Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 9, 1995 TAG: 9506090066
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-8 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE:
DATELINE: RADFORD LENGTH: Long
Hailed as outstanding role models for girls aiming for excellence and achievement, the women were honored for contributions in their professions and communities.
The honorees recognized for their work in the arts, business, education, law and government, medicine, social services and volunteer services were:
The Arts:
Fran Carson, a homemaker and a volunteer from Blacksburg, was honored for her work as manager of the Palette Art Gallery. She is a founder of the New River Valley Friends of the Roanoke Symphony and is a charter member of the Friends of the University Libraries at Virginia Tech. Carson is also on the board of directors of Warm Hearth.
Lou Kassem, a Blacksburg author and lecturer, was noted for writing 12 successful books. A lab technician at Virginia Tech and a librarian for the Montgomery Floyd Regional Library, Kassem has also served on the Blacksburg Town Council. She was selected for the International Authors and Writers Who's Who (14th Edition) as well as being named in the Contemporary Authors-U.S.A.
Business:
Sue Q. Berkley of Dublin is the office manager of Berkley Tool. The president of the Pulaski County Chamber of Commerce, Berkley is on the board of directors of the United Way.
Mary R. Guynn of Galax is the secretary of Guynn Furniture Co. and a member of the Galax City Council. Guynn serves on the board of directors of Twin County Regional Hospital. In 1990 she received the annual Chamber of Commerce community service award.
Education:
Virginia H. Hummel, was an educator in Montgomery County for 33 years, most of that time as a legendary senior English teacher at Blacksburg High School. In her retirement, she has become a full-time student at Virginia Tech, studying the classics. Active in the Girl Scouts since age 10, Hummel was a troop leader for both the Girl Scouts and Brownies. She is also an unofficial government watchdog in Blacksburg, attending almost all of the planning commission meetings and volunteering at the town library. She was on the original board of directors of Price House. Hummel also tutors in Latin and creative writing, edits books and manuscripts and has worked with the New River Valley Hospice. "Avoid the trivial," Hummel advises. "Waste no time."
Doris A. McElfresh of Blacksburg, director of programs K-12 for the Montgomery County Schools, has received the Professional Educator Award from Phi Delta Kappa . A 4-H volunteer, McElfresh believes "all people have positive qualities" and has tried to help develop them as a classroom teacher, school principal and school division administrator.
Frances C. Mitchell of Christiansburg is employee development director for New River Community College. Mitchell is the president of the board of directors of the Woman's Resource Center of the New River Valley, is chairwoman of the western Highlands Regional Literacy Coordinating Committee, and is president-elect of the American Society for Training and Development. She is a member of Montgomery Regional Economic Development Commission and the Board of the Virginia Association for Adult and Continuing Education.
Law and government:
Robertine Jordan of Christiansburg, Montgomery County's long-time commissioner of revenue, was honored for her 44 years of public service. Jordan is a past president of commissioners of the revenue associations for both Southwest Virginia and Virginia as well as a member of several other statewide governmental organizations.
Betty Thomas of Christiansburg is the county administrator for Montgomery County. She has served as president of the Virginia Local Government Managers Association and is on the executive council of the American Society for Public Administration. She has served on the Virginia Criminal Justice Service Commission as well as on a regional economic development commission.
Carolyn Honeycutt of Hillsville serves as the clerk of circuit court in Carroll County. She is active in the Virginia Circuit Court Clerks Association and the local Republican Party.
Medicine:
Suzanne Nagle of Blacksburg was honored in medicine. The coordinator of volunteer services and of wellness and fitness at Montgomery Regional Hospital, Nagle serves on the boards of the American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society and on the Community Prevention Coalition Advisory Board. Nagle, an aerobics instructor as well, is a member of the NRV Nutrition Council.
Dr. Carole Pratt of Pulaski is a general dentist who practices in Dublin. Pratt is the chairwoman of the American Association of Women Dentists Transition Committee, and a past chairwoman of the Commonwealth of Virginia Board of Health. She has also been active in politics, having run for the House of Delegates. She is a past president of the Southwest Virginia Dental Society, a past president of the Pulaski Business and Professional Woman's Organization, secretary and founding director of Community National Bank in Pulaski County and chairwoman of the health task force of New Century Council.
Victoria Strobl Mackey of Hillsville was also honored in the field of medicine. She is a certified nurse and midwife. She is president of Twin County Coalition For Better Beginning, a national teen pregnancy prevention program.
Social Services:
Sally Bohland and Lavina S.Tyndall of Blacksburg were honored in social services, as well as Patricia Brown of Christiansburg.
Bohland, counselor and guidance department chairwoman for Christiansburg High School, is active in the Montgomery County Education Association, as well as in state and national organizations, the New River Valley Counselors Association and the Virginia Counselors Association. Named the Mental Health Professional of the Year and the New River Valley Counselor of the Year, Bohland is on the board of the Montgomery county Christmas store and the boards of Planned Parenthood and CADRE, a drug-prevention program.
Tyndall, an administrative assistant and a counselor for the Wesley Foundation, was runner-up to Woman-of-the-Year for the New River Valley. Tyndall is a life member and president of the United Methodist Women. She is chairwoman of the council on ministries' education committee and family ministries committee at Blacksburg United Methodist Church. Tyndall co-founded, co-chaired and now is treasurer of the Montgomery County Christmas store. She is also area chairwoman of the United Way.
Volunteers:
For their volunteer work, Dorothy Blanchard and Lindsay West of Blacksburg and Mariah Nunn of Galax were honored. Blanchard, a homemaker and volunteer, is a board member and president of the board of directors for the Girl Scout Council. She is on the advisory board of the Medical Clinic of New River Valley. Blanchard is a National Operational Volunteer with Girls Scouts of the U.S.A. Blanchard has received the "Citizen Recognition Award" from the . . .
(this didn't run in paper)
Christiansburg-Blacksburg Rotary Club.
West, a housewife and community volunteer, is president of the Community Foundation of NRV, chairwoman of the committee trying to revive the Lyric Theatre, treasurer of the YMCA at Virginia Tech and chairwoman of the Montgomery County Democratic party. West is a Virginia PTA life member and has received the leadership award and Gold Triangle from the YMCA, the Alfred C. Payne Award from Alpha Tau Omega and the 1995 Grass Roots Award from the Virginia Democratic Party.
Nunn, a homemaker, has served as an adult volunteer with the Girl Scouts since 1966, first as a leader and then as a member and an officer of the Virginia Skyline Girl Scout Council.
Mrs. Minor-Wine Thomas of Radford received a posthumous award for her leadership of a local Girl Scout troop. Thomas died in March at the age of 98.
by CNB