald J. Shadden, Friendship Retirement Community CPA, to director. Shad- recently celebrated the start of conden works in the Bristol struction of Friendship Health & ReShadden office and has more than hab South, a new rehabilitative skilled 13 years of audit experience. He is li- nursing care facility in southwest Rocensed in Tennessee and Virginia. anoke. Turner-Long Construction Co. is the lead contractor for the $13 milMollie Levan has joined lion, 73-000-square-foot project that Dominion Risk Advisors is expected to be completed in the fall as an account manager. of 2015. Levan

Levan will work in the agency’s commercial insurance division.

Hall Associates has announced that agents Frank Martin and Jim Deyerle

were selected by the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center as representatives to market the center nationwide to major regional and national tenants. The center is home to 162 research, technology and support companies and more than 2,700 employees. HomeTown Bank recently opened its sixth branch location in Salem. The newly constructed building is at 852 W. Main St. The bank has employed seven employees for the Salem branch. Jefferson College of Health Sciences was among 24 institutions that took part in Virginia Private College Week July 28-Aug. 1. The program included campus tours and information on how to apply for admission and financial aid. The annual event gives high school students an alternative to squeezing in campus visits during the academic year. It is sponsored by the Council of Independent Colleges in Virginia.

Broussard

Spangler

Smith

MB Contractors has announced the hiring of three new employees. Jason Broussard joins the firm as a senior preconstruction manager. Brandon Spangler has been hired as an estimator. He is a recent graduate of Virginia Tech. Lenora Smith has joined the firm as an administrative assistant. Roanoke County is again ranked among the top digital counties in the nation for its use of information and communication technology to support and provide public service. The Center for Digital Government and the National Association of Counties recently announced the 2014 Digital Counties Survey winners. Roanoke County received the first place ranking in the category for populations up to 150,000.

Tower

Harris

The law firm Spilman Thomas & Battle has announced that two of the firm’s labor and employment attorneys were recognized in Virginia Super Lawyers magazine. King F. Tower was named on the Super Lawyers list, and Carrie M. Harris was named on the publication’s Rising Stars list. The Greater Roanoke Transit Co., known locally as Valley Metro, has unveiled nine new buses for its fleet. At the same time, the Virginia Museum of Transportation unveiled its recently refurbished 1958 GMC bus to highlight the history of transit in the region. The Association of Public and LandGrant Universities (APLU) has granted Virginia Tech the designation of Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. This is the second year APLU has bestowed the recognition on universities that support economic development in their regions and states. The award, granted to 14 universities in 2014, acknowledges the role Virginia Tech plays in strengthening local and regional economies. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute has named Myra Blanco as director of its new center dedicated to the research Blanco of automated technology in vehicles, including cars and trucks. This brings the number of research centers operated under the transportation institute to 13. As director for the Center for Automated Vehicle Systems, Blanco will oversee research into all aspects related to the automation life cycle in the transportation field. She was previously the lead-

er of the institute’s Safety and Human Factors Engineering group. Pete Congleton has been appointed director of gift planning at Virginia Tech. Before joining University Development, CongleCongleton ton served as director of planned giving for the University of Hartford. Kevin Foust has been named chief of police and director of campus security at Virginia Tech, a position he had held Foust on an interim basis since February. Foust joined the Virginia Tech Police Department in 2011 as the deputy chief of police and assistant director of security after a 24-year career with the FBI. He succeeds Wendell Flinchum, who retired in February after a 29-year career with the university’s police department.

Gervais

Shayne Gervais has been named university registrar at Virginia Tech. Gervais most recently served as university registrar at the University of Montevallo.

Kiwus

McCoy

Facilities Services at Virginia Tech has announced the hiring of Chris Kiwus as associate vice president and the appointment of Heidi McCoy as deputy chief facilities officer. Kiwus is a retired U.S. Navy officer, and McCoy is the former chief of staff to the vice president for administration at Virginia Tech. Cathy Kropff has been named director of Hokie Wellness in the Department of Human Resources at Virginia Tech. Kropff has been serving as the ROANOKE BUSINESS

SPONSORED CONTENT | Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce interim director since July 2013. In her role, Kropff is responsible for the management of work life resources, as well Kropff as the development and implementation of programming that enhances the health and productivity of Virginia Tech employees. David Langston, a professor of plant pathology from the University of Georgia, has been tapped as the new director of the Langston Virginia Tech College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Suffolk. Richard Law, professor of geosciences in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been selected as a fellow in Law the Geological Society of America. Law was selected for his work in the tectonics of active and ancient collisional mountain belts, his advocacy of field-based research, and his record of teaching and service to the earth science community.

Robinson

Sanghani

Valeiras

Three new members joined the Virginia Tech board of visitors in July. The three Virginia Tech graduates were appointed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe, and their terms run through June 30, 2018. The new members are Wayne Robinson, the chief diversity practice leader at Wyndham Mills International; Mehul Sanghani, the founder and 36

OCTOBER 2014

president of Octo Consulting Group; and Horacio Valeiras, a principal of HAV Capital LLC. McAuliffe also reappointed Michael Quillen, the founder and retired chairman of Alpha Natural Resources, who served two years as rector during his first term on the board. Angela Simmons, director of student conduct at Virginia Tech, has been named assistant vice president for student Simmons affairs. In her new position, Simmons will provide leadership for a team focused on student engagement. Rohsaan Settle has been appointed interim director of student conduct. Settle currently serves as associate director. Tony Vidmar has been appointed assistant vice president of development for university programs at Virginia Tech. Vidmar Vidmar has 30 years’ experience working in higher education and was most recently at The Ohio State University. Virginia Western Community College (VWCC) is one of 10 community colleges nationally selected as the latest cohort to participate in an initiative that advances STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) technician education programs. Through the MentorLinks: Advancing Technology Education program, Virginia Western will be paired with experienced community college mentors with extensive experience in planning and implementing advanced technology programs. For VWCC’s project, the biology department in the School of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics has been approved to develop a Career Studies Certificate (CSC) in biotechnology.

This certificate will provide students with relevant skills and knowledge in the topics of biotechnology. The program will begin in fall 2015 and will feature three new courses to provide students with a strong overview of the techniques utilized in biotechnology research as well as core laboratory skills that will relate to a variety of different biotech technician jobs or transfer to a four-year institution. Jason Pauley has joined Waldvogel Commercial Properties as a commercial sales and leasing agent. He began Pauley his real estate career in 2001 after his tour of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps.

Kessinger

Brinley

Paradzinski

Jones

Nicely

Joyce R. Kessinger of Botetourt has been re-elected chair of the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board. She is with Boxley Materials Co. Other officers elected at the board’s annual meeting include: Joseph A. Brinley, NECA/IBEW Local 26, vice chair and oversight committee chair; William F. Jones Jr., Hometown Bank, treasurer; Lawrence C. Musgrove III, LCM Corp., secretary; Hiawatha Nicely, New Century Consultants, immediate past chair; and Paul Paradzinski, youth council chair.

GET FOR LESS Technology is hard wired into Virginia Western education. For three years in a row, Virginia Western Community College has been named #1 or #2 in the top 10 digital community colleges in the nation by the Center for Digital Education. That’s one of the reasons Virginia Western Community College is enjoying a growing reputation for hands-on training in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and healthcare (STEM+H). Students get the skills and knowledge that will take them where they want to go, whether it’s upgrading a current job, transferring to a four-year program or transitioning careers with conﬁdence. Looking for an affordable education with a future?

Virginia Western will take you there.

.edu

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