ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, September 1, 1996 TAG: 9609030016
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
New River Valley Industry Appreciation
CHRISTIANSBURG - New River Valley Industry Appreciation '96 will be Sept. 19 and 20 and will feature an industry showcase, golf tournament, and the fifth annual New River Ramble social.
The showcase will be 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 19 and 9 a.m. to noon Sept. 20 at the former Rose's location in the University Mall in Blacksburg. Admission is free and open to the public, and student and group tours are available.
The golf tournament will be Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Draper Valley Golf Course.
The New River Ramble will be Sept. 19 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Long Way Home Amphitheatre in Radford.
For more information, call the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance at 674-3636.
Donaldson Brown names new manager
BLACKSBURG - Mehdi Adldoost is the new hotel operations manager for Virginia Tech's Donaldson Brown Hotel and Conference Center.
Previously, he was general manager of the Holiday Inn-Airport in Roanoke. He has worked for hotels in Virginia, Tennessee, South Carolina and Florida. He received a master's of business administration degree from James Madison University in 1978.
Adldoost has lived in Roanoke with his wife and two children since 1989.
Raines Real Estate names new director
BLACKSBURG - Todd Halwas, former president of the Blacksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and unsuccessful candidate for Town Council, has been promoted to executive director at Raines Real Estate, a newly created position.
Halwas, 33, will oversee administrative responsibilities, day-to-day operations, recruiting and other matters, said Joe Jones, president and principle broker for Raines.
Halwas joined Raines in 1991 and recently received his broker's license. Previously he worked in real estate and retail in Roanoke and northern Virginia. He has a degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Owner of Hill Insurance honored
RADFORD - William "Sonny" Hill, owner of Hill Insurance Agency, has been recognized by the Society of Certified Insurance Counselors as being among the top 1 percent of all insurance professionals in the country and for his commitment to continuing education.
The society, which provides instruction for insurance professionals, cited Hill for his leadership and pursuit of continuing education.
Hill has 30 years experience in the insurance industry and is currently president of the Professional Insurance Association of Virginia and Washington, D.C.
First National Bank shares quarterly results
CHRISTIANSBURG - First National Bank has announced a first-quarter dividend of 50 cents per share for all shareholders as of June26.
During the first quarter, the bank's income grew by $348,007, or 15.2 percent.
Hospitality luncheon accepting reservations
CHRISTIANSBURG - The Christiansburg-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce and the Outback restaurant will have a hospitality luncheon Sept. 11 beginning at 11:30 a.m.
The luncheon will feature complimentary food. A contribution of $10 will be accepted to benefit the chamber.
Call 382-9596 to reserve a seat.
Free workshop on starting a business
BLACKSBURG - A free workshop for people who are interested in starting a small business will be offered Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. in Pulaski Community Hospital. "Starting a Small Business: Guaranteeing Your Success," is open to the public at no charge.
The program is sponsored by the New River Valley Small Business Development Center and the Wytheville Small Business Development Center. The workshop will cover: identifying business skills necessary for business success, sources of assistance in local areas, the importance of planning, reasons for starting a business and the costs of business start up. It also will include discussion on how to make a business unique, the importance of market analysis and how to define competition.
The program will be lead by Sharon G. Scott. Scott is a former director of business development who has worked with many small business clients during her tenure with a small business development center in Florida. She now is completing her Ph.D. at Virginia Tech. For information, call the 831-6056 or 223-4798.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: headshots of Adldoost, Hill and Halwasby CNB