Local Business and Economic Development
The cold weather is here and that means there are special winter activities to enjoy in Virginia’s Blue Ridge. Local restaurants have been adapting to the winter weather by implementing heated outdoor patios so that people can still enjoy eating outside when it’s cold. WFIR’s Rachel Meell has more on what you can do in the area during the winter months:
For more information on restaurants with heated outdoor seating, click here. For winter outdoor adventures to find in Virginia’s Blue Ridge, click here.
The Roanoke Regional Partnership will create a new online directory focused on women and minority-owned businesses, a resource it hopes to launch within the next month or so. its free and you do not have to be a Chamber Joyce Waugh is the Chamber’s President & CEO. Colors Virginia magazine publisher Robert Jeffrey Jr. – also a new Roanoke City Council member – is partnering on the virtual directory. Its free and you do not have to be a Chamber member. Joyce Waugh is the Chamber’s President & CEO:
(news release) The Roanoke Regional Chamber has announced plans to create a new business directory highlighting minority and women-owned businesses across Virginia’s Blue Ridge. The directory will be available on the Chamber website in March, organizing businesses by their service or industry category. (See link below to send information)
(release) The Roanoke Regional Partnership announced today that John Hull has been named executive director. He replaces Beth Doughty who retired after 22 years with the regional economic development organization. Hull has served in several roles at the Partnership as director of marketing intelligence since 2010 and more recently as acting director of business investment and as executive director of the Western Virginia Regional Industrial Facility Authority.
He was regional economic development manager with the Roanoke Valley Alleghany Regional Commission from 2003-2010. A graduate of Roanoke College, the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute, and the Roanoke College Management Institute, Hull also has earned the certified economic research professional designation from the Council for Community and Economic Research. “I appreciate the confidence of the Partnership’s leadership and am honored to have the opportunity to lead this strong team at a pivotal time in our region and nation,” said Hull:

Mary Miller, Director of RAMP
The Regional Acceleration and Mentoring Program will be able to help two rounds of technology business startups this year and are accepting applications for their spring cohort. WFIR’s Rachel Meell explains what RAMP does to help support local innovation:
To apply for the RAMP Health and Life Science Cohort, click here.
