It's WINDSday | May 10, 2023

Celebrating the Power of Wind, Clean Energy and a Green Environment

Susan Long Molnar gets it.

The former teacher who morphed into a PR and advertising exec understands that our collective future here depends upon robust Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in public schools. 

That’s why she organized, in alliance with WINDSday friend Joel English of Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Tidewater Tech and Centura College, the Southside Hampton Roads Workforce CTE Forum last week in VB. Susan had speakers pumping the value of “High Quality Work-Based Learning Opportunities,” like Job Shadowing, Internships, Apprenticeships, Mentorships, and Cooperative Education to business leaders. Consider one or more for your firm. CLICK HERE for more information.

Terrance Williams gets it.

The Lake Taylor High grad recruits for Day & Zimmerman, a Philly-based firm tasked with staffing for government and corporations including Dominion Energy’s Surry Nuclear Power Plant. “Parents and kids don’t know about the opportunities,” says Williams, who says maritime, energy and other “behind the fence” industries struggle to educate teachers, parents, counselors and kids about their diverse, secure, and well-paying opportunities.

He agrees with Norfolk Mayor Kenny Alexander, also a forum participant, that students must view hands-on jobs, most of which do not require expensive 4-year degrees, “as cool.” 

Susan can help you address your employment and marketing challenges, and tell you more about Career and Tech Education programs. Offshore wind, and a host of local maritime, energy, construction, and manufacturing entities, are eager to hire.

Expose your sons and daughters to CTE, and watch them grow, right here in Hampton Roads.

Our friends in the Virginia Asian Chamber of Commerce, including My Lan Tran who is President of (the Dominion Energy-sponsored non-profit) Virginians for Offshore Wind (www.virginiaosw.org), are anxious to educate small businesses with decision makers in more than 60 industries, including offshore wind.

That’s why they’re staging the ProcureCon Summit on May 18 from 9am-2pm at the Delta Marriott in Richmond. Dominion Energy’s CVOW chief Grant Hollett and Todd

Flowers, Director of Business Development for Solar, Storage and Nuclear at the utility, will present. Bring your ears and cards.

CLICK HERE to register.

I don’t eat pork barbecue, but I appreciate those who make this American delicacy.

Frank Parrish learned the art on the eastern NC pig farm where he grew up. Starting at age 8, he helped slaughter the hogs and cook the meat for customers in three counties. After high school, he became a lineman for Carolina Power and Light before “accepting Christ” and pivoting to the ministry and a post at Victory Life Church in Hampton. “I went from electric power to spiritual power,” says the father of three.

There he met the now late Richard “Bubba” Christian and the two decided to open Bubba-N-Franks, using Frank’s Carolina recipes (“west of 95, it’s vinegar and spice based, east of 95, it’s red sauce”,) which he makes by the gallon since there are now four BnF’s: Hampton, Carrollton (storefront picture above), Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, and an active catering business. In fact I met Frank at the grand opening of Child and Family Service’s new office in Oyster Point.

Frank, who still puts on fund raisers for church groups, was assisted this day by one of his half dozen grandchildren, Kayley, out on spring break. I do enjoy smoked brisket and chicken, and Bubba-N-Franks makes those too. So go to www.bubbanfranks.com, and pick a location. I’ll meet you. 

Bobby Nance started mowing grass in the third grade and figured, particularly after working his way through Virginia Tech to earn a 2016 degree (with a 3.9 GPA) in Landscape Contracting, that he would run a lawn and shrub maintenance business someday.

But an essay he wrote that found its way onto the internet caught the attention of Francis Bartlett, Jr, the third-generation owner of the world’s leading provider of “scientific tree care.” Yada, yada, yada. Today, Bobby Nance, who claims to be the “world’s youngest board-certified arborist,” is taking care of some of Hampton Roads’ most cherished trees as Bartlett’s top guy in its regional office in Chesapeake (where there are seven other certified arborists). The job is critical, he says, because “trees are the oldest and largest living organisms on earth.” Now that’s a great stump speech.

Among the trees Bartlett’s cares for is a more than century old, 120’ tall, 80” diameter willow oak (with a calculated “value” of $63,000) in Norfolk’s leafy Lochhaven neighborhood. “We do all we can to make sure it doesn’t become stressed,” says Bobby, meaning he provides the homeowner’s trees with timely pruning, soil analysis, and fertilizer injections. That keeps away wood boring insects that Bobby says can “kill a stressed tree within three weeks.”

Want high quality, “scientific” tree care from a young professional (and Chesapeake Rotarian) who’s proud to put WINDSday stickers on his vehicles? Call 757-320-2224 or visit www.bartlett.com. 

To raise awareness of renewable energy in Hampton Roads, no one needs communications partners more than WINDSdays. That’s why we appreciate those who share our weekly newsletters with their audiences, including the Hampton Roads Alliance, Virginia Beach Hotel Association, and Lynnhaven River Now.

Our newest “outlet” is COVA Biz Break, which editor Leona Baker distributes by e-mail each Thursday to her more than 30,000 readers. Given all the small businesses we profile, it’s a perfect addition.

To get COVA Biz Break and ALL the stories Leona and her fine team publishes, CLICK HERE to sign up.