Staff
Shannon R. Blevins
Director
Shannon R. Blevins is the Director of Economic Development for the University of Virginia’s College at Wise and also serves as Director of the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center.
Prior to her current position, Shannon served as a Project Manager with the Virginia Department of Business Assistance, Workforce Services Division. In her role as a project manager, she assisted new and expanding businesses in the Southwest Region with designing customized recruiting and training strategies. While serving as a project manager, Shannon was tasked with coordinating the region’s efforts in support of the CGI and Northrop Grumman Projects in Russell County.
She is an accomplished instructor, consultant and former director of customer service/operations. Mrs. Blevins has extensive experience working with leading organizations in southwestern Virginia. She holds a masters degree in Business Management and Organizational Development from Averett College in Danville and a B.A. in Business and Public Administration from the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. She resides in Wise County, Virginia with her husband and two children.
Rachel M. Patton
Program and Marketing Coordinator
Rachel Patton is the Program and Marketing Coordinator for the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center. She assists the Director in identifying, designing, coordinating , and marketing training and developmental programs that are delivered at the Center.
Rachel is currently pursuing a Master of Arts Degree in Occupational and Technical Studies with a specialization in business and industry training from Old Dominion University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with a specialization in marketing from King College. Rachel resides in Cedar Bluff, Virginia with her husband and son.
Krissi Lee
Center Operations Coordinator
Krissi Lee is the Center Operations Coordinator at the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center. She provides support to the Director of Economic Development for UVa-Wise, manages the day to day operations of the facility, and handles all scheduling of programs, events, and meeting space. Krissi has an Associate’s Degree in Business Management, and is a Certified Event Planner. She resides in Russell County, Virginia with her husband and son.
Adam L. Tolbert
Information Technology Manager
Adam Tolbert is the Information Technology Manager for the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center. In this role he directs all Information Technology needs including technical support, client interaction, network operations, and planning. Prior to joining the SVTDC team, Adam worked for three years on the campus of UVa-Wise in the Office of Information Technology in various IT support roles.
Adam is a 2008 graduate of Liberty University with a Master of Science in Management degree and is a 2006 graduate of the University of Virginia’s College at Wise with a B.A. in Government. Adam also has attended programs of the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. He is a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) and Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST). He resides in the Saltville area of Smyth County, Virginia.
SVTDC Information Desk Staff
- Alex Bailey
- Rita Jo Banner
- Kacie Collins
- Jenny Kramer
- Amy Lambert
SVTDC Information Technology Assistants
- Aaron Johnson
- Christopher Mullins
- Christopher Salyer
Office of Economic Development
In addition to operating the Southwest Virginia Technology Development Center, the UVa-Wise Office of Economic Development also operates the UVa-Wise Abingdon Center located at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon, Virginia. For more details on the Abingdon Center, click here.
