Nancy Howell Agee, a native of Roanoke, was born in the very hospital that she now leads. The only daughter of Jo Ann Oney Howell and William Edward Howell, Nancy was born in 1952 at the then Crippled Children’s Hospital. Later there would be two brothers Richard William (Rick) and Gary.  Nancy’s mother was a native of Williamson, West Virginia.  Her father’s parents were from Harlen, Kentucky, moving to Roanoke so her grandfather could work for the railroad.  Her dad worked as a meat cutter for Mick or Mack Grocery Store, as did her paternal grandmother, Rena Kennedy Howell, a strong force in her life.  

 Nancy’s attended Virginia Heights Elementary School and Mt. Vernon High School for 7^th grade graduating from Cave Spring High School in June 1970. Nancy remembers her high school experience as a Junior Achievement student in the Company Program creating a box from rubber bands that could be reused as a bank. She was offered a full scholarship to the University of Virginia, the first-year women were admitted. Her parents were uncomfortable with the idea, so she enrolled in the Roanoke Memorial School of Nursing in the fall of 1970.  After completing the three-year diploma program, she graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1973.  She went on to earn a BS in Nursing from University of Virginia in 1979.

 While a student at UVA, Nancy worked her summers in Roanoke writing a National Institute of Health (NIH) grant to support the then- novel idea of cancer care in non-university settings.  The award, one of only twelve, was made while Nancy was a student in the Master of Science program at Emory University that she earned in 1981. Upon completion of her Masters, she was recruited and served as the director of the newly NIH funded cancer grant in Roanoke which served all the hospitals in the region.

 In 1983, Nancy wed her high school friend, Steve Agee, at Grandin Court Baptist Church in Roanoke.  At the time of their marriage Steve was a Delegate to the Virginia General Assembly and in 2003, Judge Agee was elected to the prestigious Supreme Court of Virginia by a bipartisan vote by both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.  The couple became parents in 1987 with the birth of their son, Zachary Steven.

Before becoming CEO of Carillion Clinic, a nearly $2 billion not-for-profit integrated health system headquartered in Roanoke, Ms. Agee served as executive vice president and chief operating officer. During this time, she oversaw day-to-day procedures and practice “servant leadership” combined with “ego strength” while stewarding the $1.5 billion operation.  Of the numerous facility and service expansions and technology innovations that she has witnessed, aided or orchestrated in her many years of service to Carilion Clinic, there are a few standouts such as  the advent of cardiac catheterization and cardiac surgery, electronic medical health records, developing an educational arm for the health professions locally through the Jefferson College of Health Sciences, and the monumental development of evolving from a hospital system to a clinic model with a large physician group, hospitals and other business lines.  Nancy is proud of the accomplishments and opportunities of the newest economic development engine for the Roanoke and New River Valleys:  the Carilion/Virginia Tech School of Medicine and Research Institute is bringing world-renowned physicians, researchers, and staff into our region to pursue the highest levels of complex patient care, medical education, and research.  

During her tenure as COO, she co-led Carilion’s reorganization from a collection of hospitals to a fully integrated, physician-led clinic. The reorganization resulted in a partnership with Virginia Tech to create an allopathic medical school and research institute. Carilion Clinic now includes seven hospitals ranging from the third largest in Virginia to mid-sized community and small rural or critical access hospitals. Carilion also operates complementary business lines, including home health, imaging services, pharmacies, and freestanding surgical clinics; and has a large physician group with more than 1,000 employed physicians.

Ms. Agee is a nationally recognized leader in health care, perennially named one of the Top 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and the Top 25 Women in Healthcare by Modern Healthcare. Ms. Agee has served on the Board of Commissioners for The Joint Commission (an international hospital accreditation organization) and is a past chair of the American Hospital Association (a membership organization representing the nation’s 5,000 hospitals), the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association and the Virginia Center for Health Innovation.

Nancy unwinds by reading health care and education papers, novels, and biographies.  She reluctantly admits to picking up the weekly People magazine as soon as it hits the stores.  In her quiet times she is always accompanied by her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Henry, and will travel whenever she has the opportunity.  She serves on numerous Boards and emphasizes her commitment to action not just a title. 

Nancy Agee was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2014.

Bruce Farrell received his first set of mechanic’s tools from his mother, Alma L. Farrell, when he was 14.  She may have regretted that when he eventually had car engines hanging from trees in their yard near Boston, MA, where he grew up. 

After starting his career at a Chevrolet store, he worked for the Chevrolet Motor Division, working from Virginia Beach, VA, and traveling extensively as a Field Service Representative.  He moved his family to Roanoke in 1976 to work for Donald Berglund’s Chevrolet store where he was quickly promoted to General Manager and became part owner.  This move allowed him to be home each night with his beautiful wife, Lucy, and three children, William, Virginia Brooke, and Michael. The Farrell family obtained full ownership of the dealership when Mr. Berglund passed away in 1987.  Eventually, Bruce’s son William took the lead of the company, becoming the President while his father remained CEO. The Farrell family’s hard work and determination have played a major role in the Berglund Automotive Group becoming one of the largest and most successful dealerships in Virginia.

Bruce Farrell is a great American entrepreneur success story.  Mr. Farrell began his career as a mechanic and today, along with his son William who is now President of the company, built an organization that owns and operates 31 automotive brand franchises in 12 locations throughout Southwest and Central Virginia.  The Berglund Management Group’s name, which now has more than 700 dedicated employees, was recently awarded the naming rights for our region’s premier Coliseum, Hall and Performing Arts Center, the Berglund Center.

A private man, Bruce and his wife Lucy have been silent donors to countless charitable organizations in our region for many years.  Mr. Farrell’s commitment to keeping things simple, focusing on his customers and employees and what affects the bottom line the most in business, and in life, are the principles he lives by.  

Bruce Farrell was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jim Wade was born in April 1954 in the Indian Valley section of Floyd County, Virginia. Jim was to be the youngest of three brothers who learned more about the world from the small rural farm they grew up on than any textbook. Farm life impressed upon them the importance of work ethic, common sense, and respect for people.  Jim’s mother Marie Akers Wade was a homemaker her entire life.   His father, Colen, also grew up in Floyd County and was self-employed doing carpentry and painting, and other ventures, in addition to farming.  Like most farmers of the generation, he built many of their farm buildings, including the home Jim and his brothers grew up in, based on repetition and not a manual.   Both of Jim’s parents grew up in the Depression and only had a sixth-grade education and their strongest desire was to make certain their sons would have a solid education and greater opportunities.

Jim’s earliest memories of the lessons learned about business came from his dad’s support and guidance for anything he wanted to try.  At around the age of six he would gather pumpkins from the family farm and would sell them from a roadside stand.  When Jim got a bicycle of his own with a basket, he would scout for empty glass soda pop bottles along the rural roads that could later be redeemed for five cents apiece at the local service station.   Jim’s fondest memories of his dad came from his positive approach to people and stated that he always looked for their strengths.

Jim attended Indian Valley Elementary for grades 1-7 and grades 8-12 he attended Floyd County High School.   Jim became a member of the Beta and Math clubs, and he participated in some intramural sports but his main job starting at 4:30 in the morning and continuing after school was helping on the farm.   Math and other classes, they would be called STEM curriculum today, were easy for Jim and he used that passion in determining his career.  Jim graduated high school in the top 10 of his class, that academic strength and the positive influence from his family made college a reality.

Upon Jim’s high school graduation, he was unclear about what his next steps could be and contemplated community college but his brother, Ernie, intervened and insisted upon him going to Virginia Tech especially because of his high academic standing in high school.  Because Ernie was living in Blacksburg, Jim was able to live with him part of the time and not incur the cost of room and board.  Jim found business-related courses to be very interesting and easy and that became the impetus for choosing Accounting as his field.  He says he also did enough research to conclude that with an accounting degree he could count on getting a job!  It was apparent that his choice was well thought out because he graduated second in his accounting class.  This led to Jim taking and passing the CPA exam in his last semester at VT.

After graduation Jim took a job in Roanoke with Peat Marwick & Mitchell Co., which later became KPMG where he worked from 1976-1980.  He held the positions of staff accountant and eventually Senior Accountant.  Beginning in 1980, Jim accepted an offer from American Motor Inns, his largest client at KPMG, and worked with the Krisch family as Vice President of Finance.  This move allowed him to go from Public Accounting to the business world, which he enjoyed much more.  Eventually he moved over to Operations where he had the opportunity to get more involved in the actual day-to-day running of the business.   Change occurred again for Jim as the Krisch family sold their business.   He was approached by Dick Lynn of Heironimus.  Dick shared his company’s needs and Jim accepted a position with Heironimus.  He worked there from 1987-1993 as the V.P. of Finance and Operations, until the company was sold in 1993.  

The most important turning point in Jim’s business career came at that time in 1993 when Jim received a call from Nick Taubman which led to a meeting with Nick and Garnett Smith to discuss the future Nick saw for Advance Auto Parts.  Nick outlined how Advance would become a leader in the auto parts business with 1000’s of stores and how he was looking for leaders to support that growth.  Nick asked Jim to join the company and when Jim asked what his position would be Nick assured him “we will figure it out when you get here.”  This confirmed everything Jim had heard about Nick and his belief in empowering people to lead and he quickly accepted this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Jim came to Advance when they were a $300 million corporation and today, they have grown to a $10 billion Fortune 500 company.  The tremendous growth has occurred by opening more stores and purchasing other chains.  With Jim’s background he was immediately drawn to Nick’s philosophy that has sustained Advance – Take care of our people, our people will take care of our customers, and customers will allow us to make a profit so we can do more of one or two.  Looking back, Jim has come to believe that the most important attribute of a great company is a strong culture built around employees who believe in their company and who are fully empowered to serve customers better than anyone else every day.

After serving as SVP-Logistics from 1993 during a time when the company grew from 300 stores to 800 stores, and a short stint as Executive Vice President, Jim was named President of Advance in 1999 upon the retirement of Garnett Smith.   During his over 20-year tenure, Jim led every part of the business in the company at least once.  Nick would probably say, we kept trying to find something he could do right!

From 1999 to 2003 the company grew from 800 stores to over 2000 stores because of two major acquisitions, Western Auto and Discount Auto Parts, both companies having over 500 stores each.  In his role as President, Jim led the acquisition and integration of the two companies.  At this time as he was serving as President, Jim also held the Chief Financial Officer title when the company went public and became a member of the New York Stock Exchange in 2001.

From the time that Nick changed the company’s name from Advance Stores to Advance Auto Parts until the mid-1990’s the company focused on providing Do it Yourself customers auto parts.  By the mid 2000’s it became clear that fewer people were working on their own vehicles and instead with vehicles having more technology were taking them to their local garage.  Advance was still 85% DIY, and it was clear the business model would need to change again.  Jim led the introduction of the company into the Commercial business delivering auto parts to local garages where they installed the parts.  Now the business model has shifted and 60% of the business is commercial, sales to local garages and only 40% is directed to DIY customers.

In 2011, Jim informed the team at Advance that he would be retiring from his position as President.  He was asked at that time to become a member of the Board of Directors and to continue to provide strategic leadership to the company.  As part of his continued role, he played a key role in the acquisition of Carquest Auto Parts in 2013 as a result of the relationship he had built with the owners of Carquest over the years as a competitor.  Today, Advance Auto has over 5,000 stores and is the largest auto parts distributor in North America.

Upon retirement as President from Advance, Jim was awarded the “Lifetime Achievement Award” in front of over 4,000 store managers at the nationwide Advance annual meeting…it was one of the greatest surprises to have this highly coveted award bestowed to him.

Through his years at Advance, it was understood that if you are a leader at Advance you are a leader in the community.   Jim has served on the Boards of United Way and led the Advance campaign, Center in the Square where he led Advance’s partnership with Center during the recent renovation, the Skelton Smith Mountain Lake 4H Center where he set up a scholarship fund in his father’s name to enable kids from Floyd County to attend camp, the Foundation for the Roanoke Valley, and several other local non-profit organizations.  Jim and Ellen are proud supporters of the March of Dimes and their research and assistance to kids with birth defects.  They have also taken on a significant support role with the VT Research Institute led by Mike Friedlander because of their cerebral palsy research and because they believe the Research Institute and connection to VT are so critical to the future growth of the Roanoke Valley.

During his years with Advance, Jim was also a leader in addressing issues that affected the entire auto parts industry in partnership with leaders at competitor companies.  He and his peer leaders led the effort to get an agreement with auto manufacturers that would enable consumers to have access to the diagnostic information needed to diagnose their vehicle problems.  You can relate to this if you have ever had your “check engine light” come on and wondered what it meant and what you have to do to get it turned off.  After several years of visiting Congressmen and Senators in DC, testifying in the Massachusetts legislature where a state bill was passed addressing this issue, and working to persuade auto manufacturers we could work together on this issue, a national agreement was signed in 2014 to make all diagnostic data available to your local garage.  Jim continues to work with the industry on the next big issue, how telematics data will be handled.  Just like on your smartphone, every time you drive a current model vehicle it is accumulating personal data on your driving habits, where you traveled, and much more and there is even concern that hackers could take over your vehicle while you are driving it by penetrating the computers in your vehicle.

In addition to his continued service on the Advance Auto Parts board of Directors, Jim serves on the Boards of two other public companies, Lumber Liquidators based in Williamsburg, VA, Tuesday Morning, based in Dallas, TX, and on the Board of a private equity owned company in New York.

Jim’s advice to young people.  Learn to be a leader.  The success you achieve in your career will not be what YOU YOURSELF accomplishes but what is accomplished by those who entrust you to lead them. Several traits that he shares with those starting out: find mentors, be a good listener, put others first, give others credit and take the blame yourself, learn something new every day, provide direction and let people do their jobs, be consistent, give others more opportunity than they think they can accomplish, always be honest with people who work for you and who you work with, without trust and integrity you cannot be a successful leader.

Jim Wade was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2015.

Kent Steven Greenawalt was born December 1, 1952, in Dubuque, Iowa, the only child of Jean Audrey Cross and Monte H. Greenawalt. The couple had married in 1950. 

Jean was born in 1920 and Monte in 1923, both Dubuque natives. Jean worked at the Pentagon during World War II in the purchasing department. Monte, like other brave men of his era, enlisted to serve in the Navy after the horrific bombing of Pearl Harbor. In his preparing to deploy, a tainted batch of vaccinations left Monte paralyzed. He was forced to live inside an iron lung for six months. As Dr. Monte would tell his son later, I prayed that I would die, but that didn’t work. So, I prayed that whatever would make me better, I would devote my life to it.   His mother finally said “enough” to her son’s situation. “We are going to try a Chiropractor.”  Monte was carried in. With help, he walked out. Monte’s path was now clear, and by 1948, he had earned his degree from Lincoln Chiropractic College in Indianapolis.

Kent attended Marshall Elementary School, Jefferson Junior High and the newly opened Hempstead High School, a member of its first graduating class in June 1971. By seven, Kent was helping at the family’s then-small company, located in a garage, assembling “casting kit” boxes, which were used to create molds of patients’ feet.  Kent was always an entrepreneur, shoveling snow and mowing lawns. In high school, he started a car waxing business. The business grew quickly, thanks to its free pick-up and delivery service, and some savvy marketing.  Kent’s strategy was simple: look for executives who wanted a clean car but didn’t have time to take care of it. At Dubuque Packing Company, one of the city’s largest employers, a young and persuasive Kent talked his way into a board meeting.  Not only did he earn the right to offer his service to plant employees, but every single member of the board also signed on.

While at Hempstead, Kent became a participant in Junior Achievement, a decision that would help to mold his future success and lead him to his first “real” job—as a home appliance salesman at Sears. After organizing a successful carwash fundraiser for J.A. outside the local Sears store, Kent approached his contact for a job.  He was just 17, the first high school student to ever work in the all-adult, highly competitive, and commission-based sales department. Soon he was outselling more seasoned adults; needless to say, he wasn’t winning any popularity contests among his colleagues. Kent was also busy honing his speaking skills through the J.A.  Speakers Corps, sponsored by the Dubuque Toastmasters Club, where he was dubbed “Mr. J.A.” His hard work and commitment led to being elected President three years in a row of the student-run enterprises. He was also and President of the Achiever’s Association, the equivalent of the J.A. Chamber of Commerce.  Kent earned the distinction of representing Dubuque at the National Junior Achiever Conference in Indianapolis, where his company was one of the top ten in the nation.  In addition, in a J.A. sales competition, he won best salesman at the local level; again, he won it at the regional level; and nationally, he won second place out of 156,000 competitors.

After high school, Kent attended business school at the University of Iowa pursuing a double major in Marketing and Finance. As head resident of his dorm, earning free rent and a small stipend. To cover the rest of his education expenses, he launched Kent’s Midnight Stereo, his latest business venture, from his dorm room. Drawing from the lessons he learned in J.A.; Kent struck a number of savvy deals with stereo wholesalers.  His “advertising” was minimal, but effective word of mouth and a bed sheet painted with “Kent’s Midnight Stereo Saves You a Ton” hung inside the campus rotunda. Orders poured in, and soon the loading dock of the dorm was jammed with giant stereo boxes.

Stereo retailers in town complained about Kent’s Midnight Stereo.  One stereo retailer sent an angry letter to the college—they did not like losing market share—and Kent soon found himself sitting face-to-face with a flustered administrator, faced with expulsion for running a business on university property. By the time the meeting ended, Kent had the administrator’s OK to continue his studies and his business—after all, Kent would graduate in a few months and the problem—meaning Kent—would go away.  And it wasn’t long before Kent had talked the gentleman into a brand-new stereo for himself.

Toward the end of Kent’s college career, he wrote his father a letter.  I want to join the family business, it said, but I would be totally useless to you unless I get some real-world business experience under my belt. He set his sights at R. H. Macy in Kansas City. The Macy’s recruiter was coming to campus, but all the interview slots were taken. Kent found out the recruiter’s name, called every hotel in town until he found her, and asked if he could meet her for a cup of coffee.  It worked Kent was her first interview at University of Iowa and he got the job. He spent a year as Department Manager over China, gifts and housewares and then three years working as Macy’s Men’s Suit Buyer.  Later he joined Connecticut General Life Insurance selling coverage for private and corporate businesses. He enjoyed putting together buy/sell agreements and stock purchase agreements between closely held businesses and establishing ESOPs for privately held companies. In 1979 he married, moved back to Dubuque, and began his adult career at Foot Levelers.  In 1981 Jamie was born. In 1987, his second daughter, Kelsey, arrived.

Meanwhile in Dubuque, demand for Foot Levelers’ custom-made orthotics was growing. Kent’s father, Dr. Monte, had purchased a dairy building and moved Foot Levelers out of the old garage. As was his dream, Kent was working at Foot Levelers, and he started at ground level, learning the businesses from the bottom up. Yet Kent steadily took on more responsibility, modernizing and systematizing company operations.  He developed an H.R. handbook, budget, systems and procedures for daily operations, and computerized records and order systems. A major factor in Foot Levelers’ growth was Kent’s work in establishing an Education Division. Speakers were recruited to cover topics like radiology, orthopedics, biomechanics, and sports injuries. Through partnerships with colleges, Chiropractors could earn continuing education credits while learning about the role orthotics played in injury prevention and treatment, and in improving biomechanics and overall wellness. Today Foot Levelers’ Education Department holds over 200 events a year.

By the early 80s, Foot Levelers were outgrowing the dairy, and the time was right to expand. Now company President, Kent launched a ten state, 100-city search. He created an exhaustive checklist of what to evaluate in a new city home—potential workforce, unemployment versus underemployment, tax rates, crime rates—the standard statistics an executive examines when starting a new business. Kent went further. He scrutinized SAT scores; looked at the number of churches; checked out the airports; counted the number of bowling allies and other recreation opportunities; he interviewed locals when he came to town. Out of 100 cities spread across 10 states in the running, Roanoke won. Plans were made for the big move. Kent and his staff initially put in many 18–20-hour days to get ready to produce the first custom orthotics in Roanoke, and the effort paid off. The first day of business was January 4, 1988.  Foot Levelers has been growing ever since, with customers in over 73 countries and counting.  In Kent’s words, he wants to “bring the world to Roanoke.”

Philanthropy is an important part of Kent’s life and of the Foot Levelers’ mission. Under Kent’s leadership, Foot Levelers has built libraries, student centers and cafeterias for Chiropractic colleges, in addition to endowing Chiropractic research, scholarships and faculty chairs. Two of this country’s bleakest moments spurred Kent to create a challenge among his Chiropractic network, pledging to match up $200,000 to aid 9/11 families and relief efforts. The results were fantastic! Not only was the gift matched; it topped out at $600,000. Again in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, Kent put out the same challenge, again raising close to $600,000 toward relief efforts. In 2016, Foot Levelers donated over $75,000 worth of shoes to victims of the massive wildfires in Canada and to the flood victims of Greenbrier County, West Virginia.

Locally, Kent has served on the boards of the Roanoke Symphony, Mill Mountain Zoo, the Taubman Museum of Art and Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia and is an active philanthropist in the Roanoke region. He has also served on the advisory board of St. Francis of Assisi and is a generous supporter of the SPCA, 4H Club and other worthy organizations. The adage that shape Kent’s philanthropic mindset is “you can’t give yourself into poverty.”

Kent and his wife Boska have partnered with three other couples to endow a conservation fund in Tanzania, Africa. The fund promotes anti-poaching practices, environmental preservation, clean water initiatives and job growth.  An early initiative was educating locals on the rewards of not poaching and setting up a nature refuge for animals.  The fund also underwrites job skill training in hospitality, spa services, culinary arts, animals and environmental conservation and more. All these initiatives are leading to greater prosperity in the area.

Kent is passionate about the benefits of Chiropractic care. To that end, he created The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress in 2003, a not-for-profit organization which “educates the public about chiropractic care through POSITIVE PRESS.” When clinical studies come out that speak to Chiropractic’s benefits, the Foundation’s Public Relations team makes sure it gets into the right media hands.  They also distribute real-life Chiropractic success stories, including endorsements from major celebrities like NFL Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice.  Last year alone, the foundation’s efforts have resulted in over 31 billion positive impressions in media impressions in the likes of Sports Illustrated, Good Housekeeping, the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and countless others.

Along Kent’s business journey he has shaken hands with heads of state, elected officials, and top executives.  He has also earned several awards and accolades recognizing his philanthropy and contributions to the Chiropractic profession. To name a few: the Lifetime Philanthropy Award from Parker College of Chiropractic, Dynamic Chiropractic magazine’s “Person of the Year,” the American Chiropractic Association’s Humanitarian of the Year award, the highest honor the organization can bestow upon a non-Chiropractor, the American Chiropractic Association’s President’s Award, Northwestern Health Sciences University’s “Brilliant Star” award, and the World Federation of Chiropractic’s Honor Award, and the Institute for Healthcare Consumerism’s CEO Leadership Award. (And the list goes on). Kent takes business inspiration from luminaries like Jack Welch and Ram Charan, who is also a friend, among others. He is an avid reader and student of business and the world—every day is an opportunity for growth.

The future for Kent and Foot Levelers is bright, and he has no intention of slowing down.  Today the company serves healthcare providers in over 73 countries, with satellite offices in Canada and Australia. Kent also sees a greater presence in Europe and Asia, where plans for more satellite offices are already underway. 3D and digital technology are playing a growing role in new products, from “smart” orthotics to new ventures entirely.  And while “Foot Levelers” is a household name in the world Chiropractors, having served tens of thousands of doctors and millions of patients, Kent wants to see his products help as many people as possible, in the Chiropractic realm and beyond.  Foot Levelers and its subsidiary companies have a growing presence in Physical Therapy, podiatry, family medicine, massage therapy, acupuncture, and plans to reach consumers directly are in the works.

Kent has several words of wisdom that he shares with aspiring entrepreneurs and business leaders:

 “Ask yourself: What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?”

Kent Greenawalt was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2016.

William Jacob Lemon was born October 25, 1932, in Covington, VA.  He was one of six children born to James Lemon of Botetourt County, and Elizabeth Wilson Lemon of Wayne County West Virginia. When Bill was young, his father moved to Covington to work at the Low Moor Iron Works.  Later he would move the family to St. Albans West Virginia and eventually, in 1941 back to Allegheny County, where he became an equipment mechanic at the paper mill, where he worked until retirement. Young Bill began working part time jobs as young as seven, splitting wood, and carrying in coal for an elderly neighborhood widow. As he grew so did the odd jobs like mowing lawns, delivering the local paper, and caddying on the Westvaco six-hole golf course. 

One of the men he caddied for was an attorney who told him he should go to Washington and Lee and become a lawyer.  That comment planted a seed in Bill’s mind that would guide him through his early adult years. “Bill” was educated in Covington schools.  He began his studies in the general curriculum, but on the advice of a teacher, switched to college prep. In high school Bill was elected each year to a school wide office in student government. At the end of his junior year, he was selected by the faculty to attend Boys State.  He was president of his senior class and participated in intramural sports. Bill says he attempted sports but was “too skinny” and without talent.

In September of 1951 all that studying paid off and he began his college career at Washington & Lee.  He had worked at the paper mill that summer and saved enough for his first year’s tuition and fees – About $500.While the Korean conflict raged on overseas, Bill hoped to return to the paper mill the summer following his freshman year, but a strike prevented him from working. His plan B was to enlist in the Army.  So, college had to wait.  Yet, Bill knew the GI bill would pay for his remaining education and allow him to purchase a home.

With the Korean war winding down, soldiers were being assigned to Europe and Bill was sent to Salzburg, Austria where he worked as an ordinance clerk in an infantry regiment as a corporal. 

Weekends and evenings were typically free, allowing young Bill to pursue his early interest in travel and experience Salzburg. By 1957 he had completed his undergrad degree in history and then his Juris Doctor degree in 1959.No stranger to hard work, during college he took jobs in a Lexington men’s clothing store six days a week, and during the summers of 55-57 he once again worked summers in the paper mill.

During college he met and courted New York native Barbara Boyle.  She had come to the Kappa Sigma Fraternity house to assist in the freshman rush. Bill finished law school while Barbara taught at Parry McClure High School in Buena Vista and Lee Junior High in Roanoke, until the birth of their first child, Sarah. Before all those great success stories could take place, Bill had to launch is law career! Which he did in Roanoke in 1959 when he took a job with the firm Martin, Martin, and Hopkins in Roanoke.

Early in his career, Bill engaged in general practice, with cases running the gamut from general district court to estate planning and health care law. When William Hopkins was elected to the State Senate, where he would serve for 20 years, Bill took over some of his caseload and became exposed to a more sophisticated type of legal work. In 1964 he became General counsel to a mortgage originating and servicing company. That same year, a client in the nursing home business came calling and wanted local participation.  Bill and Barbara borrowed some money and became founding stockholders in Liberty Nursing Homes. Bill was just six years out of law school. He would later buy out the interest of one of the other partners. 

From 1965 to 1972, Liberty operated four nursing homes in Virginia and two in North Carolina.  During these years, Bill was in on the ground floor navigating the newly formed Medicare program.   In 1972, Lemon became the sole shareholder in Liberty Nursing Homes Inc. which grew to 11 facilities in VA and NC. In 1981 Bill sold Liberty to a public company.  But the sale did not include other nursing homes owned by Bill and Barbara. He has kept one assisted living facility in Winchester, VA – The Willows at Meadow Branch that he maintains to this day.

The Lemon family are investors, for instance in the Wells Fargo Tower in Roanoke, among other many other projects. Bill’s love for real estate has been driven by the similarities to law, working with principles, and understanding issues. In describing his legal journey, he is quick to add “people should not be afraid of work, you must be dedicated, and most times the hours are beyond 9-5pm.   Bill likes to share an idiom that was repeated in the farming communities “The harder you work the more successful you become.”  Bill worked so hard that his whole law career has been sustained with what is now Martin, Hopkins, and Lemon PC.

Bill is Emeritus Trustee for Washington & Lee University, The George C. Marshall Foundation, and North Cross School and the Explore Park board.  He is a past president of the Roanoke Bar Association in 1983, and a recipient of the Frank “Bo” W. Rogers, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award from the Virginia Bar Association, he is still a part of the Virginia Bar Association and the American Bar Association.  Currently he is a board member for the Taubman Museum of Art and the Virginia Western Community College Educational Foundation.

Over the years, he, and Barbara, who passed October 7, 2014, were trustees at Second Presbyterian Church.  Barbara was present at the founding of the Center in the Square, she was past president of Western Virginia History Museum, Children’s Theater, Jefferson’s Poplar Forest and founding president of Western Virginia Land Trust now the Blue Ridge Land Conservancy.   Barbara was founder of the Shedd School which assisted children with specific reading and learning difficulties, she was a Trustee of Randolph Macon Women’s College and Union Presbyterian Church, and she was a founding member of the Foundation for the Roanoke Valley.   As Bill shared “we like to give back and help build the community.” The Lemons were among the first to have their “Briar Oak Farms” certified organic under the USDA National Organic Program.  Their farms in Botetourt and Craig counties raise certified organic grass for as many as 1200 head of Black Angus Cattle. For good measure, they started bee keeping in 1975.

Growing up in Covington did not provide much opportunity for travel.  As a teenager, sometimes he would hitch hike in any direction just to see what was on the other side of the mountain.  Later in life vacations were family focused, and he always reminded his children that he was taking them along on his vacations.  His travels have taken him to every continent except Antarctica.  He and Barbara most enjoyed the Italian Alps, Salzburg, plus some villages in Germany.    He continues to venture to Argentina with close friends.  Bill enjoys hunting upland birds in the States and Argentina, Mexico, and Scotland.

In reflecting upon the important milestones in his life, he mentions the people and schoolteachers who gave him advice and encouragement.  His meeting and marrying Barbara, and his education at Washington and Lee. Also, his time spent at Martin, Hopkins and Lemon, his opportunity to become a part of the long- term health care business at its beginning, growing the business and then selling it to provide the capital to invest in new ventures.  From the day he caddied for that attorney in Covington who planted the seed that Bill would attend W & L, to the successful legacy he has today – the journey has been buoyed by humble beginnings in Alleghany County — to hard work and wonderful connections to people interested in success and ethics.

William Lemon, Sr. was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2016.

Susan K. Still was born May 15, 1953, to Mabelle S. King and Smithey C. King the middle child of three girls.  Susan graduated from Martinsville, HS in 1971.   Her greatest joy growing up came from reading books about individuals who needed saving, she dreamed of being an attorney or helping others by becoming a social worker.  Her father was quick to instill in her that she needed a profession that would help her generate a solid income and let her love for math lead her. 

Susan realizes it was her family members that shaped her career choice beginning with her maternal grandmother.   Her grandmother started a bakery “The Mixing Bowl” on Broad St. in Richmond, VA during the depression – the year was 1926 and her specialty was yeast breads, the bakery still exists today in a new location in the city.  Susan grew to cherish her grandmothers’ fortitude, creativity and vision to begin a business in the worst of economic times and make it work.   Susan’s mother was a gregarious woman who served as the Director of Social Service in Martinsville after earning her sociology degree.  Again, at the age of 60 her mother completed a nursing degree to fulfill her desire to become a registered nurse at the Stratford in Danville.  Susan gained an appreciation from her mother about the work-life balance and raising children – “if Mom’s happy everyone is happy”.   The other person she cites for giving her direction was her father Smithey a University of Virginia electrical engineering graduate who became an engineer for Dupont’s Nylon plant in Martinsville.  The King family were among the first to arrive in 1951 and established a solid middle class in the area because of the plant’s opening.

Susan’s early family influence led to a love for music, during middle school she was on the choir and took enough piano lessons to work part-time as a piano teacher while in high school.  Susan also enjoyed competitive swimming in her pre-teen years.  Coming from a family of leaders in high school Susan was involved in student government, she served as freshman class treasurer and junior class president.   In addition to Susan’s time teaching piano, she was as a clerk at a local department store.

 Susan attended University of Richmond from 1971-73 and completed her undergrad work at Virginia Tech from 1973-74 earning a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting.  Susan pursued graduate work at UVA in banking completing that degree in 1982. The banking career path started with Dominion Bank shares as a credit analyst and then to operations in Blacksburg. She then began working with Dominion Bank in the commercial side of the house for ten years. Beginning in 2003 Susan took on a position with SunTrust bank for two years, she then was tapped in 2005 to become the CEO of HomeTown Bank Shares.  Susan is the second female bank CEO in Virginia and the first female CEO in Southwest Virginia.

Sitting at the helm of this five-branch banking system Susan remarks that automation has changed the way banking is done with digital clearing of checks, mobile banking, proof machines that encode the amount.  Community bank growth is a result of technology, along with changes in interstate banking beginning with 1990 in Virginia.  HomeTown of course was bold in creating lengthy operation hours of 7am – 7pm the board made that conscious choice to match retail store hours to catch people who are wanting to do their banking after hours.  Susan knew banking was the right fit for her because it allowed her to work with numbers, help people individually and finance businesses that produce jobs.  Basically, it comes down to strengthening the community and making it a better place to be.

The success of this banking system has led to Susan being appointed to the Virginia Federal Reserve she is one of nine members of this esteemed board.  The composition of this board is four women and five males, three bankers and the rest presidents or CEOs of large corporations and Goodwill Industry.   She comments that she never felt like she encountered barriers in her banking career because she was a woman.   She does enjoy the occasional compliments she receives from young women who thank her for being a role model and pursuing her career with a great confidence.  Susan has also served on the American Bankers Association board and the Virginia Bankers Association board of directors.

When asked to define HomeTown Bank culture, Susan shared it’s about “servant leadership/being a good citizen in the community”.  Asked how this is accomplished Susan believes it comes from being customer focused, friendly, her staff will fight for their customer to be financially successful.

When asked what advice, she would share with young people it was earnest and came to mind quickly – “love what you do when you go to work!”

Susan has been very involved in the community over her forty years of banking and networking.  She is currently on the board of the Roanoke Valley Chamber of Commerce, North Cross School, the Business Council and a Past Chairman/Governor Emeriti of the Foundation for Roanoke Valley and a sustaining member of the Junior League of Roanoke Valley. 

Past board membership has been for the American Bankers Association’s Community Bankers Council in Washington D.C., Virginia Association of Community Bankers Board of Directors in Richmond, VA, Junior Achievement of Southwest Virginia, United Way of Roanoke, Center in the Square, Roanoke Symphony, Science Museum of Western Virginia, and Shenandoah Club.

In summarizing her success, it in part comes from the support provided by her board of directors – she remarks on four of the charter board members:  former Dominion Bank shares President Warner Dalhouse who used as his measuring stick “the customer comes first.”  In his banking role, he came to know Susan and her work ethic so as the HomeTown bank was being established, Warner was an advocate for recruiting Susan to take the helm. Today HomeTown cherishes its work associates and the promotion of local events as it celebrates over a decade of experience from Smith Mountain Lake to the New River Valley. 

Susan Still was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2017.

David Ronald Goode was born in Jefferson Hospital in Roanoke VA, on January 13, 1941.  He is the older of the two Goode children, having a younger sister Martha. They grew up in Vinton, where they learned important business and life lessons from their hard-working parents Otto and Hessie, (better known as Martha) Goode.

Otto Goode came from a coal mining family in Wyoming County WV.  As a young man, Otto’s potential was seen by the owner of the coal mine, who sent him to Virginia Polytechnic Institute.   Unfortunately, this financial help ended when Otto decided not to return to the coal fields and was honest enough to tell the mine owner who sent him off with his blessing but no financial aid.  He moved to Roanoke, entered Roanoke College, and began his business career at Sears Roebuck selling and repairing radios and appliances and taking classes at Roanoke when he could. According to his son, Mr. Goode took classes for years at Roanoke College.   During this busy time, he met Hessie Maxey, a Bedford County native and graduate of Jefferson High School and Radford College.   She taught school in Moneta and Stewartsville until she and Otto were married.  

Mr. Goode took his profit sharing from Sears and bought a store on Lee Avenue in Vinton, opening Goode’s Department Store.  Goode’s Store was a mainstay in the Vinton community well into the 1970’s.   The whole Goode family worked in the business.  Everyone in Vinton knew Otto and Martha Goode.  David remembers working with his parents well before he could reach the keys of the cash register.  David learned what it took to be successful in business at Goode’s Store, treating work seriously, working hard, always doing the right thing, and dealing fairly with everyone.  David recalls his father’s advice on the importance of customer service “…every person who walks through our door is our customer and deserves service and respect.”  Developing this work ethic as a child would serve him well as CEO of the Norfolk Southern Corporation and would culminate with him being named Railroader of the Year in 2005 and 1998.

It should be noted that Otto Goode became a licensed real estate broker in his 50’s and worked until he was 94.  Not only was he a well-known business leader in Vinton, but also as a civic leader.  Mr. Goode was one of the founders of the Vinton Dogwood Festival, in addition to serving on the committee that built the Vinton War Memorial in 1944 as a salute to the area’s WWII veterans.

David Goode humbly states that his time in high school was unremarkable.  He played the trombone in the band, but “not well”.  This “unremarkable” man graduated from William Byrd HS in 1958 as valedictorian.  He went on to Duke University where he began as an English major, later switching to accounting.  An early venture into business was as Business Manager of the Duke Chronicle.  “We operated independently, and the Editor and I put in a profit-sharing plan which was very popular.”   During his summers he worked as a park ranger on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  While at Duke he met and fell in love with the former Susan Skiles at fraternity mixer, she was a history major from Wilmington Delaware. 

After graduating from Duke, Mr. Goode went to NYC where he worked as an accountant for Price Waterhouse.  He decided within a year that he really didn’t like accounting.  Once again, he humbly describes himself as a “failed accountant”.  He entered Harvard Law School and he and Susan married in 1964 while he was still in law school.  She worked at New England Telephone to pay the bills.During law school, David worked for the law firm Martin, Hopkins, and Lemon in Roanoke.  He was on his way back to New York but before he graduated Linwood Holton interviewed David to come to work for him in Roanoke.  As fate would have it, both Bill Hopkins and Linwood Holton asked him if he knew anyone at N&W as there were several Harvard Law School graduates working for the railroad.  Even though David had promised Susan she would not have to live in his hometown, David decided to see what was available at the railroad.

He met Jack Fishwick at the N&W on a Saturday morning.  Fishwick introduced him to Bob Claytor, then VP of the N&W law department.  The RR was setting up the tax department and Claytor pointed him to the new Tax Counsel Jim Carr who decided David Goode had just the qualifications needed.  Also, his salary with the RR was the same as what he could expect in NYC.  He told Susan coming to Roanoke would mean they would have “all the money in the world”.  He is proud to say that lucky Saturday led to a lifelong job at the RR.   Bill Hopkins and Linwood Holton encouraged him to cast his lot with the RR and they became lifelong friends.

David joined the railroad as a tax lawyer in 1965 and by 1971 he was appointed director of taxation.  With the creation of Norfolk Southern he remained in Roanoke and became Assistant Vice President of Taxation and devoted his efforts to civic causes.  He was President of the Roanoke Valley Council of Community Services, Mill Mountain Theater, the then Roanoke Art Museum at Cherry Hill and was one of the groups who created Center in the Square.

In 1991, then Norfolk Southern CEO Arnold McKinnon gave Goode the opportunity to move to Norfolk as Executive Vice President, Administration as it turned out preparing for the CEO job.  Successively, he became President, and the Board elected him Chairman, President, and CEO on McKinnon’s retirement in 1992. One of Mr. Goode’s first activities after accepting the role of president was visiting the railyards and offices of those, he would lead spread all over the railroad.   From those visits one gentlemen’s statement that replayed in Mr. Goode’s head as he made important decisions was: my father and grandfather worked for this railroad and I have been an engineer for 20 years, “I hope you’ll see to it there’s a job here for my grandson, too.”   That reaffirmed for David that the obligation and responsibility that goes with the opportunities of leadership. 

Goode’s priorities were 1) safety 2) customer service (exceed expectations) and expanded financial goals.  Faced with dramatically changing business in the 90s, his leadership emphasized technology to increase efficiency and performance and the development of new business models like intermodal systems to improve the rail product.  Norfolk Southern became the fastest growing intermodal system.  The railroad’s financial performance improved steadily while the nation’s industrial economy shifted to consumer-based services.  The test of the 90s for Norfolk Southern was moving a large company with 150-year roots into a radically changed economic environment.  One part of that mission was improving the geographic scope of Norfolk Southern. 

Some say, Goode’s greatest challenge to his leadership occurred in October 1996 when CSX announces a merger with Conrail.  This deal would dwarf Norfolk Southern – so Goode countered CSX’s offer with a better one and engaged in an epic corporate battle for dominance in the Eastern transportation business.  In the end a split of Conrail left Norfolk Southern positioned with geographic coverage through the eastern half of the country and significantly larger.  This deal landed Goode honors and named 1997 Logistics Executive in Distribution Magazine and Railway Age named him Railroader of the Year.  Virginia Press named Goode Virginian of the Year –1999.

Never before had a major corporation been dismantled and divided between two other corporations.  Even the best planning of this merger could not have anticipated the complexity of the deal.   Execution of the merger was difficult – leading to service problems, financial losses, and a significant recovery challenge.  Goode believes that challenges like this are the true test of organizations and businesspeople.  Norfolk Southern came out of the trough stronger and more successful than ever and Goode is credited for his leadership in bringing Norfolk Southern and the rail industry into a new “Rail Renaissance”.

The test of business leadership is to do well in good times and bad.  Persevere, make sure your values are sound and never compromise your values.  That’s the business ethic that leads to long term success — things like fifteen straight Harriman Gold Medals for safety and ultimately record stock values and business growth.

Even though Susan had not wanted to live in Roanoke, Roanoke and the railroad were very much their home.  Susan taught fourth grade at Cave Spring Elementary School and became very involved in the community.  Among her interests are the League of Women Voters and the Junior League of the Roanoke Valley.  She served on the Roanoke City Planning Commission, becoming the first women to chair it.   During her tenure the first comprehensive plan for Roanoke since the 1900’s was completed.  She also led Mill Mountain Theater, and was active with the Symphony, Roanoke Valley Chorus and sang with the South Roanoke Methodist Choir.  She now serves on the Virginia Museum of Art Board and the Virginia Historical Society.

David Goode truly believes that “business is the business of life” and is troubled by the lack of understanding and distorted view some young people have about business.  Early in his railroading career David understood the importance of passing an understanding of how business works on to the next generation.  In the late 60’s, David served as an advisor to a JA company sponsored by the N& W; one of JA of Southwest Virginia’s founding companies.  He was also very involved with the Jaycee’s.  David believes through Junior Achievement young people learn basic business principles, that being in business is a very satisfying and useful thing to do.  Young people need to get a sense that “business is the world”, and that “business makes things happen”. 

It troubles Mr. Goode that young people get a distorted view of business from TV, movies, and newspapers, and that many of them view business as evil.  Those in the corporate world must work to put respect back into the business.  He knows that most people in business are good, hard working, serious people.  These are traits that businesses and Junior Achievement are striving to build in the workers of tomorrow. He thinks that the first thing future workers need to know, to be successful is “first show up”!  Be there, stick with it, be available for the hard jobs, understand that there will be ups and downs in every job.  If you aren’t there, you “will never know when opportunity arrives”.

David Goode believes that the basic tenets of business are the same he learned at Goode’s Department Store, in Vinton.  Take care of the customer, serve them crisply and efficiently, with honesty, integrity, and fairness.  A good business focuses on the customer’s needs and always does the right thing.  “If you focus on the money you will fail, focus on integrity and people and success will follow.”  David Goode has lived with this code of ethics and has based how he conducts business on this code.  Following what he learned from his parents has brought great success to this humble man.

Civic Roles: Director on the boards of Caterpillar Inc., Texas Instruments, Delta Air Lines, Russell Reynolds Associates, Chaired the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the National Business Committee for the Arts.  Vice Chair of the Kennedy Center Corporate Fund Board, Hollins University, The Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.  Member of the Business Council and Business Round Table, he served three times as chair of the Association of American Railroads.

David R. Goode was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2007.

Spencer Frantz has the distinct pleasure of being Roanoke born and raised, and he has called this area home for all his 76 years. Spencer named for his maternal grandfather and a Roanoke banker, is the middle of three boys born to Virgil and Elizabeth “Dollie” Spencer Frantz.  Before they could understand the world, the boys would be acclimated to entrepreneurship and forever tied to the business savvy of their grandfather Graham White Manufacturing Company produced some of the most intricate and important equipment to keep train locomotives on the move. 

In 1914 when Mr. White, a pipefitter for N & W railroad and an idea man, plus Mr. Graham, an investor, formed a partnership with James Frantz, Spencer’s grandfather.  James Frantz was the glue for the team, and worked behind the scenes (obviously because the Frantz name never became a part of the company name) at White American Locomotive Sander Company.   The company produced the first-ever sanding device from its location at 316 South Jefferson Street in Roanoke.    This apparatus distributes sand onto the rails to create the much-needed traction under the wheels of the trains still today.   The sanding device patent was not issued until 1918, at the same time railroads hit a “freeze” because the government took over the lines while World War One waged.

 In a 1917 business listing of Roanoke’s incorporated businesses, Mr. White is listed as President, and Mr. Frantz as Secretary-Treasurer.   Mr. James Frantz ran the business from its inception and the business hit tough times with the new government-run rail lines.   It wasn’t until 1921 that the business could resurrect.  Reorganized in 1925 under the name of Graham White Sander Corporation, Mr. Frantz was the V.P/ Treasurer and Graham and White had dropped out of the business.  His son, Virgil (Spencer’s father) had an illness that forced him from Washington & Lee in May 1924.  The ensuing Great Depression required Virgil to stay with business.   When the business took another blow, however, the Frantz family fell back on the family orchards to survive. 

In the early 1930s the orchards yielded 50,000 -60,000 bushels of apples and almost 30,000 bushels of peaches.  The manufacturing business started to rebound in the early 1940’s and around 1942 James Frantz took ill and the leadership of the company now belonged to Virgil Frantz.  The annals reveal that James Frantz was an entrepreneur running an automobile dealership in Roanoke before running G-W.   James Frantz was a proponent of education graduating in 1898 with a strong grade point average and serving as editor-in-chief for Roanoke College’s first annual.  His majors in Greek and Latin from Roanoke College provided his first job teaching the same languages as an instructor at Botetourt Normal College. 

The three Frantz grandsons Lanier, Spencer, and Bouldin all were intrigued with the business as tikes because they knew it helped to make trains run, and what could be more exciting than to hear and see up close those glorious steel work horses.

Spencer too would appreciate education attending Roanoke City schools until 5^th grade, then 6^th grade through 10^th grade he attended Andrew Lewis High School and completed his junior and senior years in a New York boarding school.  Young Spencer learned firsthand the meaning of a work ethic by rising early during the summers to work on the family’s farm and orchard in Salem located where the current Hanging Rock golf course exists.  The farm was important during the volatile economic times of the depression and impending wars.  The Frantz family had cattle, pigs, and an orchard that was plentiful with peaches and apples.  In the mid 40’s Spencer, his brothers and parents raised and trained Tennessee Walker horses that were placed in many horse shows in the area.   It is the memories of working the back break hours in the orchards that made Spencer appreciate education and the opportunities that he would be afforded.

Spencer returned to Virginia after boarding school and spent four years at Washington and Lee graduating in 1954 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce.   He was also active in the college’s ROTC program.   Like many men of the time from 1955-1957 Spencer served on active duty with the Army, going through basics at Fort Eustis and then assigned to Thule, Greenland as a member of the Transportation Arctic Group for a year and finishing out his commitment at Fort Eustis for the remaining year.   That one-year experience in Greenland is recounted in an article “Men Against the Icecap”.  Spencer and his unit were the first to experience continuous movement over an 1,800-mile Greenland icecap trail during the winter blackout.  Crevasse detection, blizzards, and bridging were major concerns along with temperatures that froze engines.  Their trek taught a lot particularly new ideas on arctic clothing and gear were born.  Spencer and his unit have remained friends for over 50 years, gathering frequently for reunions throughout the nation.

Personally, after several social events and chance meetings in 1950 and ‘51 with the lovely Joy of Charlotte, North Carolina, Spencer through the insistence of a close friend took Joy on a date in 1952. They married immediately after Spencer’s college graduation.  Joy knowing, she had met the man of her dreams gave up college in her sophomore year to marry and travel to Greenland, and the newlyweds have remained together, this year celebrating 55 years of marriage. 

Once the Army obligation ended Spencer became a part of the Graham White operation from 1958-68, Spencer was learning the fine points of running a company by working in purchasing taking on the benefits program and several other departments before becoming the company treasurer.  Spencer’s older brother, Lanier, was already putting in full days working in managerial positions of their father’s new acquisitions.    This work experience helped him appreciate his father’s philosophy of supporting the “Graham White family” with respect.  Many of the G-W employees have worked for 30 years.

Graham-White was strictly a manufacturing company until 1956 when key salespeople from another firm very familiar with G-W products created the Graham-White Sales Corporation. It was during this time that The Salem Boats Division of Graham-White Manufacturing was formed in 1955 because of Virgil Frantz’s passion for boats. Semi-finished boat hulls were imported from Germany.  The engines and other equipment were installed in Norfolk and at the Graham-White plant.   Eventually the whole manufacturing process was at Graham-White until it closed in the early 60s.   Some of the buildings used for boat manufacturing now house the Graham-White foundry.

Spencer’s increased knowledge of the company and stints in the leadership role while his father conducted business around the nation only to be curtailed by his father upon his return to the plant proved to be daunting. 

Spencer along with financial backing from his older brother and a business partner pursued their entrepreneurial yearnings and he started the Tread Corporation in 1968.  Spencer served as President.  Spencer led this business for nineteen years.  The company distributed high explosives and later produced storage containers for high explosives used in excavation work.  This successful business led to a subsidiary, Treadlok, the first manufacturer of a gun safe for the shooting sports industry.

The Graham White Company was also growing as its engineers were designing and getting new devices patented to make the rail industry safer and speedier.  Four new items have become standards from the Graham White line of quality products.

1. Air dryers – a device that compresses air removing moisture.  First designed for the rail industry, they are commonly used today for buses and light rail in large cities.
2. G-W solenoid valves are designed with pipe brackets to permit easy maintenance as required. As a result, no air connections need to be disconnected. This reduces out-of-service time for equipment and saves money. A unique duplex solenoid valve is available for one inlet connection and two outlets for dual operation.
3. Bell ringer – the warning device for locomotives as they back up, this air motor makes a bonging sound when in use, and it’s the casting of the clapper that GW does.  In the last couple of years, the bell ringer has evolved to become strictly electrical, and it creates the same “bong” sound.
4. Parking brakes for locomotives were manual and were being phased out in favor of an electronic brake.  This evolution eliminated the variable of equal pressure being applied based on the strength of each engineer that had concerned the rail industry.

The development and patent of these many railroads related devices involved working with foundries, and companies that eventually were acquired by Graham White because of their ability to turn out quality products.  These successes led to the physical G-W plant outgrowing its space in Roanoke and forcing the company to its current Salem site in 1949.   The two-acre site boasted a new plant that was built from scratch using a lot of G-W’s own people, Lanier Frantz remembers welding on the roof.  This new facility doubled the workforce, and production space and customer base.    This growth was pleasing to Virgil Frantz who had the uncanny ability to find people that could translate his mechanical mind mapping into a real product.  Virgil did not believe in the words “it can’t be done”, because he would prove the nay sayers wrong.  It was this forceful and creative man that traveled to many parts of this country to try to learn from the best that also cramped the management style of his sons and led to their own entrepreneurial ventures.

In 1988 Spencer came back to Graham White as President/CEO to succeed his father’s leadership and provide the transition for Lanier Frantz to become chairman of the board.  One of the first steps Spencer took in his new position was the transformation of the engineering department and he introduced strategic planning to ensure future growth.  Spencer is credited for creating a team-oriented approach to get most of the talented workforce.  In the mid 1980’s the company was experiencing growing pains and luckily there was an empty plant across the street that made for the perfect solution once it was renovated, and the company moved in 1987.  This great move resulted in a 309,000 square foot facility located on 20 acres.

 Like the generations before them, 1993 saw another change in leadership with the 4^th generation taking the helm with Jim Frantz, Spencer’s son taking over as president of Graham White.  The other striking change for Graham White that guaranteed a strong work corps was the creation of an ESOP that includes the Frantz family members and 20 stockholders.

Spencer’s sons, Jim Frantz and Robert Frantz have grown up with a fantastic legacy both were graduates of Washington & Lee like many of the Frantz men of the generations that preceded them.  Both young men went on to obtain MBA degrees: Jim received his from Wake Forest and Robert received his from Thunderbird in Arizona.  Robert spent a couple of summers in odd jobs at Graham-White but has spent most of his adult years working in the banking industry.

Today Spencer is the Vice Chair of the Graham White Manufacturing Company and comes to work every day he is in town.  His wealth of knowledge about the business provides perspective for expanding Graham White’s footprint- which now includes locations in Carson City, Nevada, and Shreveport, Louisiana.

Spencer’s business savvy is equally matched with his interest in the community.  He provided leadership in 1998 to the Roanoke Valley YMCAs in securing a superb campaign team that met and exceeded their goals to provide new sites in Roanoke city and Salem.  His fundraising success has led to positions on the Salem Historical Museum board, YMCA Youth outreach drive, and the Blue Ridge Boy Scouts Council.  Spencer’s love of the outdoors has served him well on board the River Foundation. 

Graham-White under Spencer’s administration donated 22 acres of its previous plant location to the City of Salem and that is now known as the Moyer Sports Complex.   The complex features four playing fields and is home to many tournaments that generate a large revenue stream for Salem.

When Spencer was asked what his best accomplishment has been in life, he responded being married to Joy.  The couple enjoys travel, and their favorite places are Switzerland, Nepal, and Africa.  When in town the two are very active as elders for Salem Presbyterian Church and have served the church in many roles as lifelong members.   They are also the proud grandparents of three and the oldest grandchild Jim Frantz, Jr. makes the fifth generation to attend Washington and Lee University.

Reflecting on his life professionally and personally, he admits that the Golden Rule has always served him well.  In addition to upholding his father’s belief in the Graham White employees and creating an environment that would support their best interest.

Spencer Frantz was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2009.

During his time at Virginia Tech, Samuel L. Lionberger was a member of the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets and the Commandant’s staff, the Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, the Scabbard and Blade Society, associate judge in the Cadet Honor Court, and served as class president.

Following graduation, Lionberger served in the United States Army Corps of Engineers, where in 1964 he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Shortly after his service, Lionberger returned home to his native Roanoke and joined his family’s construction business, Lionberger Construction. He served as president and then chief executive officer from 1975 until his retirement in 2010. His loyal service and devotion to his beloved alma mater culminated in membership and active participation on wide-ranging boards and foundations including: the Virginia Tech Foundation Board of Directors, the national Campaign Steering Committee of the Campaign for Virginia Tech: Invent the Future, the W.E. Skelton 4-H Educational Conference Center at Smith Mountain Lake Board of Trustees, the Virginia Tech Alumni Board, and the advisory boards of the College of Architecture and Urban Studies, and the School of Building Construction.

With his wife, Lorinda, Lionberger also holds membership in the President’s circle of the Ut Prosim society which is dedicated to recognizing the leaders of philanthropy in their generous giving to the university. Further, in keeping in line with the university’s motto, Lionberger’s community outreach includes service of the Roanoke Corps of the Salvation Army, the Military Family Support Center, and numerous other college and business boards. Lionberger’s dedication to the university culminated in 2012 when he was awarded the Ruffner Medal, Virginia Tech’s highest honor for distinguished and honorable service.

Samuel L. Lionberger was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2008.

Lorinda Thomas was born on August 7, 1945, in Roanoke, VA. She graduated from Patrick Henry High School there in 1963 and from Mary Baldwin College in 1967, where she was Vice President of her senior class. She taught in the Frederick County school system for 34 years, mostly at Frederick County Middle School. She taught computers there and was named “Teacher of the Year” for that school twice. Later she worked in computers at Shenandoah University, where she had received her master’s degree in 1992. She served on the boards of Shalom et Benedictus and Head Start for several years each. She served two terms on the Christ Episcopal Church Vestry Board where she achieved the breakthrough of being the first female usher in church history.

Lorinda “Rindy” Lionberger was inducted into the Southwest Virginia Business Hall of Fame in 2008.