Throughout the course of your day, how many times do you find yourself uttering these same words? Or how many times do you end your day disappointed that you did not accomplish what you set out to do? We all have interruptions—the phone will always ring, you will always receive that sidetracking email and that fire will start every day and you will have to stop and put it out. As a result, our best laid plans to make that follow-up phone call or send that letter or email to a customer or prospect is always placed on the back burner. You can have the best marketing plan in place, but if you do not take the time to sell to potential clients then your business will not grow or, in many cases, it will decline.

Sales is indeed a numbers game and it is a process. Stop right now and take a moment to examine your list of priorities and the priorities of your organization. Where does sales fit into these priorities? Is your company a sales-driven organization? The answers to these questions will heavily depend on just how much time you spend each day selling your product or service. Some of you may work at a place that has a sales team to take care of those daily calls, emails and prospecting, and while this may be true, how many prospects does your sales team actually contact each day? Or do they also say those dreaded words, “I just do not have time”? The average sales person spends just 50 percent of their time actually selling and only 38 percent of that time prospecting. Therefore, throughout the course of a 40 hour work week, the average sales person spends just 7.6 hours per week prospecting for new clients. In the end, how much time does your sales personnel spend actually selling your product or service?

Earlier, I mentioned that sales is a process and a numbers game. There are many who do not agree simply because they are forming their opinions around prehistoric cold calling techniques that do not work and never have, in my opinion. We have all established that time is tight, life brings too many interruptions and we do not spend nearly enough time working to grow our business. So what do we do about it? How do we fix this problem? My first question to you is, “What is your ‘sales process?’” Do you have one and is it consistently implemented throughout your organization on a daily basis?

The sales process should be a series of uniform steps that happen each day in every organization. These need to be executed in a manner that does not consume your valuable time. In other words, how productive is that 7.6 hours that you spend on prospecting each week? You see, I am not suggesting that you spend more time prospecting. I actually believe that you can indeed increase sales by spending 10 hours or less each week prospecting for new clients. That is, of course, if you have a system in place that will make your sales process painless and effective at the same time.

My system is very simple. I send five letters every day and make five follow-up phone calls every day. With a lot of practice and the help of contact management software, I am able to prospect each day in 30 minutes or less. During this time, I close the door, do not check my email and make every attempt to minimize interruptions. For every 10 follow-up phone calls that you make, you will likely get at least one appointment and, on average, you will get one new customer with every five appointments. While this system works for me; it may not work for you or your type of business. The point that I am working to emphasize here is that prospecting does not have to be hard, painful or time-consuming to be effective.

I recently viewed a video by sales and marketing icon, Jeffrey Gitomer. In this video, he was almost coming through the screen at the viewer, telling them to pick up the phone. His point? Either no one wants to prospect or they just do not prospect. Is this you? Is your business one of those that just prospects when your sales team has a minute or do they have a process and a system in place?

Customers move just through attrition. Buyers change jobs, companies change offerings and the sales cycle is just that—a cycle. If your business is not adding new customers on a regular basis, you need to seriously examine your sales process and begin prospecting for new business every day. If you say you do not have time today, there is a good chance that you are not putting business growth first. It is my hope that you do not have time because you are growing and your sales process is working like a well-oiled machine. If not, then I hope you think long and hard before you say, “There is no time.” Instead, you should be saying, “There is no time like the present.”

Until next time, make marketing your mission…everyday!

“It’s a good time to come to an assisted living community when someone needs assistance with medication administration and/or one or more of the activities of daily living such as dressing, bathing, transferring, etc.,” Heather Pippen, Executive Director at Heritage Green Assisted Living in Lynchburg, said.

Early signs can also include balance issues and frequent falls, uneaten or spoiled food in the refrigerator, misplacing common items and weight loss. For those with parents who are aging, one of the best things you can do, according to Debbie Beamer, Executive Director at Bentley Commons of Lynchburg, is simply make it a priority to stop in regularly to check on the state of the parent’s home.

“Older children usually don’t live at home so they don’t know that something is off until they come home and there is evidence of falls, the house isn’t as clean or their parent’s hygiene has gone down,” she said.

Beamer recalls the story of a friend a few years ago who noticed that her grandmother was cooking gravy with an unusual ingredient—one that turned out to be a significant sign.

“Her nanny was putting green peppers in the gravy and insisting that she always made it like that, but she never had. Turns out, it was an early sign of dementia,” Beamer said. “Those are the things to watch for—misplacing keys, they can’t find their wallet, not recognizing their own things, especially if it’s something new they’ve received.”

Even once these kinds of signs are made obvious to children of elderly loved ones, that still doesn’t make their decision clear-cut. Beamer says that guilt is one of the biggest reasons people in these situations wait so long to place aging parents or loved ones in an assisted living facility. Because of this, she cautions that it’s best for families to take further action before making the final decision.

“First, they have to deal with their guilt, but I always suggest a good physical to rule out something medical going on,” she said. “Get the doctor to be the heavy so that way you can say, ‘Mom, remember you have to do this according to your doctor’s orders.’ If you can place that responsibility on the doctor, then they aren’t so angry when you show up to visit.”

Even after any underlying medical reasons are ruled out, there are often more steps to complete before a person can and should call an assisted living facility their new home, according to Pippen.

“A Universal Assessment Instrument as well as interview with the prospective resident is done to determine someone’s appropriateness for assisted living and the care they will need,” she said.

Once the decision is made to move a loved one into assisted living, it’s important to be mindful of your and your loved one’s expectations since each facility and community offers a slightly different environment, though each is typically designed to include the same basics in terms of care.

“Assisted living provides 24-hour supervision, meals, housekeeping, activities and more, depending on the community you choose,” Pippen said of the definition of assisted living, though the majority of local facilities offer many additional programs, social activities and recreational opportunities.

While the selection process can be a stressful time for adult children and elderly parents alike, it’s important for both to come to terms with the need for assisted living care. While guilt can certainly linger, as Beamer points out, not all elderly parents feel slighted by the decision to be placed in assisted living. In fact, some even welcome the change, according to Lisa Austin, a Registered Nurse and Assistant Administrator at The Summit in Lynchburg.

“At times, people themselves identify the need for help. They realize that they are not able to do things like they once could,” Austin said. “Although sometimes hesitant to admit the need for assistance, we see that most people often are relieved and feel safe in their new environment.”

Austin recommends several ways to help ease the transition from home to an assisted living facility, including:

• visiting the facility before moving in
• meeting residents that live at the facility
• decorating the resident’s room with their personal belongings and furniture
• orientation to the facility

As for the effects of this change on the children of those entering assisted living, Beamer stresses the need for communication—with the facility’s staff, the doctors and the loved one themselves. This can not only alleviate some of the worry and guilt they feel, but can also help them to form relationships with those who work most closely with their loved ones, so they can be in the know about what’s taking place there.

“You have to be involved in the care of the family member. … Don’t fall into the trap of hearing a parent [at an assisted living facility] say, ‘No one fed me last night. They didn’t give me my pills.’ What you often hear is not what is usually the case, so talk to the staff. They will know what’s really going on,” Beamer said.

Once the transition is made, Beamer, Pippen and Austin all agree that the majority of people settle quite well into assisted living, and often even find a new sense of freedom there, knowing that their needs are being met.

“When your loved one is not functioning at the highest possible level and not being as independent as possible,” Pippen said, “assisted living can help with this by partnering with them to assist in their care and other needs. “

During these days of corporate downsizing, this question is not rhetorical. If your employer offered you a severance package to take a voluntary early retirement, should you accept it?

Your answer depends on a variety of factors. Most important of all, of course, is whether you still enjoy your job and still like coming to work every day. If so, you’ll be inclined to turn down the offer and continue working. But if you’re eager to move on to the next phase of your life, you might be tempted to accept the buyout package—if you can afford to retire.

To make that determination, you’ll need to consider several factors:

• Your family situation—If you have children, are they out of college? Whether they are or not, are you still helping support them? How about elderly parents? Do you need to provide them with financial support? You’ll need to know the answers to these questions to help evaluate your need to continue working.
• Your eligibility for Social Security—You can start collecting Social Security as early as 62, but if you wait until your “full” retirement age, which will probably be around 66, your monthly payments will be larger. And if you delay taking payments until you’re 70, you can collect the maximum payments. If you continue working, but also start taking Social Security, your benefits will be reduced, up until you reach full retirement age. After that point, you can earn as much as you want without losing any benefits.
• Your potential income stream from retirement accounts—You don’t have to start taking withdrawals (“distributions”) from your traditional IRA and your 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan until you’re 70½. But if you want to take early retirement, you’ll likely have to tap into these resources much sooner, so you’ll need to calculate some hypothetical withdrawal rates to make sure your money will last.
• Your investment mix—Outside your IRA and 401(k), you may well have built an investment portfolio over the years. As you contemplate early retirement, you’ll need to look at this portfolio to see if it’s structured, or could be structured, to provide you with both the income stream you’ll need as a retiree and the growth potential to keep your investment returns ahead of inflation, so that you don’t lose purchasing power over time.

As you consider drawing on your retirement accounts and your investments to help fund an early retirement, you may want to consult with a professional financial advisor—someone with the expertise and experience to help make sure you’ve got an income stream that’s big enough to support your lifestyle, but not so big that you’d eventually outlive your money.

Once you’ve considered all these factors, and gotten the help you need, you’ll be able to make an informed choice as to whether you should accept that early buyout offer—and then your future awaits you.

This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

Whether you’re a seasoned scholar or fresh out of high school, the knowledge that follows experience is unparallel. Knowing this, the Region 2000 Services Authority has amped up their efforts to bring such a knowledge of waste reduction and recycling to area classrooms.

Diane Dodd, Recycling Program Manager for the Region 2000 Services Authority, acts as both teacher and enthusiast in the local classrooms that invite her to educate students about recycling, littering and waste reduction.

“I have different projects and programs depending on the age group,” Dodd explained with an edge of excitement in her voice. “For the younger kids, around kindergarten age, I give them different scenarios—like what if they were riding in a car with me and threw a gum wrapper out the window? What would happen to that wrapper? I then go into detail about how the wrapper would either get picked up by an animal, which could harm it or end up in a landfill. I also read books to them like “The Day the Trash Came Out to Play” by David Beadle.”

No matter the age, Dodd is willing to share her excitement and recycling tips. Even educating the elderly in senior facilities, Dodd’s goal is to increase knowledge and respect for our surroundings.

“It’s all about having fun,” Dodd said. “If they’re having fun, they’re learning more.”

Explaining the different method she uses when teaching middle school aged students, it is clear that Dodd loves what she does.

“Around 7^th grade, students begin studying landfills. Some of them have never visited a landfill, so I bring a PowerPoint full of pictures of landfills and we even have a little craft time,” she said. “We make an edible landfill in a clear, plastic cup full of Oreos (to represent the dirt), fruit roll-ups (to represent the landfill lining) and M&M’s (to represent the trash). It’s important for them to understand what goes into a landfill, even before the first piece of trash.”

Dodd explains all aspects of recycling, even down to how expensive it is to create a landfill, the effects of methane gas and what leachate and contamination is.

“Even the kindergarteners know what leachate is now!” Dodd mused.

For the rest of us who may not know, leachate is defined as“a solution resulting from leaching, as of soluble constituents from soil, landfill, etc., by downward percolating ground water,” by dictionary.com.

Dodd is careful to cover more than just recycling and landfills, however, as littering and waste reduction go hand-in-hand with it.

“Recycling and littering, they go together. If you don’t litter, most of the time you are recycling. If you do not recycle, you’re going to litter—whether it be in your yard or in a landfill. People need to know what happens to the litter and how many recyclables end up in landfills. There are better uses for land than putting trash in it,” Dodd said.

Closing out each session with the students, Dodd likes to host a giveaway with a recycled item as the prize. Even if the prize is a pencil made from blue jeans or currency that has been pulled from circulation, the purpose is to show students how many uses an item has.

“Most materials can be used over again,” she said. “We are an economy of convenience instead of conservation. We all know the three ‘R’s’—Reduce, Reuse, Recycle—there is a reason ‘recycle’ is last. See where you can reuse a product yourself before you turn it into recycling.”

Once you have the mentality that recycling is the last resort, chances are you’ll find lots of creative ways to repurpose household items. Those mason jars that held pickles from your last cookout can become a vase for fresh flowers. Shirts you have outgrown can either be crafted into a new item of clothing or even a dust rag. No matter the item, repurposing can be a great learning experience for your children; one that gives you a greater appreciation for what you already have while giving your family a new creative outlet for what was once considered “trash.”

You can increase your flexibility, ward off stiffness, prevent long-term injuries and prepare for outdoor activities right on the job. Stretching your legs and upper body while you work increases circulation, improves posture and decreases fatigue while simultaneously improving your mental status and ability to concentrate. Taking frequent breaks to stretch—every hour if you are sitting continuously—is important to both your physical and mental health.

Blood will pool in your legs if they are stationary, which can result in blood clots. Exercising your legs for two to five minutes every hour during the day helps circulate the blood. Simple exercises include pumping your legs, pointing your toes and pulling them back and forth when sitting at your desk. If you can stand at your desk, move up and down on your toes. If you have balance issues, hold onto the desk during this type of exercise.

Because most work is in front of us, our upper bodies tend to collapse inward with a rounding of the shoulders and upper back. It’s important to stretch chest muscles to achieve good posture. When sitting, straighten your upper back and pinch your shoulder blades together. When standing, grasp your hands behind your back and push your shoulders back. It’s just as important to be conscious of stretching the upper chest muscles as it is to stretch the legs.

Back and shoulder pain are among the most common work-related complaints and are often caused by ordinary work activities such as sitting in front of a computer all day. Adapting the workplace to your job and using ergonomic principles and tools (such as wrist pads for the mouse and keyboard) can prevent long-term discomfort and injury. Office workers should be sure to have their computer screens adjusted so that there is a direct sight line to the screen.

You should not have to move your head or your eyes excessively in any direction in order to see the screen. It is also important to maintain proper posture in your chair. Make sure your chair is adjusted to the proper height and use a pillow or back rest in your chair so that you do not slouch.

Proper posture is extremely important to good health. When your body is properly balanced, you are not activating muscles unnecessarily. You also achieve better blood flow, which translates to a better oxygen supply. If you have the opportunity, take a walk away from your desk. Both stretching and walking help clear the mind and will make you more productive and decrease pain. For additional advice, you can turn to personal trainers at fitness centers who can help develop activity plans and teach proper forms of stretching and exercise.

It’s important not to bounce when you stretch or to cause pain. Posture is very important when you stretch so that you don’t overstress your muscles. Anyone suffering from chronic pain should work with a physical therapist to develop a daily stretching and activity plan. If you have been sedentary this summer, increase your activity levels gradually. Don’t be a weekend warrior because you’ll only injure yourself. Working with a personal trainer, even for a short time, can be beneficial. If you don’t have access to a trainer, look online or in the library for the proper way to do stretching activities.

Cooler air is right around the corner, and it doesn’t take much to limber up. A combination of stretching on the job and 10 minutes of stretching before and after any kind of exercise will help increase your flexibility, improve your fitness and prevent injury.

For more information about ways to stay healthy, both at work and at home, visit CentraHealth.com.

But to understand the importance of the fundraiser, you must first realize the impact of the Center it supports.

The Jubilee Center is a place of healing; a chance to teach children how to help others, get involved, work together and build a community. Having such an organization in our area helps create a better tomorrow for the children who arguably need it the most and for the community they are a part of. There, life lessons are learned, but when you step inside, it’s impossible to tell who is there to teach and who is there to learn. What is easy to see are the changes in the people’s lives that are giving back as well as the lives of those who come in need.

Susan Carrington, one of the founders and a current member on the board of directors, sees it as a gift to be a part of this organization.

“One of the most important things is your responsibility to give back to your community and all youth need to learn at a young age how to give back,” she said.

Brooks Morrison, a board member with the Center, could not agree more.

“It has such positive energy, it is hopeful and you can’t describe the feeling you get when you walk in the center and see all that is happening. It takes about 15 minutes of being there and you understand,” Morrison explained.

The all-encompassing nature of the center also means that it is open to everyone, no matter what your economic status is. No one is turned away. Families come to the center via nearby neighborhoods, schools and court referrals. The ages of the youth assisted are kindergarten through 12^th grade. This isn’t just a place for the youth though, as the Center also offers mentoring for the adults in their lives, many of which are single mothers.

Carrington and Morrison both feel that the Center provides invaluable experiences to the youth who come there. With so much self-esteem being built and life skills being taught, they say the children there are exposed to things they may have never been exposed to before. At the Center, it truly is about coming together.

Sheldon Anderson, a Jubilee success story, says that one of the biggest things the Center offers is hope.

“These children are not hopeless but they need someone to instill hope in them,” Anderson said. “They need someone to inspire them. They need someone to help them build a strong foundation.”

Anderson, who just three years ago was homeless and selling drugs to make money, now has a full ride at the University of Virginia and hopes to walk on the football team this fall. But he says he wouldn’t be where he is today if it weren’t for the Jubilee Center and the support of people there like Executive Director, Sterling Wilder. Today, with a one-year-old son and a world of opportunity before him, Anderson says he wants to invest in kids like himself, just as the Center invested in him.

“My ultimate goal is to write a book. I want to speak to the kids that are hopeless, the kids that are counted out, the kids that no one pays attention to. I understand that feeling and I want to help those kids,” he said.

Like most nonprofits in the area, the Center depends heavily on volunteers. Word-of-mouth, church groups, schools and events are where they see most of their volunteers emerge. One such event that will engage many of these volunteers is “Racing Under the Stars,” coming up on September 11. “Racing” is a fundraiser for the Center that looks to raise the standard in terms of charity functions in the Lynchburg area.

This grand event started as the Steeple Chase at Oak Ridge Estate in Arrington, Virginia. For five years, this fundraiser revolved around an actual horse race and was considered quite the family affair. Horses were brought in and garden clubs partnered with them for our area’s very own version of the Kentucky Derby. However, when the economy tanked, it became too costly to bring the horses in, so the Jubilee’s board began looking at fun alternatives.

As a result, the brand new “Racing under the Stars” event was launched last year and now takes place at Randolph College’s Claire Noyes Cox indoor equestrian arena on Hawkins Mill Road in Lynchburg. The atmosphere is still very equestrian in nature, but instead of featuring live horses, six videotaped races are played on large screens placed around the room. During the “races,” businesses and individuals have the chance to mingle, place bets with “funny money,” enjoy the catered event and take in the sounds of the Skyler McCurley Band.

As a Kaleidoscope event, this year’s event appeals to many different walks of life. The goal is to raise $75,000 for the Jubilee Center and Morrison hopes to accomplish this by drawing a crowd of 500 to 700 people.

“It is a good date for everyone to come together and reconnect and appreciate your blessings, all while supporting a cause where people may not be able to enjoy the same things,” Morrison said.

As Event Chair, Morrison recently took over planning and fundraising for the event and according to Carrington, is bringing the big city to Lynchburg. This year, there will be more TV’s and opportunities to see the races, and sponsors will have races named after them. There will also be a silent auction this year as well as live auction. Some of the items and packages that Morrison has secured for participants to bid on are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, including:

The “Embrace your inner Carrie Bradshaw” Package with transportation to and accommodations in New York City, tickets to an exclusive fashion week show, a champagne style session at a high-profile boutique and an exciting variety of designer donations and pre-trip pampering.

The “Head for the Hollywood Hills” Package with transportation to and accommodations in Los Angeles, tickets to an upcoming movie premiere, a set tour of a prime-time television show and a series of stylish accessories to ensure you are red carpet ready.

The “Make Your Home Even More Beautiful” Package with an assortment of furniture and one-of-a kind finds from design industry experts across the country, transportation to and accommodations in New York City, a scouting trip with a New York-based design team and a special outing with the publisher of a national design magazine.

The “Get Your Game On” Package with VIP tickets to several of the country’s most exclusive sporting events, golf with a celebrated golf personality, a game dinner for six with matching cellar wines and a collection of athletic accoutrements and experiences that will make the sports lover in you salivate.

With packages of this nature, and a $50 per person ticket price, plus VIP packages of 10 tickets for $1,000, Morrison hopes that securing the funding the Center is hoping for will be a home run. As for business sponsors, they actually get something back in return for their sponsorship. Each receives a number of tickets that can be given to reward employees and clients.

Ultimately though, amongst the glitz, glamour, networking and bidding of the event, “Racing Under the Stars” is all about a night of fun and appreciation.

“The event is to showcase to others how they can make a difference. We as a community have power and relationships that we need to use to help the community,” Morrison said.

With this in mind, “Racing Under the Stars” gives individuals and businesses the chance to bring opportunity full circle—after all, this is what the Jubilee Center does and is all about, and for one special night, it’s also what they are offering the attendees of this unique event. Whether you love the Kentucky Derby or just want to have fun and give back at the same time, “Racing Under the Stars” offers a night that benefits its participants in an entertainment sense, with the long-term goal of benefitting more kids like Anderson, who might himself one day be one of those “stars.”

For additional information about “Racing Under the Stars,” as well as sponsorship opportunities and ticket locations, please visit the Jubilee’s Web site, www.jubileefamily.org.

ACT I

Scene I: corner of Main Street, Lynchburg, Virginia

The building is hard to miss. Whether you’re driving down Main Street or coming into the city from Amherst on Route 29, you can’t help but notice it. Lynchburg’s Academy of Fine Arts is essentially the cornerstone of downtown, a reddish-brick building with white columns that sits right on the corner, at the end of the street. It has character, charm and a real presence here in the city; the building has been around since the early 1900s.

“Back then, it was the place to be,” said Meridith De Avila Khan, Director of Marketing for the Academy. “When the downtown was thriving, residents flocked to the theater to see plays and shows. The building had such grandeur—and we’d like to get it back to that.”

That’s why many city officials, residents and the Academy have not given up on the restoration of the building—a project that began almost a decade ago. Construction on the theater was put on hold because of a merger between the Lynchburg Fine Arts Center and the Academy of Music in August of 2003.

“The mission of the Academy of Music was to restore the theater and get it up and operational,” explained Dorrie Smiley, Director of Sales for the Academy of Fine Arts. “The mission of the 40-year-old Lynchburg Fine Arts Center was to nurture local talent in different art disciplines through productions, galleries and classes. We combined the two, with the mission to do it all.”

Smiley added that by combining the two, there would be a stronger financial and operating base to support the fine arts in the community.

“We have created a new pottery studio, a huge art space. We have classes and camps and productions in our warehouse theater, so we’ve made progress there,” Smiley said. “Now we just need to start on the restoration of the theater.”

To do that, a capital campaign is underway to raise $12.5 million.

“Architects have completed a design and development plan,” Smiley said. “The project could be started within a month or two of getting the money.”

Although public reaction has been positive to this project, Smiley said it’s not the best of economic times right now, and it’s been tough to get a secure source of funding. She said there are some good irons in the fire, but nothing is definite yet.

“This space is such a treasure. If people could just step inside, they could see the potential of what this could be.”

ACT II

Scene: Inside the historic theater, downtown Lynchburg

“This theater is the best kept secret in town,” De Avila Khan said, as she unlocked the door.

When you do step inside, you are instantly taken back in time. The original theater was built in 1905, destroyed by fire in 1911 and then rebuilt in 1913. Much of what you see today—antique theater seats, some broken, most covered in dust; the faint black and grey tiny floor files, shaped into vibrant patterns; the detailed molds that line the theater walls, outlining the balcony layers; the faded reds and blues and other muted hues of the crumbling walls—are all the real, original deal, dating back to 1913.

The theater was converted to a movie theater for a few years, before closing its doors in 1958. It hasn’t been opened for performances since.

As expected, there is much natural decay in this building and contractors have already torn into some of the walls to check the architectural integrity of the building. Anyone can see it needs a lot of work, but standing on the stage, looking out into the audience, you quickly see the vision of this restoration and can only think of what this theater could be.

Most who’ve seen it can’t help but be impressed with the building. It boasts great acoustics and perfect sight lines. It’s large enough to feel stately and glamorous, but not so large that spectators can’t enjoy an intimate performance. When completed, the theater will be able to seat around 900 people, just like it did decades ago. Standing inside, it’s easy to imagine what it would have been like decades ago, to dress up and go to the theater to watch Will Rodgers or George M. Cohan take the stage here (and they did, among many others).

The plan is for the theater to be historically restored, which means the Academy will receive historic tax credits on a state and federal level. Because the current theater does not have restrooms, any concessions or a large lobby space, those will be added in a building adjacent to the theater, and connected by a modern walkway. The walkway will also connect the current galleries, offices and open spaces to the theater.

In 1993, a windstorm destroyed the original fly tower, so a new one was recently rebuilt. It, along with the stage, is built to modern specifications and will allow for larger productions to come to town.

ACT III

Scene: a vibrant, thriving theater and downtown district, Lynchburg

“This theater is a huge part of the downtown revitalization, and would mean a lot for tourism here in town,” De Avila Khan said.

“There’s a huge need for this theater,” Smiley said. “I think the decision to merge and keep the facility downtown was the correct decision. Downtown is becoming quite the cultural district, and I think this can really help make downtown a destination.”

Smiley said she believes the community is aware of what kind of opportunity this can be to put Lynchburg on the map, and really help with the economic development of the area.

“We’re anxious to get going on this. I know the capital campaign committee is working diligently to pull the funds together. Hopefully, we can get started on this soon,” she said.

There are already productions in the warehouse theater, and Smiley said that space is also used for wedding receptions and other fundraisers. When the theater is finally completed, it will probably be used for rehearsal space. Today there are also theater and art camps at the Academy, along with art and pottery classes and even different gallery exhibits and shows opening every month.

“It’s difficult to say when the theater will finally be done and this whole project will be complete,” Smiley said. “But we can’t wait for that day to get here.”

Ryan George, president of Biplane Productions in Lynchburg, won 12 awards in the 2010 USA Today/NAA Marketing Competition, including one for Lynchburg-based Counts Realty & Auction Group. Biplane Productions is a national niche advertising agency and marketing consulting firm with auction event promotion and related campaigns in 40 states created from its Lynchburg office.

APPOINTED

Amazement Square, The Rightmire Children’s Museum, has appointed T.A. (Tim) Groover, P.E., President and COO of Wiley|Wilson, and Joseph A. Zwetolitz, Sr. VP Reactors and Services at AREVA Inc, to its Board of Directors.

Amazement Square’s 28-member board is responsible for the strategic direction and long-range planning of the museum. Amazement Square is dedicated to motivating children and adults of all backgrounds and abilities towards greater creativity and understanding of themselves and the world through hands-on learning. The Museum’s exhibits and educational programs encourage all participants to explore the arts and humanities, culture, science, technology and their interdisciplinary relationships. For more information, visit www.amazementsquare.org.

NEW HIRES

Wendy T. Knott has joined Century 21 All-Service as Sales Manager/Trainer. Knott will serve as Supervising Broker, overseeing the operations and training for associates located in their Appomattox, Lynchburg and Bedford offices, along with their newest office in Forest, due to open this month. With over 8 years of experience in the real estate industry, Knott formerly served as Branch Manager for Long & Foster Realtors and was an instructor at their Regional Training Center. Currently, she serves as treasurer on the Board of Directors for the Lynchburg Association of Realtors and is an active volunteer with the Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce.

Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation announces the appointment of Robert J. Day as the 5th Executive Director since opening almost 50 years ago. Mr. Day has a Masters of Social work and a Masters of Divinity from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He comes from Goshen, Indiana, where he worked in the Office of Advancement at Goshen College.

Additionally, Heather Bennett has been hired to be the Volunteer Coordinator, and alumnus Henry Carter has been hired to be the Alumni and Community Relations Coordinator. The two new positions are exciting first editions in a comprehensive growth plan that Day has begun to implement. These two new positions will allow Patrick Henry to build and cultivate an ever-growing volunteer base, as well as alumni and community involvement. For more information about Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation, visit www.patrickhenry.org.

CASA of Central Virginia is seeking volunteers who are interested in becoming Court Appointed Special Advocates. Currently, the greatest need for CASA volunteers is in Bedford County. The next training program will begin on September 2 and will be held on Thursdays through November 11 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the New Hope Academy of Bedford Group Homes at 1185 Turning Point Road in Bedford.

CASA of Central Virginia is a non-profit organization that recruits, trains, monitors and supports caring community volunteers to be advocates for the abused and neglected children involved in juvenile court proceedings in the 24^th Judicial District.  This district includes the cities of Lynchburg and Bedford and the counties of Amherst, Bedford, Campbell and Nelson.

For more information about CASA of Central Virginia and how to be trained as a Court Appointed Special Advocate, please call (434) 528-2552, e-mail staff@cvcasa.org or visit www.cvcasa.org.