Monticello Partners with Area Hotels

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation has entered into partnership agreements with eight area lodging establishments with the goal of promoting Monticello, the hotel properties, and the Charlottesville area to out-of-town visitors.

The participants in Monticello’s new Preferred Partners program are the Best Western Cavalier Inn, Boar’s Head Inn, Comfort Inn-Monticello, DoubleTree Hotel Charlottesville, Keswick Hall at Monticello, Residence Inn by Marriott, Omni Charlottesville Hotel, and the Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia Central Region.

Under the partnership agreements, the hotels will prominently feature Monticello materials in their guest rooms and common areas while Monticello will provide special considerations to guests at each of the properties. Monticello and each of the hotels also will exchange Web site links, develop package deals and other incentives, and engage in cooperative marketing and promotional activities.

REC Partners with Virginia Broadband

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) and Virginia Broadband, LLC (VABB) have signed a partnership that will bring broadband to underserved areas of REC’s 16-county service territory beginning later this year.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for REC to be able to partner with Virginia Broadband to bring broadband to many of our members who have not been able to obtain high-speed access from any other source,” said Bruce Barnett, vice-president of corporate services for REC. “Broadband will be a faster and more dependable way for users to access the Internet, something that our members have been asking for.”

“Virginia Broadband has found a real partner with REC,” said Warren Manuel, president and CEO of VABB. “The service territory of the Cooperative matches the vision of VABB which is to provide broadband Internet and telephone services to rural areas. Synergy is a term often used but rarely achieved, but this partnership will raise the service level of both companies. We are proud to be associated with the REC and its members.”

While the details and logistics are being worked out, REC is working with VABB to provide system wide coverage within the next three years. The service will be offered in phases as the technology is put into place in a specific area.

Board and Staff of Rappahannock Electric Discuss Issues with VA Delegation

Members of the board of directors of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) traveled to Washington, D.C. May 2-3 to meet with Virginia’s congressional representatives to discuss national issues of critical importance to electric cooperatives and their member-owners.

REC’s board chairman William Frazier, of Hanover County, and fellow board members joined with more than 3,000 fellow electric cooperative representatives from throughout the United States at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) Legislative Conference that assembled in the Nation’s Capital to meet with legislators from their respective states.

Also attending the conference from REC was Bruce Barnett, vice-president of corporate services, along with the government affairs staff of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC).

DAA Ranks in Top 500 For the Third Time

Once again Draper Aden Associates has been named among the Top 500 Design Firms in the Nation by the Engineering News Record. This marks the third time in 4 years that Draper Aden Associates, has achieved this honor. The firm has offices located in Charlottesville, Blacksburg, Richmond and Hampton Roads.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Bill Aden said, “We are proud to be featured in the ENR list of Top 500 design firms in the country. This inclusion signifies our continued growth and the confidence which our clients have in us to continue providing these opportunities for us. Draper Aden has undergone many changes in the last five years and these changes have propelled us into the position of being one of the top engineering design firms in the country."

Some of Draper Aden Associates' current and recent high profile projects include the Virginia State Capitol Square Improvements, Massey Cancer Center Expansion, VCU's School of Business and School of Engineering, and the Gottwald Science Center Renovation at the University of Richmond.

Southern Health Services Earns 'Excellent' Accreditation

Southern Health Services, Inc. has been awarded an accreditation status of Excellent by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent, non-profit organization that assesses and reports on the quality of the nation’s managed care plans.

Southern Health’s accreditation status – the highest possible level – is based on voluntary review of how a health plan ensures that its members are receiving high quality health care. The Excellent Accreditation applies to Southern Health’s HMO/POS and Medicaid HMO plans until April 2009.

“Earning ‘Excellent’ Accreditation reflects a health plan’s ability to work with their members and their physicians to improve the quality of clinical care. It shows that they are building the kind of partnerships that are critical to delivering great care and great service,” according to NCQA President Margaret E. O’Kane.

“We are an organization committed to continuous quality improvement so we are extremely proud of the results of our most recent NCQA review,” said Cosby M. Davis, III, Southern Health’s President and CEO.

Rappahannock Electric Cooperative Recognizes Arbor Day with Local Students

With the arrival of spring and the filling of the local landscape with blossoming colors, spring is the perfect time for young children to migrate outdoors, have fun and learn about the importance of our environment. In an effort to teach area students the importance of trees, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s (REC) right-of-way department partnered with three area elementary schools to conduct its fifth annual Arbor Day celebration.

“REC’s Arbor Day celebration began five years ago as a way to help the Cooperative meet the criteria to become a Tree Line USA Utility,” said Keith Forry, REC’s corporate arborist. “This program is much more than a requirement though. It’s a way for us to help teachers educate their students about an essential component of our environment, while at the same time helping to improve the beauty of our communities.”

Arbor Day events were held at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Louisa, Riverview Elementary in Spotsylvania and Ruckersville Elementary in Greene County.