Southwestern VA Tech Council – 2010-Year in Review
l. Contacted VA lawmakers to encourage the passage of legislature to be favorable in bringing economic, educational and technological growth and development to the thirteen county footprint area.
2. Formed Innovation Index Focus groups from the Medical, Energy and Manufacturing industries to identify problems and assist CIT in building VA’s Innovation Index.
3. Held Third Annual Energy Technology Conference. (Very excited that Virginia held its first similar conference this year.) These Energy Summits have been models for others throughout the Commonwealth and the Nation. (We are very proud of especially proud of these efforts!) Our goal is to have Governor McDonnell as our Keynote in 2011.
4. CIO Forum, started in 2009, has been revamped to include IT department heads as well as other computer related personnel.
5. Highly instrumental in bringing the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Technology and their entourage to far southwestern VA for a tour last July. (The first time either secretary were in this area) The SWVTC also hosted a reception for the group at UVA-Wise. The purpose of this function was to point out to our Secretaries that VA was productive, not only beyond Roanoke, but beyond Abingdon as well and encourage bringing new companies to this area!
6. Partnered with Washington County and the Southwest VA Higher Education Center in an Education Program to send 40 students to Germany to study.
7. Held Annual Awards Banquet where companies, organizations or individuals are recognized for their outstanding achievement in Technology in Education, Government, Green, Economic Development, Small Business and Innovation. Last man to walk on the moon, Astronaut, Senator “Jack” Schmitt was the Keynote.
8. Co-sponsored the 2nd Annual First Lego League Robotics Tournament held in this area of the state. Roughly twenty-four teams participated with each team having from 6 to 12 children from the ages of 9 to 14. This is a vital program in encouraging STEM education for our youth.
9. Planning stages for the 3rd Annual Medical Technology Summit. The 3rd Summit will be in collaboration with another Technology group and our council is very excited about this!! We are making more preparation for this and therefore it will not actually be presented until 2011.
10. Co-sponsored a Rocket Challenge from Lonesome Pine Regional Airport which involved around 60 high school students. This is the first time this program has been brought to southwestern VA. It is an excellent program for encouraging STEM education for our youth.
11. Participated in U. S. Senator Mark Warner’s Energy Roundtable held in Wise, VA. It is a serious possibility that southwestern VA could become the Energy Center of the US, not only in the Coal industry but in conjunction with the Coal industry.
12. Co-sponsored a college student to attend the Space Generation Congress 2010 and the International Astronautical Congress in Prague.
To find out more about SWVTC, contact: Esther Bolling, Executing Director, SWVTC, PO Box 859, Norton, VA 24273,276-679-7800
 |
| Thompson & Litton |
| Thompson & Litton serves its five-state Mid-Atlantic client base with a professional and support staff of architects, engineers, surveyors, land-use planners, construction administrators, grant/financing specialists, and other support personnel. |
| member profile |
| ISS Downlink Thursday, December 29, 2011 |
| After Gala Press Release Wednesday, June 15, 2011 |
| read more news |
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |