Everything You Want to Know About Our Chamber Members!

October 2019

CHAMBER MEMBER NEWS

Member News is a monthly newsletter that provides news about Chamber members.

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STRONGER NOT HARDER: LEARN ABOUT STRENGTHS THROUGH NEW BLOG

Do you talk or "write like you're running out time" like Hamilton? Or, do you know someone who does? Such a habit could be an indicator of the CommunicationⓇ talent!

Learn more about this Strength and all 34 by following the new Stronger Not Harder blog.

https://www.strongernotharder.com/blog/

BE ENTERED INTO A RAFFLE FOR A $50 VISA GIFT CARD!

Do you know someone who has visited Danville/Pittsylvania County in the past 3 years? Visitors can complete this 5-minute survey for a chance to win a $50 Visa gift card.

TAKE THE SURVEY

PITTSYLVANIA COUNTY CREATES WELCOME SIGN SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM

Pittsylvania County has created a sponsorship program that allows local businesses to partner with the county to landscape around any of the county’s twelve “Welcome” signs. The signs were originally installed ten years ago and are located on all Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) roads that enter the county. With the county’s rebranding efforts two years ago, the signs were given a facelift to reflect the county’s new logo. Along with that facelift, this program was created to not only landscape around the signs with fresh mulch, trees and bushes, but to allow businesses to partner with the county on its beautification efforts. Once a sponsorship for a location is secured, a sign is added with the sponsor’s logo.

County Administrator, David M. Smitherman, is excited for the opportunity to enhance the county’s welcome sign locations and partner with the business community to do so, “The new signs and landscaped areas around them not only welcome all to our county but give us an opportunity to partner with our businesses and market them as well.”

To date, four businesses are participating in the new program including Centra Health and Blair Construction (both are Tier 1 locations) and Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance and Mountain View Farms (both are Tier 3 locations). Sponsor signs have been installed at both Tier 1 locations with the signs for both Tier 3 locations forthcoming.

Any business interested in partnering with the county on a sign sponsorship can contact Mark W. Moore at 434.432.1764 or mark.moore@pittgov.org .

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR FALL SIGNUPNOW WORKSHOPS

SignUpNow is back on the road! Check out www.vhcf.org/workshops to find a SUN training near you!

SignUpNow teaches the “ins and outs” of the eligibility requirements, application procedures, and post-enrollment information for Virginia’s Medicaid and FAMIS programs:

New adult coverage
Programs for children and pregnant women
Plan First (family planning)
Low Income Families and Children (LIFC) program

SignUpNow participants will be able to provide hands-on assistance to individuals and families who want to apply for Medicaid or FAMIS.

AVERETT RANKED TOP 15 BEST REGIONAL LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES

Averett University continues to rank within the top 15 of the best regional liberal arts colleges in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Ranked as No. 15, Averett continues to be the highest ranking of only three Virginia schools from the complete list of 63 schools on the “2020 Best Regional Colleges in the South” list.

Averett was also ranked No. 7 of best regional colleges in the south for veterans this year, as well as No. 8 for best value. Additionally, Averett was ranked No. 7 of top performers on social mobility, No. 11 of best undergraduate teaching, and No. 29 of campus ethnic diversity by U.S. News.

To determine which colleges and universities offer the best value for students, U.S. News takes into account both academic quality and cost.

“Averett’s faculty and staff are among the most dedicated group with which I’ve ever had the privilege to work, and I’m delighted that through this peer assessment, were chosen among the top in the south for their commitment to student success,” said Dr. Tiffany Franks. “Additionally, our placement within the Best Values Schools list demonstrates our focus of staying relevant to workforce demands and student needs, and the recognitions for our commitment to our veterans, the ethnic diversity on Averett’s campus, and the social mobility of our students speak to our value proposition of access and our core value of diversity.”

The rankings are freely available at www.usnews.com/collegemeth .

DMFAH WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

VA MARITIME HOSTS FORUM ON INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN

INTERESTED IN DOING BUSINESS WITH THE COMMONWEALTH?

TELAMON: EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS. IMPROVING COMMUNITIES.

Since 1965, we have helped individuals have access to educational services that lead to better jobs, better lives, and better communities.

Headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina, Telamon Corporation is a nonprofit organization that offers services in 11 states.

We have established three lines of service to ensure we fulfill our mission: Empowering Individuals. Improving Communities.

Workforce & Career Services creates hope and prepares people of all ages for more competitive jobs. Our customers want to identify more promising career paths that fit their skills and interests. We serve youth, veterans, migrants and seasonal farmworkers, low-income individuals, people experiencing homelessness, and other special populations.

Early Childhood & Family Support offers families exemplary childcare services that ensure children start school ready to learn and succeed. As children grow and prepare to succeed in school, parents are encouraged to actively participate in their education and strengthen family bonds.

Housing & Financial Empowerment services know with financial stability, families can achieve their dream of stable housing — and even home ownership. With these services, we can ensure that families receive support so they can reach these important goals.

Specific Programs in Virginia:

NFJP (National Farmworkers Job Program) provides services that educate, train, or prepare eligible farmworkers for other jobs. Our trained staff members work one on one with clients to develop a plan to meet client needs and help achieve their goals. The programs can help identify career paths and assess your skills and interests. This program is funded through the Department of Labor.

Pesticide Safety training services for growers and farmworkers throughout the crop season. Training include pesticide safety for workers and handlers, heat stress prevention, LEAF (limiting exposure around families), pregnancy exposure pesticide safety for female workers and tractor safety training. These programs are funded in part through the Association of Farm Opportunity Programs (AFOP) and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS).

SMALL SCALE DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

One day workshop for small developers, builders, and property owners. Analyze what makes a good project, learn how a development project makes money, and understand key factors in the development process of buildings and real estate.

BIG LAUNCH CHALLENGE 2019 WINNERS

The Launch Place received 129 applications for its 6th Annual Big Launch Challenge Pitch Competition from various start-up companies located in the US and abroad. The top 10 competitors took the stage on September 11 and presented their innovative business ideas in the Research Triangle Park, NC today.

Winner of this year’s competition was Intake who was awarded a $15,000 cash prize. Intake is a digital health company that provides automatic daily health checkups with professional medical monitoring for proactive intervention. They do this by using a patent-pending technology to measure health biomarkers from urine. Their connected device hangs over the toilet to automatically collect and test urine directly from the bowl with diagnostic level accuracy. Intake believe’s closing the feedback loop between lifestyle choice and health outcomes will empower people to make small course correcting decisions that lead to improved long-term health outcomes.

Second place and a $5,000 cash award went to Optimal Solar. Optimal Solar sells a high efficiency solar module to industrial and utility customers. They offer them a lower cost for their energy spend at a reduced footprint. Their customers therefore have a higher rate of return on their power plant investments. They convert just over 40% of incoming light into electricity through a patent pending process and provide consultative sales.

Learn more about the event and all 10 Finalists:

http://www.thelaunchplace.org/news/details/id/173/big-launch-challenge-2019-winners