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We are grateful for the commitment and continued support of the following speakers. The New River Valley and surrounding areas
Jennifer Wilsie, AICP
Senior Planner at New River Valley Regional Commission
Melissa Jones
Research Scientist at VA Center for Housing Research , VTMs. Jones received undergraduate degrees in Economics and International Service from the American University. She received a Master of Urban and Regional Planning and a Master of Science in Agriculture and Applied Economics from Virginia Tech. Her expertise includes statistical and qualitative economic and policy analysis. She has significant experience and training in program coordination, local and regional economic development, and affordable housing. Ms. Jones’ education and experience will allow her to effectively support the Center’s sustained commitment to affordable housing in Virginia while advancing the Center’s interdisciplinary exploration of new affordable housing topics and resources.
Mel leads housing affordability research at the Center and conducts housing needs assessment for localities throughout Virginia. Recently, she completed an analysis of affordable housing in the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission for the Partnership for Housing Affordability, a housing gap analysis and affordable housing demand analysis for Fairfax County in support of their Consolidated Planning process, a housing conditions study for James City County, an assessment of mobile-home conditions and demographic and economic characteristics of mobile-home residents in Central Appalachia, and an economic impact analysis of the Virginia Housing Trust Fund investments. Mel is the co-principal investigator for the Center’s collaboration with Housing Virginia to maintain and update the affordable housing online tools Housing Affordability Sourcebook and the PLAYBOOK. Sourcebook is an online tool for assessing local housing affordability and includes a variety of housing affordability measures beyond traditional housing cost burden measures for Virginia counties and MSAs. PLAYBOOK is an online searchable inventory of housing policies and programs in Virginia. Currently, Mel is leading a housing and economic development study for the State of Virginia and a housing study for the City of Virginia Beach.
Steve Semones, LA
Executive Vice President at Balzer & AssociatesAs Office Manager of the New River Valley office and Department Head of the Engineering and Landscape Architecture Departments, Mr. Semones oversees all land development projects commissioned by the office. From large scale master planning to site specific design details, Mr. Semones’ experience and environmental background give him a unique prospective when approaching and managing projects. Mr. Semones is involved in each project with the initial conceptual planning stages, plan preparation and approvals, and throughout construction administration. He is involved with all land use and zoning projects commissioned by the New River Valley office including rezonings, conditional use permits, and zoning appeals. He also oversees business development, contract negotiations, and customer relations in the New River Valley office. Mr. Semones’ project experience includes Site Planning and design of resort and residential communities and subdivisions, religious, medical, retail, office, industrial, public/private partnerships, as well as large and small scale master planning and traditional landscape design.
Professional Affiliations
New River Valley Home Builders Association, Past President
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
Civic Affiliations
Christiansburg Kiwanis Club
Boy Scouts of America
New River Valley Lacrosse Club
Appointments
Appointed to serve and represent the 9th Congressional District of Virginia on the Board of Housing and Community Development by Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell in 2012. Re-appointed by Virginia Governor Terrance McAuliffe in 2016. Current Chair of the Board.
James Nolen
President at New River Valley Association of RealtorsOriginally from Loudoun County in northern Virginia, James moved to Blacksburg to study marketing and real estate at Virginia Tech. After graduating with a degree in marketing from the Pamplin College of Business, and a minor in real estate, James energetically pursued the real estate career he had started while still attending school. He joined Blacksburg firm RE/MAX 8 as a licensed agent and has never stopped learning. First serving as a dedicated buyer's agent on a veteran agent's team, James launched The Nolen Group in 2016. Still with the RE/MAX 8 brokerage in Blacksburg, but now a completely independent agent, James is excited to be building a team of his own, with his unique vision.
When not with clients, James volunteers his time to serve with various professional organizations:
President, NRVAR Board of Directors
Member, Virginia Realtors Public Policy Committee
James Nolen, Associate Broker, ABR, e-Pro
2020 NRVAR President
2015 Realtor of the Year
The Nolen Group
Brad Denardo
President and Chief Executive Officer at National Bank of BlacksburgF. Brad Denardo is the President and Chief Executive Officer of The National Bank of Blacksburg headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia. Mr. Denardo is also Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the bank’s holding company, National Bankshares, Inc., also headquartered in Blacksburg.
Mr. Denardo joined The National Bank of Blacksburg in 1983 as a Vice President and was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer in 2002. He was named President and Chief Executive Officer of The National Bank of Blacksburg in 2014 and became President and Chief Executive Officer of National Bankshares, Inc. in 2017.
A native of Bluefield, Virginia, Mr. Denardo earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Finance from Virginia Tech. He is a graduate of the Graduate Banking School of the South at Louisiana State University and the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management. Mr. Denardo is a Board Member of the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center, the Community Foundation of the New River Valley, the Blacksburg Partnership, Bankers Insurance, LLC and the Virginia Bankers Association Management Services, Inc. Mr. Denardo lives in Blacksburg, Virginia with his wife, Anita.
Stacey Jewell, CIR
Senior Technical Recruiter, Strategic Initiatives at 1901 GroupStacey is a Human Resources Recruiter with experience in full cycle
recruiting, employee relations, onboarding procedures, and customer
service.
Lisa Bleakley CHIA, TMP
Executive Director of Montgomery County VA Regional TourismLisa Bleakley has served as the Executive Director for the Montgomery County-Blacksburg-Christiansburg Regional Tourism Office since she was hired in 2012 to create a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Montgomery County and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg. The program is responsible for marketing Montgomery County and the towns of Blacksburg and Christiansburg as a travel destination of choice. Spending by visitors to Montgomery County has increased each year since the creation of this program. Some years have realized as much as a 6% increase over the previous year.
Lisa worked 18 years for the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau in Virginia Beach. She held management positions with the Special Events and Film Office and the Virginia Beach Convention Center. She has worked in higher education as an adjunct with Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech. Currently, she serves on the executive board of The Crooked Road; Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail and the Junior Appalachian Musicians Program in Montgomery County. Lisa earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) Marketing degree from Hawaii Pacific University and Master of Tourism Administration degree from The George Washington (GW) University. She holds the professional designations of Certified Meeting Professional (CMP), Travel Marketing Professional (TMP), and Certification in Hotel Industry Analytics (CHIA).
As a veteran of the United States Navy, Lisa shares a naval heritage with her husband, Zeke and sons Jeremy and shortly, Jake. Now empty nesters, Lisa and Zeke enjoy weekends camping, and until recently, attending music and sporting events.
Jordan Brown
Marketing & Events Coordinator at The Blacksburg PartnershipJordan graduated with a degree in Tourism and Special Events from Radford University in 2016. After graduating, he completed a 10-month term with AmeriCorps NCCC, where he and his team carried out service projects for non-profit organizations across the United States. After working for the National Park Service in Washington State, he returned home to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the fall of 2019. He loves traveling, photography, and hiking with Steele, his Siberian husky companion.
James Cabler
Director of Business Engagement at Onward NRVAs Director of Business Engagement, James works closely with our investors to ensure they have everything they need and that they are apprised of what's going on at Onward NRV. He also works with companies in Virginia's New River Valley to help the region remain a competitive hub for our targeted industries. Originally from Bedford County, James earned a B.S. in Economics from Radford University in 2006 and now lives in Christiansburg. In his free time, James likes to root for the Hokies and visit local wineries and breweries with his wife Kristyn.
Cora Gnegy
Tourism Marketing Director of Giles County, VA
Kristi Snyder
Owner/Administrator at Rainbow Riders Childcare CenterKristi Snyder has worked with Rainbow Riders Childcare Center in Blacksburg for over 30 years. Starting as a part time teacher during high school, she found her calling. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Virginia Tech in Family and Child Development with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. After graduation, Kristi returned full time to Rainbow Riders as Director and shortly after, became the Owner/Administrator. Kristi serves on an array of community organization boards that allow her to advocate for the rights and well-being of young children and their families including Virginia Early Childhood Foundation Advocacy Committee, Smart Beginnings, The Blacksburg Partnership, Town of Blacksburg Business Relations Advisory Committee, and LewisGale Montgomery Hospital.
Grounded in the latest research and best practices, Rainbow Riders administers high quality early childhood programs to over 400 children in the New River Valley. In three locations, Rainbow Riders’ commitment to quality can be seen in their participation in Virginia Quality and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Accreditation processes. The site at St. Michael Lutheran Church is an Early Head Start Partnership program and meets the federal standards for Early Head Start. With over 100 full and part time teachers and staff, Rainbow Riders strives to create a loving, learning community where everyone thrives.
Sarah Nucci
Executive DirectorSarah is a Virginia native who has lived all over the country, but just moved to the Christiansburg area, and this job, last fall. A graduate of Mary Washington College, her background is in history museums. Over her career she has worked to make history museums more engaging to a variety of learning styles and has grown the outreach programs of numerous historic sites. This job is an exciting opportunity to take that educational piece out of the history museum and into the children's museum.
Since coming on board, Sarah has seen the museum through its initial opening, and its COVID-19 closure, and now is guiding it through it's reopening. Over the past several weeks Sarah has worked extensively with her team and board to develop safe, effective, cleaning guidelines and procedures to ensure the best environment for the community. Please feel free to ask what they selected and why!
Dean Crane CPRP
Director of Blacksburg Parks and RecreationBlacksburg Parks and Recreation manages over 500 acres of parkland that is open for the public to enjoy. We have many athletic fields for league practice and play as well as many acres of passive parkland to our natural setting. We offer over 1000 programs annually for all ages and abilities.
Henry Bass
President at Automation Creations, Inc.Henry Bass is the founder and president of Automation Creations, Inc. a 22-person custom software development firm in the Corporate Research Center. He is an entrepreneur, a Reserve Army retiree, and a civic volunteer. He holds Masters degrees from Virginia Tech and Washington University in St Louis, as well as professional certifications in software development and systems engineering. Henry is active on the Board of Directors for the Roanoke Blacksburg Technology Council, the Montgomery County Educational Foundation, Scouts BSA, and the Chamber of Commerce, as well as a founding member of the New River Robotics Association in the CRC. He helps coach the Pandas competitive robotics team, earning more competitive appearances at the FTC World tournament than any previous Virginia team; he serves as the head judge for our local robotics tournaments, and he has helped launch over 15 teams in the New River Valley.
The Corporate Research Center has been a vital proponent of STEM in our region. From providing lab space to supporting team-building robotics challenges in the CRC, as well as raising awareness of after-school robotics programs for K-12 youth, the CRC knows that smart technology employees want fun, challenging opportunities for their children. Henry Bass, the New River Robotics Association and the CRC work together with FIRST Robotics to provide great opportunities for families that decide to locate in and around Montgomery County.
Dominick McKee
Assistant Director of Human Resources at Montgomery County Public SchoolsAt Montgomery County Public Schools, “Engage! Encourage! Empower!” is the backbone of our learning approach.
8:30 - 9:30 a.m. EST "Housing in the New River Valley"
Professionals will be on hand to discuss the thriving local community with regards to both the rental and real estate component
- Jennifer Wilsie, Senior Planner at The New River Valley Regional Commission
- Melissa (Mel) Jones, VA Center for Housing Research, Virginia Tech
Jennifer and Mel will be presenting the most recent
New River Valley Housing Study findings.
- Steve Semones, Executive Vice President at Balzer & Associates representing the New River Valley Home Builders Association
- Cat White of Tyris Homes and representing the New River Valley Home Builders Association
- James Nolen, Associate Broker, ABR, e-Pro of The Nolen Group and representing the New River Valley Association of Realtors
- Brad Denardo President & CEO of National Bank of Blacksburg to speak on behalf of the lending and financial aspect
This virtual event is open to all.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/99870243321
Meeting ID: 998 7024 3321
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+13017158592,,99870243321# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,99870243321# US (Chicago)
Join a moment or two early to ensure you don't miss anything.
We'll get started promptly at 8:30 a.m.
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. EST "Best Practices , Virtual Interviews"
- Stacey Jewell, Senior Technical Recruiter, Strategic Initiatives of the 1901 Group
This session is open to all.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/92452876360
Meeting ID: 924 5287 6360
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+19294362866,,92452876360# US (New York)
+13017158592,,92452876360# US (Germantown)
Be ready for Stacey's presentation beginning at 10:00 a.m.
The tips you learn today, can help set you up for success tomorrow!
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EST "The Best Place to Live, Work, Play"
An Interactive Event "Ask Us Anything" about the New River Valley
- Jordan Brown, The Blacksburg Partnership
- Lisa Bleakley, Executive Director of Tourism of the Montgomery County VA Regional Tourism
- Cora Gnegy, Tourism, Marketing, Development Director, Giles County Administration
- James Cabler, Director of Business Engagement at Onward New River Valley
This panel discussion is an open event.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/94694786313
Meeting ID: 946 9478 6313
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+13017158592,,94694786313# US (Germantown)
+13126266799,,94694786313# US (Chicago)
2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EST "It Takes a Village"
A panel of area representatives will be available to discuss raising kids in the New River Valley, Childcare, STEM, organized recreational sports and local K - 12 Education Programs
- Blacksburg Parks and Recreation, Dean B Crane- CPRP Director www.blacksburg.gov/recreation
- Rainbow Riders, Kristi Snyder rainbowkws@gmail.com
- Wonder Universe, Sarah Nucci sarah.nucci@wonderuniverse.org
- Robotics, The Tuxedo Pandas, Henry Bass henry@aciwebs.com
- Blacksburg New School, Ann Heaslip annh@new-school.org
- Montgomery County Public Schools, Linda Baylor, lbaylor@mcps.org
This panel discussion is an open event.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/98374941917
Meeting ID: 983 7494 1917
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+13126266799,,98374941917# US (Chicago)
+19294362866,,98374941917# US (New York)