Virginia Tech Alumna Deborah Petrine awarded for decades of service

impact 2:39 Virginia Tech Alumna Deborah Petrine awarded for decades of service

By:

Dawn Jefferies

15 Dec 2021 433

Virginia Tech honored Deborah Petrine ’78 for her contributions to the university. Petrine’s recognition with the 2020 Alumni Distinguished Service Award was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Debbie Petrine is known for her work ethic. "She's very smart. She's extremely dedicated, she's very determined and nobody will out-work her. So she's always prepared, she's always ready to deal with any difficult situation." "She's one of those alumna that you just wish for as a dean or as an administrator in a college. Debbie's been able to help with advice. She's been able to open up her Rolodex and help create contacts for the university and then for the Pamplin college." A graduate of the Pamplin College of Business, Petrine not only served on the college's advisory board for management, but on the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors, where she became the university's first female rector. "We kind of joke that if you're on the Board of Visitors that selects a president and he does well, nobody remembers that you were on the Board of Visitors, if you don't do it well, everybody remembers who was on the Board of Visitors, so I think we did okay, and she was a big part of that. But I thank her business acumen across the Commonwealth is what led the governor to appoint her on the board. Actually and being very active in the Roanoke region and also in health care, if you recall about the same time she was a big part of that was when the Carilion and Virginia Tech combination was going together. So she brought a lot of skill with her expertise to that." She shared her passion for the university, with her family. "We are so invo