SBTC Hires Deputy Director

SBTC Hires Deputy Director

The Southside Business Technology Center (SBTC) in partnership with Virginia Tech is pleased to announce the recent hiring of Mr. Lascelles James as a full-time Deputy Director to be located in the center’s Danville, VA office. This is a new position created to support SBTC’s growth. The SBTC has been serving business clients in the Southside region for over 3 years and the center further anticipates an increase in demand for its services in the Danville/Pittsylvania County area.

The SBTC offers top quality business consulting services to local and regional companies and entrepreneurs for subsidized fees. The SBTC service offerings include, but are not limited to: business planning, competitor analysis, market and industry research and analysis, financial modeling, feasibility studies, and operational planning. The SBTC also offers internship opportunities to students from local and regional colleges and universities who learn to use their analytical skills in real world business projects to enhance the sustainability of Southside Virginia area businesses.

Mr. James is a graduate of the University of Florida (1993) where he earned a Bachelors of Science in Industrial and Systems Engineering. He also holds a Masters of Science degree in Engineering Management from the University of South Florida (1998). Mr. James has also been certified in Project Management from Villanova University.

Mr. James brings over 12 years of business consulting experience to the SBTC. He has worked in the Healthcare, Management and Information Technology (IT) Strategy Consulting, and Telecommunications Industries fulfilling roles such as Management Engineer and Director of Business Process Engineering, Senior IT Strategy Consultant, IT Project Manager and Engagement Manager. Mr. James has demonstrated a successful track record of defining, measuring, analyzing and improving organizational performance and effectiveness in diverse corporate and governmental environments.

Mr. James has worked within the Corporate Strategic Planning and Performance departments in the private sector where he was instrumental in developing competitive strategies, helped organizations bridge the gap between corporate goals and objectives and departmental plans and budgets; put in place metrics, technologies and methodologies to measure organizational effectiveness; helped organizations create balanced scorecards for measuring and ensuring organizational effectiveness. His experience in consulting with the premier Management and Strategy consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton has afforded him exposure to multiple consulting engagements with such entities as the US Treasury, NASA and other fortune 500 companies. His experience in IT, P&L, performance improvement, change management, and project/program management will greatly serve the SBTC and Southside Virginia area businesses.

As the Deputy Director of the SBTC Mr. James will have oversight responsibility for the Danville City and Pittsylvania County program administration to include: project management, management of business analysts, interns and consulting staff, branch organizational strategy, program effectiveness measurement and evaluation, and assist the SBTC Executive Director, Eva Doss, in resource development and other special projects.

Mr. James resides in Dry Fork, Virginia with his wife Bethann and three sons; Carter, Weston and Mason.