3/8/2021

Ferrum College alumna Erin Stanley ’06 has accepted a position as the Smith Mountain Lake Regional Chamber of Commerce’s member relations and events manager. 

Her new role, which she began on March 1, 2021, will require her to implement member-relations initiatives, recruit members, and execute a membership engagement plan. She will also actively plan and manage SMLRCC events like the SML Business Expo and the Wine Festival.

Stanley has professional experience in advertising, marketing, and sales. She began her career at The Roanoke Times immediately after earning her bachelor’s degree from Ferrum in December 2006. 

“That’s really where I discovered my passion for helping small businesses,” said Stanley. “There was an advertiser I was working with [at The Roanoke Times] who saw such an amazing return on the advertising investment I had suggested that he was able to open a second location. It felt good to see them succeed and I’ve been excited to help other businesses find success ever since.”

Stanley has continued to help build small businesses with subsequent positions at Laker Media and WSLS, while expanding her professional knowledge about print, digital, and broadcast capabilities. 

Thanks to her knowledge about SMLRCC and her prior work experience, she says she’s been able to hit the ground running in her new position. “My ultimate goal is to be a resource for all local businesses in our region to help them any way I can, whether it is lending advice on their marketing strategies, sharing ideas on ways to help raise awareness of their business, connecting them with other business professionals whose services can help them in their goals, and even volunteering at their individual business events,” she said. 

Stanley lives in Glade Hill, VA with her husband John and six-year-old daughter Emma. She is enjoying her new role at SMLRCC. “I am having the best time,” she said. “And I have to say, the view from my office is amazing!”

Read more about Stanley in this Laker Weekly article.

Ferrum, VA, February 25, 2021 — During the next Rocky Mount Town Council meeting on March 8, 2021, the council members will be decked out in either black and gold, or blue and gold.

That’s because 2014 Ferrum College graduate and Rocky Mount Town Council member Tyler Lee and 1995 Emory & Henry graduate and Rocky Mount Vice Mayor Jon Snead have entered into a friendly wager regarding this Friday’s Crooked Road Classic football game between Ferrum and E&H. 

Should the Ferrum Panthers win the game, which begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 26, town council members will wear Ferrum’s black and gold colors during the next meeting. Should the E&H Wasps prevail, the council will dress in E&H’s blue and gold.

“I really don’t want to wear blue and gold because I bleed black and gold, with a hint of Methodist red,” said Lee. “It is one of my goals as a council member to have Ferrum College and the town [of Rocky Mount] grow as partners to further students and the community. I can’t wait for Franklin County and Rocky Mount to host more ODAC and NCAA D3 championships in the near future.”

“I am ecstatic that the teams are ready for the gridiron. I’ve had the pleasure to boast the record of this rivalry since my graduation from E&H in 1995 and I’m sure the Rocky Mount Town Council will be decked out in blue and gold for our March meeting,” said Snead. “Is this a classic ‘age versus youth’ battle between Tyler and myself? You betcha. Go E&H!”

The two Rocky Mount officials are rivals, but their rivalry is absolutely friendly, with Snead remarking that Lee is “a great guy and I’m glad to see such a devotion to public service in such a young person.”

Lee agreed, noting that “Jon and I have been close colleagues for a while now, and being able to serve the best town with a true friend is awesome.”

After COVID-19 forced Ferrum College to postpone its spring and fall sports, Ferrum athletics was able to return to competition on January 12, 2021 when the men’s basketball team competed against William Peace University.

To continue support for the College’s student-athletes, alumni and fans were invited to virtually sell out Adams Stadium on campus beginning on February 15, with every $10 counting as one ticket sold. The challenge ends at game time on February 26, and the gifts support Ferrum’s general athletics or the donor’s favorite team, if designated. Visit the Ferrum College website to make a gift.

Although spectators will be limited for the game according to guidelines of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, fans can watch the livestreamed game on the Ferrum College Athletics web page. 

Photograph from Karen Dillon, The Franklin News-Post and Smith Mountain Laker magazine

Ferrum College Adams Stadium. Image by Stephen “West” Nuttycombe ’19.

After COVID-19 forced Ferrum College to postpone its spring and fall sports, Ferrum athletics was finally able to return to competition on January 12, 2021 when the men’s basketball team competed against William Peace University. Now the College is offering an opportunity to come together to support the Panthers this year. 

Beginning Monday, February 15 and continuing through Friday, February 26, alumni and fans are invited to virtually sell out Adams Stadium with a gift to support the Ferrum College general athletics fund or their favorite athletic team(s). Every $10 will count as one ticket sold. See packages and purchase tickets here.  The challenge will end at 7 p.m. on February 26, when the Ferrum College football team competes against Emory & Henry in this year’s Crooked Road Classic.

Prior to the game, follow Ferrum College’s social media pages beginning at 3 p.m. for a virtual pep rally featuring special guests and notable alumni. Alumni and fans are also invited to join in the fun by wearing their favorite Ferrum gear and posting a photo or video on social media to cheer on the Panthers. 

Per guidelines handed down by the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, spectators will be limited for the February 26 game against Emory & Henry. Learn more about Ferrum College’s policy regarding spectators at this spring’s sporting events in Athletic Director John Sutyak’s video message.

Nearly one month into spring semester 2021, Ferrum College continues to provide services to support the mind, body, and community spirit of campus members as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. 

The Office of Student Life and Education (OSL&E) is offering all its normal services remotely, which include referrals to campus and community partners, collaboration with campus members to promote engagement, pathways to holistic wellness, support for graduation, and more. OSL&E continues to coordinate the delivery of meals, medication, and other necessities to students who are quarantined or isolated on campus.

The Counseling Center offers individual counseling to undergraduate students. Telehealth options by video conferencing or telephone are also available for campus members who are working remotely or are uncomfortable with in-person sessions. The Center also provides consultative services for faculty and staff.

Director of the Counseling Center Jessica Stallard looks forward to further integrating counseling services and the campus community as the semester progresses. “By next academic year, we are going to offer psychoeducational workshops to students including interpersonal skills groups and mindfulness groups,” she explained.

Additionally, Director of Student Activities Justin Muse ’05 plans to offer more interactive programs as warmer weather arrives. “We will have some outdoor programming, following COVID safety guidelines, and partner with other groups on campus for events. We hope to entertain caricature artists, and have trivia nights, comedians, music, and more,” said Muse.

Director of Norton Outdoor Adventures and Instructor in Recreation Leadership and Ecotourism Aaron Conover cited plans for campus trail walks, a full moon hike, archery sessions, mountain biking, yoga in the woods, and more. Conover recommended the Reconnect Trail around Chapman Pond that has four stations which give instructions for relaxation and meditation in nature.

“The programs are designed to help the students, faculty and staff get outdoors and be active while following campus COVID safety protocols, social distancing, and proper cleaning and sanitizing of the equipment being used,” Conover said. “The great thing is we can do all of these while still having interaction with nature and others.”

The Fitness Center on campus provides a way to maintain good health and curb stress through exercise. The Center is also offering weekly body fat and blood pressure checks, along with core conditioning, and deep stretch and guided meditation classes. Campus members are also invited to consult with a student personal trainer to determine if they would benefit from fitness or nutrition assessment, or sessions with a personal trainer.  

On May 11, 2020, Ferrum College alumna and Residence Life staff member Alli Colls Summers ’15 and Assistant Football Coach Luke Summers celebrated their one year anniversary as a married couple. Little did they know how unique their first married year together would be.

Over the course of a year, the Summers family continued renovations on their house, enjoyed a home overrun with adorable puppies from their two golden doodles Woody and Gracie, and embarked on a quarantined and socially distanced lifestyle thanks to COVID-19. In mid-April 2020, the couple learned they were expecting their next greatest adventure: a baby due around Christmas.

“It’s been quite a year and a half,” said Alli, who was also promoted to director of Ferrum’s Residence Life and Housing in June 2020. “We’ve been pretty busy! Luckily, most of it has been a lot of fun.”

Their healthy baby boy, Lincoln Keith Summers, arrived at 1:25 a.m. on Christmas Day 2020. He weighed 10 pounds, 5 ounces and was 21.5 inches long.

“Lincoln already knows what he does and doesn’t like and he’s going to let you know it,” Alli said. “He’s very snuggly and an incredible day sleeper! Shockingly, for a 10 pounder, he does not enjoy eating! He’s the sweetest baby. We’re so in love, but definitely exhausted!”

In 2019, Alli and Luke were featured as Ferrum College Sweethearts in this article. 

The Outdoor Classroom is located near the Fitness Center & the Ferrum Outdoors building.

Ferrum College is preparing for another unique semester as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The College plans to closely follow the same protocol that it adopted for its fall 2020 semester, which allowed students to remain on campus and successfully complete their fall courses through hybrid instruction (half virtual, half in-person).The most striking difference is that Ferrum’s athletes will now be back in action this spring.

Spring semester classes will begin on Tuesday, January 19, 2021. Students are required to check-in online prior to utilizing a staggered schedule to move back to Ferrum’s campus. They are also instructed to limit their exposure and monitor their health and temperature daily for 14 days prior to their arrival.

Students, faculty, and staff will follow the same protocol this spring as they did last semester: wearing masks during class and at work, limiting people in buildings on campus, practicing social distancing, and using the LiveSafe app to check in daily before leaving their residence halls and/or coming to campus. Housekeeping staff will continue performing both routine and deep cleaning on campus, especially for high-touch areas like light switches and door handles.

The College’s athletic teams will compete this spring; however, due to COVID-19 restrictions, spectators will not be allowed to attend indoor sports and are instead encouraged to enjoy indoor sporting events at this livestream link. A decision regarding spectators for outdoor sports events has not yet been made. Read more about Ferrum’s spring athletics season in this letter from Director of Athletics John Sutyak.

Additionally, the College is exploring the creation of a campus vaccination center as the COVID-19 vaccine becomes more available this spring. “We are hopeful for an inoculation center on campus when the vaccine gets to 1C in spring, so those who are interested can have easy access to vaccinations,” wrote Dean of Students and Pandemic Coordinator Nicole Lenez in a campus-wide email earlier this week.  

Although cautious, the Ferrum College community remains optimistic for another successful semester. “I am eager for our Panther family to begin a new semester,” wrote President David Johns in recent campus correspondence. “We will support each other through the challenges of this pandemic, encouraging each other to excel in the classroom, the court and field, in the residence halls, and in our neighboring communities. With determination and a renewed sense of purpose, we will continue to practice those things that make for a better tomorrow.” Read Johns’ full letter here.

Visit www.ferrum.edu/stronger-together to learn more about spring semester 2021.

Ferrum, VA, January 24, 2021 — The Roanoker magazine has announced its “40 Under 40” Class of 2021, a group nominated by the magazine’s readers for their outstanding leadership, career achievements, and community involvement in the Roanoke Valley. Two Ferrum College graduates, Tim Pohlad-Thomas and Beth Simms, are on this year’s list. 

RIDE Solutions Outreach and Communications Specialist Tim Pohlad-Thomas is a 2008 graduate of Ferrum College. The Roanoker article describes him as a “tireless advocate for our region” with a passion to help residents find alternate travel options, which save money and enhance physical fitness. He is a 2018 graduate of Leadership Roanoke Valley and currently serves as vice president of the Clean Valley Council board, as a board member of 5 Points Music Foundation, as the Experience Outside Program chair with Get2KnowNoke, and as the FloydFest Outdoor Adventure director.

“When I learned that I had been chosen for the ‘40 Under 40’ Class of 2021, I was honored and surprised,” said Pohlad-Thomas. “I felt honored because on the list I accompany many other incredible people doing great work for the region, including Ferrum graduate Beth Simms. I was surprised because I didn’t know I had been nominated, and I do what I do because of my passions and my love of helping others and not to receive accolades. Growing up around Ferrum College and going to school there certainly helped me understand why the motto ‘Not Self, But Others’ is important no matter where you end up in life or what you end up doing.” 

The Town of Rocky Mount’s Cultural and Economic Development Director Beth Simms, a 2009 Ferrum College graduate, was also named to The Roanoker’s list. Simms was nominated because of her work in establishing a $5,000 grant from the Reset Rocky Mount Small Business Grant Town’s allocation of the CARES Act, which aided local businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In The Roanoker article, Simms is praised for “her ability to focus on the big and small picture at the same time.” She is a 2017 graduate of the E. A. Morris Fellowship for Emerging Leaders program and currently serves on Ferrum College’s Alumni Board of Directors.

“I am honored to be named to The Roanoker Magazine’s ‘40 Under 40’ list,” said Simms. “There are three of us from the Ferrum community and two who graduated from Ferrum College. I believe this proves that Ferrum students carry Ferrum’s motto of ‘Not Self, But Others’ with them throughout their lives. I am grateful for the positive attention this article has brought to Ferrum, Rocky Mount, and Franklin County!”

Read more about Pohlad-Thomas and Simms in The Roanoker Magazine’s “40 Under 40” article.

John Sutyak

Below, Director of Athletics John Sutyak outlines Ferrum College’s spectator policy for the upcoming spring sports season. 

Happy New Year to all members of the Ferrum Community and our spring 2021 opponents.

As we eagerly approach the return to athletic competition in January, I wanted to reach out in regards to fan attendance at Ferrum home athletic contests this upcoming season. I know our students, alumni, faculty, staff and fans on campus, as well as our opponents, are excited to resume competition here at Ferrum.

While our coaches, staff and student-athletes are preparing to compete, we continue to work toward ensuring a safe environment that adheres to federal, state, NCAA and Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) standards. In doing so, I wanted to update you on how we will proceed with spectators at Ferrum College athletic events this spring.

In regards to indoor sport competition (basketball, swimming, volleyball and wrestling), attendance will be limited to team personnel and event management staff at this time. Unfortunately, this means no spectators will be allowed on campus for any indoor events.

This decision has been made in accordance with the Commonwealth of Virginia’s limit on social gatherings, as well as the ODAC stance on spectators for indoor events. We will continue to monitor federal, state, NCAA and ODAC guidelines in working to make the most prudent decision in regards to fans at indoor events as the season progresses.

A decision on outdoor events has not been made at this time and we will continue to monitor all federal, state, NCAA and ODAC guidelines in making that decision before our first outdoor event on February 13 when men’s lacrosse welcomes Methodist University to Adams Field.

We are committed, as an athletic department, to live stream all home events so that everyone can continue to support our Ferrum athletic teams. You can access our live stream home page here.

I understand that many of us in Panther Nation will be disappointed in this decision to prohibit attendance at home events. These decisions are never easy, but are made in an effort to keep everyone in the Ferrum College community and the surrounding communities in Franklin County safe.

We are all eager to put this pandemic behind us, and welcoming back athletic events is a step in that direction. I look forward to when we all will be able to enjoy Ferrum athletics, in person, together.

I will work to update everyone as we progress through the season and more information becomes available. In the meantime, thank you for your patience and understanding.

Best Wishes,

John Sutyak
Director of Athletics

Additionally, Sutyak is planning to host a virtual athletics town hall meeting on January 25, 2021. More information regarding this meeting is coming soon.

For the latest news and events concerning Ferrum Athletics, please visit here.