Dollar General gives $40k literacy gift to Sinai Elementary

Santa Claus arrived early Wednesday morning at Sinai Elementary School as Dollar General managers Hank Bruining and Matt Hunt handed a yellow and black box containing a big surprise to Principal Kevin Neal.

Neal opened the box as students and school officials looked on, finding a check for $40,000 made out to the school.

"I couldn't believe it," said the flabbergasted Neal.

"It was just amazing. I was told by a company representative last week that we would be receiving a surprise, but I had no idea it would be of this magnitude."

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Merle Herndon, on hand for the presentation, shared the thought: "It just brought tears to my eyes," said Herndon. "I had been told that it was an important gift, but I had no idea of its magnitude."

Bruining, Senior Manager for Human Resources at the South Boston distribution center, explained that the gift to Sinai Elementary continues a long standing relationship between Dollar General and the school.

"We have supported their literacy program through their 'Reading Is Fundamental' [initiative] for the past ten years, providing books for the students to take home and with other supplies," said Bruining, "but when Dollar General announced this new program, 'Reading Revolution' this year, we thought of Sinai Elementary."

Dollar General's new Reading Revolution program aims to provide schools with extra resources to purchase books, computers and other educational supplies to enhance reading and literacy programs. This is the first year of the program; Bruining said some 12 schools around the nation located near company headquarters or distribution centers have been chosen to receive the awards.

"By supporting Sinai Elementary School with this gift, we hope to help students become better readers, more successful students and lifelong learners," said Denine Torr, Dollar General's director of community initiatives.

Herndon praised the company for making such a large investment in the community.

"It's also a great investment in the future of our children and one we greatly appreciate."

Neal said he and school staffers will sit down after the Christmas holidays to look at needs at Sinai and make long-range plans for using the money. "We want to be very careful to spend it so as to get the most bang for our bucks." He expressed his thanks to Dollar General for the generous gift.

from The News & Record

Using 3-D printing technology, students create new hand for young girl

Gripping a handle, picking up a ball, holding a hair brush — these are movements most people do a thousand times a day without even thinking about it. But for 12-year-old Abby Lammerts, these simple tasks have been virtually impossible.

Until now.

Abby was born with a spinal condition called "syringomyelia," as well as defects in her hands and face. The fingers on her left hand were completely fused together, while the bones in her right were present but didn't connect properly.

Abby underwent seven surgeries before her fourth birthday, most of which were reconstructive procedures. Still, her mother, Amy Hudson Lammerts Cole, said Abby never let her physical differences hold her back.

"She's had her challenges. But we always told her she's no different than anyone else, so that's what she grew up believing," Cole said. "She never let it get her down. If anything, she used it as motivation to push even harder."

But the deformities in her hands still made it difficult for Abby to do certain tasks, such as playing the trombone, riding a bike and brushing her hair. It was a part of life that she, and her parents, simply accepted as reality.

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14 Organizations Attend C-CARE Pre-Proposal Meeting

Halifax County Industrial Development Authority (IDA) hosted a mandatory Pre-Proposal Meeting for the National Center for Coatings Application Research and Education (C-CARE) December 6, 2013 at Riverstone Centre. 14 different coatings industry businesses, professional associations, and workforce training and education organizations attended the meeting. C-CARE is part of Halifax's economic development tool-kit which aims to provide assets and programs to support and attract industries that require advanced manufacturing technology and skill sets. The IDA has issued the C-CARE Request for Proposal (RFP) to attract an operator, or team of operators, for C-CARE who can meet critical economic development goals. "C-CARE is a world-class facility in Halifax, Virginia," said Matt Leonard, the IDA's Executive Director. "We need world-class operators to make the most of it. This RFP process is our way of finding them."

The mission of C-CARE is to assist manufacturers with their process engineering, research and development, and work-force training needs in the application of coatings to their final products. The C-CARE lab in Riverstone Technology Park has been recognized by industry as a one-of-a-kind facility and rounds out Halifax's capability in aiding manufacturer's in all cycles of product development, including modeling and simulation, design, engineering, and prototyping. "We were well pleased with the turnout of various industries and stakeholders along the coatings and advanced manufacturing spectrum," commented Dr. Doug Corrigan, Executive Director of the IDA's Riverstone Energy Center. "The quality and reputation of these organizations underscores our ongoing vision of creating a world-class and one-of-a-kind program for an unmet need in the industry."

Attendees were given an overview of the RFP and then toured Riverstone Energy Center, C-CARE, and the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center's Innovation Center. Responses to the C-CARE RFP are due February 21, 2014.

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Patsy Vaughan Retires After 30 Years of Service

Patsy Vaughan retired from the Halifax IDA on December 31, 2013 after 30 years of service.

"Patsy has served the IDA and the community long and well," said IDA Executive Director, Matt Leonard. "She has earned her retirement. We wish her well."

Ted Bennett, the current Chairman of the IDA's Operations and Personnel Committee has worked with Vaughan for nearly all of her time at the IDA, and describes her contributions this way, "Patsy has been at the center of the successes enjoyed by the county's industrial development efforts since before and after the creation of the Industrial Development Authority. Her contributions to the amazing economic progress and job growth in the county during those years are immeasurable. They stand as proof of her legacy to the thousands of people who secured their jobs and financial security because of her quiet but enduring efforts on their behalf over three decades. We will miss her but never forget her dedication to the economic welfare of the county and its citizens."

Vaughan first came to the IDA as a part-time employee in 1981, moving to full time in 1983. Over her three decades she has worn many hats including Interim Executive Director on four occasions. In the last 10 years she has been the IDA's Development Director, managing project grants, construction activites, and administering the Enterprize Zone and other incentive programs. "Patsy has worked with me over the last year to update and streamline how we handle these important functions," Leonard said.

During her tenure, Vaughan helped locate the following industries into the county: O'Sullivan Industries, FlexTec, NPS, RW, Power Partners, BHK of America, Annin & Company, J. M. Huber Corporation, Clover Power Station, Daystrom Furniture, d-Scan (now Tvilum), Dollar General Corporation, The Software Factory, Gloster Furniture, Penske, Estes Express Lines, Adesta, Cherokee Tobacco Company, LASCO Bathware (now Aquatic), Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites, Mid-Atlantic Broadband, VIR, Lindstrand USA, TMI AutoTech, NOVI Energy, Pacific Headwear, RTP Company, Sunshine Mills, VEC and DMV Call Centers, Faneuil, and the National Tire Research Center.

"I have been blessed to have been an employee of the IDA, and a part of the ever changing world of economic development," Vaughan stated, adding that she has "been privileged to have worked with visionaries to make Halifax County a better place to live. It has been a challenging and rewarding experience." She believes she "has made a difference."

At various times during her career Vaughan has also been active in the International Economic Development Council, Virginia Economic Developers Association (VEDA), Halifax County Tourism Board, Southern Economic Development Council, Rural Planning Caucus of Virginia, Council for Business, Industry and Government, Halifax County Chamber of Commerce, Longwood Small Business Development Center Advisory Board, American Business Women's Association.

Ribbon cutting for NOVEC Energy Production, Halifax County Biomass plant

Secretary of Commerce and Trade Jim Cheng, Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative and its development partner NOVI Energy and more than 150 Virginia state and local officials and guests celebrated the "grand opening" of the NOVEC Energy Production, Halifax County Biomass plant Thursday with a luncheon at The Prizery followed by a ribbon cutting and plant tour.

"It's great to be back in Virginia for this event. I am honored to be here to represent the governor and the lieutenant governor in this

remarkable grand opening of the power plant in Halifax County," said Cheng.

"It's been a long time coming, since 2009. But, you know, in terms of energy production, that's really an amazingly short time frame. It shows great teamwork between localities, the state, the federal government and of course, NOVEC."

Among the speakers were Stan Feuerburg, president and CEO of NOVEC, Thomas West, chairman of the Halifax County Board of Supervisors, South Boston Mayor Ed Owens, John Paldalino, the administrator of Rural Utilities Service, Sheldon Petersen, the CEO of Cooperative Finance Corporation, Tom Halverson, the chief banking officer of CoBank, Anand Gangadharan, president of NOVI Energy, and Wade House, chairman of NOVEC Board of Directors.

Each speaker expressed appreciation for the new state-of-the-art renewable energy power plant, located on Plywood Trail in South Boston.

This plant will be capable of generating 49.9 megawatts of electricity for the cooperatives' customer-owners by burning wood chips. The wood waste is burned as fuel to create power in a "carbon-neutral" process creating steam. The steam then spins a turbine that produces energy. "Reclaimed water" from the local water authority will be used to cool the plant.

The plant will provide enough electricity to power 16,000 homes.

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Work Ready Graduate Earns MS Certification

Marque Medley, graduate of the Work Ready Foundations^© work readiness-training program offered by Workforce Services at the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, recently earned his Manufacturing Specialist (MS) certification. The certification is part of Virginia Manufacturers Association (VMA)’s Manufacturing Technology training program. This program is a highly specialized course based on the techniques and interrelationships found in high performance manufacturing and production.

To obtain the Manufacturing Specialist certification, Medley had to demonstrate skills attainment in 12 critical technical skills, and obtain passing scores on the Math and Measurement, and Spatial Reasoning and Manufacturing Technology assessment modules. Medley passed with a near perfect score, only missing two questions on the entire test. The MT1 assessment is offered as part of the Work Ready Foundations^©program.

“By obtaining the Manufacturing Specialist Certificate, Marque now has a nationally recognized portable and stackable industry credential.  It shows employers anywhere in the region that he has attained a certain level of industry-wide technical skills in Math and Measurement, and Spatial Reasoning and Manufacturing Technology.  These core manufacturing skills are essential to all production-related occupations in modern manufacturing,” said Katherine DeRosear, VMA Director of Workforce Development.

The Manufacturing Specialist certification is an industry-wide technical skill certification that “stacks” upon the National Career Readiness Certificate (a credential Medley also holds). Together, the certifications give Medley an advantage in a competitive job market. “Having these credentials, especially the Manufacturing Specialist certification, has already given me the opportunity to interview for positions I otherwise would have been turned down for,” Medley stated.

Since completing the Work Ready Foundations^© program summer 2013, Medley has been taking welding courses at Virginia Technical Institute, and is hoping to find a job that will allow him to stay close to home and complete his welding courses. “I don’t have experience in manufacturing, but this certification will help me get into that field,” he continued.

According to Dr. Nettie Simon-Owens, “Marque is a very hardworking determined young man who excelled in all aspects of the Work Ready Foundations^© training program. He will be an exceptional employee because he is a fast learner, he readily assists others as needed, enjoys learning, and strives to be a high-performer. We are very proud of Marque and his accomplishments and consider him a good representative of the Work Ready Foundations program^©.”

For more information about Work Ready Foundations^© visit www.svhec.org , email workforce@svhec.org, or call 434-572-5593 and toll free 1-800-283-0098 ext 5593.

For more information about the Manufacturing Specialist certification visitwww.vamanufacturers.com.

SVHEC recieves software grant from Siemens PLM Software

SVHEC to use the same technology in its classrooms that companies worldwide
depend on to design some of today’s most sophisticated products

Computers in this lab will be loaded with Siemens Go PLM software for student instruction & workforce training.

Today, the SVHEC announced it received an in-kind software grant from Siemens PLM Software, with a commercial value of $94 million.

The SVHEC will adopt the software for students training in Product Design & Development (a program offered in partnership with Danville Community College), and for use in the R&D Center for Advanced Manufacturing & Energy Efficiency (R&D CAMEE). R&D CAMEE will use Siemens PLM software for workforce training, and to resolve advanced manufacturing product development and process solutions for regional business and industry.

The software adoption gives students and industries across southern Virginia access to the same technology that companies around the world depend on every day to develop innovative products in a wide variety of industries including automotive, aerospace, machinery, shipbuilding, high-tech electronics and many more. Graduates with this type of software training are highly-recruited candidates for advanced technology jobs.

The in-kind grant for the SVHEC includes Siemens PLM Software’s Teamcenter® portfolio, the world’s most widely used digital lifecycle management software, NX™ software, a leading integrated solution for computer-aided design, manufacturing and engineering (CAD/CAM/CAE), and Solid Edge® software, the most complete hybrid 2D/3D CAD system.

“The SVHEC is excited to work with Siemens PLM Software to provide industry-leading tech­nology in the classroom. This partnership strengthens our continuing efforts to meet the needs of employers and prepare students for significant high-paying STEM careers,” said Dr. Betty H. Adams, SVHEC executive director.

“Siemens PLM Software is pleased to provide this software to the SVHEC so students can leverage the same technology used by leading multi-national manufactur­ing companies. It allows them to gain the technical experience needed in a highly competitive job market that requires deep knowledge of advanced manufacturing technologies and processes,” said Bill Boswell, senior director, partner strategy, Siemens PLM Software.

The in-kind grant was provided by Siemens PLM Software’s academic program that delivers PLM software technology to more than one million students yearly at more than 11,000 global institutions. The software provided is used at every academic level – from grade schools to graduate engineering research programs.

About the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center

The mission of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center is advancing southern Virginia’s economic potential through education, innovation, and collaboration. The SVHEC provides educational access and workforce training, and is focused on re-tooling southern Virginia’s rural workforce for jobs in the new economy. Established in 1986, the SVHEC is an independent state agency located in two re-purposed tobacco warehouses in the heart of downtown South Boston, VA. For more information call 434-572-5440, or email information@svhec.org.