Angie Chewning became Executive Director of the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce in the fall of 2010. Her passion for the community leads her to take an active role in promoting business, industry, and tourism in the area. She believes that growth starts with people who are willing to share their ideas and ask questions.
Chewning has three children, Cydney, Drake, and Abbie, and one grandchild, Kellen.
She serves on the Roanoke Regional Partnership Board, the Urban Development Advisory Committee, and the Vinton Moose #1121 Lodge Board of Directors Lodge. She is also a member of the Sassy Sisters at the Lodge. Their events include food drives at Thanksgiving and Christmas, Blood Drives, and many other community events. She served as Chair of the Vinton Relay for Life from 2012-2016. She has served as a member of the Town of Vinton Revitalization Committee and the Preventive Council Committee. She loves promoting all things Vinton and is always encouraging folks to “Shop Local.” She loves volunteering for events and organizations that help people and make our community a better place to Live, Work, Shop and Play.
Chewning has enjoyed her collaboration with Chasity Barbour and Roanoke Valley Television promoting local businesses in their “All Things Vinton” series that can be seen on YouTube and social media.
Kathryn Sowers works part-time for the Vinton Chamber of Commerce as Executive Assistant and Financial Coordinator.
She is a native of Vinton. She has one son, Todd, and three grandchildren, Christiaan, Austin, and Hannah.
Volunteering is an important part of her life. Sowers is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Vinton-Roanoke County “High Ground” Veteran’s Monument on the grounds of the Vinton War Memorial. She serves on the Board of Directors for General Federation of Women’s Club International, Southeastern Region, state of Virginia, Blue Ridge District, GFWC Woman’s Club of Vinton and GFWC Totera Woman’s Club.
She is Secretary/Treasurer of the Arnold R. Burton Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships to two William Byrd High School students each year. She is also very involved in her church, Vinton Baptist, and the Roanoke Valley Baptist Association and WMU.
Chamber President Jason Boothe is a realtor at Mountain View Real Estate in Vinton. He is very active in the Vinton community where he has served as a board member and coach for the Vinton Booster Club and Vice President and President of the William Byrd Baseball Booster Club from 2017-2020. Along with his board positions, Boothe has also coached in the Vinton community for over 15 years. His “love for the kids and parents” has made him lifelong friendships. He has also served as a deacon at Lynn Haven Baptist Church.
Boothe has been married to his wife Nicole for 26 years. She works at William Byrd High School. They have two children. His daughter Taylor and son-in-law Collin reside in Georgia where Collin serves in the Army. His son Bryce works for Roanoke City’s Stormwater Department.
“I am the very proud Pappi to my new granddaughter, Rylan, who lives with Mommy and Daddy in Georgia,” Boothe says.
“I can’t express how excited I am to be able to work with such an amazing group of people who truly care about the town,” said Boothe. “I look forward to serving the members of this great Chamber, and we will do everything we possibly can to make Vinton the place to bring your business.”
Allison Finney will continue serving as First Vice President of the Chamber. She is a graduate of William Byrd High School and Virginia Tech where she majored in Housing, Interior Design and Resource Management with an option in Residential Management. She manages several residential properties (apartments and single-family homes) in Roanoke, Salem, and Vinton. Finney also manages American Efficiency Inns, an extended stay motel located in downtown Vinton, as well as two other commercial properties.
She has been involved with many organizations over the years. She is a founding member of the Square Society, serving on the board for many years and eventually becoming president. While serving as president, she also served on the Center in the Square Board of Directors. She has been on the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors for 11 years and on the Executive Board for going on nine years.
Page Stovall will continue to serve as the Second Vice President of the Chamber. She is a 2007 graduate of William Byrd High School and a 2012 graduate of Radford University, where she received her Bachelor’s in Science. Stovall is the Business Office Manager at Pheasant Ridge Nursing and Rehab Center in Roanoke.
She continues to have a passion for the geriatric population and has worked in the long-term care setting for almost 10 years. She enjoys engaging with the Roanoke Valley through multiple networks allowing her to show what Vinton truly has to offer. She is grateful to be a part of the evolving things happening in Vinton.
Outside of the long-term care setting, Stovall enjoys spending time with her husband, Brian, family, and friends. She enjoys traveling, concerts, and being a bonus mom to Brian’s daughter Kayla.
Justin Davison serves as Past President for the Chamber. He was first elected as President in 2017 and has volunteered with the Chamber since 2014. Davison was born in New Jersey but has called Vinton home since 2009. He is the Market Manager at the Member One Federal Credit Union in Vinton. He was selected for the Roanoke Magazine’s “40 Under 40” for 2022 for career achievements, community involvement, and accolades. He currently serves on the board at the Roanoke Valley Speech & Hearing Center and enjoys helping the Chamber, Junior Achievement, Center in the Square and Big Lick Entertainment with the great things they do in the community as well as spending time with friends and family. He has a servant’s heart and is always looking for ways to make in impact on the community and help those in need.
Members of the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors in 2023 include Michelle Barklow, Donald Childress, Anthony Conner, Tyler Fisher, Tim Greenway, Chris McCarty, Kat Pascal, Libby Patterson, Joy Rierson, Paula Robins, Dr. Richard Turner, Christopher Wheeler, and Julie Wheeler.
Mayor Brad Grose is the Owner/President of Dominion Electronics Inc. in Vinton. He has served as mayor of Vinton since 2004. He was first elected to Vinton Town Council in 2000. He has also served as Chairman of the Roanoke Valley-Allegheny Regional Commission Executive Board and as the Vinton Chamber President. He has received the Virginia Municipal League “Certified Local Government Official-Gold Award” and a commendation from the Commonwealth of Virginia General Assembly for Public Service.
Richard “Pete” Peters was appointed as Vinton Town Manager as of January 1, 2021. He previously served as Assistant Town Manager and Economic Development Director for the Town of Vinton for five years, spent 10 years as Director of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism for Botetourt County, two years as Director of Athletic Programs and Facilities at Roanoke Catholic School, and seven years with the City of Roanoke Department of Parks and Recreation.
Peters graduated from William Byrd High School in 1993. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Recreation Administration from Ferrum College, and his Graduate Certificate in Local Government Management from Virginia Tech.
He and his wife Cameron have been married for 22 years and have two children, Cadence and Falan. His hobbies include mountain biking, kayaking, and camping.
Mayor Brad Grose is the Owner/President of Dominion Electronics Inc. in Vinton. He has served as mayor of Vinton since 2004. He was first elected to Vinton Town Council in 2000. He has also served as Chairman of the Roanoke Valley-Allegheny Regional Commission Executive Board and as the Vinton Chamber President. He has received the Virginia Municipal League “Certified Local Government Official-Gold Award” and a commendation from the Commonwealth of Virginia General Assembly for Public Service.
Chasity Barbour has been employed by the Town of Vinton since 2014 and has served as Community Programs Director for the town since 2019. She has a hand in planning, organizing, coordinating, and/or facilitating just about every event that takes place in Vinton, as well as several combined events with the Vinton Area Chamber of Commerce. She enjoys spending time with her “better half” Sean Stores and her daughters, Kaidence and Skylour.
Chris McCarty graduated from William Byrd High School in 1985 and from Radford University with a BS in Business Management in May of 1989. McCarty worked in the family businesses– McCarty’s Hardware and Grand Rental Station– in 1989 and 1990 and managed Grand Rental Station from 1990 until 2008 when the business was sold to Aztec Rental.
In addition to managing Grand Rental Station, McCarty ran Grand Storage of Vinton from 1998 until the rental store was sold in 2008. Grand Storage of Vinton was a family business started in 1998 by Chris’s father, Charles McCarty. McCarty managed Grand Rental Station/Grand True Value Rental for Aztec Rental and managed Grand Storage of Vinton from 2008 until he retired from Grand True Value Rental in October of 2022. He currently runs Grand Storage of Vinton.
Elizabeth (Libby) Patterson is a proprietor of The Hemp Mill, located in the heart of Vinton, on Pollard Street. She is new to the Vinton Chamber, but not to the town itself. After moving to Vinton in 2004, the town helped raise Libby, setting for her the first real example of what a true “community” looks like. Leaving the valley to attend the University of Mary Washington, Patterson received her undergraduate degree in Psychology. She went on to earn her Master’s degree in Clinical Counseling from Virginia Tech and spent two years working locally as a trauma counselor, eventually leaving the field and setting her sights on ownership of the Hemp Mill.
Despite switching fields, Patterson’s studies in counseling have proved invaluable in her new venture. With her background in counseling and her passion for helping people find natural and holistic ways to heal, she is able to meet the needs of her customers with the empathy, patience and understanding they deserve. However, if you ask Patterson, she will tell you that it is her life that is changed, daily, by the clients she helps.
Joy Rierson joined Neely’s Accounting Services, Vinton, in September 2021 as the Office Manager and Staff Accountant. She received a Bachelor of Science in Management with a minor in Accounting from Saint Mary’s College of California. She is a QuickBooks® Pro Advisor and brings over 20 years of accounting experience in business accounting, payroll, taxes, and audit prep. Originally from California, Rierson loves spending time on the lake with family enjoying water sports and making memories.
Kat Pascal is an experienced business advisor with a demonstrated history in operations management. She has worked in banking and manufacturing, managed multiple small businesses, and served non-profits as well. Her skillset includes coaching, sales, team building, and business development.
Pascal started Spotless America in 2011 and has co-owned Farmburguesa Restaurants since their inception in 2018. She also founded Latinas Network, a regional non-profit for Latina professionals, in 2020. Pascal has continued her education at Virginia Western Community College. She and her partner Jimmy Delgado are proud parents to two sons: Julian and Jacob, and three playful pups: Jax, Jackie, and Skye. In her free time, Kat enjoys family time.
Dr. Richard Turner has served as the Roanoke Area Site Coordinator for James Madison University’s Educational Leadership Program at the Roanoke Higher Education Center since 2016. He supervises student teachers and teaches graduate classes for JMU.
He is currently the Chief Marketing Officer for Fritz Sports and Event Enterprises, which specializes in NASCAR sponsorship opportunities. He works for NASCAR and worked previously for BK Racing from 2013-2017.
Turner graduated from Northside High School in 1978, completed his undergraduate work at Virginia Tech in 1982, earned his Master’s Degree at Virginia Tech in 1987, and his Doctorate from Nova/Southeastern University in 1994.
He served as Assistant Principal at William Byrd High School (92-99) and as Principal from 1999 until 2016. He also served Roanoke County Schools as a Marketing Specialist and developed the current Apprenticeship Program in 2016-17.
Tim Greenway is the owner and broker of Mountain View Real Estate, LLC in Vinton. He is a lifelong resident of Vinton and a William Byrd High School graduate– Class of 1982. He continues to be a huge supporter of his alma mater and can be seen at many of the sporting events cheering on the Terriers.
Greenway graduated from Radford University in 1986 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting. The degree led him to work as the controller for Cycle Systems, Inc, a local recycling firm, for over 16 years.
Then another dream and another path in life presented itself in building houses, which he has engaged in for the past 25 years. In 2002 he received his real estate license, and his broker’s license in 2017 and opened Mountain View Real Estate, LLC.
Greenway has been married for 37 years to Paula Greenway; they have three children, Maia, Brad and Chelsea. He is a fixture in Vinton as he attends Vinton Baptist Church where he serves as a deacon. He proudly represents Vinton on the Roanoke County School Board.
In his brief downtimes, Greenway enjoys most sports, hunting, golf, and, of course, “spending time with those grandkids.” He is a supporter of many charities, but his favorite involvement is when he can help children.
Tyler Fisher is a licensed agent with Fisher Insurance Services representing Rockingham Insurance. After graduating from Radford University in 2016 with a double major in Accounting and Finance, Fisher is stepping into his father’s footsteps to begin an insurance career. He was born and raised here in the Roanoke Valley, graduating from Northside High School. As a two-sport athlete, he was the first to attain state championships in both football (2009) and baseball (2011). In his free time, he enjoys giving back to the community by coaching football at his alma mater and traveling with friends.
Christopher Wheeler has been working full-time for Wells Fargo Bank for 25 years. He grew up in Bedford County but has lived in Vinton for the past 20 years.
“I became friends with the owners of Twin Creeks Brewing Company when they were still brewing in Barry’s garage,” Wheeler says. “Once they decided to start a business, I was there from the beginning helping with construction, painting, and, of course, taste testing. Once the brewery was up and running, I was there so often they offered me a job to make a little extra money on the side.”
He has now worked part-time at the brewery for six years.
“For the past year and half, I’ve been running the social media and booking the music for the brewery,” said Wheeler. “My goal was to showcase what the brewery has to offer and to partner with other local businesses to cross promote and grow the Vinton community as a whole. I hope being part of the Chamber gives me those connections and opportunities.”
He is a single dad with two boys who have grown up around the brewery and who love to play bingo, trivia, and listen to the music there.
“My sons are both musicians and get to hang out and talk to the bands we have in, which encourages them to pursue their dreams. We enjoy the outdoors, fishing, kayaking, and going to concerts. They are at the center of everything I do and I hope being on the Chamber board helps us be more connected with our community.”
Julie Wheeler works at the Vinton HomeTrust bank and has seven years of banking experience. She grew up in Fredericksburg but has been a Vinton resident since 2008. She is an Army veteran who served six years and has been stationed all over the country including Hawaii.
She is passionate about volunteering, blood donation and supporting local businesses. She has been married to Nathan Wheeler for 20 years and they have a senior (Riley) and a sophomore (Connor) at William Byrd High School.
In her free time, Wheeler enjoys working in community theatre and is the board secretary at Showtimers Community Theatre in Roanoke. She also can usually be found out and about at Vinton events. She is excited to join the Chamber and to be a part of helping Vinton grow while still maintaining the small town charm that makes this town so special.
Town of Vinton representatives to the Chamber Board include Mayor Brad Grose, Town Manager Pete Peters, and Community Programs Director Chasity Barbour.
Paula Robins started at Bank of Botetourt in August 2001. She has been in banking a total of 40 years. She is now AVP/ Branch Manager at Bank of Botetourt Vinton location. She is married to Reggie Robins and has two children and two grandchildren.
“I love working in Vinton,” Robins says. “I get to walk daily in downtown Vinton at lunch.”
Donald Childress is a life-long resident of the Town of Vinton. He attended William Byrd High School where he played basketball and baseball, graduating in 1994. He attended Emory and Henry College and graduated with a BS degree in Business Management.
After college, Childress began his career in the insurance industry. He has spent over 20 years helping his clients make decisions with Medicare benefit plans, Final Expense plans and Annuity Planning. He decided to start his own business in 2009, Coastal Insurance Planning of Va. His growing office is in the Town of Vinton behind the Farmers’ Market.
He is the proud father of one adult son, Damon. He also has one granddaughter, Aleaya.
