A local grocery store gave back to schools at a ceremony for its renovations and a local designer won an award for her vision for kitchens. Chesapeake Bank earned national recognition for the seventh year in a row. Casey Toyota and Colonial Heritage Community Foundation have new leaders, while exhibitions at the upcoming American Revolution Museum in Yorktown earned monetary support.
Farm Fresh Hosts Grand Reopening of Store on John Tyler Highway
Longtime grocer Farm Fresh Food & Pharmacy invited customers to view its newly remodeled store Wednesday morning. The ribbon cutting, at 4501 John Tyler Highway in James City County, included JCC officials, Farm Fresh President Micky Nye and other company representatives, along with representatives from local schools.
At the ceremony, Farm Fresh awarded local public and private school partners 20,000 bonus points for the Farm Fresh 123-4 Community Program. The points allow schools to buy supplies and educational equipment through the company initiative to donate materials to local students.
The store remodel boasts new signage, expanded fresh food offerings – including sushi made in the store – and a wider selection of produce and hand-trimmed meats.
Williamsburg-Based Designer Named Regional Winner in National Kitchen Design Challenge
Kathryn Salyer, of Kathryn Salyer Design, Inc., has been named one of the 16 regional winners of the Thermador 2012-2013 Kitchen Design Challenge. Salyer was one of the Mid-Atlantic winners in the Traditional/Transitional design category for her design submission.
Salyer will join winners from all six regions – one each in her category and a contemporary/modern design category – in September in Southern California. They will attend a Thermador gala event where the contest’s national winners will be announced and $100,000 in cash prizes will be given away to regional and national winners.
Altria Group, Inc., Supports Inaugural Special Exhibition at Future American Revolution Museum
Altria Group, Inc. has donated $200,000 to support the first special exhibition at the new American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The exhibition is expected to open about a year after the museum, currently the Yorktown Victory Center, is completed in 2016.
Altria Group, Inc. and its subsidiary tobacco companies have supported special exhibitions programs at Jamestown Settlement which, like the Yorktown Victory Center, is administered by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation. A Fortune 200 company that owns Philip Morris USA, it has also awarded general grants to aid the new museum and artifact acquisition.
“The Altria grant is the first designated for the new museum’s special exhibitions program and will allow us to move forward with planning, including exploring potential topics and forging partnerships with other institutions in the United States and abroad,” said Philip G. Emerson, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, in a news release.
Emerson special exhibitions are an important complement to permanent galleries in the museum, in that they can examine specific topics and encourage visitors to come back multiple times.
Casey Toyota Promotes New General Manager
Area native Ellen Stilwell is taking on a new role at Casey Toyota.
Stilwell has spent 15 years rising through the ranks of the company, starting as a salesperson and also serving as internet manager and general sales manager. She will now have the title of general manager.
A Tabb graduate, Stilwell holds awards for Salesperson of the Month/Year, Toyota Gold Sales Society member and Master Certified Sales Consultant. She recently graduated from NADA Dealer Academy.
Colonial Heritage Community Foundation Announces New Executive Director
Terry Sweaney is taking over as executive director of the Colonial Heritage Community Foundation Inc. In that role, she will work with the nonprofit’s president on growing operations while sustaining the organization’s mission of support, resources and services for aging adults and their families.
Sweaney brings experience in nursing and healthcare management in Williamsburg. She has also served as president of the Kiwanis Club of Toano, and with the American Cancer Society.
Chesapeake Bank Ranks in Top 200 Most Profitable Community Banks in Nation
For the seventh year running, Chesapeake Bank has been named one of the top 200 community banks in the country by American Banker magazine. Chesapeake Bank ranked No. 28, with about 6,000 institutions included in the study.
Based on three-year average of return on average equity, the local bank’s rank has improved from its start at No. 148 in 2008.
“This is a byproduct of what we do every day,” said Jeff Szyperski, president and CEO of Chesapeake Bank, in a news release. “While we are proud of this excellent ranking, we continue to keep our focus on what we do best, serving our customers and our communities.”
