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

DATE: FRIDAY, April 21, 1995                   TAG: 9504210082
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-17   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG                                LENGTH: Medium

CHAMBER AWARDS

Those honored included:

Samuel Tollison, the distinguished citizenship award;

Jon Osterholm, excellence in education;

Karin Clark and Russell Holladay, co-winners of the outstanding service award;

Joe Thompson, the commerce award.

Tollison, president of First National Bank and a charter member of the Montgomery/Blacksburg/Christiansburg Development Corp., also is a member, with his wife, Marge, of the New River Valley Friends of the Roanoke Symphony. The award recognized his service to the four chambers to which the bank belongs, his interest in the arts and his part in the bank's scholarship program for high schools and colleges.

Osterholm, a science teacher at Christiansburg High School for 21 years, was recognized for his ability to motivate students and for being a role model.

For the first time, the chamber gave two people, Clark and Holladay, the outstanding service award.

Clark, marketing manager for the Blacksburg engineering firm Anderson & Associates, and Holladay, director of personnel for Montgomery County Schools, both helped organize career fairs for Montgomery and Giles county ninth-graders.

Thompson accepted the commerce award as president of Thompson Tire & Muffler. The award recognizes a business that demonstrates employment and productivity growth, volunteerism and donations to the community, beautification efforts or employment of the handicapped.

- STEPHEN FOSTER