Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia held its 28th annual Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame, presented by SunTrust, honoring some of the biggest names in business.
Two regional business leaders were added into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame – Dr. Nathaniel L. Bishop, president of Jefferson College of Health Sciences, and Dr. Vinod Chachra, founder of VTLS, Inc.
Their many business and community contributions were recognized at the Business Hall of Fame (BHF) dinner Nov. 14 at the Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center. They joined 57 other individuals who have been inducted in the Hall of Fame.
This year’s must-attend business event – recognizing leaders of the free enterprise system who serve as business role models for our region’s youth – also honored Victor Iannello, CEO and founder of Radiant Physics, Inc. and Synchrony, Inc., as an entrepreneur of the year.
The event began with a reception at 6 p.m., followed by the program with proceeds benefiting Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia, serving 512,000 students since its founding in 1957 with innovative, relevant programs delivered in schools by volunteers from the business community.
The event featured Roanoke Valley students who shared how Junior Achievement has impacted their lives in personal finance, workforce readiness and entrepreneurship.
Elementary-school students shared their new-found knowledge about our nation and the interdependence on other countries for products. Middle-school students elaborated on the importance of soft skills and making a good first impression in the work world, plus career mapping starting with earned awards, recognitions and hobbies that they participate in which help lead to a career choice.
Two students in the Roanoke Valley Governor’s School shared how a science project turned into a Kombucha drink being sold in a local coffee shop.
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to educating young people about business, economics, and free enterprise. Now celebrating its 60th year, Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia programs support more than 6,100 students in the counties of Alleghany, Bland, Botetourt, Craig, Carroll, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Grayson, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Smyth, and Wythe and the cities of Buena Vista, Covington, Galax, Lexington, Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke and Salem. To learn more, visit www.jaswva.org.
Jefferson College of Health Sciences is a private higher education institution that “prepares, within a scholarly environment, ethical, knowledgeable, competent and caring healthcare professionals.”
The College focuses on providing healthcare education and is a part of Carilion Clinic. Founded in 1914 as the Jefferson Hospital School of Nursing, Jefferson College now provides more than 1,150 students with opportunities to become part of the healthcare profession, serving communities from southwest Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. The school’s graduates are building healthier tomorrows in our region and across the country. More information is available at www.jchs.edu.
For further information, please contact 989-6392 ext. 205 or visit www.jaswva.org.
