Author: mountrogers

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership Receives Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission Grant

Commission Awards $104,000 to Support Marketing Project

July 14th, 2025

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership, the regional economic development organization serving Bland, Carroll, Grayson, Smyth, and Wythe counties and the City of Galax, is excited to announce that it was awarded a grant of $104,200 by the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission. The funds will be matched with local public dollars to support efforts to market the region to business prospects in the United States and internationally.

A cornerstone of the marketing project is obtaining FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) Qualified Community certification through the Transatlantic Business and Investment Council (TBIC). The certification process both vets and prepares the community to best position itself for companies located outside the United States that are interested in opening or expanding here. It will also support domestic business recruitment efforts. In addition to obtaining certification, MRRP will undertake lead generation activities, including attending call trips, consultant meetings, and other business and industry events, as well as engage in targeted content creation and advertising efforts.

The two-year project will increase MRRP’s visibility among key points of contact, including business consultants and brokers by marketing regional opportunities directly to prospects and consultants in target markets. As a result, it will attract new business to the region, creating jobs for current residents and attracting new residents (due to available jobs), thus increasing the region’s tax base.

The Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission’s mission is the promotion of economic growth and development in formerly tobacco-dependent communities, using proceeds of the national tobacco settlement. “Mount Rogers Regional Partnership is incredibly grateful to the Tobacco Commission for funding this project. Grant funds are matched by organizational dollars, allowing Mount Rogers Regional Partnership to double its marketing impact and better serve the region,” shares Ashlyn Shrewsbury, Executive Director of Mount Rogers Regional Partnership. The project is anticipated to result in at least three prospects committing to expanding or locating in the region within the next five years, creating at least 120 new jobs and generating approximately $34 million in capital investment.

To learn more about Mount Rogers Regional Partnership’s work, visit www.mountrogersregion.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Morgan Herbert
Director of Marketing and Communications
Mount Rogers Regional Partnership
mherbert@wcc.vccs.edu
276-223-4858
mountrogersregion.com

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership Names New Executive Director

Former Deputy Director to Helm Organization

July 11th, 2025

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership is pleased to announce that its Board of Directors has named Ashlyn Shrewsbury the Executive Director of the organization effective July 1^st, 2025.

Ashlyn has served MRRP in various capacities since 2023, when she was hired as the Economic Development Manager. In her role, she managed regional economic development projects, administered grants, and served as the Executive Director of both Pathway Regional Industrial Facilities Authority (PRIFA) and Blue Ridge Crossroads Economic Development Authority (BRCEDA). PRIFA oversees Pathway Park, a joint effort among Smyth, Bland, and Washington counties, while BRCEDA is in charge of Wildwood Commerce Park, jointly owned by Carroll and Grayson counties and the City of Galax. In 2024, Ashlyn was promoted to Deputy Director of MRRP, retaining her former duties while taking on additional responsibilities assisting the Executive Director with oversight of the organization. The MRRP Board of Directors named Ashlyn Interim Executive Director in November 2024 upon the departure of the previous director.

Over the past eight months, Ashlyn has led the organization’s revitalization efforts, including conducting a financial audit, amending the fiscal year 2025 budget, preparing the fiscal year 2026 budget, and implementing new policies to strengthen operations and instill transparency. Under Ashlyn’s leadership as Interim Executive Director, the organization announced a new business project as well as expansions of two existing businesses in the region. Additionally, Ashlyn has spearheaded a site selection study to begin identifying potential new industrial sites in the MRRP footprint.

“I’m honored that the Board of Directors and the MRRP team are confident in my ability to continue leading the organization,” shares Ashlyn. “I look forward to guiding us into a new fiscal year and beyond.”

Ashlyn holds a bachelor’s in political science and Master of Public Administration, both from the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. She is also a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD) through the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) since 2018.

To learn more about Mount Rogers Regional Partnership’s work, visit www.mountrogersregion.com.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Morgan Herbert
Director of Marketing and Communications
Mount Rogers Regional Partnership
mherbert@wcc.vccs.edu
276-223-4858
mountrogersregion.com

Manufacturing Excellence Program Leads to Job Placement

Carroll County High School Graduate Lands Job at Mohawk

June 12th, 2025

“I wouldn’t have been able to get this job without the Manufacturing Excellence program connecting me,” shared Logan Gross, an extrusion doffer at Mohawk Industries, Inc. in Hillsville, Virginia. Mr. Gross completed the 2024-25 cohort of the Twin County Manufacturing Excellence program, an initiative of the Talent Solutions division of Mount Rogers Regional Partnership. TCME provides high school seniors in the Twin County region (Carroll County, Grayson County, and the City of Galax) with first-hand experience in the world of manufacturing. During the fall semester, program participants visit manufacturers in the region, where they tour facilities, hear from management and staff about what the jobs are really like, and earn industry credentials and certifications.

Upon graduating from Carroll County High School, Mr. Gross immediately sought a job at Mohawk, leveraging the contacts he had made through the TCME program. Exchanging emails with Basil Dalton, Extrusion Manager, eventually led to Mr. Gross’s position in the department.

Mr. Gross’s story exemplifies the goals of the program. “Before, I might have seen manufacturing as sort of too dangerous, or a job that might not be a good environment, so seeing how well-kept the factory was, how everyone loved the job… I can see myself going into manufacturing,” he said.

Throughout the program, students toured Moog, Mohawk, Real Performance Machinery (RPM), Thomas Automation Management (TAM), and Turman Hardwood Flooring. They also received training in safety, personal protective equipment, micrometers, metrology, and hand tools as well as employability skills such as resume writing and project management.

Philip Altizer, Human Resources Manager for Mohawk, shared insights from the employer’s perspective. “When he came in to apply for the job and told us he’d been in the Manufacturing Excellence program, we were more interested in him than just somebody off the street. We made an extra effort to make sure he got a job.”

Mr. Altizer and Mr. Gross both endorsed the TCME program. “It really shows that there’s a path to have a good job that pays well, that has good benefits, and you can count on a paycheck every week. We’ve got people who have been here for 40 years,” shared Mr. Altizer. When asked what advice he would give to a student considering participating in the program, Mr. Gross said, “There was a lot of insight to it. The certificates are useful, I like having them on my resume. You’ve just got to be a hard worker.”

The 2025-26 cohort of the Twin County Manufacturing Excellence program will launch in September.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Morgan Herbert
Director of Marketing and Communications
Mount Rogers Regional Partnership
mherbert@wcc.vccs.edu
276-223-4858
mountrogersregion.com

Twin County Healthcare Excellence Graduates 26 Students

Career Pipeline Program Addresses Regional Healthcare Worker Shortage

April 2nd, 2025

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership is proud to congratulate the 26 high school sophomores who completed the 2025 Twin County Healthcare Excellence program. TCHE is an initiative of MRRP’s Talent Solutions division, in partnership with Wytheville Community College; the schools of the Twin County region including Carroll County High School, Grayson County High School, and Galax High School; the Twin County Chamber of Commerce; and participating healthcare businesses and organizations throughout the area.

The white coat and pinning ceremony took place at the Crossroads Institute in Galax on Friday, March 28^th, 2025. Welcoming remarks were given by Ashlyn Shrewsbury, Interim Executive Director of Mount Rogers Regional Partnership; Ewell Vernon, Dean of Health Professions and Medical Services at Wytheville Community College; Jay Holderfield, Assistant Principal and CTE Coordinator at Carroll County High School; and Rebecca Fisher, Director of Talent Solutions and Business Engagement at Mount Rogers Regional Partnership. This was followed by a panel discussion regarding careers in rural healthcare, with panelists including Sudandra Ratnasamy, CEO of Twin County Regional Healthcare; Mack Tolbert, Director of AirCare Critical Care Transport at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist; and Ewell Vernon.

Students were presented with their white coats, pins, and certificates of completion. A student representative from each of the three high schools then offered remarks on what the program had meant to them over the past eight weeks. Genivee Music, student representative from Carroll County High School, spoke to the regional collaboration of the program. “When we are going through middle and high school, our peers tell us our surrounding schools are our ‘rivals.’ Although during some sports seasons, we might have different jerseys, at the end of the day, these are our future friends and coworkers, and I’m glad that we put each other as peers and friends and not rivals,” Genivee noted. The student representative from Galax High School, Ariana Rojas, stated, “Before the program began, I expected to see nurses and therapists, but this program allowed me to see more. I was able to explore careers in healthcare that I never knew existed.” Grayson County student representative Myra Burnett concurred: “This program has given us the opportunity to go behind the scenes in a variety of healthcare settings,” adding, “This experience has confirmed my decision to pursue an occupation in healthcare.”

Healthcare facilities that students visited or learned from throughout the eight-week program included Blue Ridge Eye Care Associates, Carroll County Fire and Rescue, Commonwealth Senior Living at Hillsville, Comprehensive Treatment Centers, Galax-Grayson Emergency Medical Services, Healthcare Academy of SWVA, Heritage Hall – Laurel Meadows, Mount Rogers Community Services, PT Solutions, Senior Home Share, Twin County Regional Hospital, Tri-Area Community Health, and Saber Healthcare Group. They also toured facilities and experienced learning stations through Wytheville Community College at the Wytheville campus and the Crossroads Institute.

To learn more about the program, including how your healthcare business can participate in future cohorts, visit the Mount Rogers Regional Partnership website at www.mountrogersregion.com/programs or contact Rebecca Fisher at rfisher@wcc.vccs.edu.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Morgan Herbert
Director of Marketing and Communications
Mount Rogers Regional Partnership
mherbert@wcc.vccs.edu
276-223-4858
mountrogersregion.com

Healthcare Career Pathway Program Launches with 26 Students

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership Hosts Second Year of Twin County Healthcare Excellence

January 22nd, 2025

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership’s healthcare career pathway program for high school students launched on Friday, January 17^th. The program, Twin County Healthcare Excellence, is in its second year. Competition for TCHE’s limited number of slots—just 26 across three high schools—is fierce, but for students accepted into the program, advantages are numerous. Sophomores from Grayson, Carroll, and Galax high schools will spend the next several Fridays exploring various aspects of a career in health care.

Each week, students will tour one or more healthcare facilities, receive hands-on training, and obtain career-building supplies. They will learn about careers across a wide array of healthcare disciplines, including nursing, eye care, physical therapy, substance use treatment, elder care, emergency services, and much more. The program spans eight weeks of the spring semester, culminating with a graduation and white coat ceremony in March.

The program kicked off at the Crossroads Institute in Galax, where students toured the state-of-the-art Nursing Simulation Lab. They also received training on infection prevention, including proper handwashing technique and fitting for N95 face masks.

“One of the biggest benefits of this program is that it allows students to find what does and doesn’t appeal to them fairly early in their career path,” shares Rebecca Fisher, Director of Talent Solutions and Business Engagement for Mount Rogers Regional Partnership. Ms. Fisher spearheads the Twin County Healthcare Excellence program. “That gives them time to course-correct or really hone in on their area of interest before they even graduate high school,” Ms. Fisher continues.

Twin County Healthcare Excellence is a program of Mount Rogers Regional Partnership’s Talent Solutions division and would not be possible without the support of partners, including Wytheville Community College and the Twin County Chamber of Commerce; the public school systems of Carroll County, Grayson County, and City of Galax; and the participation of regional healthcare businesses. Participating providers and locations include Atrium AirCare, Blue Ridge Eye Care, Carroll County EMS, Commonwealth Senior Living, Comprehensive Treatment Centers, Galax/Grayson EMS, Healthcare Academy, Heritage Hall – Laurel Meadows, Mount Rogers Community Services, PT Solutions, Saber Healthcare Group – Wadell, Senior Homeshare, Tri Area Community Health – Fries, and Twin County Regional Hospital.

To learn more about the program, including how your healthcare business can participate in future cohorts, visit the Mount Rogers Regional Partnership website at www.mountrogersregion.com/programs or contact Rebecca Fisher at rfisher@wcc.vccs.edu.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Morgan Herbert
Director of Marketing and Communications
Mount Rogers Regional Partnership
mherbert@wcc.vccs.edu
276-223-4858
mountrogersregion.com

MRRP’s Twin County Manufacturing Excellence Graduates 23 Students

Second Year of Talent Pipeline Program a Success

December 17th, 2024

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership congratulates the 23 students who graduated from the Twin County Manufacturing Excellence program on Friday, December 13^th, 2024. Participants were seniors from Carroll County High School, City of Galax High School, and Grayson County High School who had completed seven weeks of hands-on learning, earning key industry certifications along the way.

These students will have a head start on a career in manufacturing, having toured facilities and participated in workshops and professional development courses alongside receiving certifications in disciplines such as precision measurement and safety.

Speakers at the graduation ceremony, held at the Crossroads Institute in Galax, included Rebecca Fisher and Morgan Herbert of MRRP, Jay Holderfield of Carroll County Public Schools, Roland Hall of Wytheville Community College, Jake Leonard of Real Performance Machinery, and Mike Watson, Carroll County Administrator. Additionally, a student representative from each school spoke about what the program meant to them: Preston Iroler of CCHS, Ean Fernandez of Galax, and Noah Armstrong of GCHS.

“This is such an excellent opportunity for you,” shared Jay Holderfield, Assistant Principal and CTE Coordinator for Carroll County High School, as he addressed the graduating students. “Opportunities like this didn’t exist when I was in high school, and this has been an incredible chance for you to see if a career in manufacturing is the right path for you.”

Mount Rogers Regional Partnership would like to thank our sponsors, partners, and supporting businesses that made Twin County Manufacturing Excellence possible: Twin County Chamber of Commerce, Wytheville Community College, Carroll County Public Schools, Galax City Public Schools, Grayson County Public Schools, Albany, Mohawk Industries, MOOG, RPM, Turman Hardwood Flooring, and Thomas Automation Management.

Please join us in congratulating these hardworking students and wishing them the very best in their future careers!

Employers in the region who are interested in learning more about the Manufacturing Excellence program should contact Rebecca Fisher, Interim Deputy Director and Director of Talent Solutions and Business Engagement, at rfisher@wcc.vccs.edu or by calling (276) 223-4709.

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MEDIA CONTACT

Morgan Herbert

Marketing & Communications Manager

mherbert@wcc.vccs.edu

276-223-4858

mountrogersregion.com