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Central Virginia: Leading the Way

For our last seminar of VALOR Cohort VI, we visited Central Virginia with Graves Mountain Lodge as our hub for the trip. I hadn’t visited Graves Mountain Lodge since high school when I participated in the VICE cooperative conference, which they still host each year. It was interesting to think about how things have changed… Continue reading Central Virginia: Leading the Way

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Family Business Leadership Lessons

Our Northern Neck-Middle Peninsula-Bay tour was just as eye opening as the previous regional visits around the state. Each region’s agriculture and aquaculture is unique, but some similar threads run through many of the businesses we have toured. One of those threads is family. The family farm business takes many different forms. One quality that… Continue reading Family Business Leadership Lessons

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Daring Decisions

What more appropriate time than the New Year to reflect upon past experiences and how it can help one grow and develop.  November's seminar took us to Southside Virginia.  One of our tours took us to Briarview Farms which is owned and operated by Mr. Robert Mills.  Mills tends to rejuvenate and inspire others in… Continue reading Daring Decisions

Seminars, Uncategorized

Virginia Produce Company Inc: Seminar VI

Much thanks is given to Kevin Beamer and his family for VALOR Class IV's tour of Virginia Produce Company Inc in Hillsville, VA during our Southwest VA seminar. I enjoyed the tour through the processing and storage facility and learning about how VA Produce Co. works with both local growers in VA and growers across… Continue reading Virginia Produce Company Inc: Seminar VI

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Reel it in…

The definition reel (v) is as follows: wind a line onto a reel by turning the reel. lose one's balance and stagger or lurch violently This could sum up my first weekend with VALOR Class IV. And quite a bit of my life; so let’s start there, and reel it back… Hi, I’m Kari Sponaugle,… Continue reading Reel it in…