First Bank to acquire The Bank of Fincastle
Strasburg-based First National Corp. (the bank holding company of First Bank) announced Thursday it will acquire The Bank of Fincastle. Financial terms of the transaction were not released, but the combined bank is expected to have approximately $1.2 billion in assets, $868 million in loans, $1 billion in deposits and 20 branch offices across Virginia. […]
SML Chamber names member relations, events manager
The Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce announced Tuesday that it has hired Erin Stanley as its member relations and events manager, effective March 1. Stanley has previously worked in advertising, marketing, sales and business development with The Roanoke Times, Laker Media and WSLS-10. In the chamber’s newly[...]
Virginia Tech Innovation Campus director named to National Academy of Engineering
Virginia Tech announced Monday that Lance R. Collins, vice president and executive director of the university’s Innovation Campus, was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for 2021. The former Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering at Cornell University was named as head of Tech’s Innovation Campus in February 2020. He[...]
Virginia Tech professor named as engineering fellow
Virginia Tech announced Monday that biomedical engineering and mechanics professor Raffaella De Vita has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows. The institute’s membership includes more than 2,000 fellows who are recognized leaders in the medical and biologi[...]
Appalachian Power issues RFP for solar, wind projects
Appalachian Power Co. on Monday issued a request for proposals (RFPs) for up to 300 megawatts of solar and/or wind generation resources. This is the first in a string of RFPs that the company will issue this year to comply with the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which requires that the company achieve 100% carbon-free energy […]
Radford’s Brian Hemphill named new ODU president
Radford University President Brian Hemphill has been hired as Old Dominion University’s ninth president, ODU announced Friday. He will succeed John Broderick, the Norfolk university’s president of 13 years, who is retiring this year. Hemphill, who has led Radford since 2016, will join ODU this summer, according to a [...]
Carilion Clinic to form diversity, equity, inclusion office
Roanoke-based Carilion Clinic announced Monday it will establish an Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and has named Nathaniel L. Bishop, the former Jefferson College of Health Sciences president, to lead it. The office will work with community leaders to address equity and social justice as it relates to health care in t[...]
Christiansburg industrial building sells for $6.5M
The former Dish Network call center in Christiansburg sold for $6.5 million, Poe & Cronk Real Estate Group announced last week. The 101,500-square-foot industrial building sits on more than 19 acres in Falling Branch Corporate Park at 400 Technology Drive. Motion control manufacturer Moog Inc. purchased the property in order[...]
Virginia Tech’s advancement division announces leadership changes
As Virginia Tech revs up its $1.5 billion Boundless Impact fundraising campaign, the university’s advancement division announced Tuesday changes to its leadership structure, effective Feb. 16. Virginia Tech’s Advancement Division, which oversees the university’s fundraising, communications, marketing and alumni engagement,[...]
Roanoke County launches economic development strategic plan
Roanoke County Economic Development announced Monday it has launched Elevate Roanoke County 2026, a five-year strategic plan focusing on the county’s economic development program . The Virginia Tech Office of Economic Development will work with Roanoke County Economic Development, which is also funding the project in partnership with Appalachian Power. “Developing a strategic plan is […][...]
‘Fauci effect’ spurs med school applicant growth
It just got even more competitive to win a spot at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, which saw a 48% increase in applications last year. By the Dec. 1, 2020, application deadline, the medical school had received 6,374 applications for the class of 2025, which has a mere 49 openings. Last year, the […]
Virginia Tech names strategic initiatives VP
Virginia Tech announced Thursday that Lisa Wilkes has been named as vice president for strategic initiatives and special assistant to the president. Wilkes, who has worked at the university for 26 years, most recently served as the vice president for business affairs and special assistant to the president. In her new role, she w[...]