(From left) Kevin Byrd, NRVRC Executive Director; Sandra Davis, Citizen of the Valley; Jonathan Sweet, Champion of the Valley; Dr. Pat Huber, Citizen of the Valley; and Hil Johnson, NRVRC Chair.
RADFORD – The New River Valley Regional Commission has announced three award winners for 2024.
Citizens of the Valley are Dr. Pat Huber, New River Community College, and Ms. Sandra Davis, Community Leader; and Champion of the Valley is Mr. Jonathan Sweet, Pulaski County Administrator. On Oct. 9, the New River Valley Regional Commission board of directors, comprised of elected officials and citizen appointees across the region, hosted a dinner event at the Center for the Arts in Floyd to honor the 2024 award recipients. Approximately 100 local government elected officials, state and federal representatives, and local government planning commission chairs were in attendance.
Huber and Davis were the recipients of the Citizen of the Valley award. This award is given to a citizen within the New River Valley who has made significant contributions to the betterment of the region. Huber was selected based on her leadership in service to New River Community College and expansion of the Access to Community College Education (ACCE) to cover the entire New River Valley. The ACCE program provides up to two years of tuition for qualifying high school graduates. To date, over 1,600 students have received college credits through ACCE and over 175,000 hours of community service have been delivered by students in the ACCE program.
Davis was recognized for her enduring commitment and leadership to passenger rail service returning to the region. She serves as Co-Chair of NRV Passenger Rail, an advocacy group that has led the regional charge since 2013 which has culminated in the Commonwealth of Virginia committing to delivering Amtrak service to Cambria by 2028. For over two decades, Davis has been a generous philanthropic supporter of many academic, athletic and cultural assets at Radford University and Virginia Tech.
Sweet, Pulaski County Administrator, was the recipient of the Champion of the Valley award. This award is given to an appointed or elected official within, or representing, the New River Valley who has greatly assisted communities and residents during their service to the public. Sweet works tirelessly alongside the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors on pursuing the county’s vision of “40 by 30” which is to increase the county’s population to 40,000 by the year 2030. Accomplishments to date leading toward this goal include an expansion at Volvo Trucks North America with 750 jobs, building out fiber internet to the premises connecting 8,000 homes and businesses, and the recent announcement of Calfee Park and the Motor Mile Speedway being gifted to the county. Taken together, these accomplishments help support job creation and improve the quality of life in the county.
Each award recipient was provided a custom stained-glass piece of art by the local artist Sandy Davenport, a member of ‘Round the Mountain, Southwest Virginia’s Artisan Network.
New River Valley Regional Commission
