BLACKSBURG, Va., May 3, 2004 – Virginia Tech's Pamplin College of Business has appointed Otis C. Crowther Jr., of Midlothian, Va., as director of development and Sam Albimino of Blacksburg, Va., as director of corporate relations.
Crowther, a recently retired executive from Verizon, received a bachelor's degree from Virginia Tech in 1970 and a master's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1978. A native of Northumberland County, Crowther served in the U.S. Army in Germany and was an administrator for the Virginia State Health Department before beginning his career in telecommunications sales and marketing with C&P Telephone, Bell Atlantic, and later, Verizon.
As regional business development manager for Verizon in Richmond, he developed and opened new regional markets in seven cities in the Southeast. He has served on advisory boards for the Science Museum of Virginia, the Virginia Economic Development Association, and Continuing Education office at Virginia Tech. He is active in the Rotary Club, his church, historical preservation, and alumni activities at Virginia Tech.
Albimino is a Pamplin College alumnus, having received a bachelor's degree in 1985 and an MBA in 1992. He was formerly director of corporate and foundation relations for Virginia Tech, where he managed the department, raised funds, and worked with faculty and staff across the university to coordinate and strengthen strategic relationships with corporations and foundations.
He created and implemented a "moves management" process in the department to proactively manage corporate relationships and effectively develop a pipeline of new prospects. In 2003, corporate and foundation fundraising comprised $20 million or nearly 37 percent of the total gifts to Virginia Tech.
Before joining the university, Albimino was employed at Coca-Cola, where he was a region finance manager based at its Chicago office, and at Philip Morris, where he worked in various financial positions in Richmond and Charlotte. He started his career working in the finance industry in the Washington, D.C., area.
Virginia Tech's nationally ranked Pamplin College of Business offers undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting and information systems, business information technology, economics, finance, hospitality and tourism management, management, and marketing. The college emphasizes the development of leadership skills and ethical values and the integration of technology in the academic curriculum, and prepares students for global business challenges through faculty-led study abroad programs. The college has research centers that focus on business leadership, electronic commerce, energy modeling, and wireless telecommunications. The college is committed to serving business and society through the expertise of its faculty, alumni, and students.