Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 12, 1990 TAG: 9006120310
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Saari, 57, will begin work next week at a salary of $28,000, said chamber President Dwayne Kittle.
The chamber executive committee reviewed 70 applicants from the Roanoke and New River valleys. The committee chose Saari, who was superintendent of Montgomery County schools between 1974 and 1983, for his administrative skills and community activities, Kittle said.
"And it looks like he's going to be here for a while," he added.
Saari will become the fifth executive director in two years for the office, which seems to have come with a revolving door recently.
The chamber has lost four executive directors since 1988, most recently when Juanita Ellett resigned May 31 after serving just three months as director to return to her previous profession in banking.
Three other directors left for personal or professional opportunities. Chamber officials have acknowledged that the turnover has slowed some projects, but said it has not damaged the organization overall.
Saari was unavailable for comment, having gone to Richmond to attend meetings of a legislative committee studying high school dropout rates and self-esteem, said his wife, Arlene.
The Saaris have lived in Blacksburg for 16 years. They own and operate two downtown business - Partyrama and the Emporium.
"Arnie stood out because of his stature in the community," Kittle said. "He's someone who's on a level footing with the people we deal with - the town, the university. It's not like he has to come in and sell himself."
Saari is a Minnesota native who received degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Wyoming in educational administration. He was a school superintendent in Ohio before moving to Montgomery County.
Since 1985, Saari has been an adjunct professor and lecturer at Virginia Tech. He was superintendent of Greensville County schools just south of Richmond from 1985 to 1989, during which time the Saaris maintained two residences, said Arlene Saari.
He is currently a member of the New River Valley Economic Development Alliance and Citizens for Regional Progress, a newly formed group of business people urging Tech to increase undergraduate enrollment by the year 2000.
by CNB