ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 10, 1995 TAG: 9512110022
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: ELISSA MILENKY STAFF WRITER
For Todd Halwas, official lunches and dinners featuring fancy salads and creative chicken dishes are necessities. Given a choice of cuisines for a lunchtime interview, however, the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce president tosses aside the formalities.
A big, juicy cheeseburger at Mike's Grill on Main Street will suit him just fine, thank you.
"I'm a meat-and-potatoes type of guy," said Halwas, who steps down in March.
Halwas also has been a visible chamber president, speaking out for downtown businesses during his year in office. In August, the chamber made the front page of The Roanoke Times when its board approved a resolution opposing Virginia Tech's incentive program to draw convention business to the new Hotel Roanoke and Conference Center.
The next week, Halwas was on the paper's Commentary page, challenging one of the newspaper's editorials and questioning why Tech would create incentives for a specific location - namely Roanoke - and not for others.
Halwas, who has not changed his view on the issue since the summer, said recently that facilities should compete on their own merits. He added that the chamber has continually supported Tech through the years and does not understand why the chamber's stance got so much attention.
"All of the sudden, it was the Blacksburg business community against Roanoke, and that's not it at all."
Chamber Director Harvey Shephard added that past presidents have taken strong stands on other issues but have not garnered as much attention.
"It was nothing different or out of line," Shephard said.
Other issues Halwas has tackled while president include developing a summer event such as a soccer tournament or Shakespeare festival, supporting small local business owners, and continuing opposition to the Business Professional Occupational License tax.
Halwas, 32, has been a chamber member since 1991, and quickly rose through the ranks to become president. By the time he passes on the title to president-elect Patti Cowley in March, Halwas will have served in the position since September 1994 - six months longer than usual because the previous president moved unexpectedly.
Halwas will not be far from the action after he steps down. Cowley already is planning to enlist his aid.
Halwas came to Virginia after he graduated from the University of Texas in Arlington because he always enjoyed visiting the state and is a history buff. He first settled in Northern Virginia and worked in retail, then moved to Blacksburg to start a career in real estate when his girlfriend enrolled in a graduate program at Virginia Tech.
In 1991, a co-worker at Raines Real Estate Inc. persuaded Halwas to join the Joint Industrial Development Committee, the precursor to the Montgomery County Economic Development Committee, which advised the county's Board of Supervisors on economic issues. Blacksburg Town Manager Ron Secrist, also a committee member at the time, quickly saw Halwas' leadership potential and asked him to lead the committee the following year.
"I was just very impressed with him when he first came to town. ... He's very committed to [his] work," Secrist said. "You can count on whatever Todd says."
Halwas' work on the industrial committee eventually led to membership in the Greater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce, an organization he said has gained prestige and respect during the last few years. He credits that change and many of the chamber's accomplishments to Shephard.
At one time, the chamber had a revolving door of directors and little leadership in the community, Halwas said.
"Harvey is the catalyst for the resurgence of the chamber of commerce," Halwas said. "He basically said the emperor has no clothes."
"People are starting to look to the chamber for leadership on issues or doing business in this area," he later added.
Though the chamber is a high priority, Halwas likes to remind people his life is not all business. He also enjoys acting in local theater productions.
LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Todd Halwas is the president of theby CNBGreater Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce: "People are starting to look
to the chamber for leadership on issues or doing business in this
area," he says. color.