Chamber News

Tom Bishop Selected As Honor Representative-75 Yr Parkway Celebration

Tom Bishop, Executive Director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce, has been selected by Patrick County to be the "Honor Representative" to the 75 Year Blue Ridge Parkway Celebration.

Press Release – 75 Year Blue Ridge Parkway Anniversary Celebration From: Patrick County Chamber of Commerce Date: September 3, 2010 Tom Bishop has been selected by Patrick County Government to be the “Honor Representative� to the 75th Blue Ridge Parkway Anniversary celebration to be held on September 11, 2011 at Blue Ridge Music Center, near Galax, VA. The “Honor Representative� will be given approximately 5 minutes to introduce our community and present a proclamation from Patrick County commemorating the 75 yr. celebration and present a quilt square to Parkway Superintendent, Phil Francis and Phil Brown, President of the Blue Ridge Parkway Celebration Committee. Tom Bishop is the Executive Director of the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce, which operates the Blue Ridge Visitor Center in Meadows of Dan at Parkway Milepost 177.7. The Patrick County Chamber of Commerce is a member of the Blue Ridge Parkway Association, one of the organizations sponsoring the 75 year celebration. The Parkway 75th Anniversary goals encompass three areas: National Treasure – Remembering what a special/rich/natural/cultural resource the Parkway offers. Economic Force – Highlighting and strengthening unique relationship between the Parkway and local communities. Fragile Resource- A call to active stewardship to insure a strong future for the Parkway – all of us need to care about challenges and issues facing the Parkway to insure a strong future. The “Honor Representative� is one who embodies one or more of these goals in their dedication to their community through: 1. Demonstrated appreciation, cultivation, and / or conservation of the community’s heritage and natural resources. 2. A commitment to strengthening his or her community through volunteer services, civic services, economic development, or other means. 3. A commitment to the stewardship of natural resources to include land preservation and conservation, water and air quality, and habitat protection.