Existing Business Program Manager
Economic Development
Department
Melinda Cox joined the County Economic Development staff in April of 1996 as an Economic Development Specialist. Her primary task was community development in West and East County for land acquisition and creating citizen awareness of the economic development function. From 1997 - 2000, she served as project director for the Center for Research and Technology, a 457acre technology park located near Dixie Caverns with her major focus being land development. In 2001, Cox became manager of the Existing Business Program.
Before joining the Roanoke County staff, Cox was Director of the Center for Community Education & Special Events and Olin Hall Administrator at Roanoke College from 1986 to 1996. As director of special events, she facilitated the endowment programs and the Roanoke College Public Forum sponsored by Verizon and served as the first Director of The Management Institute. As Olin Hall Administrator, she supervised the performing arts season and the gallery. Prior to coming to the Roanoke Valley, Cox was employed as a Program Development Specialist at Virginia Tech where she developed non-credit courses for the Colleges of Engineering, Veterinary Medicine, Agriculture & Life Sciences, Architecture and Human Resources and worked with the Public Service Program area to facilitate the Economic Development Institute.
Cox holds a Master of Arts and Liberal Studies from Hollins University and a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science from Virginia Tech. She is a graduate of The Management Institute at Roanoke College, the Regional Chamber Leadership Roanoke Valley program, The Economic Development Institute from the University of Oklahoma, and The New South Economic Development Course from the University of Southern Mississippi. Recently, she was certified as a BR&E Consultant by Business Retention & Expansion International in conjunction with the University of Minnesota.
Currently, she serves on the Steering Committee for The Management Institute at Roanoke College, on the Board of Directors for TAP's Business Seed Capital, Inc. and This Valley Works Board of Commissioners, the Roanoke Regional Small Business Development Center Advisory Board, Koppers Industries Community Advisory Panel, the Techforce Committee for the New Century Technology Council, the Business & Industry Committee for Roanoke County Schools, as Producer of RVTV's Roanoke County Business Partners television show, and Editor of the department's eNewsletter. She is Chairman of the Church Council at Virginia Heights Baptist Church.