Names and changes: Business recognitions and promotions for the week of Nov. 17, 2024
The Virginia Community College System has honored Robert Sandel, president of Virginia Western Community College, with the Expanding Opportunities Award.
The award recognizes an extraordinary contributor to the field of workforce development. Virginia Western offers more than 100 programs and trainings to meet the region's workforce needs.
During his 23-year presidency, Sandel has overseen more than $138 million in new building construction and renovations. This investment has made positive impacts on the local economy, quality of student education and preparation of the region's workforce.
Sandel has announced that he will retire June 30.
Matt Broughton of the Virginia law firm Gentry Locke has been named a 2024 Go To Lawyer for Negligence Law (Virginia Personal Injury Law) by Virginia Lawyers Weekly.
The Virginia Lawyers Weekly Go To Lawyers program recognizes top lawyers in a particular field of law. Nominees were selected using six criteria, including those who experience a record of success, a lawyer to whom other lawyers make referrals and someone who can think creatively, among other characteristics.
Broughton leads Gentry Locke's plaintiff/personal injury practice group and serves on the firm's executive board. During his decades of experience, he has tried complex cases in the areas of personal injury, trucking accidents, business disputes, worker's compensation, and aviation law. He's also a licensed tractor-trailer driver, holding a commercial driver's license (CDL) class A and is an airline transport rated pilot.
Gentry Locke serves clients in Virginia and across the United States, operating from offices in Roanoke, Lynchburg, Richmond, and Norfolk.
Spilman Thomas and Battle (Spilman) has been named to the 2025 "Best Law Firms" list by Best Lawyers in 71 areas of law.
The rankings are based on an assessment process that involved the collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys, and review of additional information provided by law firms.
Spilman was ranked in the following in Roanoke:
Spilman has offices in Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Florida.
has announced that "Best Law Firms" has awarded the firm exemplary rankings for 2025. Twenty-two of the firm's practices are ranked at the national level, and the firm's Bankruptcy, Construction and Labor & Employment litigation practices have been recognized with national Tier 1 rankings.
The evaluation process includes collection of client and lawyer evaluations and peer review from leading attorneys.
Whiteford was ranked in the following in Roanoke:
Tier 1
Whiteford has offices in Delaware, Washington, D.C., Kentucky, Maryland, New York and Virginia.
John D. Lugar, president of Virginia Varsity Storage and its affiliated companies, has been elected president of the Virginia Self Storage Associations (VASSA).
Lugar has more than 25 years of experience in the self-storage industry and has previously served on the VASSA board of directors, and as a speaker/panelist for both state and national self storage conferences.
Virginia Varsity Storage, founded by Lugar, owns and manages five storage facilities in the Roanoke and New River valleys with two additional facilities in development.
The VASSA is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening and enhancing the self-storage industry in Virginia. The organization advocates for the industry in Richmond, monitors legislation and promotes education, networking and industry growth.
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