City of Danville
P.O. Box 3300 | 427 Patton St.
Danville, VA 24543-3300
phone: (434) 793-1753
fax: (434) 797-9606
Pittsylvania County
P.O. Box 426 | 1 Center St.
Chatham, VA 24531
phone: (434) 797-6906
fax: (434) 432-7968
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City of Danville Director
Corrie Teague Bobe joined the Danville Office of Economic Development in November 2009. Bobe is responsible for leading the organization’s mission to improve the economic health and quality of life of the city of Danville through the creation and retention of jobs, building of local wealth, and increasing the tax base. Prior to this position, Bobe served as Assistant Director and led redevelopment efforts within Danville’s award-winning River District. She also serves as staff to the Industrial Development Authority of Danville, Virginia, the Danville Pittsylvania Regional Industrial Facility Authority and the Staunton River Regional Industrial Facility Authority.
In addition to her responsibilities at work, Bobe is involved in a variety of clubs and organizations. She is currently a member of the West Piedmont Workforce Investment Board, member of the Virginia Economic Developers Association where she serves as co-chair of the Downtown Special Interests Group, member of the International Economic Development Council, Secretary of the Dan River Business Development Center Board of Directors, Chair of Southern Virginia Regional Alliance, Executive Director of the Danville Community Development Entity, board member of the Danville Area Development Foundation, board member of Danville Industrial Development, Incorporated, and Executive Director of the Key to Danville Foundation.
Bobe is a native of Danville, Virginia. She graduated from Danville Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration and from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Management. She is also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Southside XVII program. Bobe has been named to the Virginia 500 Power List by Virginia Business Magazine for three consecutive years.
Pittsylvania County Director
Matthew “Matt” Rowe has enthusiastically served the citizens of several counties throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Currently, he is the Director of Economic Development for Pittsylvania County where he has the responsibility of developing and implementing a successful business attraction, retention, and expansion program. Prior to his employment with Pittsylvania County, he served as the Director of Planning & Economic Development for Charles City County, Virginia, where he led all of the County’s Planning, Economic Development, and Environmental functions. He has also gained valuable land-use planning and development experience through his work experiences in Amherst County, Virginia as their Planner, Assistant Zoning Administrator, and Erosion and Sediment Control Program Administrator; and in Mathews County, Virginia, as their Planner, GIS Coordinator, and Wetlands Administrator. He began his career in Smyth County, Virginia, where he was the Assistant to the Director of Community & Economic Development.
Mr. Rowe is a native of Northumberland County, which is located on Virginia’s Northern Neck, where he grew up working on the Chesapeake Bay for his father as a commercial waterman and charter boat mate for over 11 years.
Mr. Rowe is a Certified Zoning Administrator with the Virginia Association of Zoning Officials, and is certified as a Combined Erosion and Sediment Control Administrator and Combined Stormwater Program Administrator. He is a member of the Rural Virginia Planning Caucus, the Virginia Economic Developers Association, and has obtained the Georgia Tech Basic Economic Development Course certificate. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from the College of William & Mary, and a Master of Public Administration from Virginia Tech.
Project Manager
Kattie Saunders joined Pittsylvania County’s Economic Development Department as Project Manager in June of 2021. In her role, she supports in developing, managing, and implementing economic development projects designed to retain and attract new industries. Her responsibilities include marketing Pittsylvania County, responding to prospect inquiries, assisting in the development of industrial properties, participating in prospect visits, and coordaining special events.
Saunders is a native to Pittsylvania County. Prior to joining Pittsylvania County’s Economic Development Department, Saunders was employed by Dewberry in Danville, Virginia as the Southeast Marketing Assistant.
Saunders graduated in 2015 from Danville Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration; then transferred to Averett University where she graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing Management and Management Science. In the same year, Saunders also graduated with her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Liberty University.
City of Danville Assistant Director
Kelvin Perry joined the Danville Office of Economic Development in April 2017 as Project Manager and was promoted to Assistant Director in April 2023. His responsibilities include coordinating incentive, recruitment, and support effort with local, regional, and state economic development organizations, overseeing capital projects, and serving as liaison for the IDA of Danville.
Prior to joining economic development, Perry has over 32 years of banking experience and was employed for 16 years by First State Bank as chief operating officer and then as president and chief executive officer. In addition, he assisted small businesses in southern Virginia with business and financial planning through his role as an independent consultant with the Longwood Small Business Development Center.
Perry is a 1982 graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Science degree in Banking and Finance. He has actively served on a number of boards and civic organizations in the community is currently the President of Big Brothers Sisters of Danville Area; Danville YMCA and Hughes Memorial Foundation.
City of Danville Marketing & Research Manager
Laura Ashworth joined the Danville Office of Economic Development as Marketing and Research manager in 2014. Her responsibilities include the design of marketing materials, website and social media management, responding to client inquiries, overseeing research projects and maintaining property data.
Prior to joining the city, she was employed by Infinity Global as a graphic designer and archiving specialist. Her background also includes freelance photography.
Ashworth graduated from Longwood University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in photography.
City of Danville Special Projects Manager
Kimberly Custer joined the Danville Office of Economic Development as Special Projects Assistant on September 1, 2011. In her role, she supports economic development projects and programs by coordinating and assisting with special events, providing assistance and planning for company site visits, and working with existing businesses. She oversees the general function of the office, acts as receptionist, provides administrative support, and arranges meetings, conferences, and travel. She serves as the liaison to community organizations, citizens, and city, state and federal agencies.
She was previously employed by Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania as an Administrative Assistant in the Academic Dean’s Office. Her background also includes a position as a computer software trainer of Microsoft products for corporate clients and adult professionals.
Kimberly is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology.
Project Manager
Samantha Bagbey joined the team as Project Manager in November of 2023. As Project Manager, Bagbey identifies prospective opportunities designed to attract better paying jobs and increase the investment tax base. She also monitors the development of industrial and historical properties in the River District.
Prior to joining The City of Danville, Bagbey was the Executive Director of The Roxboro Area Chamber of Commerce. Bagbey led efforts to fund, support, and advocate for small businesses and entrepreneurs, assisted with the Duke Energy Carbon Plan efforts to maintain Duke Energy Power Plants in Person County, and other support and advocacy initiatives. Her background also includes project management for residential and commercial recreational products and commercial grocery.
Bagbey graduated from Piedmont University, formerly known as Piedmont College, in Demorest, Georgia in 2014 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Businesses Administration and Marketing. In 2021, Bagbey received her Master’s Degree in Project Management with a cognitive in Marketing from Liberty University. Bagbey is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Economic Development Basics (IED), the East Carolina University Economic Developments Honors Seminar, and the North Carolina Rural Center’s Homegrown Leaders academy. In 2022, Bagbey was name the Roxboro Jaycee’s Boss of the Year.
While Bagbey might not be native to Danville, she was born and raised in Halifax, Virgina, spending many days and nights in Danville providing her much familiarity to the region.
Marketing & Communications Coordinator
Hannah Barker joined the Danville Office of Economic Development & Tourism as Marketing and Communications Coordinator on August 28, 2023.
In her current role, Barker writes, edits, and creates online and printed materials to stimulate economic growth for the region, including news releases, promotional brochures, and social media posts. Barker is also responsible for maintaining the inventory of industrial and commercial properties.
Prior to joining the Economic Development team, Barker was employed by local nonprofits, God’s Storehouse and Center for Early Success. Her background includes social media and marketing management and community engagement.
Barker is a native to Danville. In 2020, she graduated from University of Virginia with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is also a graduate of Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Southside program and a member of God’s Storehouse’s Marketing & Fundraising Committee.
Senior Secretary
Katie Kultgen joined the team in June of 2024 as the Senior Secretary. In this role, Kultgen greets visitors and clients, oversees department expenditures, screens calls, and maintains office supply inventory.
Kultgen previously was employed as a Retail Services Representative at a credit union, a Vendor Manager in the housing valuation sector, and a Resource Coordinator for a Managed Services Provider in the Information Technology industry. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bentley University with a Bachelor's of Science in Marketing, with a Global Perspectives concentration and minored in Sociology.
Kultgen is excited to learn more about Danville and take on this new role after relocating from Massachusetts.
Tourism Manager
A skilled connecter, Lisa Meriwether enjoys bringing people and projects together. Having spent more than 40 years in hospitality, sales, and tourism, she knows how to align resources to make projects and events – from the smallest conferences to the largest conventions – memorable for all involved. Lisa’s collaborative spirit enables her to bring hotel properties, attractions, and tourism partners to the table with meeting planners to craft experiences that highlight the best that the region has to offer.
Lisa’s professional background includes key sales positions with major hotel chains and luxury properties such as the AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. She also previously held the position of vice president of tourism for the Lynchburg Regional Convention & Visitors Bureau and as the tourism sales manager for the Office of Economic Development & Tourism for the City of Lynchburg, Virginia.
Recognized as a respected leader in her field, Lisa’s dedication to the travel industry includes serving as president of the Virginia Association of Convention & Visitors Bureau; president of the board of directors for Meeting Professionals International, Virginia Chapter; and on select committees for the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Virginia Hospitality and Travel Association. Lisa has also been honored for her contributions by the YWCA of Central Virginia as their Professional Woman of the Year in Business. She has been honored by Meeting Professionals International, Virginia Chapter with the Cecil H. Bailey, CMP Mentoring Award for exhibiting the highest commitment to influencing the life of another member, demonstrating commitment as a confidant and trusted advisor to individuals in the meeting industry while supporting their professional development and with the Meeting Industry Leadership Award which recognizes sustained commitment and substantial contributions to the meetings and events industry. In December 2023, she was awarded Associate Member of the Year by the Virginia Society of Association Executives and in July 2024 was appointed by Governor Glen Youngkin to serve a six-year term as a member of the Virginia Tourism Authority’s Board of Directors.
Born and raised in Central Virginia, Lisa stays on the go, enjoying travel, restaurants, and live music and theatre and loves to share her home with rescue pets. She has a son, Locke Meriwether, who is a 2020 graduate of Virginia Tech and a 2024 graduate of LECOM School of Dentistry.
Tourism Sales Coordinator
Aliki Leonard brings a passion for travel and culture to her role as Tourism Sales Coordinator for Danville & Pittsylvania County. Fuel by a lifelong desire to connect people with unforgettable experiences, Aliki’s professional journey has included coordinating pilgrimages to the Holy Land, managing social media for a hospitality group in Nazareth along with her M.A. program, and even assisting with international catering events.
Beyond tourism, Aliki has honed her leadership and communication skills through working with kids in youth and after-school programs and more recently as a bridal stylist. These diverse experiences coupled with fluency in different languages, including American Sign Language, instilled in her a deep understanding of creating welcoming and inclusive spaces for all.
Her Master’s degree in Tourism and Hotel Management from Kinneret College and Bachelor’s in ASL, allows her to offer a unique blend of hospitality expertise and communication skills. She is excited to use her talents and passion to help you discover the hidden gems that await you.
Visitor Center Manager
Lisa Greer joined the Danville Office of Economic Development as Danville Visitor Center Manager on April 3, 2023. She is responsible for managing the tourism information center, supervising staff, ongoing training, and development. Lisa manages the retail business system for promoting sales and tourism packages.
She was previously employed by Daly Seven, Inc. in the hospitality industry as Hotel General Manager. Her experience also includes retails, marketing, and sales.
Lisa is a graduate of National College, formerly National College of Business & Technology with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management and Associates of Science degree in Computer Applications Technology.
Travel Counselor I
Courtney Alexander joined the Visit SoSi team in June 2024. A native Oregonian, Courtney has called Danville home since 2010. She loves the outdoors and logs miles with her pups on the Riverwalk or at Ballou Park nearly every day of the year. Courtney admires and supports the growing collection of visual and performing arts offered throughout the Danville and Pittsylvania County region and is a member of the Averett University Symphonic Band.
Travel Counselor
Joe Eisenberg joined the team as Travel Counselor in November of 2022. Eisenberg previously worked in the travel industry through British Airways. "Both my wife and I love to travel and I have been fortunate enough to explore many great places."
Travel Counselor I
Beverly started work as a Travel Counselor in October 2022. I was born and raised in Danville, Virginia. I enjoy traveling and spending time outdoors. My family and I love to camp and explore new areas.
Travel Counselor
Lesly Martin joined the team as Travel Counselor in September of 2023, after recently moving to Danville. "I’m a creative person who loves making art and painting. In our free time, my husband and I have enjoyed going out to shops and restaurants in town. I can’t wait to see how our city develops!"
Travel Counselor I
Susan has worked at the Danville Visitor Center serving residents and the traveling public since January 2013. Susan enjoys art, teaching crafts, and history. She is proud of the positive progression Danville is making with tourism and economic growth. There is "So much to do, and so much to see!”