Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 6, 1993 TAG: 9303060145
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: New River Valley bureau
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
JACK VIA IS CHAMBER'S DISTINGUISHED CITIZEN
The Christiansburg-Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce named Jack E. Via its 1993 Distinguished Citizen.Via was one of five award winners honored at the chamber's annual awards dinner Friday night at The Farmhouse restaurant.
Other winners were: Lew Shelor, owner of Shelor Inc., Commerce Award; David Shanks, director of the New River Valley Small Business Development Center, outstanding service award; and Richard G. Ballengee, vocational education supervisor for Montgomery County Schools, excellence in education award.
Douglas L. Kingery, the school system's director of programs for the gifted, was presented an honorable mention excellence in education award by the chamber.
Via, a member of the Christiansburg Town Council and Planning Commission, was praised for his devotion to Montgomery County.
A charter member of the New River Valley Planning District Commission, Via has donated three parcels of land to Christiansburg. He served as chairman of the Christiansburg Bicentennial Celebration Commission Inc. and also served on the chamber's Downtown Development Committee for two years.
A West Virginia native, Via moved to Christiansburg in the early 1940s and graduated from Christiansburg High School.
He served on Town Council from 1958 to 1970. He was re-elected in 1986.
Shelor was presented the commerce award given to a business that has given considerable contributions of time and money to the community.
He runs Shelor Inc., made up of three car dealerships. The company began in 1974 with 20 employees and now has about 140. Sales have increased from 20 vehicles a month to about 500 a month.
Shelor is an avid supporter of Virginia Tech athletics and provides three cars for its staff to use.
The service award won by Shanks is presented to a chamber member who has contributed outstanding volunteer service to the chamber.
A past president of the chamber, Shanks was instrumental in starting up the New River Valley Alliance in 1987 and is currently serving on its board of directors. He also is in his second term as Christiansburg's representative to the Montgomery Regional Industrial Development Commission.
Ballengee began his educational career as a marketing and industrial cooperative at Christiansburg High School in 1963. In 1973 he was named principal of Christiansburg Middle School where he stayed until 1991 when he was named director of secondary education for the school system.