As Director, Programs & House Accounts, Dave Bartlow will work with leaders in manufacturing, engineering and technology companies to analyze, plan, execute and evaluate client projects with GENEDGE. He will be responsible for delivering multiple resources, services and partnerships for large-scale program and projects, as well as financial management of the contracts that are executed. His service area includes the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas and Manassas Park, and the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun and Prince William. Before joining the GENEDGE team, David founded Pendul Project Management where he worked as President, Consultant, and Program Manager. Previously, he was the Vice President of Programs & Operations for Temeku Technologies (TTi), a Program Manager at L-3 Maritime Systems, as well as an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton. In addition to these roles, David also served as an Action Officer/Briefer for the Navy Crisis Action Team and a Training Officer/Combat Information Center Officer/Assistant Operations Officer in the USS DOYLE (FFG 39) and USS MCINERNEY (FFG 8) in the U.S. Navy. David is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds Bachelor of Science in Political Science. He also holds a Master of Arts in Homeland Security from American Military University and a Master of Science in Project Management from the George Washington University. David is trained and/or certified in; CMMI Training; PMI – Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP); LEED Green Associate; Project Management Professional (PMP); and Strategic Architecture/Business Process Modeling.

Michele Campbell is the HR Manager at Somic America in Wytheville, VA. She loves the human factors of life, even when they are messy. Her professional philosophy is simple - we’re all in this thing called work together. We are all working toward a common goal. Let’s do it the easy way and choose to follow the social principles we learned back in grade school. Use kind words, share, listen when others talk, say please and thank you, don’t hit your friends, and tell the truth. One of her hopes in her daily role is that she is able to positively impact those around her by living and promoting these basic humanitarian principles to drive successful relationships in the workplace.

Beth Carico is the Director of Workforce Development at People Incorporated of Virginia. She has fourteen years of experience in non-profit workforce development and is a Certified Workforce Development Professional. As the Director of Workforce Development, Carico manages five workforce development programs that serve 16 jurisdictions across the Commonwealth of Virginia. She manages thirteen program staff and a budget of over $2 million. Beyond delivering grant-funded workforce services to communities, Carico focuses on increasing work-based learning opportunities across the agency’s service footprint. Carico has twelve years of experience at People Incorporated with previous roles that include Senior Workforce Development Specialist and Workforce Development Specialist. She holds a master’s degree in human services counseling from Liberty University and resides in Fries, Virginia, with her husband and two children.

Samantha Crockett serves as the Director of Prevention and Wellness at Mount Rogers Community Services. With a master’s degree from Radford University and over 15 years of experience in the behavioral health field, Samantha is an accomplished leader in community development, strategic planning, and program development. Samantha has participated as a presenter at national conferences for behavioral health and holds positions on the leadership boards of local, regional, state, and national advocacy councils. Notably, she is a co-developer of the "Are You Okay" mental health outreach program that offers support and caring connections. Additionally, she is a certified 5 Bridges Wellness Coach and serves as a facilitator for multiple evidence-based programs.

Jim is the Chairman of CowanPerry PC. His practice focuses on representing management in the full spectrum of labor & employment related issues confronted by employers in today’s workplace, handling complex business litigation matters and representing property owners and developers on land use issues and commercial real estate projects. He represents a wide range of employers, business owners and developers in the region, ranging from high-tech start-ups to large manufacturers, and from local property owners to national developers. He has twenty-five years of trial experience representing employers in non-compete litigation, myriad types of business and partnership disputes, and the waterfront of employment-related litigation, including employee benefits and ERISA claims. Over the course of his career, he has represented companies in federal and state courts across Virginia in commercial litigation and in the defense of wrongful discharge claims, including disability, age, family medical leave, sexual harassment, race, and gender under the Americans with Disabilities Act; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act; the Family Medical Leave Act and Fair Labor Standards Act; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 42 U.S.C. §1981; and before the Virginia Supreme Court on appellate matters. Jim also represents employers before the NLRB, the EEOC and the Virginia Employment Commission. Additionally, he specializes in the preparation of affirmative action plans and responding to OFCCP and other Department of Labor audits. Jim serves as outside general counsel to a number of prominent companies and non-profits in the region, and as the general counsel to Onward, the New River Valley’s economic development alliance. He is passionate about land conservation in Southwest Virginia, and is an active member of the Board of Directors of the New River Land Trust. Jim is also a sought-after speaker and corporate trainer locally and for national programs, and is an active member of the Virginia State Bar Labor & Employment Section. Finally, Jim has been recognized for over a decade and listed in “The Best Lawyers in America” [since 2006 to present]; as a Virginia “Super Lawyer” [Rising Star 2007-2009; and since 2010 to present]; and also repeatedly named to Virginia Business Magazine’s “Legal Elite” for Labor/Employment

Bert Eades, a former manufacturing executive, has led numerous large plant transformations, including performance turnarounds, rapid volume growth and product line changes. He has extensive experience as a supervisor, engineer, production manager and operations manager. For over 15 years, he served as a plant manager for companies such as Blue Ridge Fireboard, IKEA Industry, Elkay Manufacturing, Mohawk Industries, and Armstrong Flooring. Eades earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech. A resident of Danville, Va., he is an officer of the Pittsylvania County Public Library Foundation and served on the board of the Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce for several years.

Allison Enix is a Job Placement Counselor with the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, covering nine localities in the Southwest region of the state. Prior to joining DARS over a year ago, Allison was a Regional Supportive Employment Supervisor for Rehabilitative Services and Vocational Placement, Inc., serving individuals with disabilities and assisting them with employment and training. Allison received a Bachelor of Social Work from Radford University and has worked in the social work field for several years. Allison has a passion for assisting job seekers with gaining more independence through employment and bringing disability awareness to the different communities in the area. Allison is a certified WISA offering benefits counseling and is a certified trainer for Windmills and offers training on employer engagement strategies through the iGreet program.

Rebecca Fisher is the Director of Talent Solutions and Business Engagement at Mount Rogers Regional Partnership, where she joined the team with the start of the organization’s Talent Program in 2022. With a background in education, Rebecca taught multiple grade levels in West Virginia, North Carolina, and most recently Wythe County, Virginia, for a decade before transitioning into her current role. Her expertise in teaching, coupled with her passion for fostering connections between educational institutions, students, and businesses, allows her to develop impactful strategies that address the talent needs of the region. As the Director of Talent Solutions and Business Engagement, Rebecca leads new organizational initiatives that involve multiple partners and extensive collaboration focused on talent attraction and retention in the region along with supporting our region’s businesses. She has worked together with the Talent Solutions team to create new programs such as Meet Mount Rogers, a college intern regional immersion and professional development experience, Mount Rogers Connect, a program focused on industry tours for high school students, as well as scaling and expanding current programming throughout the region. Rebecca holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education K-6, a master’s degree in educational leadership K-12, both from Concord University in West Virginia along with a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credential from the Society for Human Resource Management.

Megan Atkinson Hamilton (MA, 500 RYT) is a Collective Impact Specialist with the STRONG Accountable Care Community. The STRONG ACC works to transform the health of a 21-county region of Northeast Tennessee and Southwest Virginia by uniting efforts under a common agenda, mutually reinforcing activities, shared measures and two-way communication. This is done by focusing on enhancing supportive systems, programs and policies, and environments that nurture children, teens and families to ensure they reach their full potential. Prior to this, Megan was a Faculty member at Emory & Henry College teaching in the Civic Innovation program and Coordinator of Civic Engagement Projects at the Appalachian Center for Civic Life on campus. Through her work in the community as Coordinator of Civic Engagement Projects, she also assisted Mount Rogers Community Services in the development and facilitation of CHATS (Connecting Humans and Telling Stories). This program is designed to deepen our appreciation and understanding of others and provide relational tools to take back to our homes, schools, and workplaces. It is a program she still helps facilitate with her work at the STRONG ACC. Much of her collaborations focus on addressing trauma from a community or organizational level, which has led her to being very active and serving as co-chair with United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Trauma Informed Community Network. She also served as a Washington County School Board Member from 2020-2023. Before making her way to Emory & Henry College, Megan worked as a Youth Success Coordinator for United Way of SWVA. Prior to that she served as not only the Director of Education at Barter Theatre, but she was also the founder of Barter Theatre’s Project REAL. Project REAL, which collaborated with schools, non-profits, businesses, lock down facilities, and government services using theatre tools to help teach academic content as well as social skills. Her applied theatre work followed her career as an actress and director. Megan is also an avid yoga and meditation practitioner and teacher. Through her spiritual practice, she is able to tap into her most important values, which are human connection and spiritual growth.

Matt Herron is the Business Development Manager for the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS), Southwest District. Matt has multiple years of experience in teaching, training, and workforce development. Matt spent eight years as a teacher and coach in Bristol, Tennessee City Schools before relocating to Roanoke and leading emotional intelligence training and onboarding for Goodwill Industries of the Valleys. Prior to joining DARS in 2021, Matt served as an employment specialist for Rehabilitative Services and Vocational Placement out of Richmond and later joined Career Supported Systems as Southwest Regional Director. Matt has a Bachelor of Science in Education and obtained a training certificate from Association for Talent Development in Arlington, Virginia. Matt is also a certified Windmills/Disability Awareness trainer, employer engagement trainer, and a member of the 2024 Virginia Rural Leadership Institute.

Lois has 33+ years’ business and management experience in the financial, customer service, senior healthcare, and leadership development industries. She started her career in the secondary mortgage market with Freddie Mac in McLean, VA where she held leadership positions with Freddie Mac to develop, train, and coach new employees to follow mandated guidelines. After living in Washington D.C. and Chicago, IL after college, Lois moved back to the Roanoke area in 2004 and spent 14 years in the senior healthcare industry holding various leadership and management positions. Working her most recent position as Regional Director with Generation Solutions, the company won several local and statewide awards and had a zero-deficiency rating with the required state inspection. Because of her strong passion and desire to help others achieve both professional and personal success, Lois joined OpX Solutions in 2018 and is a Certified LMI Facilitator. Giving back to her community is important to Lois. She has been an active member of the Roanoke Senior Networking Group since 2004 and has served as Vice President since 2006. She is also active with the Roanoke Kiwanis Club where she serves as Membership Chair as well as participating in several other committees. Lois sits on the board with The Market Building Foundation in downtown Roanoke and on the board with the Botetourt County Chamber of Commerce. She is active with the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce where she currently serves as an ambassador. Lois has been a Deacon and a volunteer with various programs at Covenant Presbyterian Church. Originally from the Alleghany highlands in Clifton Forge, VA, Lois graduated from Virginia Tech, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management with a minor in Sociology.

Chelsea Justice joined the University of Virginia’s College at Wise in 2023 as the Virginia Talent + Opportunity Partnership (VTOP) Innovative Internship Program Project Coordinator. This role requires her to be in consistent contact with small businesses, Chambers of Commerce, and higher education institutions in Region 1 to grow the number of internships offered to high school graduates, college students and recent college graduates. She works alongside a stakeholder’s committee and other Virginia colleges in the region to market VTOP opportunities to employers and students. Chelsea is a first generation professional and alumna of University of Virginia’s College at Wise with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies: Media Studies. She has an 11-year professional background in customer relations and sales. During her time as a cellular representative, she was highlighted as a customer advocate who attributed to brightening the workplace environment. While attending college, she served on the RHA board, was inducted to the Lambda Pi Eta National Communication Honor Society, and served on the CAVS TV board.

When Peter Mierke graduated from the University of South Carolina, he began serving his country in the US Navy. Onboard 2 different ships, his love of leadership was developed, and he started to truly understand the actions needed to support his team and help them achieve their goals. Upon separating from the Navy, Peter joined GE Energy and supported manufacturing, sourcing and logistics of Gas, Steam and Wind turbines through multiple business cycles. He enjoyed learning from a global supply base and experiencing the factors that influenced the power generation industry. While working full-time, he completed his MBA. Peter moved to Savannah, GA and joined the Mitsubishi Power team while they developed their Western hemisphere presence. He led multiple teams in manufacturing and service/repair of gas and steam turbines in processes such as welding, machining, fabrication, coating and assembly. As Plant Manager, Peter worked directly with Japanese and North American leadership to build, install and commission multiple power plants. Most recently, Peter has supported the growth of a privately held company supporting wind, solar and other power generation customers in their project management and material deliveries. He established financial and organizational processes aimed at growth and supporting customers in their projects. Family is the most important thing to Peter, and he enjoys spending time with them on the water boating/fishing, hiking, exercising and even doing yard work! He has visited 6 continents (still needs to get to Antarctica) and looks forward to time with family and friends.

Karen is the Work-Based Learning Specialist for the NRMRWDB and part of the Business Services Team. She is no stranger to education, she dedicated herself to 24 years in Elementary Education as a classroom teacher, curriculum specialist, and “assistant” principal. She joined the WDB team in October 2023. Karen is dedicated to the vision of the NR/MR WDB of envisioning a region where every business has access to a qualified, job-ready workforce and every citizen in the region has the skills needed to secure meaningful, sustainable employment, competitive wages, and career advancement through support infrastructure.

Stephanie Muncy Surrett is a professional speaker, trainer and consultant. Ms. Surrett strives to advance the economy and workforce of southwest Virginia by working with businesses, communities, nonprofits, and educational institutions throughout the region and Commonwealth of Virginia. Her passion is to work with organizations that want to inspire and motivate their leaders and team members with principles that will help create a positive culture and mindset to achieve excellence. Ms. Surrett’s personal philosophy is, “Success isn’t determined by background, experience, or anything from your past. Success is all in your attitude and actions today.” Ms. Surrett has over 25 years of experience in strategic planning, program and project management, business management, employee development and training, and business consulting. She has worked with a variety of clients ranging from educational institutions, such as Southwest Virginia Community College, University of Virginia-Wise, Virginia Tech, and K-12 Public School Systems to small start-ups, such as Inorganic Ventures, to large global corporations such as Northrop Grumman, CGI, Scholle and Phoenix Packaging. In addition to working in the private sector, Ms. Surrett has gained experience in the non-profit sector by developing and implementing programs focused on workforce and community development Ms. Surrett holds an MBA from Jones International University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business and Public Administration from University of Virginia’s College at Wise.

Dianne Ward will support you as a lean practitioner, performance coach, and accountability partner. Known for her servant leadership approach and her inclusive communication style, Dianne will help inspire motivation that will ignite a positive transformation for your business. With a Master’s Degree in International Economics from the University of Kentucky, Dianne has devoted her career to the pursuit of continuous improvement. Dianne is a certified coach with the International Coaching Federation, and she has spent the last 5 years coaching all levels of leaders, including executives in a Fortune 100 company. Dianne has over 20 years of experience leading teams in the manufacturing, distribution, information technology and insurance sectors. Dianne is a founding member of the non-profit organization, WE CHARM (Women Everyday Changing Hearts as Role Models) which is dedicated to supporting the empowerment of both women and men. In her spare time, Dianne enjoys building a homestead lifestyle with her husband. She also has an interest in music and is currently learning to play several instruments. Dianne will incorporate her wide scope of experiences and business practices into a practical, relatable, enjoyable learning experience for you and your team. She looks forward to applying her skills to serve your organization’s core mission and strategic goals.

Sam Wolford is a Director of Client Services in the southwest Virginia service area that includes the cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton and includes the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe. Sam’s role as a Director of Client Services is to establish and maintain new relationships with economic developers, industrial associations, and local manufacturing, industrial, and technology companies in his region. He collaborates directly with clients managing the full lifecycle of projects and supporting them in their strategic goals. With over 24+ years of experience, Sam has expertise in leading, mentoring, developing, managing, and implementing solutions in engineering, technologies, emergency operations, process improvement, organization development, workforce development, and project/program management. Sam has a personal narrative of strategic innovation, and creative collaboration, leading to successful operational and program management, and project delivery. He has tackled complex challenges and provided programmatic solutions for many clients and organizations across the region he serves. This is evident from having successfully led GENEDGE programs including the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program in partnership with the MidAtlantic Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (MATAAC), the regional Heart of Appalachia Collaborative Economic Transition Project, and GENEDGE itself through an internal organization improvement program. Prior to joining GENEDGE, he supported Tazewell County by leading the operation of Public Safety, Technology, Workforce Development, and by providing special project coordination across various governmental disciplines. Tazewell County received two Governor’s Technology Awards for Innovative Use of Technology in Economic Development and in Government through Sam’s program work during his time there. Sam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from Bluefield State College School of Engineering Technology & Computer Science and holds competencies in Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt Outside of GENEDGE, Sam is actively involved in non-profit organizations as a member of boards of directors and advisory boards for both educational institutions and service organizations.

Tiffany Worstell is Human Resource Manager for BGDC Distribution in Salem, Virginia. Started her career in recruitment and transitioned her career to focus on human resources after seeing the importance of building relationships and engaging with employees in her current organization. Recruitment is important, but so is working to keep people. Tiffany tackles employee engagement with a three-pronged approach focusing on recognition, appreciation, and communication. For Tiffany, employee recognition needs to acknowledge victories both in and out of work. The job is part of what makes some victories possible such as getting a new house or a new car. Employee appreciation should happen organically but, in addition to this, her team plans multiple touches monthly at the site level. Communication is key and Tiffany has an open-door policy with all associates and provides communication to everyone utilizing multiple avenues to reach them at all levels. Tiffany has her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in HR Management and a graduate certificate in Communications from Liberty University. Tiffany has her SHRM-CP and is a board member of the Western Virginia Workforce Development Board.