Business Today
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce member enterprise news log
Monday, July 30, 2007
Edward W. Rucker Named as Paramount Theater President and CEO
Gary W. Taylor, Chair of the Board of Directors for The Paramount Theater of Charlottesville, Inc., recently announced that Edward W. Rucker, has been selected as the President and Chief Executive Officer for the historic theater.
Rucker is currently President for The Richmond Forum, a position he has held through 14 seasons. Under his leadership the Forum, which has come to be known as the premiere public forum in the United States, has featured pairings of speakers such as James Carville and Newt Gingrich, former secretaries of state Madeleine Albright and James Baker, and Benazir Bhutto and Queen Noor, as well as performance-oriented presentations by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Wynton Marsalis, and B.B. King.
Rucker will step into his new role as President and CEO of The Paramount Theater on September 17. He has agreed to work with the Forum through a transition period while his successor is selected, and to develop plans for the opening night program on November 3rd featuring former Mexican President Vicente Fox.
A 19-year Charlottesville resident, Ed Rucker served as Director of Development and Government Relations of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities from 1988 to 1993. He is a 1989 graduate of Leadership Charlottesville, and has been involved with a number of Charlottesville-based organizations such as Piedmont Council of the Arts, Second Street Gallery, and the Virginia Film Festival.
"After an in-depth search process in which we reviewed 71 possible CEOs from across the country, we couldn't be more pleased to find the best candidate right in our backyard, Taylor said. "Ed Rucker has the vision, enthusiasm, and experience to lead The Paramount Theater forward, stepping fully into its role as a premiere arts, education, and entertainment venue for the entire Central Virginia region."
The restored 1931 Paramount reopened in 2004, and presents more than 80 events per year including live concerts and performances in nearly every musical genre, drama, dance, comedy, and family shows as well as films. The theater's educational programs - school time performances, workshops, and master classes - were attended by over 10,000 students regionally in the 2006-07 season. Also used as a rental venue by outside promoters and groups, the theater has recently established a Community Performance Access Fund to help local arts organizations present performances at the theater.
More information about The Paramount Theater is available online at www.theparamount.net.
The Choice Announces Sale of First Franchise
The officers of The Choice Inc. recently announced the sale of its first franchise to Virginia's Staffing Choice, Inc., owned by Matthew Frazer. The geographic region for this franchise area includes the state of Virginia.
Virginia Staffing Choice, Inc. will harness the experience and expertise of The Choice's 25-year corporate history, rich in service and success. The Choice Inc. specializes in the provision of professional staff on a direct, temporary, temporary-to- hire or contract basis.
The Choice Inc. is headquartered in Washington, DC, with local offices in Culpeper and Charlotttesville, VA. Frazer worked with The Choice Inc. for three years before negotiating to purchase this franchise. During his tenure with The Choice Inc., he managed the Culpeper office, formerly Temporary Plus, and launched a new service branch in Charlottesville.
Frazer brought several years of regional and national staffing experience to The Choice. This franchise arrangement affords Frazer an opportunity to do what he does best - service valued clients by offering comprehensive staffing solutions based on quality recruiting.
Virginia's Staffing Choice, Inc. will continue to operate under The Choice's name in the present offices while implementing a growth plan which incorporates the Central Virginia and Tidewater regions.
PVCC Appoints New Director of Business Education Alliance
Piedmont Virginia Community College has appointed Evelyn Gorman as Director of the Piedmont Virginia Business Education Alliance (PVBEA). Gorman comes to PVCC from the University of Virginia where she served as communications coordinator for the Office of Engagement in Development and Public Affairs.
During her 16-year tenure at UVa, she also served as program manager in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, administrator for the Media Studies Program and administrator for a medical research center.
Created by the school districts of the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Fluvanna, Greene and Nelson counties, the PVBEA promotes student achievement and workforce development by pairing regional businesses with individual schools. PVCC serves as the coordinating agent to develop these partnerships and identify appropriate programs and career activities.
Employees at participating businesses can volunteer as mentors or tutors, sponsor student events and help with after-school programs. Businesses interested in participating in the PVBEA should contact Gorman at 434.961.5285 or egorman@pvcc.edu.
Miller Center Foundation Sets Record for Major Gifts
The Miller Center Foundation is preparing to close the books on a banner year for major gifts. Fourteen new commitments of $100,000 or more have made fiscal year 2006-07 the most successful fundraising year in the Miller Center's history.
These gifts to the Campaign for the Miller Center of Public Affairs totaled more than $8 million and will ensure that the Center's vital work of researching, reflecting and reporting on nationally important public policy issues continues well into the future.
Airport Authority Announces Executive Director
The Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport Authority recently announced the promotion of Barbara Hutchinson to Executive Director. She will serve as the Authority's Chief Administrative Official, managing and directing the operations and affairs of the Airport Authority and the Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport.
Hutchinson has been with the Airport since 1985, having most recently served as its director of finance and administration. She is a member of and has received certified member status in the American Association of Airport Executives and is a past president of the Virginia Airport Operators Council.
Locally, Hutchinson has served as previous chair of the Board of the Central Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross, and in various board capacities for the Leadership Charlottesville Alumni Association, Albemarle-Charlottesville Human Resource Association and Altrusa International of Charlottesville.
WCAV CBS19's Sports Department Recognized for Outstanding Coverage by VAB
At the annual Virginia Association of Broadcasters Awards dinner, this past week, the sports department of WCAV CBS19 was recognized by the VAB for Outstanding Sports Coverage for all size markets within the Commonwealth of Virginia.
WCAV CBS19 and all of Gray's Charlottesville stations which include WVAW ABC16 and WAHU FOX27 take an aggressive stance on community sports with such shows as Friday Night Endzone, a weekly half hour high school football show.
Further, having forged a strong relationship with the University of Virginia CBS19 and its sister stations have committed to delivering unparalleled coverage of University of Virginia sports, and holds the title of "Official Flagship Station for University of Virginia Athletics."
Gray Television, Inc. is a television broadcast company headquartered in Atlanta, GA. Gray currently operates 36 television stations serving 30 markets. Each of the stations are affiliated with either CBS (17 stations), NBC (10 stations), ABC (8 stations) or FOX (1 station). In addition, Gray currently operates 36 digital second channels including 1 ABC, 5 Fox, 7 CW and 15 MyNetworkTV affiliates plus 6 local news/weather channels and 2 "independent" channels in certain of its existing markets. Gray intends to start an additional 4 digital second channels during 2007 including 1 CW affiliate, 1 MyNetworkTV affiliate and 2 local news/weather channels.
PVCC Unveils Brand - Opportunity. Access. Excellence.
On the eve of its 35th anniversary, Piedmont Virginia Community College has renewed its mission to serve the citizens of Central Virginia. A new logo and tagline unveiled recently symbolize the college's "brand," or promise, to provide opportunity, access and excellence to students, employers and communities throughout the college's service region.
The new logo design in blue and burgundy depicts the strength and forward momentum of the college and symbolizes PVCC's location and scenic campus on a rolling hillside in Albemarle County. The logo includes the tagline Opportunity. Access. Excellence. It will be integrated over time throughout PVCC. The PVCC college seal will be used for more formal purposes such as commencement, awards and official college documents.
The new PVCC look goes public with the Fall 2007 Class Schedule which will circulate this week and next to all households and businesses in the college's service region of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Green, Louisa and Nelson.
PVCC President Frank Friedman offered examples of opportunity, access and excellence at the college.
Opportunity comes in the form of:
* Agreements that guarantee admission to four-year colleges and universities for PVCC graduates.
* Services to employers such as customized training and strategic planning.
* Personal enrichment opportunities through classes and a full season of arts programming in the V. Earl Dickinson Building.
PVCC offers access through:
* An open enrollment policy that extends higher education to all who can benefit and programs to prepare new students for success in college-level work.
* Tuition that is approximately one-third that of four- year public institutions in Virginia.
* Financial aid with grants, loans and scholarships.
* Classes offered days, evenings and weekends, in person or online. Excellence at PVCC begins in the classroom, with accomplished faculty who have advanced degrees in their field and dedicate their professional lives to teaching.
Other examples of recognition for excellence include:
* PVCC student named the outstanding community college student in Virginia and among the top 20 community college students in the country.
* Two PVCC faculty members received a statewide outstanding faculty award.
* More than 500 PVCC students successfully transferred this year to a four-year college or university.
* PVCC has been cited in national competitions for its leadership in service learning and use of technology.
* The college's viticulture and enology program has been recognized for excellence by the Virginia Department of Education.
* The nursing program recently received the highest level of reaccreditation by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission.
Piedmont Virginia Community College is a state supported, nonresidential two-year college, one of 23 in the Virginia Community College System. The PVCC service region encompasses the City of Charlottesville and the counties of Albemarle, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Green, Louisa and Nelson.
PVCC began operations in September 1972 with 464 students in rented facilities. Today, PVCC has a scenic campus in Albemarle County and enrolls approximately 4,500 students per semester in credit classes and 1,500 in noncredit classes.
PVCC is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. The college employs 60 full-time faculty members, 22 administrative and non-teaching faculty and 65 classified staff. As many as 200 adjunct instructors are hired each semester.
Albemarle County Students Win Grand Prize at National History Day
National History Day (NHD) presented two David Van Tassel Founder awards to Paul Michel and Mohammad Rasool of Albemarle County, VA on Friday, June 14, 2007 at the NHD awards ceremony. Michel is a student at Monticello High School and Rasool at Albemarle High School.
The Founder award is presented each year to the winner of the grand prize at NHD. The award is a full tuition scholarship to Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio renewable for four years. The award, valued at over $120,000, is usually presented to only one individual, but Case Western Reserve University made an exception due to the outstanding quality of the two applicants.
Molly W. Berger, associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Case Western Reserve University NHD recognized the achievements of Michel and Rasool at the awards ceremony. Over half a million students annually participate in the NHD program.
Michel and Rasool were chosen from a field of highly qualified applicants for this prestigious award. Michel and Rasool competed in the 2007 NHD competition with an original historical performance on the ongoing conflict in Israel and the history of the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the Israeli state. The performance is titled "Aliyah, Al-Nakba: Zionist Return, Palestinian Exile." National History Day and Case Western Reserve University present the David Van Tassel Founder award each year to a student who demonstrates academic excellence and a dedication to historical study through competition in the National History Day program.
NHD is a yearlong, nonprofit education program dedicated to improving the teaching and learning of history in elementary and secondary schools through publications and education programs. The program annually involves millions of people and makes history come alive for students across the United States. Through the program, students develop critical thinking and research skills by creating exhibits, performances, documentaries and papers they may enter in competitions at the district, state and national levels. NHD also provides educational services to teachers, including curricular materials and Internet resources, and annual teacher workshops and training institutes.
More than 2,000 students from 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa and Department of Defense schools participated in the 2007 NHD contest. During the competition, students presented research addressing the NHD theme, "Triumph and Tragedy in History."
VPTC+CVG Announces Tech Awards 2007
The Virginia Piedmont Technology Council + Charlottesville Venture Group (VPTC+CVG), honored the recipients of its Tech Awards 2007 at a gala dinner on Wednesday, June 6, at Farmington Country Club in Charlottesville. The VPTC+CVG Tech Awards recognize individuals and organizations that use technology to positively impact the region, and local, national and international marketplaces.
In his keynote address at the event, Virginia's Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra spoke about the strategy to drive innovation in the Commonwealth. He noted that Virginia's number-one export is now semi-conductors, and that one out of every five new jobs in central Virginia is in the technology sector, indicators of a shift in economic strength from tobacco products to technology.
The award recipients were chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges who are recognized industry and education leaders, with the business and technical expertise to examine each nominee against the award criteria. The judges come from a cross section of Central Virginia, representing the various sciences, technology and business disciplines from which nominees are drawn.
"As the region's advocate for technology and entrepreneurship, the Council is proud to celebrate the contributions of tech companies to our economic development and quality of life. We believe supporting technology research and technology entrepreneurs is the best way to balance retirement and tourism in our regional economy. The quality of our finalists is indicative of the innovation occurring in the region," said Gary Henry, VPTC+CVG Chairman and Principal of GF Henry and Associates.
Award Recipients:
* ADI Engineering, Inc.每 Rocket Award, for the technology-based firm that has moved with noteworthy speed from concept toward commercialization. ADI's Pronghorn Metrotm is the first converged quad-band platform offering citywide Wi-Fi, public safety wireless and WiMAX. It is in use in a countrywide network in the Dominican Republic and municipal networks in Nevada, Arizona, Minnesota, the Netherlands, Italy, and Canada. Pilot systems are active in India, UK, Spain, France, Russia, Ukraine, and Macedonia.
* SNL Financial LC 每 Spotlight Award, for the technology-based firm or individual that has brought significant positive attention to the region. SNL collects, standardizes and disseminates all relevant corporate, financial, market, and M&A data plus news and analysis for the Banking, Financial Services, Insurance, Real Estate, Energy and Media & Communications industries. Since its founding in 1987, SNL has continuously expanded its global operations as well as the scope and depth of coverage and products.
* DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc. 每 Breakthrough Award, for the technology-based enterprise or individual that has achieved a remarkable breakthrough or quantum advance. DiaKine Therapeutics, Inc. develops breakthrough diabetes therapies. The company takes a novel approach to treatment to preserve any insulin- producing cells the patient has left to provide new insulin-producing cells either through transplantation or regeneration and to protect new insulin-producing cells from immunological attack.
* Gary Henry, GF Henry and Associates and 2006- 2007 Chairman, VPTC+CVG 每 Community Award, for the technology-based organization or individual who has demonstrated the greatest commitment to improving the quality of life in Central Virginia through community involvement. Mr. Henry believes that science and engineering are a strategic part of the future of the U.S. and the Charlottesville community. He actively supports the community through VPTC+CVG, the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce, County schools and WHTJ, and just completed his 20th year with the Virginia Piedmont Regional Science Fair, which serves 12 of Virginia's counties.
* Richard D. Crawford 每 Navigator Award, for the individual or entity that has demonstrated significant leadership in the local or regional high-tech community. Mr. Crawford has had a significant role in shaping the Virginia Active Angel Network (VAAN), a professionally managed club of angel investors whose reach extends from Charlottesville to Blacksburg and Roanoke. He has helped provide a dynamic resource for entrepreneurs and technology companies in the region. VAAN has emerged as a venue for existing area angel investors to collaborate as well as new angel investors to learn and invest. VAAN has screened over 200 companies and presented 36 investment opportunities since October 2005.
* Tracey L. Linkous, Diffusion Pharmaceuticals, LLC.; Michael G. Latsko, SNL Financial, LC; and Dave Keller, NTELOS - Chairman's Award, for the individual who has shown exemplary volunteer contributions. "As a team, Tracey, Michael and Dave -- the Council's Executive Committee -- contributed significant time, effort and concern to make sure that we were successful in meeting the unique opportunities and challenges that arose this year," said VPTC+CVG Chairman Gary Henry.
* Paula White, Crozet Elementary School 每 Red Apple Award, for the educator, in K-12 or higher education, who clearly and consistently is able to do the most with resources available to excite interest in and prepare students for the possibilities in technology. During her career of more than 30 years, Ms. White has taught all grades, from kindergarten through the fifth grade. She was named Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Elementary Teacher of the Year in 1991, a National Teacher Training Institute (NTTI) Master Teacher in 1997 and an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) by Apple Computers in 1999. Paula became a ComputerWorld Honors/Smithsonian Laureate in 2001.
* The judges also gave a special Judges' Award to Larry G. Richards, University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. For the last six years, Prof. Richards has brought the excitement of hands-on engineering into science and math classrooms in Central Virginia middle schools. He and his fourth year ME students design teaching kits in science, math and technology for middle-school classroom use. Topics range from hovercrafts, solar cars and submarines to structures, to brain surgery, prosthetic devices and water filtration systems. A five- day lesson plan, with real-life constraints and a design challenge, requires student creativity and teamwork.
Further details on Tech Awards 2007, award finalists and recipients and the Council can be found on VPTC+CVG's web site at www.vptc-cvg.org. VPTC+CVG is the preeminent private-sector advocate and catalyst for entrepreneurship and technology- based economic development in our region. It serves its members by providing advocacy, educational programming, and by bringing people together through its network of members and contacts. The VPTC+CVG has over 300 individuals, companies and organizations as members representing more than 15,000 people in the work force.
For more information, visit www.vptc-cvg.org.
WHTJ Receives $5,000 From Bama Works Fund
The Dave Matthews Band's Bama Works Fund in the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation has awarded a $5,000 gift to WHTJ Charlottesville PBS to support the station's literacy program, First Book. The grant will be used to purchase books for local children of low-income families, through partnerships with area mentoring, tutoring and after-school programs.
WHTJ has participated in the First Book program since 2000 and is actively seeking applications and additional grant funding to support the program. Teachers and directors of local preschools, day care centers, after-school, tutoring and mentoring programs are encouraged to apply on behalf of their programs to WHTJ's First Book program.
To be eligible to receive a book grant through First Book, organizations are required to: incorporate reading as part of their program activities, serve children and families from low-income households, provide multiple distributions to each child in the program, and support the child's ongoing education outside of the school classroom setting.
By working with local agencies, tens of thousands of books will be distributed during the coming school year. These books may be the beginning of a home library for these underprivileged children, and the beginning of an empowered life of literacy. With each book, a child is offered the chance to learn, to grow and to experience adventures beyond their imagination.
If you are interested in supporting First Book, or if you would like to apply to receive books, contact Rachael Kesler, WHTJ's Community Relations Coordinator, 434-295-7671 or rkesler@whtj.org. Applications are due July 31.
The Dave Matthews Band established the Bama Works Fund to support charitable programs in the Charlottesville area. Program interests mirror the values and commitments of the band's members: aiding disadvantaged youth, protecting the environment, assisting the disabled, and support for the arts and humanities.
WHTJ Charlottesville PBS, whose studio and offices are located on Charlottesville's Downtown Mall, is the only PBS member-station licensed by the FCC to serve Charlottesville and the surrounding counties. WHTJ uses the power of media to educate, entertain and inspire. (www.whtj.org)
UVA Children's Hospital and NBC 29 Raise Over $2.2 Million During Telethon
They've done it again! Each year the University of Virginia Children's Hospital telethon raises more money than the amount raised from the previous year.
This year, the telethon tote board showed a total of $2,202,719 raised to meet the research, medical and emotional needs of the children and families cared for by UVa Children's Hospital. This far surpasses the 1.8 million dollars raised last year and the 1.7 million dollars raised by the telethon in 2005.
There were many exciting moments during this year's telethon, including a visit from Ronde Barber, former UVa football player and current corner back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He and his twin brother Tiki Barber issued a challenge. The two matched all gifts to UVa Children's Hospital Telethon up to a total of $50,000, which made all call-in gifts twice as important.
Children's Miracle Network Champion Charley Gorman, who had a stroke and was cared for at the UVa Kluge Children's Rehabilitation Center, showed us how determination and care from a loving medical staff can help make miracles happen.
It also was special to hear from UVa Children's Hospital Comeback Kids of the Year, Charley and Amanda Batten who struggled for years with kidney disease and received kidney transplants at UVa Children's Hospital.
Funds from past telethons have made possible the establishment of a UVa Children's Hospital Heart Center, helped purchase the first Newborn Emergency Transport System ambulance and funded dozens of UVa Children's Hospital research projects that benefit the field of pediatric medicine.
Thanks to the generosity of one of the country's most giving communities, the bar for raising funds continues to reach new heights.
Fourth Time in Top 500 for Draper Aden Associates
For the fourth time in the past five years, Draper Aden Associates has been named among the Top 500 Design Firms in the Nation by the Engineering News Record.
ENR magazine, a McGraw-Hill construction publication, is one of the largest trade publications in the engineering and construction industry. The Top 500 Design Firms listing is an annual slate that ranks the top engineering, architectural and environmental design firms by the previous year's revenue.
Some of Draper Aden Associates' current and most recent high profile projects include the UVA Medical Campus South Chiller Plant Expansion, Stadium Road Trunk Sewer Phase 1 & 2, UVA's Campbell Hall Addition, the Virginia State Capitol Square Improvements project, the Virginia Tech Soccer/Lacrosse Complex, Primland Resort, and the VCU School of Business/School of Engineering expansion. Draper Aden Associates, founded in 1972, is a comprehensive engineering, environmental and surveying firm with offices in Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Hampton Roads, and Richmond, VA.
For more information about our firm please visit our web site at www.daa.com.
New Communications Managers Cited at Boar's Head
Pat Fleshman Burnette has been named the new marketing and communications manager for the Boar's Head Inn. As marketing and communications director, she will be responsible for developing public relations, communications, and marketing relationships and collateral for the Inn.
Burnette has more than 20 years' experience, having owned her own commercial arts and marketing consulting firm since graduating from the University of Virginia's McIntire School of Commerce. She is a member of the Central Virginia Chapter of the American Marketing Association, and she has served on the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Burnette also is a graduate of Leadership Charlottesville and the Albemarle County Citizen's Police Academy.
New Assistant Named at Kluge Estate Winery
Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard is proud to announce a key new hire, Jonathan Medard. Medard joined the staff recently in the position of Assistant Winemaker/Production, reporting to Charles Gendrot.
He brings to the organization more than 10 years of winemaking experience, having served in various positions with Chateau Mouton Rothschild, Champagne Moet & Chandon, Champagne Boizel and most recently Newton Vineyards in California. Medard obtained the U.S. equivalent of a B.S. in Biology/Biochemistry and an M.S. in Enology both from Universite' de Reims.
All Three Albemarle County High Schools Rank in Top 1000
Albemarle High, Monticello High and Western Albemarle High Schools all meet the criteria in Newsweek Magazine's ranking of the top 5 percent of high schools in the nation using a formula that assesses the participation of students in college level coursework.
Public schools are ranked according to a ratio devised by Jay Mathews of the Washington Post: the number of Advanced Placement, Intl. Baccalaureate and/or Cambridge tests taken by all students at a school in 2006 divided by the number of graduating seniors. All of the schools on the list have an index of at least 1.000; they are in the top 5 percent of public schools measured this way.
For complete coverage, visit NEWSWEEK's Top High Schools section at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8573372/site/newswee k/.
Airport Recognized for Excellence in Financial Reporting
The Charlottesville-Albemarle Airport Authority (CHO) has been awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). The Certificate of Achievement is the highest form of recognition in the area of governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management. The CAFR has been judged by an impartial panel to meet the high standards of the program including demonstrating a constructive ※ spirit of full disclosure§ to clearly communicate its financial story. The GFOA is a nonprofit professional association serving approximately 16,000 government finance professionals.
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