Regional Growth Manager

Sam Wolford is a Regional Growth Manager in the southwest Virginia service area that includes the cities of Bristol, Galax, Norton and includes the counties of Bland, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Grayson, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, and Wythe.

Sam’s role as a Regional Growth Manager is to establish and maintain new relationships with economic developers, industrial associations, and local manufacturing, industrial, and technology companies in his region. He collaborates directly with clients managing the full lifecycle of projects and supporting them in their strategic goals.

With over 24+ years of experience, Sam has expertise in leading, mentoring, developing, managing, and implementing solutions in engineering, technologies, emergency operations, process improvement, organization development, workforce development, and project/program management.

Sam has a personal narrative of strategic innovation, and creative collaboration, leading to successful operational and program management, and project delivery. He has tackled complex challenges and provided programmatic solutions for many clients and organizations across the region he serves. This is evident from having successfully led GENEDGE programs including the Trade Adjustment Assistance for Firms (TAAF) program in partnership with the MidAtlantic Trade Adjustment Assistance Center (MATAAC), the regional Heart of Appalachia Collaborative Economic Transition Project, and GENEDGE itself through an internal organization improvement program.

Prior to joining GENEDGE, he supported Tazewell County by leading the operation of Public Safety, Technology, Workforce Development, and by providing special project coordination across various governmental disciplines. Tazewell County received two Governor’s Technology Awards for Innovative Use of Technology in Economic Development and in Government through Sam’s program work during his time there. Sam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from Bluefield State College School of Engineering Technology & Computer Science and holds competencies in Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt

Outside of GENEDGE, Sam is actively involved in non-profit organizations as a member of boards of directors and advisory boards for both educational institutions and service organizations.

James Smith is a Regional Growth Manager in the Roanoke/New River/Lynchburg service area that includes the cities of Bristol, Covington, Galax, Lynchburg, Norton, Radford, Roanoke, Salem and includes the counties of Alleghany, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Botetourt, Campbell, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski, Roanoke, and Wythe.

James’ role as a Regional Growth Manager is to establish and maintain new relationships with economic developers, industrial associations, and local manufacturing, industrial, and technology companies in his region. He collaborates directly with clients managing the full lifecycle of projects and supporting them in their strategic goals.

In addition, James is the Program Manager for the Virginia Tech Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering (ISE) Senior Design Program. The program is designed to be the capstone, integrative experience that provides the basic skills needed to effectively plan, manage, and implement technical projects. Specifically, students work in teams to apply learned skills to real-world manufacturing opportunities, improving processes and accelerating growth.

With 38 years of industry experience, James has proven expertise in strategic business development, systems process improvement, workforce solutions, project/program management, product design, quality management, fiber optic electronics, and automation controls systems.

James earned his BS in Management and Leadership from Bluefield College and has considerable education in Manufacturing Technology with a focus in Electronics from East Carolina University. He is certified through the Siemens Technik Akademie of Berlin, Germany to teach the Siemens Mechatronics Systems Certification Program, and to assess program graduates.

Prior to joining GENEDGE, he served as Workforce Development Program Manager at Virginia Western Community College in Roanoke. Outside of GENEDGE, James has membership affiliations with various regional organizations including chambers of commerce, city planning commissions, and higher education boards.

John is the Regional Growth Manager for the Central Virginia Region. In this role, his focus is establishing new and maintain existing relationships with small, medium, and large businesses while partnering with local, regional, and state economic developers, industrial associations, research/incubator facilities and academic institutions. He will continue GENEDGE’s direct collaboration with our clients by deepening existing relationships and identifying new opportunities for helping firms achieve their strategic goals.

His service area includes the combined cities of Colonial Heights, Emporia, Fredericksburg, Hopewell, Petersburg, and includes the combined counties of Caroline, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Essex, Gloucester, Goochland, Greensville, Hanover, Henrico, King and Queen, King George, King William, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, New Kent, Northumberland, Powhatan, Prince George, Richmond, Spotsylvania, Stafford, Surry, Sussex, and Westmoreland. John was previously the Regional Growth Manager for the Southside Virginia Region before transferring to the Central Virginia Region.

John brings +25 years of experience in business development, supply chain, data analysis and manufacturing with a focus in IT/semiconductor industry. While here at GENEDGE, he led: the OEA Rural DoD Supply Chain Program, PowerAmerica Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program for Virginia, and the NASA Red Program enabling small businesses access into NASA Langley’s technical resources.

John has earned master’s degrees in both Business and Engineering, and he joined GENEDGE in December 2016.

Sharolyn (Shari) Graybiel recently joined GENEDGE as the Hampton Roads Regional Growth Manager (RGM). As a Regional Growth Manager, Sharolyn is responsible for supporting industrial development in the region by building and maintaining relationships with local and regional economic developers, industrial associations, the Port of Virginia, and the local manufacturing and technology client base. Serving as a trusted advisor, she helps clients achieve their strategic goals using the resources of the GENEDGE Alliance and the MEP National Network^TM.

Sharolyn is a results-oriented leader with over 40 years of contributions to multiple industries including military, hospitality, banking, higher education, workforce development, community services, financial/grants, non-profit, defense contracting, manufacturing, event planning, logistics, and retail sales. She has productively managed relationships between industry groups, workforce boards, academic organizations, various business partners, and local CTE.

As our newest Regional Growth Manager, Sharolyn does more than business development. She grows relationships. Sharolyn is passionate about storytelling and making connections.

Her Native American heritage plays an important role in Sharolyn’s work ethic as she embraces cultural diversity and inclusiveness. She shares, “There is comfort in our similarities, but there is strength in our differences. It is that strength to embrace our differences that will overcome all obstacles and allow us to grow as individuals, and as a company.”

Sharolyn is a graduate of Cambridge College/Chesapeake, Virginia with a Master of Management degree.

In her time away from the office, Sharolyn can be found creating murals in the community, advocating for veteran’s causes, working on home design/decorating, and spending time with her family and rescue animals.

Dave Bartlow is both the Regional Growth Manager for Northern VA, and the Program Manager for DEFENDCUI-VA (A program for Virginia companies to help improve their cybersecurity for Controlled Unclassified Information CUI.)

David’s role as a Regional Growth Manager is to establish and maintain new relationships with economic developers, industrial associations, and local manufacturing, industrial, and technology companies in his region. He collaborates directly with clients managing the full lifecycle of projects and supporting them in their strategic goals. His service area includes the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park and includes the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William.

Before joining the GENEDGE team, David founded Pendul Project Management where he worked as President, Consultant, and Program Manager. Previously, he was the Vice President of Programs & Operations for Temeku Technologies (TTi), a Program Manager at L-3 Maritime Systems, as well as an Associate at Booz Allen Hamilton. In addition to these roles, David also served as an Action Officer/Briefer for the Navy Crisis Action Team and a Training Officer/Combat Information Center Officer/Assistant Operations Officer in the USS DOYLE (FFG 39) and USS MCINERNEY (FFG 8) in the U.S. Navy.

David is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and holds Bachelor of Science in Political Science. He also holds a Master of Arts in Homeland Security from American Military University and a Master of Science in Project Management from the George Washington University. David is trained and/or certified in; CMMI Training; PMI – Risk Management Professional (PMI-RMP); LEED Green Associate; Project Management Professional (PMP); and Strategic Architecture/Business Process Modeling.