Alumni Reconnect at the 2014 Alumni Conference & Final Conversations with Leaders Event - Virginia's Energy Landscape

The 2014 Alumni Conference took place at The Omni Homestead Resort on October 2-3. 50 alumni and guests registered to attend the conference and all class years and regions were represented.

The conference started with an introduction to Bath County by Maggie Anderson, the Director of Tourism and Economic Development for the county. Bath County, with a population of 4,700 residents, is 80% forest and benefits from $250,000,000 a year in tourism related revenue.

Next, Dr. Melissa Lubin, Director, Virginia Tech Richmond and Hampton Roads Centers, facilitated an interactive professional development workshop focused on bridging the generation gap and compared the communication styles of various generations and how these differences impact professional styles and environments. Thursday night also featured a hayride through the Homestead's property that offered spectacular views of the fall foliage and a picturesque opportunity for alumni to reconnect.

Friday started with a very informative presentation on healthy living from Holly Hicks, an exercise physiologist at the Homestead. Alumni then heard from Dr. Warren Bickel, Director of the Addiction Recovery Research Center at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute. His presentation focused on characteristics of decision making and the influence of the maturing process. Our last presentation of the day featured a distinguished panel on Virginia's energy landscape with representatives from Dominion, EQT Corporation, the Commonwealth of Virginia, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, and Appalachian Power Company. This panel served as the third Conversations With Leaders event of 2014.

The conference concluded with an impressive falconry demonstration, which provided a thrilling opportunity to observe majestic hawks and owls up close.

We greatly appreciate the support of our 2014 Alumni Conference Sponsors: Columbia Gas of Virginia, MWV, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative, the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Virginia Business, and XO Communications.

We also greatly appreciate the support of our 2014 Conversations With Leaders Sponsors: Virginia Economic Development Partnership and Allied Logistics.