
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 7, 1994                   TAG: 9407070174
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: S-5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IN BUSINESS

GARY M. HERSHMAN of Salem Hershman has been named the Horace Mann Companies' 1993 Agency Manager of the Year. He was presented the award for outstanding performance among Horace Mann's agency managers nationwide. Mann has been a member of the company's Hall of Fame since 1986 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame Masters Club in 1991.

\ AVERITT EXPRESS ASSOCIATE CHARITIES has donated $2,000 to Roanoke Ronald McDonald House. Averitt has donated more than $750,000 to various charities, including Special Olympics, American Heart Association, American Red Cross and St. Jude Children's Research Hospitals, since the organization was founded in 1986.

\ VICKI THOMAS, a member of The Virginia Association of Realtors, received the GRI designation by completing 90 classroom hours of real estate instruction in specialized areas such as appraisal, financing, real estate investments and taxation.

\ WILLIAM R. RAKES of Roanoke has been appointed a board member of the American National Lawyers Insurance Reciprocal Risk Retention Group. He is a managing partner with the law firm of Gentry, Locke, Rakes & Moore, where he concentrates in commercial litigation.

\ KATHERINE W. ARTHUR has been Arthur elected 1994 Woman of the Year by Hollins Charter Chapter of American Business Women's Association. She has been an active member of the association for 12 years and is serving as chapter president.

\ ROBERT E. POGUE and ASSOCIATES INC., Northwestern Mutual Life's general agency in Virginia, ranked No. 1 for the month of May out of 106 NML agencies. The agency wrote $115 million of new business premium in May, bringing its year-to-date production to $515 million.

\ J.C. PENNEY announced the recipients of the J.C. Penney Golden Rule Awards, which recognize exceptional volunteer service to the Roanoke Valley area.

The winners are: Dr. Richard Fisher, Salem Educational Foundation and Alumni Association, Education category; Jean Glontz, United Way of the Roanoke Valley, Adult category; Dillard Paper Company Volunteers, supporting Teen Outreach Programs of the Council of Community Services, Group category; Keyette Club of Glenvar High School, Youth Group award. The winners received a Waterford Crystal sculpture of the Golden Rule Award and a contribution of $1,000 from J.C. Penney to their service-related organization.

The finalists were: Gary Gwynn, Area 8 Special Olympics of Virginia; Carol Pruner, Medical Society of Virginia Alliance; Retired and Senior Volunteer Program of Montgomery County; and Mary Jo Thompson, Westside Elementary School. All finalists received certificates of merit for volunteer work in the community and $250 grants for the organizations for which they volunteer.

\ ROBIN R. KAHL of Ferguson An- Kahl drews & Assoc. Inc. in Roanoke has been named to the 1994 Captain's Club of PLANCO, a wholesaler of fixed and variable annuities. She was named because of her efforts to help her clients with their retirement planning. Kahl has 14 years of experience in the financial services and investment counseling field. This is the second time she has received this honor.

\ JAMES E. COOK, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles E. Cook of Roanoke, has been elected systems officer of Wachovia Operational Services Corp. in Winston-Salem, N.C. He is a senior analyst/programmer in the information services group.

by CNB