Another influential woman in economic development steps down.
Mary Miller accepted the RAMP challenge five years ago and now she’s taking another step toward helping entrepreneurs create businesses.
RAMP is the 12-week Regional Accelerator and Mentoring Program that has been so responsible for STEM startups’ success recently. Miller is the former president of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Technology Council and founded IDD (Interactive Design and Development) 31 years ago.
Courtesy of Mary Miller
Mary Miller
She will be replaced at RAMP by Lisa Garcia, now the vice president for entrepreneurial development. Garcia has been a high-level educator, business and executive coach and journalist. Sarah Spotswood, an AmeriCorps volunteer after graduating from Virginia Tech, will join Garcia as managing director.
Miller is the third high-powered woman to leave the field centered on economic development in recent months. First, Beth Doughty retired as head of the Roanoke Regional Partnership in August of 2020, then Joyce Waugh this week announced her retirement in December from the Roanoke Regional Chamber of commerce as president/CEO. Waugh actually replaced Doughty in that job a number of years ago.
Under Miller’s leadership, RAMP has created On Ramp to identify early-stage tech companies with great promise and Off Ramp which continues the support. “We want to surround companies with help they need when they need it,” she says. “For three years, they can come back and get that help.”
Miller says her next phase will include “Some things I’m eager to get started on and spending more time with family. I like my husband. A lot. We want to travel—Egypt is next. That’s my reward. I love these entrepreneurs [that RAMP supports].
“I will be working on another initiative that I will share later. I’ll do some consulting and I want flexibility. I love working, love helping other people. I want to have fun and to do good.”
Miller says she has felt especially gratified “when companies that have worked with said ‘Thank you because you really helped me.’ Some give me more credit than I deserve.”
RAMP “has raised awareness that helping startups is indeed economic development. It has helped raise awareness of innovation in our region by raising the profile of a company. We can look at one another and go ‘Wow!’
“The program has accomplished some of the goals we had: companies are not alone. Helping the region understand startups is part of economic development.”
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). He has authored eight books, including the upcoming novel out in Summer 2022, NEWS! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005). His new novel is NEWS! from Propertius Press.