
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 3, 1993                   TAG: 9308030092
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE: RADFORD                                LENGTH: Short

BARR TO HEAD HOSTS PROJECT

Jill Barr, economic development director for Radford, is the new coordinator for the New River Valley HOSTS tourism project.

The job had been handled for about a year by Bob Thomas, co-founder and past president of HOSTS, since the start of the tourism accreditation process. Thomas resigned as coordinator and from the HOSTS board of directors, citing business conflicts and personnel reasons.

The New River Valley is one of the 16 regions or communities in Virginia accepted by Tourism Development Group of the Virginia Department of Economic Development last year to seek state accreditation as being "tourism-ready" under a new program.

The program is similar to the state certification of communities as being prepared for new industry. Localities must meet a list of state standards before achieving certification in either program.

The New River Valley now has about six months left to complete its tourism accreditation effort.

by CNB