For Immediate Release:
August 13, 2019
Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134
The Laurel Ridge Small Business Development Center is proud to announce that Christine Kriz, has won the Small Business Development Center Director of the year for the state of Virginia. Kriz will be flown to California in September for national recognition at the ASBDC National Conference. Each state has one winner. Winners were chosen based on the success of the center as per SBA guidelines and votes from team members and state colleagues.
Kriz has been the Director of the Lord Fairfax SBDC for three years. The center provides one-on-one private business consulting to over 360 small business owners per year in eight counties and the City of Winchester. An additional 500+ people are reached via free business training seminars each year.
The Lord Fairfax SBDC would not be possible without grant funding from the Small Business Administration (SBA), Laurel Ridge Community College, and the Economic Development Authorities of Frederick County, Clarke County, City of Winchester, Shenandoah County, Fauquier County, and Culpeper County.
Kriz states that she and her dynamic team of Dale Maza, Jeff Nicely, Cort Maddox, and David Reardon exist to help people start, manage, grow, and sell their small business! “We improve local economies we serve by helping small business owners succeed!” Last year, the center helped put over $7.5 million dollars back into the economy and helped to start over 19 new businesses with over 100 new jobs created!”
Small business owners, or those who want to start a small business can get consulting in the areas of loan preparation, human resources, websites, social media, accounting, operations, distribution, product development, exporting, and more. The center can help provide free market data research, forms, and templates. The Center recently worked out a deal with Intuit to offer a 30% discount to any LFSBDC client for Quickbooks accounting program.
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Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With three locations — Middletown, Warrenton, and Luray-Page County — the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.
Laurel Ridge Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award associate degrees. Laurel Ridge Community College also may offer credentials such as certificates and diplomas at approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling (404) 679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities. Laurel Ridge shall promote and maintain equal employment and educational opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, age (except when age is a bona fide occupational qualification), status as a veteran, national origin, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment. Inquiries may be directed to the Associate Vice President, Human Resources, [email protected], 173 Skirmisher Lane, Middletown, VA 22645, 540-868-7226.
Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.
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