She also notes that the region leads the Commonwealth in the development of an educational telecommunications infrastructure. Graham brings years of experience in economic development to the center, including 25 years in higher education as an educator and administrator of such programs as GMU's Center for Professional Development and the Entrepreneurship Center. Graham received her bachelor's and master's degrees from RU in 1961 and 1967 and a doctorate from Virginia Tech in 1976. A native of Alexandria and a long-time resident of Radford, Graham's experience in both locations gives her valuable insight into the riches of each region. Attitude and lack of understanding seem to be the major barriers separating the two regions, she says.
People are suspicious when there is no trust.
A major project of VEB has been establishing the Virginia Procurement Pipeline, a computerized database which assists buyers and sellers by marketing and identifying products and services available in the Commonwealth. Soon to be available on the World Wide Web, the database includes 2,000 Virginia businesses and is used by 300 Virginia purchasing officers. This innovative program allows Virginia businesses to market their services, products and capabilities to potential buyers who might have purchased products and services outside of the state, says Graham. Graham says that VEB has assisted with numerous successful business connections in the Commonwealth. Deerfield Home HealthCare of Mouth of Wilson, and Lightly Expressed, Ltd., of Salem, which specializes in the design, manufacture and installation of fiber optic-based lighting systems, will provide more employment opportunities and economic growth in the region.