Member News: Cadence, Inc. Appoints New Vice President of Operations
Staunton, Va. (December 19, 2019)
Cadence, Inc. is pleased to announce that Chris McHugh is the new Vice President of Operations, overseeing operations for the company's five facilities. Most recently, Chris served as the Vice President of Global Operations and Supply Chain for Bemis Healthcare Packaging in New London, Wis.
Concurrent to Chris's appointment, Jack Abato, Vice President of Operations, will retire in the spring of 2020 after 42 years in the manufacturing industry with eight of those years spent at Cadence.
"We are excited about the opportunity to have Chris as a key member of our executive team," said Alan Connor, CEO. "The experience he brings to Cadence will only strengthen our commitment to excellence. I would also like to thank Jack for his contributions to Cadence over the past eight years. We certainly wish him the best in his retirement."
In addition to Chris's role at Bemis Healthcare Packaging, he has over 22 years of operations experience and has served in various leadership roles at General Motors, Ford Motor Company, American Safety Razor and Tenneco. Chris has also led global supply chains and manufacturing operations in the U.S., U.K., the Republic of Ireland, China, Malaysia, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. He is also a Ford certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt and lean practitioner.
About Cadence, Inc.
Cadence, Inc. is a contract manufacturing partner providing advanced products, technologies, and services to medical device, life science, industrial, and aerospace companies worldwide. Cadence employs approximately 575 people with its corporate headquarters in Staunton, Virginia and additional locations in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. For more information on Cadence, please visit our website at
cadenceinc.com.
Member News: Sproutly welcomes Randy Tyner as Vice President Media and Design
New Market, VA: Sproutly, LLC, a team of creatives specializing in custom software, user-interface design, media development, and team coaching announced they have hired
Randy Tyner as the Vice President of Media and Design. Randy brings over 25 years of experience in consumer electronics, automotive product design, and user experience development. Randy began his education in Brooklyn, New York at Pratt Institute, receiving a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Design and later, earning a Master's Degree in Industrial Design from Georgia Institute of Technology. Randy has worked with Coca-Cola, General Motors, and NNG on products ranging from toothbrushes and coffee makers to automotive platforms and prototyping software.
Sproutly's Owner and CEO Christopher George on the new hire: "I'm thrilled to add friend and former colleague, Randy Tyner, to our team. Randy and I have worked long days together at NNG creating cutting edge products and validating concepts no one thought was possible. I'm excited to welcome Randy who brings a breadth of design insight, experience, and leadership that perfectly augments our engineering, making Sproutly a complete UX solution provider."
Our company, Sproutly, exists to empower businesses and individuals with digital solutions that transform their teams, industrial platforms, and digital media. We invest in trust-based relationships because we care a great deal about people and want to see them become successful.
College for Kids | James Madison University (1/11 - 2/14)
January 11th - February 15th, 2020 (6 Saturdays)
9 am - 12 pm | JMU Memorial Hall, Harrisonburg
College for Kids is an enrichment program for children in grades rising K-8. Children will work with James Madison University faculty and graduate students, as well as experts from the community and surrounding area, to try new things, explore and discover talents they never knew they had! This program will be held on 6 Saturdays, January 11th - February 15th, 2020.
Technology-related sessions will also be offered. A few are:
Coding: Scratch Programming (Grades 4 - 6): This class lets students design their own interactive stories, games and animations while learning basic coding concepts. They will learn how to make characters move around the screen, interact with other characters and respond to sound effects.
LEGO Engineering (Grades 1 - 5): This class is for young Lego enthusiasts who are ready to delve into the world of engineering and computer coding. Participants will work in teams to build and program their Lego creations using the We-Do Lego curriculum. Each day, students will be presented with a different challenge designed to spark their creativity and put their technical problem solving skills to work.
3D Art (Grades 3 - 5): In this 3D art class, students will explore using both contemporary and classic mediums, while creating sculpture and collage pieces, out of a variety of materials, from foil, to joint compound and clay. Several modern artists will be featured. The final class will feature an "art show" of each students work on display!
For more information, please contact Melissa Heatwole at heatwoml@jmu.edu or (540) 568-4226.
Launch Harrisonburg | 9-Week Program for Aspiring Entrepreneurs (app. deadline 1/13)
The City of
Harrisonburg Economic Development Department is ready to help aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs launch their new ideas into the stratosphere. All they need now is you!
LAUNCH HARRISONBURG - Powered by
CO.STARTERS will work with aspiring entrepreneurs across the city to develop and fine-tune their ideas, critically examining their goals and helping plan next steps through real-time feedback from experienced colleagues in the community. The nine-week bootcamp is an action-driven, collaborative process with a small and supportive group of like-minded people that will help class members identify their assumptions about why and how their businesses will work and then talk to customers in order to validate their ideas.
LAUNCH HARRISONBURG is based on the CO.STARTERS model, a nationally-based program that has been proven to jump-start entrepreneurial ideas and provide a foundation for success. The cohort will be facilitated by two dynamic, local entrepreneurs: Andy Vanhook, co-founder of Appeal Production, and Tisha McCoy-Ntiamoah, founder of PrePOPsterous. The cohort will also feature guest speakers providing guidance on marketing, accounting, incorporating and more.
"We are excited about the prospect of working closely with aspiring entrepreneurs to equip them with the insights, relationships and tools needed to turn business ideas into action and turn a passion into a sustainable and thriving business," Harrisonburg Economic Development Director Brian Shull said. "We're looking for people with an idea for a unique local business who has a dream of starting something special that we can help bring to fruition."
The deadline to apply to be a member of the first LAUNCH HARRISONBURG cohort is January 13, 2020. The cost is $195 for residents and businesses located in Harrisonburg, and $275 for non-residents and businesses. To assist interested participants, we do offer a payment plan. The first cohort launches on February 4, 2020.
Lord Fairfax Community College is hosting monthly technology discussion with technology professionals from around that nation. The public is invited, but registration is required. Most talks will occur at the Middletown Campus, but they will be distancing the presentation to their Fauquier Campus also.
Based on the National Science Foundation's I-Corpsâ„¢ program for Lean Startups, ICAP helps inventors and entrepreneurs take the right first steps in bringing new technologies and innovations to market.
ICAP includes FREE introductory training programs and counseling services offered through ICAP instructors and local SBDC counselors. ICAP helps startups identify potential customers and develop successful business models based on that knowledge. It is an ideal program for early-stage companies trying to prepare for eventual venture investment.
March 2, 2020 - 9:00am - 5:00pm - Initial Team Presentations
March 16, 2020 - Each team participates in a pre-scheduled telephone review of the team's Customer Discovery Progress over the first week
March 23, 2020 - 9:00am - 2:00pm - Final Team Presentations
During this introductory 2-week program, there is extensive work done outside the classroom. In addition to the class meetings and webinar, participants should expect to spend another 10-15 hours per week on customer discovery and course assignments. At the conclusion of the program, you will remain connected with your ICAP trainers and SBDC Business Advisors to continue your progress on the Five Steps to Startup Success over the following 12 months.
The introductory program is designed to generate a maximum impact over a relatively short duration and should be considered a required first step for anyone interested in commercializing a technology or product, whether through a startup or licensing arrangement. Some graduates of this cohort may be eligible to apply to NSF's full National Seven-week I-Corps Program, which includes non-dilutive grants for customer discovery and prototype development. Additionally, this program can help teams develop better submissions for SBIR and CRCF grants from Virginia's Center for Innovative Technologies.
Your ICAP Instructor
Bob Smith is currently the Director of the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), a program funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by George Mason University and the
Virginia Small Business Development Center Network (VSBDC). Here he helps researchers, inventors, and technology startups develop their technology commercialization and technology business startup efforts. He's also an instructor with the
NSF's DC I-Corp Node.
Bob has 30+ years' experience in innovation and entrepreneurship. He is the Chairman of
CollegeFactual.com, a leading college rankings website. He's held senior management positions at Congressional Quarterly and America Online in sales, marketing, and new product development and was the founder and CEO of the first nation-wide online city guide, Digital City. As an executive, angel investor, and advisor he has helped companies in e-commerce, e-government, identity management, content publishing, geospatial analytics, data science, and local media go from launch through to favorable exits.
Bob received a BA from USC and his MBA from GWU. He is a veteran of the US Navy.
This cohort is hosted by the Shenandoah Valley Small Business Development Center, Shenandoah Valley Technology Council, and the Center for Innovative Technology.
ProjectCSGirls Competition | For Middle School Girls
(registration deadline 3/1)
ProjectCSGirls is a competition designed to challenge middle school girls to actively use computer science and technology to develop a solution to an imminent social problem. Participants will need to register as either an individual or a team prior to the registration deadline (March 1, 2020). Participants will need to first identify a social problem that falls under one of the following four themes:
Global Health (disease, hunger, poverty, etc)
A Safer World (safety-related technologies, cybersecurity, defense, etc)
Participants will then build any kind of technology to address their chosen social issue. Examples include a mobile app, robot, device, web app, website, analytics software, algorithm, virtual reality (VR) program - and anything else they can come up with!
Blue Ridge Community College, established in 1967, meets the educational needs of the region, empowering students through comprehensive programs and services within an environment of academic excellence. BRCC offers a wide range of career and technical programs both for collegiate credit or for non-credit employment training purposes. Programs include:
associates degrees for the career-minded
university transfer opportunities (including guaranteed admissions agreements more than 20 Virginia colleges and universities through the college/university transfer program)
customized training for business/industry (on-site or at BRCC)
short-term career preparation and training
special interest and personal enrichment classes for all ages
art exhibits, musical and theatrical performances.
BRCC is located in Weyers Cave, Virginia, approximately halfway between the cities of Harrisonburg and Staunton. The College offers day and evening classes, in the classroom and online, and affordable tuition with many financial aid options.
The Purpose of the IT Department is to quickly respond to business needs while maintaining relatively low costs. Almost every key business function in the county requires direct or indirect computer support. Today's technology solutions must fully meet business requirements such as:
Aligning Technology and County goals
Organizing and using data
Instituting cross-functional information systems
Integrating systems
Capitalizing on advances in Information Technology
Connecting to customers or suppliers
Updating obsolete systems
Creating an information architecture
Information Technology (IT) has combined functions with the Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Both groups are intrinsically part of the broader county objective to maximize technical capabilities. And, both groups share a strong commitment to customer service. The IT mission is to plan for and promote the efficient use of information technology, provide for enterprise-wide information processing services for the county of Augusta, and to deliver quality service to all of our customers. To fulfill this mission, we have the following high level goals:
to establish a vision and a plan for the optimum use of information technology within the county
to provide for responsive, high quality and cost effective computing services
to promote our customer's efficient and effective use of information technology by ensuring proper implementation and maintenance of computing systems that are responsive, high quality, and cost effective, whether departmental or county-wide systems
to assist in planning and managing county-wide information technology installation
to manage and maintain full connectivity among county systems
The Shenandoah Valley Technology Council does not endorse the companies, organizations, teams, or events mentioned, or take a stand on any of the articles or notices or events included.
Bob Smith is currently the Director of the Innovation Commercialization Assistance Program (ICAP), a program funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia and administered by George Mason University and the
