The Botetourt Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Lawrence Companies and Bank of Botetourt, will hold its 50th Annual Membership Dinner celebration on October 1 at Virginia Mountain Vineyards in Fincastle. Attendees will look forward to a fall evening under the stars, surrounded by views of the winery. A silent auction will also take place to support annual scholarships for local high school students pursuing higher education. The dinner is being sponsored by Oakey’s Funeral Service and Crematory and the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport.
Michael Friedlander, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker. His presentation is titled, “The growing biomedical research enterprise in Roanoke and implications for the region.” Friedlander is the vice president for Health Sciences and Technology at Virginia Tech where he also is the founding executive director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Senior Dean for Research at the VTC School of Medicine. He has led the growth of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s research program to over $125 million in grant value with 28 research teams and over 350 investigators and students over the institute’s first nine years.
Serving the Botetourt County businesses since 1945, the Botetourt Chamber of Commerce seeks to support five core areas of focus: Business Growth, Business Advocacy, Economic Development, Education & Workforce Development, and Community.
Visit www.botetourtchamber.com to purchase tickets or call 473-8280 for more information.