2017 Annual Report

Brian Hamilton, Director of Economic Development, presents Rising Star award to Montgomery County company Qualtrax at this year’s RBTC TechNite

County Administrator Craig Meadows (left) presents Rising Star Award to Alexander Obenauer, co-founder of Mindsense, at the 2014 TechNite Awards Banquet

COMMUNICATIONS & OUTREACH Image Credit: Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council

COUNTY PRESENTS RISING STAR AWARD AT TECHNITE In April, the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council (RBTC) hosted the 2017 TechNite Awards Banquet at the Hotel Roanoke. Seven hundred area leaders in business and innovation gathered together to celebrate the growing technology community in the New River and Roanoke Valleys. The evening was highlighted with an awards ceremony. Montgomery County was well represented with a total of 28 nominations within the six award categories, including Educator (7), Entrepreneur (4), Innovator (3), People’s Choice (3), Regional Leadership (4), and Rising Star (7). The RBTC also included awards for the Regional Go To Geek and the RUBY Award this year. Five of the eight awards presented during the ceremony went to nominees from the County, including the Rising Star Award and the Technology Hall of Fame Award. The Economic Development Department was a sponsor of the 2017 TechNite Awards Banquet to express Montgomery County’s appreciation for the economic impact the regional technology sector has on our community. The Department also sponsored the Rising Star Award. “It is my honor to congratulate all of this year’s award winners and nominees from the RBTC TechNite. Montgomery County is proud to be home to such high-caliber technology companies, entrepreneurs, and educators, and we are pleased to see so many of them nominated again this year,” commented Craig Meadows, County Administrator. “These innovators power Montgomery County and help to boost our local economy through their forward-thinking spirit.”

Regional Go to Geek Thomas “Tweeks” Weeks, Virginia Tech Cyber Range STEM-H Educator Nick Cornwell, Shawsville Middle School Innovator Josep Bassaganya- Riera, BioTherapeutics Risting Star Qualtrax People’s Choice FluxTeq AwardWinners from Montgomery County

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2017 Annual Report | Montgomery County Economic Development Department