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Brushy Fork Leadership Institute helps community and nonprofit leaders up their game

08.13.19

Participants build a newspaper tent at Berea College

BY DONNA DANIELS, DIRECTOR, BRUSHY FORK INSTITUTE

The Brushy Fork Leadership Institute, a Strategic Initiative of Berea College, has scheduled the 2019 Brushy Fork Leadership Summit for September 18-20 on the campus of Berea College in Kentucky. You can register online at: http://2019_brushyforkleadershipsummit.eventbrite.com.

The Leadership Summit will begin with an intensive early bird session, Exploring the Landscape for Leadership Development in Appalachia, held at Boone Tavern on September 18. The Summit also will feature intensive hands-on workshop tracks on September 19 and 20. This year’s tracks are led by experts and provide ten hours of instruction in the following:

Leadership for Community Reconciliation: Explore how to approach divisions in communication and action in our communities by recognizing biases and assumptions and practice techniques for moderating discussions around difficult issues.
Personal Leadership Development: Discover your natural strengths using the Strengths-Based Leadership tool and consider conflict and communication styles based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Using Data for Effective Leadership: Explore how to develop clear goals, supported by research, and learn about what kinds of research and data are useful in each stage of any project: diagnosing issues; determining solutions; implementing strategies; and evaluating results.
Leadership for Strategic Community Results: Consider how to create a vision, build trust, and engage the broader community in development efforts. Learn from people in ordinary communities that have achieved extraordinary results through the efforts of local leaders.
Executive Nonprofit Leadership: Go beyond the basics of nonprofits. Explore practical approaches to executive-level issues, such as creating and communicating a strategic vision, planning for leadership succession, and handling executive level communications with funders and board members.
Women and Leadership: Articulate your own leadership goals and explore balancing responsibility with self-care to help renew your strength as you face challenging roles. Consider how to seek and work with mentors to help you along the way and be a mentor to those who are following you on the path to resilient leadership.

The registration fee is $325 and includes the optional early bird, workshop tracks, meals, and materials. Attendees are responsible for their own lodging.

You can register online at: http://2019_brushyforkleadershipsummit.eventbrite.com.

If you have questions, please contact Donna Daniels atdanielsd@berea.edu or Debbie Kirk at kirkd@berea.edu or call Brushy Fork at 859-985-3858.

Herald Dispatch: Young entrepreneur turns helping grandpa around farm into business

08.06.19

Photo from Moonlight Acres Farm Facebook page

BY TRAVIS CRUM FOR HERALD DISPATCH

Logan Nelson began selling chicken eggs collected from his family’s farm to people calling on the phone or messaging through Facebook. Word of mouth spread, and that evolved into selling eggs on the side of the roadway.

Today, egg production has further increased into supplying a local bakery and holding a table at the Pullman Square Farmers Market in Huntington, called Logan’s Coopacabana.

However, Nelson’s success wouldn’t be remarkable for just anyone…

Read the full story on the Herald Dispatch site »

“WV is at the forefront of innovative efforts” – Zach Rissman is moving to the Mountain State

08.06.19

BY ZACHARY RISSMAN, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NETWORK VISTA, THE HUB

In June of 2018, the summer before my senior year of college, I visited West Virginia for the first time. Over the span of two days, I drove over 900 miles to and through the state, wanting to see as much as I could of this new, wild, and wonderful place.

Even though I knew no one from West Virginia at the time and had no formal connections to the state, by August I had decided that this was the place I wanted to start my life after graduation. While the entrenched stereotypes of the state caused some confusion and concern in my family when I told them of my decision, I felt I had never been more clear-eyed in my life.

I saw in West Virginia the ability to create real, lasting, positive change in our communities, and the opportunity for West Virginia to serve as a model for the rest of the nation. We can prove to the other 49 states that we all can take control of our own social and economic futures in a robust and sustainable way.

I believe that West Virginia represents the soul of this nation, and the struggles within it reflect the core struggles within our country as a whole. I also believe that West Virginians are on the forefront of innovative and impactful community development efforts, and that the work being done today around the state will provide inspiration for generations to come.

This is why I am so excited to join The Hub as the Community Development Network VISTA. A vibrant, networked system of community development efforts holds the potential to vastly increase impact.

A network like this could serve as a model for other states looking to improve their own community development systems, positioning West Virginia as a national leader in community development. The results of this work could lead to a greater ability to provide needed services to our communities, improved efficiency and efficacy, and a national narrative change for West Virginia that accurately casts us as leaders and innovators.

When we are all able to communicate and collaborate more effectively, the opportunities to improve our work and improve our state are limitless.

Looking ahead, I am very excited to help contribute to the creation of a network to support West Virginians, and to make West Virginia my home.

Mountain Statesman: Grafton teams create strategies to attract young people

08.06.19

BY MICHAELA FLOHR FOR THE MOUNTAIN STATESMAN

Taylor Bennett and Kayla Wright of the West Virginia Hub were back to talk with residents last week at Espresso Yourself Coffee House at the second meeting on the Next Generation Communities Project.

The Next Generation Communities Project states that this project helps communities, “By bringing local citizens, public servants, and young people to the table and giving them access to research, resources, and support, the Next Generation Communities Project empowers communities to design initiatives and implement changes that work to redefine their community as places where more of the next generation can work, live, and thrive.”

Bennett then caught up new comers on topics from the first meeting such as the research that is being done across the country about what’s motivating young people to choose to work and live in a place…

Read the full article on the Mountain Statesman website »

To connect with the Next Generation Communities Project, email The Hub’s Taylor Bennett at t.bennett@wvhub.org.

This Hinton community team has a vision for a bright future in their town

08.06.19

Community members at a Hinton Chat n Chew meeting

BY THE HINTON FULL STEAM AHEAD HUBCAP TEAM

Since we began The Hub’s Communities of Achievement Program, HubCAP, we have formed a team of volunteers that meet monthly, and have worked toward – and completed! – a number of tasks for the betterment of our community.

Our vision, defined by community members, is to make Hinton a regional hub promoting arts, culture, and active entertainment for all ages, highlighting our railroad history.

We call this initiative Hinton Full Steam Ahead, so climb aboard!

In pursuit of this vision, we have learned the importance of collaboration, hard work, and celebrating the accomplishments of our community and team, in order to show others what a little effort and cooperation can do for our community.

Amongst the “wins” for the community supported through this program, are:

Applying and receiving funds to conduct a Comprehensive Plan for the city, to help lead us in a coordinated direction of positive growth;
Coordinating with many volunteers to complete a beautiful mural on 3rd Avenue;
Starting up a weekly community-led conversation, called a Chat N’ Chew, about community efforts, projects, and ways we can all collaborate;
Coordinating project funds to be used on engineering and architectural plans that move forward progress on the rehabilitation of Historic Hinton buildings, including efforts to get the Hardwoods Building stabilized and ready to be used again;
Hosting a Developer’s Tour that connected potential business-minded individuals and investors with available real estate in the city, in order to promote further business growth;
Multiple events hosted where we as a community all gather and celebrate our hard work and accomplishments.

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Ready to link up with the Hinton Full Steam Ahead efforts? Connect with City Manager Cris Meadows at hintoncitymanager@hotmail.com to plug in.

A push in the right direction – Lexi Browning is moving #NewStoryWV forward

07.30.19

BY LEXI BROWNING, CHIEF #NEWSTORYWV MOMENTUM INSTIGATOR, THE HUB

I’m Lexi, your new Chief Momentum Instigator at The Hub! Over the next three months, I’ll be sparking engagement for the #NewStoryWV campaign.

As an Appalachia native, storytelling is in my blood. I was raised in Milton, WV, and I’ve spent the last six years in central Appalachia working as a documentary photojournalist and reporter for various national and WV-based publications. As a first-generation college graduate, I earned my B.A. in Online Journalism from Marshall University. In the next few months, I will also complete my M.A. in Visual Communication at Ohio University.

Now that I’m at The Hub, it’s my goal to help recognize those making strides for the betterment of our state and ultimately showcase the WV I know and love. Like our culture, we are people shaped by resistance and resilience. But as a population, West Virginians are frequently misrepresented and underrepresented.

With my broad range of experience in communications and documentary background, I’ll be connecting and cultivating relationships between The Hub and community members throughout the Mountain State. By contributing positive, celebratory stories to our state’s story, we can collectively reflect an accurate representation of our people and culture and empower one another.

As a journalist, I’ve spent the majority of my career finding ways to champion a state and region that are often left out of the conversation. I’ve photographed, written and videoed various entrepreneurs, community leaders and inspirational initiatives born out of hardships. Having the ability to share the stories of the individuals who continue to invest in the Mountain State and ensure that it’s a welcoming environment for the future forward-thinking generations to come has always been a privilege that I’ve never taken lightly.

Now, after years of reporting from the sidelines, it’s time for me to participate in my own community advocacy, and I encourage you to join me. When you see positive initiatives in action – document them. Share them on your social media and add our #NewStoryWV campaign hashtag. It just takes a few minutes to add your voice to the narrative, and with your help, we can fill in the existing gaps to create a new, positive and accurate story of our resilient home.

I look forward to serving you, The Hub’s mission and West Virginian communities for the next few months.

Let’s get talking – 6 communities kick off their visions for a brighter future

07.30.19

BY ARIN SHATTO, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AMERICORPS VISTA, THE HUB

The six Blueprint Communities teams are taking unique approaches to bringing their fellow residents into the conversation about the future of their communities.

Lewis County decided to host four mini-kickoff celebrations in areas across the county, including Hampton, Alum Bridge, Ireland, and Jane Lew, leading up to a larger community celebration event – all with the aim of engaging more people and more perspectives in their work.

New Martinsville hosted an engaging community meeting and set up stations where participants could share their perspectives and vote for the priority they were most passionate about. You can check out a news story that captured the event here.

Meadow River Valley, which is comprised of Rainelle, Rupert, and Quinwood in Greenbrier County, coordinated a community gathering at Fruits of Labor and had more than sixty community members and other supporters attend. During the event, participants heard about community project successes, learned more about the Blueprint program, and shared thoughts on their vision for the future.

Community kickoff celebrations are also set to be held in Parsons, the Monticello Neighborhood of Clarksburg, and Kingwood. Parsons plans to gather community members at the local park, have stations for feedback on the priorities, and offer ice cream as a reward for participating. Monticello is organizing a walk, based on the idea of being “on the right path,” from a community garden to to a local building. Lewis County is planning a pool party for their folks to unite as a collective community and select a priority together. Kingwood is arranging a community forum to invite community members in an engaging conversation where priorities will be explained in detail. The results will be captured via survey.

The details for each of the remaining community kickoffs are listed below. Please consider joining in on the fun and observe the beginning of this exciting journey.

Parsons: Friday, July 19 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Monticello Neighborhood of Clarksburg: Sunday, July 21 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Lewis County: Wednesday, July 24 at 6:00 p.m.
Kingwood: Thursday, July 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

If you have any questions about these events, please contact Kaycie Stushek, Director of the Blueprint Communities Program, at k.stushek@wvhub.org.

3 opportunities for WV creative entrepreneurs to up their financial game

07.30.19

BY EMMA PEPPER, DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC NETWORK COMMUNICATIONS, THE HUB

Natural Investment Capital Fund and Tamarack Foundation for the Arts are partnering up to present a three-part webinar series on financial empowerment for West Virginian creative entrepreneurs including artists and creative professionals, people working in the tourism and outdoor recreation industry as well as folks in agriculture.

There are three webinars available, and with the benefit of support from BB&T, the hosts are offering the sessions at $15 per webinar or $40 for all three.

The topics include:

Session 1: Financial Wellness – August 14, 11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Session 2: Budgeting – September 4, 11:30 am – 12:45 pm
Session 3: Portfolio Careers – October 9, 11:30 am – 12:45 pm

Find more details and register »

Moorefield’s creative placemaking sparking new conversations

07.30.19

Local creatives welcomed the Create Your State tour to the community

BY TOM HART, CULTIVATE WV COMMUNITY COACH, THE HUB

Moorefield, along with Cowen, are two communities participating in The Hub’s Cultivate WV Program. Recently, as part of Moorefield’s Cultivate activities, the Create Your State tour was scheduled to travel to the area to deliver their always-inspiring multimedia presentation on how to leverage creativity to transform your community. As a community coach for the Cultivate WV program, I was excited to once again see this presentation.

As I arrived at Moorefield High School for the gathering, I was immediately taken aback by the festival-like atmosphere.

In the parking lot were pop up canopies with face painting and other art being created. Inside the school commons area, local artists and performers were busy setting up their displays, drawing, sketching, and belly dancing! The community had decided to organize a local artisan showcase prior to and conjunction with the Create Your State presentation. This fantastic idea was the perfect opening act to set the atmosphere for the performers of Create Your State.

Following the presentation, many of the participants stayed for a vibrant and robust roundtable discussion of opportunities and possibilities for further creative growth in the Moorefield area.

Congratulations to the dynamic individuals of the Moorefield community for having the vision and initiative to create such a positive and festive atmosphere!

“We can make Richwood great again” – Community group looks forward

07.30.19

BY THE #RICHWOODRISING HUBCAP TEAM

“Richwood may never be what it once was, but we can make it something great again.” This is the mantra of the Richwood Hub Communities of Achievement Program (HubCAP) team as we work to redevelop, revitalize and reshape our town.

Our group, dubbed the #richwoodrising team, has identified key goals for growing tourism and Main Street business development and recruitment. The expansion of a bike trail network through the New River Gorge Regional Trail Authority and increased focus on motorcycle tourism has helped shape the direction of the team.

This spring, fifteen tourism-based businesses in Richwood collaborated for a shared motorcycle advertisement in a three-state map highlighting various routes. We are planning additional collaborative marketing efforts for this fall. The team also developed new relationships with those in the mountain bike and motorcycle community to better maximize the potential of the trail development, and we are working on a strategic marketing and branding campaign to help visitors better connect to the town.

Since starting the HubCAP initiative, Richwood has seen a flurry of new businesses. An identified need for more flexible lodging options has been filled with the addition of five new cabin or cottage rentals as well as a soon-to-open hostel, Cherry River Bunkhouse. An outfitter, Back Mountain Adventures, will open next month offering kayak, boat, and bike rentals as well as a shuttle service catering to bikers, boaters, and fisherman. A coffee roasting business, Cherry River Roasting, is bringing freshly roasted coffee to Main Street as well as selling their products around the state. Richwood’s existing dining establishments have been rounded out with the addition of the Chill Out Grill, a quick dining and ice cream restaurant, and Whistle Punk Grill and Taphouse, a full service restaurant offering hand crafted food.

The #richwoodrising team plans to continue to focus on growing mountain biking and motorcycle tourism as well as growing the number of local businesses. New logo and branding materials will be rolled out in a campaign highlighting the area assets as well as in a new mural and welcome sign.

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Ready to link up with the #richwoodrising efforts? Connect with local business owner Stacy Raffo at stacyraffo@frontier.com to plug in.