'Emotional Intelligence' Partnership Announced

Dana Ackley of EQ Leader>

ITESA and EQ Leader (ITESA-EQL) have announced the first partnership focused on developing emotional intelligence for the call center industry. Roanoke-based Dana C. Ackley, EQ Leader president, is widely recognized for his role in developing EQ skills.

Ackley says, "Focusing on EQ provides call centers with the chance to solve some of its most vexing and costly problems. It is a new ground for them which can provide the competitive edge that all call centers seek. The chance to partner with ITESA, a long time established name in the call center industry, provides us with instant expertise in the problems that call centers face.”

While IQ is essential, Emotional Intelligence (EQ) might just be the key to unlocking further potential for quality performance, lower attrition and operational performance. The partnership brings together the first scientifically validated measure for star performers, with proprietary coaching techniques to manage and grow emotionally intelligent leadership teams and customer service representatives. The ITESA EQ Leader team have together over 50 years of expertise in call center knowledge and skill with psychology.

Pointing to several successful Emotional Intelligence implementations, showing dramatic results, they refer to American Express, Prudential Insurance and the US Air Force, where results have demonstrated that individuals with higher Emotional Quotient scores make better leaders, and communicators.

Higher EQ scores indicate that the individuals can better handle all kinds of stress more effectively and efficiently, thus making revenue graph go higher with every passing day.

Keith Fiveson is president/CEO of ITESA.

Report: Roanoke Growth Looks Strong

A leading index of economic growth shows a dramatic improvement for the Roanoke Region. Roanoke rose 42 positions to No. 126 out of the 200 largest U.S. metro areas, according to the 2009 Milken Institute/Greenstreet Real Estate Partners Best-Performing Cities Index.

The Roanoke Region was the highest-ranking of Virginia's major metropolitan areas for high-tech GDP growth from 2007-08. The overall index ranks U.S. metropolitan areas by how well they are creating and sustaining jobs and economic growth.

The components include jobs, wages and salaries as well as technology growth. While Roanoke's overall position improved, other Southern metro areas, including Asheville, N.C., Greenville, S.C., Chattanooga, Tenn., and Raleigh, N.C., fell in the overall ranking. Roanoke was higher than Chattanooga (172) and Greensboro, N.C. (154).

"Once again, a comprehensive national index shows the Roanoke Region improving in a variety of measures," says Beth Doughty, executive director of the Roanoke Regional Partnership. "What's particularly gratifying is that the Roanoke Region climbed in the rankings while many cities in the South declined."

(From press release.)

Shelor Buys Old Sarmadi Car Lot

The former Dave Sarmadi Mitsibishi automobile dealership lot in West Salem has been purchased by a division of the Shelor Automotive Group for $3.7 million group with no plans to create another car lot, say the new owners.

A report in Roanoke’s local daily today says that the new owners have no definite plans for the eight acres, but that it will be developed in some way. Sarmadi moved his dealership to Roanoke where, he says, his customers are.

Tech Landscape Architecture Ranks at Top

Virginia Tech’s undergraduate landscape architecture program, in the School of Architecture + Design, College of Architecture and Urban Studies, has been ranked No. 1 in North America in the 11th annual America’s Best Architecture and Design Schools study by DesignIntelligence on behalf of the Design Futures Council.

Virginia Tech’s graduate landscape architecture program in the School of Architecture + Design College of Architecture and Urban Studies, has been ranked No. 2 in North America, behind Harvard University in first place. In category rankings of the preparedness of recent graduates in a range of vital skills, Virginia Tech’s landscape architecture program ranked No. 1 in communication and computer applications, No. 2 in design, and No. 3 in sustainable design concepts and principles.

Last year, DesignIntelligence initiated a classification system for architecture programs that sought to look beyond a one-year ranking to a more multi-dimensional stratification of excellence. Since this new system, the Cramer Report, looks at a longer history of performance than the best schools rankings do, it will be presented every other year for each academic program area.

Last year, DesignIntelligence reported on architecture—Virginia Tech was ranked No. 1 with Harvard, Columbia and Yale. This year, the Cramer Report ranks landscape architecture. Virginia Tech’s landscape architecture program is named one of America’s World-Class Landscape Architecture schools with highest distinction.

Patrick Henry Hotel Furniture Sale To Benefit Goodwill

The Patrick Henry in downtown Roanoke plans a public sale of items from the historic landmark, recently purchased by Ed Walker. Walker intends to create more than 100 apartments with offices and possibly retail space in the building.

Originally opened as a hotel in 1925, the building has been sitting idle for several years filled with furniture and antiques. While many of the items are of historical significance and will be used in the renovation, a substantial amount of furniture, fixtures, and equipment will be available to the public at a series of sales with proceeds benefiting Goodwill Industries of the Valleys and Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley.

The first sale will take place on Saturday, Dec. 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The one day event will feature small mementos such as original room keys, brass wall plaques, signature antiques and a sampling of art deco and traditional furniture.

The sale will be held at the Goodwill Jobs Campus located at 2502 Melrose Avenue in Roanoke. A larger sale with remaining items will be held in January of 2010 at the Roanoke Civic Center.

(From press release.)

'Father of Internet' To Speak at Tech

Vinton G. Cerf, the co-designer of TCP/IP protocols and basic architecture of the Internet, will lecture at Virginia Tech on Monday, Dec. 7.

His talk, “The Unfinished Internet,” is from 11 a.m. to noon at the Holtzman Alumni Center’s Alumni Assembly Hall. Sponsored by Virginia Tech’s College of Science, the event is free and open to the public, no tickets needed, though space is limited.

Widely known as a "Father of the Internet," Cerf is the co-designer with Robert Kahn of TCP/IP protocols and the basic architecture of the Internet. In 1997, President Clinton recognized their work with the U.S. National Medal of Technology. (He has said, by the way, that Al Gore is, indeed, one of the key figures in the development of the Internet, leading Congress to fund some of its development.)

In 2005, Cerf and Kahn received the highest civilian honor bestowed in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It recognized that their work on the software code used to transmit data across the Internet put them at the forefront of a digital revolution that has transformed global commerce, communication, and entertainment.

Cerf is now vice president and chief Internet evangelist for Google. He is responsible for identifying new enabling technologies and applications on the Internet and other platforms for the company.

Roanoke's Big Give Scheduled Saturday

Goodwill Industries of the Valleys, Habitat for Humanity in the Roanoke Valley, Roanoke Valley SPCA, and Southwestern Virginia Second Harvest Food Bank will participate in a collaborative, community donation drive Saturday, Dec. 5, at the Roanoke Civic Center, Parking Lot A, from 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Project Give brings together four area non-profits to help collect much needed donations to support their missions. The need in the community for assistance from non-profit organizations is greater than ever before.

Material and food donations will allow each organization to provide necessary services in the community. Items that will be collected include: clothing, housewares, canned & other non-perishable food items, furniture, building supplies and fixtures, dry or canned pet food, computers, games, and toys. Material donations should be in gently used condition or better.