Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, June 8, 1995 TAG: 9506140012
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-54 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Vaughn, whose Towers Mall Shopping Center shop specializes in custom gift baskets and dried and silk floral arrangements, won second place for Corporate Gift Basket Design.
At the conference, Vaughn also instructed about 3,000 gift basket designers in corporate gift giving techniques.
WAL-MART/SAM'S stores in Roanoke recently presented a check for $2,500 to the Roanoke Valley Economic Development Partnership.
The contribution, which will be used for local industrial development efforts, represents a two-year pledge for job creation efforts.
The Roanoke Wal-Mart is also joining other Wal-Mart stores in donating 5 cents to local nonprofit groups for every can of SAM's American Choice soda purchased.
SANDRA S. PUCKETT, coordinator for Middle Level Education for Roanoke city schools, has been selected to the state board of the Virginia Middle School Association.
Puckett's primary duties will include establishing a network of middle school teachers and principals, increasing VMSA membership and planning for the VMSA conference to be held next year in Norfolk.
ERIC K. RASANEN recently was named vice president of individual marketing and sales for Shenandoah Life Insurance Co.
Rasanen was vice president of marketing at Columbian Mutual for 11 years. He has also worked for Sentry Life and Travelers.
MARY L. MARTIN, assistant account executive for Chas. Lunsford/RHH of Virginia Inc., was recently elected Woman of the Year by the North Roanoke Chapter of the American Business Women's Association.
Martin has been with Chas. Lunsford since 1977.
JOE LEEDOM, dean of the faculty and associate professor of history at Hollins College, is one of 33 people selected as American Council on Education Fellows for academic year 1995-96.
An ACE Fellow spends a year participating in the administrative activities of a college or university president to whom they are assigned. Fellows also attend seminars, read extensively in the field and produce an analytical report.
Leedom came to Hollins in 1981 and was named dean in 1992.
ROANOKE COLLEGE recently received several grants and honors for school improvements and scholarly research.
The sociology department was awarded a $17,257 grant from the National Science Foundation's Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement Program.
The grant will be matched by the college and will be used to establish a computer laboratory for teaching social scientific analysis in sociology.
Robert Denham, John P. Fishwick Professor of English at the college, was awarded a $30,000 National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship.
Denham will spend next academic year on sabbatical preparing for publication the unpublished papers of Northrop Frye, a distinguished literary and cultural critic.
Christopher Lee, assistant professor of mathematics, was named principal investigator on a $40,665 research contract to the college from Grumman Aerospace of Hicksville, N.Y.
Grumman is involved in the study of ways to upgrade the mission control computers aboard the E2C radar aircraft used by the U.S. Navy.
RITA BRATCHER, has earned a Child Development Associate credential from the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C.
COX CABLE CO. has given $2,000 to the Meals-on-Wheels program for use in the Roanoke Valley and Alleghany Highlands. An additional 858 meals, or three-plus clients for an entire year, will be served as a result of the donation.
BRADLEY T. SNEED, investment vice president with the Roanoke office of J.C. Bradford & Co., has been named to the President's Club of The American Funds Group, for the second year.
GIGI HALL, human resources director at Grand Piano and Furniture Co., recently earned certification as a senior professional in human resources from the Human Resource Certification Institute. Hall has been with Grand Piano since 1987.
TAYLOR TECHNOLOGIES GROUP, a vertical transportation and materials handling consulting group headquartered in Roanoke, has purchased Johnson Elevator Services Inc. of Charlotte, N.C.
Johnson was a supplier of various elevator-related services with operations in North and South Carolina, Texas, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
Robert L. Johnson, president of Johnson Elevator, will be a consultant at Taylor Technologies.
CHARLES L. FALLIS of Salem was elected president of the Virginia Federation of Chapters, National Association of Retired Federal Employees for 1995-96.
As former vice president of the organization, Fallis helped negotiate last year's $351 million income tax refund settlement with the state.
CAROL K. DIVERS of Roanoke has become a sales director for Mary Kay Cosmetics Inc. She joined Mary Kay in April 1991 as an independent beauty consultant.
C. RICHARD LOVEGROVE, public affairs director for Kentucky Power Company, recently retired after nearly 42 years of service with the American Electric Power System, parent company of Appalachian Power and Kentucky Power.
Lovegrove joined Appalachian Power in 1953 in Roanoke shortly after graduating from Washington and Lee University.
JEFFREY T. HALL and CHRISTOPHER WRIGHT, agents with the Blue Ridge Agency of The Life Insurance Company of Virginia are members of the 1995 President's Roundtable, the company's top honor for career representatives. Membership is based on sales performance and career experience.
JUDY MURRAY and TIMMY MARTIN are recipients of Lewis-Gale Hospital's annual David G. Williamson Awards of Excellence.
Murray, who works with the medical intensive care unit, earned the award for direct patient care. Martin, who works in dietary services, earned the indirect patient care award.
A committee selected them from a group of eight employees who received Quarterly Performance Awards in 1994. The selection process focused on such factors as latest performance appraisals, attendance records and knowledge of the job. The award is named for a former Lewis-Gale administrator.
PAMELA RHODES has been promoted to branch manager of the Vinton branch of Southwest Virginia Savings Bank. She joined the staff in 1985.
MAGIC CITY FORD has named three employees to its sales recognition programs. Charles W. Pickle Jr. of Roanoke achieved Grand Master status in the 1994 Ford 300/500 Masters recognition program. Paul A. Grim and Erik S. Johnson achieved membership in the 1994 Professional Sales Managers recognition program. Each received the award for excellence in sales and customer satisfaction.
KYLE COOK of Cook Siding and Window Company in Salem recently received the Golden Hammer Contractor Award from Alcoa Building Products in Sidney, Ohio. The award was presented for earning an excellent reputation in the remodeling and construction industry.
THERMO KING OF ROANOKE INC. has been designated as a Champion Quality dealer in the manufacturer's Partners in Total Quality factory evaluation program. Companies that earn the title of Champion Quality dealer must exhibit certain conditions of excellence.
VIRGINIA WESTERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE recently recognized several faculty and staff members, who are retiring, for their service to the college.
Those honored on their retirements are: Dr. Roy G. Miles, professor of geology, 28 years; Gwendolyn J. Nickerson, associate professor of chemistry, 27; Ruth B. Van Liere, assistant professor of psychology, 26; Dr. Elizabeth W. Payne, professor of office systems technology and program head of the Institute for Business Development, 25; Frances Meador, bookstore operations manager, 25; Juanita Morris, secretary senior in the social sciences division, 23; Jean Powell, instructional assistant in the business division, seven; and housekeeping staff - Leon Hooper, 19 years; Eloise Preston, 16; and Barbara Waller, 16; Doris Banks, 15; and Clarence Toney, 13.
by CNB