PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

August 17, 2004

CONTACT: Linda Hutson Green, President

Dan River Business Development Center

(434) 791.5376

DRBDC Welcomes Diane Arnold as Region’s Small Business Development Director

Diane Arnold has joined the Longwood University network of Small Business Development Centers as Longwood’s new branch center director within the Dan River Business Development Center (DRBDC). The regional program is managed by the Longwood Small Business Development Center, with support from the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County, and is housed at the DRBDC. The program is supported by funding from the United States Small Business Association.

Ken Copeland, Director for the regional SBDC program and Jodi Keenan, Virginia SBDC Director participated in the selection of the new branch center director for the region, and expressed pleasure in Diane’s strong base of experience and ability to immediately add value due to her small business counseling successes. Mr. Copeland stated, “The Dan River Region was fortunate to have a strong pool of qualified applicants applying for the position. Diane’s credentials of experience and education, and her ability to understand small business needs made her the ideal selection for the region.”

Ms. Arnold will provide small business assistance inclusive of the preparation of business plans, marketing strategies and workshops for private individuals, businesses, and the small business community. She will draw from a national network of SBDC centers supported by SBA, as well as knowledge and experience of the state’s senior most tenured small business development center, housed at Longwood College.

Ms. Arnold brings educational, training, counseling, and private sector experience, having served as a policy analyst and planner for the Weldon Cooper Center in Danville, as Director for Instructional Special Projects at Piedmont Community College, and as a Coordinator for the Manufacturing Technology Center in Wytheville, Virginia. These positions exhibited her experience in managing a technical assistance and resource center and in working with federal, state, and local governments.

Prior to those positions, Ms. Arnold served as a Procurement Technical Assistance Center Director at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia where she counseled clients on government contracting opportunities. She has also served in the private sector as Director of Marketing for Smart-Rayburn Associates and as a sales representative for Hershey Foods International.

Diane holds an MBA from Marshall University and a Bachelor of Science from Radford University. She is a member of the National Contract Management Association and Pilot Club International. She has been recognized with NCMA honors as a “Fellow” Designee, Certificate of Honor for Outstanding Chapter Service, and Certificate of Appreciation for Contribution to Education and Professional Development. She has also been recognized by the Herald-Dispatch as a “Mover & Shaker”, and received the Robert C. Byrd Institute Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service. Ms. Arnold and her husband Jack reside in Danville, Virginia.

DRBDC Chair Sherman Saunders expressed appreciation to Larry Harris, from the South Boston SBDC office for his commitment to the region during the transition to a new director. “Mr. Harris has maintained a presence in the area that has provided quality service for clients in the Danville and Pittsylvania County until Ms. Arnold’s transition as SBDC Director. The Longwood SBDC has provided excellent service to small businesses in need of financial and business planning advice. We are pleased to have Ms. Arnold with her wealth of experience in training and consulting for small businesses.”

The DRBDC was jointly established by the city of Danville and Pittsylvania County to facilitate the development of technology and light industrial businesses. The Small Business Development Center counseling and training is a key resource to these and other small businesses across the region, and serves a vital role in this region.